Echinacea: Boundaries, Resistance, Resilience
"Dear Purple Coneflower, how powerful ye be. You help us to maintain wellness and in the garden you are so pretty. We may never truly know how you feel about us. Though we do know, without you there would be more of a fuss. Our immune systems you keep strong and our families do swear, that when you come around, many ailments should beware." -Improvised poem by Morgan B.
PLANT
Echinacea angustifolia is native to the prairie regions of the U.S. It was used by the indigenous people of the Northern Plains long before colonists arrived. Samual Thompson who founded Thompsonian medicine in the early 1900’s took the information from the indigenous peoples and spread the use of Echinacea as a remedy for snake bites, an antitoxin, and a blood purifier. Though it took a long time for the medical community to believe him eventually he proved it’s value to them by intentionally being bitten by a venomous snake and taking Echinacea as a remedy. Echinacea angustifolia is now one of the most prized herbs on the market with very little of this money ever reaching the indigenous people who stewarded this remarkable plant. Many other species of Echinacea are now going extinct due to being confused with Echinacea angustifolia and loss of open grassland due to commercial agriculture and cattle raising. The United Plant Savers recommends we only use cultivated Echinacea instead of wildcrafting this precious plant.
SPIRIT
The Flower Essence of Echinacea angustifolia enables us to create healthy boundaries. It reminds us of the importance of remaining open to how safety can show up via healthy boundaries when circumstances involving elevated protection arise. Echinacea spirit medicine strengthens our understanding of what is self and what is not self. Just like our immune system defines the boundaries of what is self by recognizing pathogens so can echinacea enable us to create healthy relationships with our own ego’s. It creates greater connection between our day to day selves and our souls, thus fortifying our entire being. Like the root of echinacea that gives nourishment to the whole plant so does connection with our essential selves fortify our whole identity.
Pisces New Moon 2021
“Our Pisces New Moon this month emphasizes the relationship between the everyday self and the infinite wholeness that we are all aspects of. We have been asked since the February Full moon in Virgo to consider what in our daily lives brings us closer to our source. The sign of Pisces signifies this place of wholeness, the source that we come from, live in, and go back to. The place you go to when you sleep. The ocean that is the womb. Get still and quiet this week and just slip back in. This new moon is closely conjunct Neptune and Venus. Which means we are being given gilded gondolas to travel back to this ocean in. If you have a tub and you find baths relaxing this is the time to gather your oils, gather your flowers, gather your salts and clays and get in the tub! Find that sweet spot where you can just let go. Follow the stream and glide into your center. Let the soil you find at the bottom grow the rest of your month. Like the root feeds the flower of Echinacea so she can stand up tall and show us all her beautiful face.”
-Bethany Anne
MEDICINE
As a protector of the gut from harmful microorganisms and enhancer of the immune system’s resistance to infection, medicinally she is a primary herb to support us this time of year. Indigenous Americans have used Echinacea to treat fever and stubborn wounds, understanding it’s valued as as a potent immunomodulator and antimicrobial. Echinacea is also a blood purifier, anti venomous, antiseptic, an immune stimulant and supports the lymphatic system.
We hypothesize that polysaccharides in Echinacea contribute to its immune enhancing effects; the isobutylamides cause a tingling sensation, a mild anesthetic effect, and are anti-inflammatory; cichoric acid and caftaric acid show great anti-hyaluronidase properties.
Our Echinacea + formula is a double extraction, which is ideal. This ensures plant constituents that are extractable in water or alcohol can be obtained. Staff Herbalist and Maker, Jessa Sargent, created an infused anointing oil for this month’s Plant Spirit Medicine Box using Echinacea herb and root, Magnolia flowers, Blue Corn flowers, and Chrysanthemum flowers:
The winter leaves me yearning for my plant spirits to revive my soul and give me the Fool energy I need, and yet I am the Hermit; jaded and cynical but realistic. For this very feeling, this oil was created.
It is easy to forget just how exquisite and resilient we are in the depths of sorrow and sadness. During this heaviness we can turn to Echinacea. She is the matriarch of the garden. She holds down the gorgeous chaos by standing tall with the protective spikes of a sea urchin. Although she is hardy, she is also loving and tender. She protects and heals like a mother tending to her sick child. She reminds us to reignite our inner strength to push through.