Yarrow

YARROW:

Achillea millefolium stands out in Nature as though some creator of the plant world had it before him as a model , to show him how to bring the sulphur into the right relation to the remaining substances of the plant . It contains that within which the spirit always moistens its fingers there within. Yarrow is indeed a miraculous creation .
“In no other plant do the nature-spirits attain such perfection in the use of sulphur as they do in yarrow.” In the animal and human organism it can make good all that is due to weakness of the astral body( provided it is rightly carried into the biological sphere)- then you will trace it further in its yarrow-nature, through the entire processes of plant growth. It should on no account be weeded out when on the edge of field crops.
In a district where it is plentiful works beneficially by its presence.
The umbrella-shaped inflorescence (flower) is taken and dried only for a short time.
If fresh is unobtainable then take the dried and press or decoct a liquid from the leaves to put on the inflorescence.
We always remain in the living sphere . Take the yarrow-stuff and press into balls, sew tight in the stags bladder. Have a fairly compact mass of yarrow in the stags bladder. Hang it up over the summer and expose it to as far possible to sunshine.
When Autumn comes take it down and bury not to deep over winter. IT makes no difference if the flower is already tending towards fruit. It is exposed to those influences which it is susceptible . You will find it assumes a peculiar consistency during winter.
Add the substance you take out of the bladder to a pile of manure. You need not do much to distribute it : the radiation itself will do the work. I will influence the whole mass of manure, liquid manure or compost.
Yarrow has an effect so quickening and so refreshing that we now use the manure thus treated in the normal way, we should make good again that much that would otherwise become a ruthless exploitation of the earth. We re-endow the manure with the power , so to quicken the earth that the more distant cosmic substances- silicic acid, lead, etc., which come to the earth in finest homeopathic quantities are caught up and received.
Its sulphur content combined in a truly model way with Potash , not only works with the plant itself but enables the yarrow to ray out its influences to a greater distance through large masses. The bladder of the stag is connected with the forces of the cosmos. It almost an image of the cosmos. We give the yarrow the power to enhance the powers it already possesses, to combine the sulphur with the other substances.
We never go out of the living realm. In yarrow we are mainly dealing with potassium influences. Yarrow mainly develops its sulphur-force in the potash formative process. Hence it has sulphur in the precise proportions to assimilate potash.
Yarrow, chamomile and nettle transmute potash for example into nitrogen. They can transform limestone in to nitrogen.
If you use wild yarrow a very small quantity will suffice.



The long awaited yarrow arrives in full splendour. Scattering road sides and filling lawns I see it every where now. It is subtle in size next to many of its contemporys like cows parsley. Yet the feeling I get is of a richness a concentrated energy in this plant. Its flowers have a slightly peppery flavour and the leaves too. Not very deeply rooted I question its connection with valerian as it too seems mildly rooted. Potentially due to the fact that they only come up for such a short time in a year. The beautiful white and pink flowers can pack them selves very tightly together yet are not conforming in there formation like valerian. The inner part of the flower seems to expand as the plant gets older.
Extraordinary plant qualities for biodynamic:
The yarrow has thousands of leaves( mille folium). The individual finely structured leaflets of the first order bend so that their upper sides face the tip of the leaves. Light and Air can pass through the plant unhindered. Thus there is no enclosed space below a yarrow rosette.
Yarrow stays on the ground as a rosette in the first yr after germination. Towards winter smaller and smaller leaves appear. Spring growth begins very slowly. End of May the flower shoot grows up.
Flowering starts in July and continues into late autumn. From the centre of the rosette the angular flower stem carries aloft a scaly bud covered with fine silver hairs. The stem divides into flower heads at the top and forms an inflorescence with intricate, branching flower stalks. The growth of the secondary stalks does not overtake that of the main stem. All stalks with floret heads extend to uniform level. They seem almost suspended from above. It does not form rays as a super ordinate composite flower. It branches freely. It only coheres in a plane with the heads of the florets. The Centaurea compound flowers without pointed tips form a so called umbel, dense inflorescence - a totality of a higher order. Each flower comprises a tubiform, disc florets and ligulae, ray florets grouped so as to appear as a whole like a five rayed flower.
The florets stretch up wards out of the bud and extend sideways, night and day they stay there. If the flower is injured then a sharp scent emerges. Yarrow tastes aromatic, permeated with a slight bitterness.
Seed formation happens in the upper bracts. They open a little and a small single seeded fruit (achene) emerges it does not easily fall out. It does not totally spend itself on fruit formation. The tough flower stem does die but tough runners do form rosettes close to the ground. If yarrow is repeatedly mowed it can grow into a whole lawn without flowering.
There is a finely branched rhizo sphere which exists below the surface, they branch and explore the immediate soil, fine filaments penetrate the deeper subsoil.






