Description:
:herb: Long and deeply serrated leaves
:herb: Forms a basal rosette above a long central taproot
:herb: Flowers that appear on a single shoot are bright yellow composite flowers (and are made up of many florets)
:herb: Shoots are hollow with a milky sap
:herb: Flowers later become replaced by a white “puff” that acts as a parachute to carry seeds
Associations:
:herb: Masculine
:herb: Jupiter (planet)
:herb: Air element
:herb: Pisces
:herb: Sagittarius
:herb: Solar deities
:herb: Spring
Magickal Correspondences:
:herb: Psychic abilities
:herb: Spirits
:herb: Sun and solar energy
:herb: Wishes
:herb: Cleansing
:herb: Purification
:herb: Overcoming negativity
Magickal Uses:
:herb: Drink a tea of the flowers and leaves to increase psychic abilities
:herb: Pour boiling water over a bowl of roots for aid when calling spirits
:herb: Blow the seeds off a dandelion to make a wish
:herb: Use during divination for help interpreting
:herb: Helps receive and interpret messages from the spirit world
:herb: Leave an infusion by your bed to call spirits
:herb: Bury in the northwest corner of the house to bring favorable winds
:herb: Blow on the seeds while visualizing a message to send it to a loved one
Medical Uses:
:herb: Use as a diuretic and in cleansing tonics
:herb: Make a tincture from the flowers and/or a broth from the leaves to bring relief for liver issues
:herb: Make a decoction of roots, then cool, strain, and sweeten with honey to help treat kidney stones
:herb: Drink a cup of tea every morning and night to help with indigestion (and other stomach issues)
:herb: Use a very strong decoction of dandelion and its roots to treat skin issues (such as pimples, eczema, etc.)
:herb: Drink a cup of tea many times a day to help clear skin problems
:herb: In early spring, boil dandelion leaves, sorrel, parsley, carrots, and onions to make a broth (that can be frozen for later use) to use whenever bloated, having digestive issues, or needing a cleanse
:herb: Use the milk from the stem to treat warts
Household Uses:
:herb: Use leaves to feed breeding rabbits
:herb: Use leaves to feed lactating cattles and goats
Cooking Notes:
:herb: Can be added to wines, vinegar, punch, and jellies
:herb: Use the leaves (raw or blanched) to make a salad
:herb: Be sure to use the yellow flower bits (the green bits are bitter)
:herb: Leaves can be steamed like spinach
:herb: Leaves can be cooked into soups/broth
:herb: Ground up dried root to use to make coffee
:herb: Use fresh roots in salads
:herb: Use fermented dried leaves for dandelion beer
:herb: Use flowers for dandelion wine
:herb: Use roots for making root beer
Growing Notes:
:herb: Since dandelions are a weed, they can be found easily and growing them is not necessary
:herb: Gathering roots is easier when grown in tilled soil rather than the lawn
:herb: To grow, scatter seeds and water
:herb: Dandelions grow best in full sun
Harvesting and Storing Notes:
:herb: Harvest leaves as soon as they appear in the spring (leaves grow bitter after a bit)
:herb: Leaves should be used fresh
:herb: Gather flowers as soon as they open
:herb: Before using the flower, remove green bits from the base of the flower
:herb: Dig the roots up as soon as possible in the spring for sweeter roots
:herb: Dig up the roots in autumn when they are stored full of starches for the coming winter
:herb: Cut roots into 3-4 inch segments and dry them on a screen where there is good ventilation
:herb: Store roots in a cool, dry area and seal in a bug-proof container (should not be stored for more than one year)
Side Effects:
:herb: Is a diuretic
Cautions:
:herb: Do not eat unless you are absolutely sure it is dandelion
:herb: If the leaves are branched, there are more than one flower on the stem, or the plant is hairy, then it is not dandelion
:herb: Wherever you plant dandelion, it will spread (as it is a weed)
Sources:
☆ https://witchipedia.com/book-of-shadows/herblore/dandelion/
☆ https://wiccanow.com/our-comprehensive-botanical-witchipedia/
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