★★★ Oracle for Starlets ★★★
★ Plant Ally Cards by Lisa Mcloughlin Art★
★ Nettle – Nourishment ★
“Find the nourishment after pain; the pearl in the oyster. Seek out environments that help to clear your thinking so that you can respond to unhealthy internal/external situations in a positive way.” – Lisa Mcloughlin
“Nettle it is called, it attacks against poison, it drives out the hostile one, it casts out poison. This is the herb that fought against the serpent, it has power against poison, it has power against infection, it has power against the loathsome foe roving through the land.” -The Lanunga 10th Century Anglo-Saxon charm (One of nine.)
With a similar outlook to Dandelion; Nettle is a plant which is often ignored as a weed or a nuisance when in fact it is a plant with incredible healing powers and alternative uses; it can be made into revitalizing tonics, herbal tea for a wide range of healing effects, braided into twine, is also a reputed hemostatic (limits bloodflow) in poultices, made into soups and salads… and all of this before any metaphysical qualities are examined.
Nettle can nourish every part of the body and soul but in modern times its magick, much like Dandelions, is ignored and written off as a weed that stings.
Perception is skewed as mankind drifts away from the voices of nature; the plant devas calls often fall on deaf ears; it is the course of the herbalist, the spiritualist, the witch to remind the world that magick exists, that the lessons plants have to tell us (or remind us) are of paramount importance.
Nettle is a plant that stings if you are not careful, but treated well, carefully harvested with respect and honour, it becomes a stout ally, blending magick and medicine into one seamless energy. Helpful, dependable and courageous; Nettle will not allow itself to be mistreated. Grab it ruthlessly by the hand and you will find yourself stung.
It is a lesson on grace and understanding; to look for the internal problems of “grabby hands”; we should not always be taking but seeking to maintain a balance, a relationship. The Earth is not a resource to be used or drained; She is alive, to be nutured, cared for, cultivated, harvested and honoured.
Human beings should be the caretakers of this great garden; not its destroyers.
The same is true for the garden of your heart, mind and soul. You must cultivate it, prune the hedgerows, plant the flowers.
When mud is slung at you; plant flowers in it.
Feed your garden with all those energies it takes to help you blossom; and blossom you will. Tears are the rain that dampens, laughter is the light that helps it grow – all these things are necessary; and more, you must take care of yourself.
Do not let poisonous vines take hold of your life, cut them down and cleanse the soil. Plant the healers. Honour those within your life who honour you.
On the surface, Nettle is not a showy plant. It doesn’t have extreme colour variation or a blossom scent and people dismiss it as prickly. Their shallowness betrays them for Nettle has more than they can see; such depth, such promise, such magick to weave… a plant for the soul.
Many blessings Starlets, Joey
Small art print – Terri Foss