Plants for the future: Extended use of this plant medicinally or in diet can cause allergic skin rashes or lead to photosensitivity.
Flowers are hermaphrodite. It is noted for attracting wildlife. The leaves can be added to a salad. They are used as a hop substitute for flavouring and as a preservative for beer etc. An aromatic tea is made from leaves and flowers. Essential oils come from the flowers. Yarrow is particularly good for treating wounds. Stopping the flow of blood, colds ,fevers, kidney diseases, menstrual pain. The whole plant is used. The herb is antiseptic, antispasmodic, mildly aromatic, astringent, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, digestive, emmenagogue, odontalgic, stimulant, bitter tonic, vasodilator and vulnerary. It also contains the anti-inflammatory agent azulene, though the content of this varies even between plants in the same habitat. A fresh leaf can relive tooth ache. You can make liquid manure with it. Essential part of ‘quick return’ herbal compost activator. Dyes are obtained from the flowers. Good ground cover.
Leaves of the pink variety are especially aromatic.
Quite invasive because of spreading root system. A very hardy plant which tolerates -25 degrees. IT is a good companion plant and boosts oils in other plants. IT is a good nectar source. The herb of Achilles.

Wikipedia : Yarrow can be planted in areas of drought to combat erosion. It contains isovaleric acid, salicylic acid, asparagin, sterols, flavonoids, bitters, tannins, and coumarins.The genus name Achillea is derived from mythical Greek character, Achilles, who reportedly carried it with his army to treat battle wounds.
The stalks are dried and used in the I ching divination. In the middle ages yarrow was part of the mixture gruit used to flavour beer before hops.
Old folk names for Yarrow include arrowroot, bad man's plaything, carpenter's weed, death flower, devil's nettle, eerie, field hops, gearwe, hundred leaved grass, knight's milefoil, knyghten, milefolium, milfoil, millefoil, noble yarrow, nosebleed, old man's mustard, old man's pepper, sanguinary, seven year's love, snake's grass, soldier, soldier's woundwort, stanch weed, thousand seal, woundwort, yarroway, yerw.
Yarrow is sweet with slight bitter taste. The flowers, rich in chemicals are converted by steam into anti-allergenic compounds. The flowers are used for various allergic mucus problems, including hay fever. Harvest during summer and autumn. Drink the infused flower for upper respiratory phlegm or use externally as a wash for eczema. Inhale for hay fever and mild asthma, use fresh in boiling water. The dark blue essential oil, extracted by steam distillation of the flowers, is generally used as an anti-inflammatory or in chest rubs for colds and influenza. Yarrow intensifies the medicinal action of other herbs taken with it, and helps eliminate toxins from the body.

It is reported to be associated with the treatment of the following ailments:
Amenorrhea, anti-inflammatory, bowels, bleeding, blood clots, blood pressure (lowers), blood purifier, blood vessels (tones), Catarrh (acute, repertory), colds, chicken pox, circulation, contraceptive (unproven), cystitis, diabetes treatment, digestion (stimulates), dyspepsia, eczema, fevers, flu's, gastritis, glandular system, gum ailments, Heartbeat (slow), influenza, insect repellant, internal bleeding, liver (stimulates and regulates), lungs (hemorrhage), measles, menses (suppressed), menorrhagia, Menstruation (regulates, relieves pain), Nipples (soreness), nosebleeds, piles (bleeding), smallpox, stomach sickness, toothache, thrombosis, ulcers, urinary antiseptic, Uterus (tighten and contract), varicose veins, vision.
Yarrow tea is also said to be able to clear up a cold within 24 hours.
Folk lore worldwide:
The most authentic way to cast the I Ching uses dried yarrow stalks. The stems are said to be good for divining the future. ~In China, it is said that it grows around the grave of Confucius. ~Chinese proverbs claim that yarrow brightens the eyes and promotes intelligence. ~In the 1500s, the British herbalist John Gerard recommended it for relieving "swelling of those secret parts."~ Some people believed that you could determine the devotion of a lover by poking a yarrow leaf up your nostril and twitching the leaf while saying, "Yarroway, Yarroway, bear a white blow: if my love loves me, my nose will bleed now." (Yarrow is a nasal irritant, and generally causes the nose to bleed if inserted). ~Homer tells us that the centaur Chiron, who conveyed herbal secrets to his human pupils, taught Achilles to use yarrow on the battle grounds of Troy.[2] Achilles is said to have used it to stop the bleeding wounds of his soldiers. For centuries it has been carried in battle because of its magical as well as medicinal properties. ~Yarrow grows native in the orient. Oriental tradition assured mountain wanderers that where the yarrow grew neither tigers nor wolves nor poisonous plants would be found.~ Nursery rhymes say if you put a yarrow sachet under your pillow, you will dream of your own true love. If you dream of cabbages (the leaves do have a similar scent), then death or other serious misfortune will strike.~ Yarrow was one of the herbs put in Saxon amulets. These amulets were for protection from everything from blindness, to barking dogs. ~In the Middle Ages, witches were said to use yarrow to make incantations. This may be the source for the common names devil's nettle, devils plaything, and bad man's plaything. ~Western European tradition connects yarrow with a goddess and a demon. ~Yarrow was a witching herb, used to summon the devil or drive him away. But it was also a loving herb in the domain of Aphrodite. Hang a bunch of dried yarrow or yarrow that had been used in wedding decorations over the bed, to ensure a lasting love for at least seven years.~ Shakers used yarrow for complaints from haemorrhages to flatulence ~Navajo Indians consider it to be a "life medicine", and chewed it for toothaches, and poured an infusion into ears for earaches.~ Several tribes of the Plains region of the United States used common yarrow. ~The Pawnee used the stalk for pain relief. ~The Chippewa used the leaves for headaches by inhaling it in a steam. They also chewed the roots and applied the saliva to their appendages as a stimulant. ~The Cherokee drank a tea of common yarrow to reduce fever and aid in restful sleep.~ During the excavation of a 40,000-60,000 year old neanderthal tomb, pollen from yarrow (among other herbs) was found. ~It has been used as a Quinine substitute





