Nettle, nettle, nettle, So many healing properties; dry hot heat, energising, balancing, restoring. Good for the kidneys, the blood, the liver, hormones, digestion, convalescence, and musculoskeletal issues. Packed full of vitamins and minerals, glorious green chlorophyll, and phytochemicals. And yet the sting puts you off, keeps you back, makes you defensive, makes you want to dig it up and remove it. In the garden it has been teaching me resilience. To remain unflinching when the world around you feels hostile and unsupporting. Nettle stays, not with aggression, but will quiet wisdom, confidence, and power. It has nothing to prove. It has all it needs, and is happy to share, but only if you come with calmness and respect. It doesn’t like to be rushed or ignored.
I have just finished a 30 day nettle challenge, in which you take nettle every day in whatever form you wish. I decided to take a homemade tincture combined with dandelion and burdock to offset some of the dry heat of pure nettle alone. I have taken nettle before in short bursts when feeling like I’ve overindulged or if I need a pick me up, but taking it daily for a much longer period of time has surprised me. Within a few days I could feel a return of optimism and motivation. I’ve been suffering from low energy for about 4 years and have been trying somewhat unsuccessfully to turn things around. At first I could feel a gentle return of stamina, and when I restarted my Qigong Shibashi practice (at the suggestion of nettle) things improved by another level. I suddenly found I could do longer stints in the garden, things that would normally have left me feeling irritated and angry seemed to wash over me, I felt more balanced, like I could appreciate that things were hard, but if I kept going I could get it done. My husband has been remarking repeatedly at how surprised he is by my resilience. Situations that would normally have knocked me off track for days barely elicit a reaction, and I am more even in my approach to life.
I would definitely recommend trying this for anyone who feels like life gets a bit much, and for those who then descend into deep frustration and anger at the world. This would also be a good exercise for anyone feeling depleted, like they don’t have the energy to face the day, or who lack the inclination or motivation to try anything new (or anything at all). I find that nettle can be too stimulating in many cases as it is energetically hot and dry, and that in turn can lead to aggravation and imbalance. So I would suggest combining it with more yin nourishing, moistening and cooling herbs like cleavers, burdock root or dandelion. It will still have an effect, but without the overeager Mars-like energy that can perturb a body that is already way off balance. Emotionally, nettle is also good for relationships or situations that incite conflict, disharmony or disagreement. It helps to soothe over these high emotions and to bring a more balanced view so that you can proceed with a cool even temperament and state of mind.
I often use nettle for states of depletion and deficiency, but as I delve more into the subtle layers of nettle, I am appreciating more and more that its prime gift is bringing you back to a state of sovereignty and inner power. Quite often feelings of anger and frustration come from a place of overwhelm, of not feeling like you have what it takes to cope, perhaps wanting to escape from an intractable situation. Based on my personal experience I would say that while nettle doesn’t overtly provide you with a get-out-of-jail-free card, it will certainly change your mindset to allow you to recognise and create opportunities to alter your sitation. And sometimes all you need is that one flash of inspiration or one moment of hope to know what to do next, and that opens up another opportunity, and another and another, until before you know it you’re somewhere else.
One last gift might also be to see beyond the actions of the person or situation that is the source of the conflict – viewing things from a state of compassion leads to understanding and acceptance so that you are not triggered or defensive in your response. You can suddenly see how often people are acting from a place of pain. And when you see that, you can’t really be angry anymore, you don’t take things so personally and you learn to observe from a slightly detached place of awareness – things can’t change unless you do, and your focus alters instead: what am I trying to achieve here, what do I want out of this, and how do I get there. And once that realisation drops in, the whole world opens up and anything feels possible.
Do not fear the other man for he has no dominion over you. Rather, see him as a brother in Love that has unfortunately found himself with the darkest of shields over his heart. The Light still remains, though diminished, and all are deemed worthy under the Light/gaze of the one they call The One.
angel of Nettle
Heed these words and they will serve you well. Be strong and hearty, but remember that all are One in the eyes of the The One.