The Magic of Dandelion

Usually considered a pesky weed most people overlook the physical and mystical powers of the common dandelion.

Dandelion floats on the wind

More than just some pretty flower, or fuzzy game that children play in the field, the Dandelion has many uses, for crafts, comfort and as a potent plant remedy.

The major association of the Dandelion is with the Solar Plexus or 3rd Chakra. The energy of the flower/plant itself helps to ground, calm and strengthen one’s inner spirit. Much like the ‘lion’ part of it’s name, the Dandelion is helpful as a tonic and fortifier of one’s inner courage, strength and stamina.

Ironically, this little dandelion plant is loaded with energy inducing B vitamins – and can be used as a coffee replacement. Far from the jittery effects of coffee, the dandelion root when dried and ground can be a calming, energizing elixir that does for you all the things coffee wishes it could.

A cup of Dandelion coffee can be brewed alone or in combination with a small amount of actual coffee. Some people enjoy a 50/50 mix. I myself often brew a two thirds Dandelion to one third coffee mix. I find Dandelion root to be mellower and smoother than coffee, without the acidic flavors. I actually enjoy it more than coffee, it gives me more energy and does not give me the jitters or a post coffee blood sugar crash.

The Dandelion is also used for making vegetable dyes. It is usually used with an Alum mordant and the small but mighty Dandelion can produce three distinct colors for dye. The flower produces Yellow – which is rather common and easy to come by in vegetable dyes. The stems however produce the more difficult to achieve through nature shade of fuchsia or hot pink. But most prized is the root because it is one of the few places you can get a natural purple pigment. So save some from your coffee and use it for a dye!

Remedies from the Dandelion plant are perhaps the most useful and impressive of all. This common plant has been said to help heal and prevent cancers of all kinds. Normally the leaves would be dried and taken as tea in order to use as a remedy. The tea is also a digestive stimulant and will relieve constipation. Other dandilion remedies are made by potentizing the plant through a tincture or oil. This isn’t difficult, but it is easy to get wrong, and best left to those with the proper training.

AS A TOTEM: The Dandelion helps you to get in touch with your courage, inner strength, stamina and ability to hold your own in all kinds of challenges and situations. This is a great herb to introduce to teens since it can help one to stand up to social pressures and connect to their own instincts and inner ‘knowing’ of what is right for them.

The Dandelion can really help someone who falls too much into the habit of people pleasing and helps to fortify ones ability to feel good about and approve of themselves without needing outside recognition. It also encourages feelings of genuine optimism and well-being as well as adding sunshine to a persons disposition.

The dandelion helps us to find, feel and honor our essential and true inner nature, helps to eliminate unwanted influences and will help to cut out those people, situations and habits that are bad for us. I might call it the perfect herb to cure co-dependency. Of course the plant can’t do that all by itself, but it can sure help!

I find it interesting that this potent and happy plant has such a bad reputation in our current society. Sure, it grows in abundance, but I believe that nature and the Great Goddess have given it to us in such large amounts because we need it so much. Our common social structure discourages people from trusting their own instincts and inner knowing, but in a natural environment, such skills can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Dandelion initiation has a great deal to do with inner power, letting go of false human based ego power and reconnecting to your divine sense of inner nourishment. Dandilion can be a gateway to happiness for those who pass through it’s healing embrace.