Hi, my loves and welcome to WiccaNow. Recently I’ve been sharing guides to all of my favourite magickal plants and herbs, like this post about the magickal properties of ginger. I’ve also shared a guide to using lemon balm in magick, another all about oak and acorns, a guide to oregano and most recently a post about the magickal properties of parsley. I want to continue down this path today by sharing my guide to the magickal properties of nettle with you.
Nettles have been used for healing and textiles for thousands of years. The fibres were prized for their strength and durability and they were used medicinally to treat everything from poor circulation to healing wounds. The magickal properties of nettles include protection, healing, strength and love among others.
Disclaimer: Any medicinal benefits given here are a product of my own research and as such should not be taken over the advice of trained medical professionals. If you are ill, please go and see a doctor. Always make sure that anything you consume is 100% safe. If you are pregnant, consult your doctor or midwife before consuming something you haven’t tried before.
If you enjoy reading about the magickal properties of different herbs and plants, check out this gorgeous plant magick grimoire we’ve created! It contains 29 beautifully illustrated pages for all our favourite plants. The best bit? This version comes as a digital download, so you don’t have to wait through pesky shipping times or delays. What’s not to love? Check it out below or keep scrolling to read all about the magick of fennel!
History of Nettle
Nettle, the most common form of which is stinging nettle or Urtica dioica, is a flowering plant in the Urticaceae family. It’s native to Europe, Asia and western North Africa but is now found all over the world. There are 6 subspecies, 5 of which have hollow hairs under the stems and leaves which act like needles to inject histamines and other chemicals under the skin. This is what causes the stinging sensation if you touch them.
Nettles have been used for centuries as a medicinal plant and as a fibre from which to make clothing. Funeral shrouds made from nettle fibres that have been dated back to the Bronze age (3,000-2,000BC) have been found in Denmark. The greenish dye produced by nettles has been used for centuries to colour clothing.
In Ancient Egypt, nettle was used to treat arthritic pain. People would flog themselves with fresh nettles, a process which is called urtification, in order to treat rheumatism, lethargy and even cholera. This practice has been around for thousands of years. It’s thought that the histamine in nettles causes the body to release an anti-histamine response which causes it to reduce inflammation and swelling, both things that alleviate pain related to rheumatism and arthritis.
There are reports that Roman soldiers would carry nettles with them in order to treat leg pain due to the long journeys in the cold. They would rub their legs in nettles to increase circulation, which would both ease pain and warm the soldiers. There is some documentation that urtification also occurred in Ecuador Indians and Native American and Canadian tribes. They may have used it as a way to make themselves more alert during hunts.
The famous Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370BC) used nettles in over 60 different remedies. Galen (129-210AD) prescribed nettles for many ailments, from dog bites to swellings to spleen related illnesses and more. Through the Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) nettles were used to treat shingles, sinus ailments and constipation.
Nettles continued to be used for medicinal purposed until recent times. The famous herbalist Nicholas Culpeper used nettles and honey for mouth and throat infections and also as a treatment of skin infections and poisons. They were used by herbalist O. Phelps Brown in the 19th century to treat infant eczema, kidney stones and fevers among many other things. Nettles have also been used by women for centuries to slow bleeding during childbirth and to ease labour pains. Because of their ability to stop bleeding, they were also used in dried or powdered form to coat wounds to stop bleeding and to prevent infection.
Nettles were used throughout history as a treatment and prevention of scurvy and were, they still are in some places, eaten as a green vegetable.
Today, nettles are prized for their nutritional value and for their ability to stimulate blood flow and circulation. Nettles are full of iron, vitamin c and magnesium and are used for everything from relieving aches and pains to making pizzas to fertilizing gardens. What a powerhouse they are!
Fun Facts about Nettle
- Stinging nettle can also be called burn weed, burn hazel and burn…
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