: Milfoil tea is held in much repute in the Orkneys for dispelling melancholy.---Constituents---A dark green, volatile oil, a peculiar principle, achillein, and achilleic acid, which is said to be identical with aconitic acid, also resin, tannin, gum and earthy ash, consisting of nitrates, phosphates and chlorides of potash and lime.
'Thou pretty herb of Venus' tree,
Thy true name it is Yarrow;
Now who my bosom friend must be,
Pray tell thou me to-morrow.'
---(Halliwell's Popular Rhymes, etc.)

The Folk Lore of plants :
In the Western isles it was believed that leaves held over the eyes would give the gift of second sight.



The Biodynamic Compost Preparations as Sense Organs: Dr Manfred Klett:
The yarrow is able to work with potassium together with sulphur in a very unique way. It is able to potentize the potassium, by its living process.
It handles the sulphur and potassium process with regard to the formation of the archetypal creation of protein. Sulphur is the mediator of the spiritual with the spiritual.
It appears in open plains where sun and earth meet directly. We find it in more dry than wet areas. More in loamy than sandy soil and more in sunny than shady places. It germinates in spring and forms a rosette. Normally it flowers when the earth-cosmos relationship is at its utmost June-Aug.
The after image is of a sturdy plant as its dry stems are left after autumn.
The manifold pinnation ending up in points and spears very much relates to the sulphur activity. They have almost a succulent shape, this points to a potassium activity.
The yarrow leaves are very sharp and bitter at the base and become more aromatic the higher you go towards the blossom.
The blossom is white, sometimes pink and not very shiny, as if it were holding back some of its powerful force. It nature reveals a great differentiation ( sulphur ) and a great concentration ( potassium).
Yarrow roots are magnificent there long threads go down very deeply in to the earth.
What we perceive is not reality, it is an image. The forces that build this image are real, but imperceptible.
Steiner speaks about the wonderful quantitative relationship between potassium and sulphur with regard to protein formation. Potassium is found all over the world in mica, feldspar and therefore in granite, it is also widely distributed as salt.
The more potassium in a given area the more silica. It is an earthly element. It is 0.001% radioactive, it underlies a decay. This signifies that it is a physical substance at the border of the sub-natural world, the sub-sensory world. A deficiency can be seen on a hot day where the leaves tend to hang down. Evaporation is increased because the stomata do not close properly. The turgor pressure, the pressure of the juice in the cells is a function of potassium in the living context.
As potassium moves up the stem it becomes under guidance of sulphur. It is step by step potentized towards the blossom. The further up the plant we look we see the potassium becomes a carrier of living cosmic forces.
It has been lifted to the border of the super sensory world by sulphur. This is the mystery that takes place in all plants.
Surplus germinal forces vanish from the flower in to the etheric world and become the substance for a future macrocosm. How to give permanence to these forces. We can not find the answer in the plant kingdom so must go higher to the animal kingdom where the plant passes a threshold and enters the astral effectiveness which is present in the animal kingdom.

The healing forces that take place via the yarrow in the human body are all related to the renal system.
We take the dried yarrow flowers and stuff them in to a Stags bladder. This is step one of inversion for the yarrow. It was in contact with distant cosmos, now it is within the sphere of the stags bladder. The bladder is an organ of concentration.
It endows the yarrow with astral forces, preserves and gives it permanence.
The bladder is hung up over summer. Air warmth and light reach the yarrow in this time. In the autumn it comes down and is buried. This is in the water and earth elements. The yarrow has been raised beyond its natural limitation and ability to become the carrier of the will forces.
Space works vertically with the elements.
Time works horizontally with the seasons.
An aim of the preparations is to enliven physical substances they are endowed with inwardness.

Yarrow camomile and nettle are grouped together as preps who are to generate a new quality of nitrogen in the soil
Together they are able to transform the representation of real earthly substances, calcium, potassium and related elements step by step into something similar to nitrogen and then finally into real nitrogen.
The new type of nitrogen produced carries an inwardness of an astrality that works from the future in to the present.
The three preps mentioned are involved in organizing the soil process as if it were governed by a higher organism. They vitalize the earthly realm itself.

Supernatural world……………………………….......................................................
Valerian light, warmth and air
Dandelion silica and potassium
Oak Bark calcium in living
N A T U R E - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Nettle calcium potassium iron
Camomile calcium and potassium
Yarrow potassium
Sub-natural world……………………………….........................................................