- Latin name
- Urtica dioica
- Element
- fire
- Planet
- Mars
- Safe to eat?
- Yes, in normal kitchen amounts
How to use it
- Brew young tops into a nourishing tea
- Cook young spring leaves into soup
- Carry a dried sprig in a pouch against ill wishes
- Sprinkle dried nettle around the home as a boundary
Lore
Nettle is one of the plants named in the Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm. It was woven into cloth for centuries, and in the tale of the Wild Swans a princess spins nettle shirts to break her brothers' enchantment.
Safety
Wear gloves when picking, as fresh leaves sting. Cooking or drying removes the sting. Use only young leaves before flowering. Seek advice if you take blood thinners, diuretics, blood pressure or diabetes medicines, and avoid medicinal doses in pregnancy.
Gods linked with it
- Thor The Thunderer, protector of gods and people
More fire herbs
- Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus
- Peppermint Mentha x piperita
- Calendula Calendula officinalis
- Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis
- Basil Ocimum basilicum
- Cinnamon Cinnamomum verum
- Juniper Juniperus communis
- Rowan Sorbus aucuparia