Spotlight on Chickweed, for the Full Moon in Cancer!

I would like to start a lunation series, in which I write an herbal monograph for an herb related to each New Moon and Full Moon. (I may not have time to produce an article for each lunation, but I’ll do my best! Please be patient if I miss a few!)

We have a Full Moon in Cancer tomorrow, a lovely time to focus on nurturing— Nurturing yourself, your family, and your loved ones, your pets, your garden… Cancer is the sign urging you to feed, honor, strengthen, protect, and love everyone and everything living around you.

Cancer is ruled by the Moon. In medical astrology, the Moon governs:

• Stomach

• Breasts / Chest area

• Eyes (along with the Sun. Some divide this into left/right eyes depending on man or woman, but in my experience, either luminary can point to either eye, in any gender.)

• Ovaries / Eggs or Testicles / Sperm

• Emotional expression and regulation (Modern people might relate this to the function of the amygdala.)

The herb I’d like to focus on this month related to the Full Moon in Cancer is Chickweed (Stellaria media or S. pubera). I’m highlighting the theme of nurture in this article, and Chickweed definitely shows up as a nurturing herb.

Stellaria media. Image from Wikimedia Commons

Nicholas Culpepper says Chickweed is ruled by the Moon, and it makes sense. She is cooling and moistening. Chickweed also has the wonderful property of helping your body absorb nutrients from other sources, in addition to being her own source of nutrients. In astrology, the Moon takes on the properties of any other planet she aligns with, and Chickweed has a similar action. Chickweed makes your body more receptive and able to absorb the properties of whatever else you may consume her with. Make no mistake, though, Chickweed has plenty of her own nutrients! She is high in vitamin C, amino acids, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, chorophyll, phosphorus, magnanese, and potassium… and more amazing micro-nutrients!

Moon-ruled people often have fluctuations in water weight or become bloated easily. (I myself am a Cancer rising, with an angular Moon placement in my astrological chart, and I can attest to this.) Due to her saponin content, Chickweed helps the body regulate water and fat storage, keeping you more level from day to day. I ingest Chickweed in my tea almost daily, and I love how she makes me feel more stable!

The Moon rules the stomach, and Chickweed is wonderful for stomach complaints especially ulcers or other conditions of “dryness” or “burning” in the stomach. Stomach problems can arise from various sources:

• bacterial or fungal infections

• hormonal imbalance

• emotional upset

• oxidative stress

• inflammation

• and more…

Chickweed has a wide range of actions that can address many of these issues:

• She is antibacterial and antifungal.

• She has gentle demulcent properties that can soothe inflammation.

• She is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

• She can reduce anxiety and emotional upset.

What a wonderful friend! (I would not rely on Chickweed alone for serious digestive problems, but she is an important team member. She may be better for maintenance than for acute situations.)

Chickweed has also traditionally been used for regulating blood sugar, and limited scientific research seems to support this.

Like the Moon, Chickweed is cooling and moistening, bringing relief to hot and dry conditions. She can be applied topically to any kind of hot, itchy, or swollen condition, such as eczema, rashes, bug bites, sunburns, or boils. You could make a compress from the leaves for these conditions, or, as Culpepper recommends, prepare a salve. Internally, she has been used to relieve inflamed conditions such as arthritis, bronchitis, gastris, and other “-itis” type problems. Tea or tincture will work for the anti-inflammatory qualities. (But tincture does not extract minerals, so if you are working with Chickweed for the nutrients, long infusions are best.)

There are many other wonderful things that I could say about Chickweed, but I will leave this here for now, and urge you to try some Chickweed this month! If you live in a temperate climate, you may find her growing as a weed in your yard. She is quite prolific and loves cool temperatures, so this time of year is great for her, if you’re not buried in snow. If you are lucky to have chickweed in your yard, you can harvest a few branches and eat her fresh in a salad! Otherwise, you will have to buy her in dried form and drink her in a tea. Most herbal stores should carry Chickweed in bulk.

Remember, if you are making an infusion (tea) it takes 4 hours to extract minerals from the plant. So I usually let the infusion sit overnight, and then strain and reheat it in the morning, for a full mineral dose. The other constituents, though, should come out much more quickly. So if you need a cup of tea now, don’t worry if you can’t wait 4 hours to infuse your Chickweed. She will still provide plenty of support.

My cuppa today has Chickweed, Solomon’s Seal, Astragalus, Dandelion leaf, and Burdock root.

Like the Moon, Chickweed is delicate. She has tiny leaves, tiny flowers, and a faint, subtle, fresh taste. The taste reminds me of iceberg lettuce (but not so “crisp?”) and it has kind of has vanilla-ish overtones. Delicate does not mean weak! The plant is considered “invasive” in some areas, and… well… the word “weed” is in her name, showing you how hardy she is, as a plant. And by now you know how powerfully she works in the body!

She is very easy to grow. If you end up wanting Chickweed in your life forever, like I do, I recommend finding some seeds and planting her for yourself! She will do well in pots or in the ground.

I hope you try out some Chickweed, and that you love her as much as I do! Let me know how you feel!

I am not a medical provider. I am here to educate people about traditional astrological and herbal practices. None of my recommendations are meant to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Always check with your doctor for your health concerns.