ST GEORGE AND THE DANDELION By Veronica Smith

The 23rd of April is DANDELION DAY, according to Freda Davis’ Blue Ball Press “Moon Calendar”. It’s a date shared with St George, the deity associated with the Dandelion. Both play an important role in the Celtic Festival of BELTANE, a celebration of cleansing Fire and transformational change. St George is probably a Christianised version of the Celtic STAR CHILD, God of the waxing year, doing battle with the Dragon of Winter at the time of Beltane (aka May Day), when the Oak King replaces the Holly King as Ruler of the Wheel of the Celtic Year.

The Dandelion itself is a Totem Herb of TRANSFORMATION. As the light-sensitive flower-bud opens, it glows deep yellow, like the Sun (male / Samos / Yang energy). When its seeds are ripe, it opens again as a fluffy white ball, like the Full Moon (female / Gamos / Yin energy). Finally, as the individual seeds float off in their gossamer parachutes, they resemble Stars! So, no wonder Dandelion’s element is AIR!

Despite representing both male and female energies, it is regarded as Male and is associated with the Western Zodiac sign of Sagittarius the Archer and Warrior (St George again). Nevertheless, Dandelion is also a Totem Flower of the Celtic Fire Goddess Brighid, who is keeper of the Sacred Flame (Sun energy) and the Holy Well (Moon energy) and inspirer of poets (Star Energy).

Although many class Dandelion as a weed, in fact it is a valuable green vegetable and medicinal herb. Modern research confirms that Dandelion is high in minerals, especially potassium, and vitamins A, B, C & D. Dandelion is particularly well-known as a diuretic (stimulates urine when the kidneys are malfunctioning) and can safely be used without the loss of potassium. Dandelion also works with the Liver. Where there are toxins and heat in the blood, it detoxifies by increasing elimination through the kidneys and bowels, toning up the whole system. In the same way, it can improve the function of pancreas, spleen, skin and eyesight. When taken regularly as food and medicine, it can even form part of a natural cancer-treatment, by keeping the body clean, toned and healthy!

The plant’s Latin name is “Taraxacum officinale” but it is better known as “Dandelion”, which comes from the French “dent de lion”, meaning “lion’s tooth”, the lion (Leo) being the animal symbol for the Sun. Dandelion flowers certainly look like golden Sun Disks! Chinese Herbalism calls it “pu gong ying”, classing it as a curious combination of cold, bitter and sweet, which is used as a diuretic and a liver stimulant, as well as treating boils and abscesses. Arab physicians were using Dandelion in the 11th and 12th centuries as a general cure-all and Europeans began writing about it from the 13th century. The medicinal benefits of Dandelion would take up an entire book to itself! So I will simply list the main benefits of each plant part and include a few easy recipes.

DANDELION FLOWERS:

DANDELION FLOWER WINE is traditionally made on St. George’s Day (23rd April), to be ready for drinking at Beltane the following year. It can be used as a libation at ceremonies.

You need: 3 litres of freshly-picked, fully-open and dry Dandelion flowers, with their stalks removed but their green sepals still on. Place the flowers in a large bowl or bucket. Bring to the boil 5 litres of water and pour the boiling water over the bowl or bucket of flowers. Cover the bowl / bucket and leave the flowers to steep for 2 days, stirring once daily.

On the third day, tip the contents of the bowl into a large pan. Add the thinly pared rind (no pith) of 2 oranges and 1 lemon plus 1.5 kilos of sugar and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then boil gently for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put 200g of chopped raisins and the strained juice of the 2 oranges and 1 lemon into a clean plastic bucket. Pour on the boiling contents of the pan. Then add 2.5 litres of COLD water. Cover the bucket with a clean cloth and leave to cool to about 20 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit).

At this point, add 2 tablespoons of COLD TEA and BREWERS YEAST (Brewer’s yeast is sold in sachets with instructions for activation. The yeast must have already been activated before you add it to the bucket). Stir well before covering the bucket with its lid.

LEAVE IN A WARM PLACE FOR 3 DAYS. Then strain the liquid into a fermentation jar, fit the bung and fermentation lock and allow the Dandelion Wine to ferment in a reasonably warm place (about 18 degrees Celsius / 65 degrees Fahrenheit) until the sediment has settled at the bottom of the jar and the bubbles in the fermentation lock have ceased. This can take several weeks. The wine is now ready to be siphoned off through a length of plastic tubing into a second freshly-sterilised fermentation jar. Make sure that no sediment transfers into the second jar. Fit a clean bung and this time, leave in a cool place for at least 3 months (or longer). You then have the option of siphoning the liquor into sterilised bottles with sterilised corks, or leaving it in the demi-jon until Beltane the next year. Enjoy!

DANDELION FLOWER OIL is an excellent rub for muscle tension and cold stiff joints, stiff necks and for arthritis. It is good for dry skin, even around the delicate eye area. An edible oil, it can be added to salads and other foods, to give an extra bit of sunshine and vitamins!

To make the Dandelion Flower Infused Oil: pick enough dandelion flowers to fill a clean, dry jam jar. Slowly pour in extra virgin olive oil so that the oil seeps down around the flowers until the jar is full and there are no air pockets. Cover the jar with a clean cloth and tie it down firmly. The cloth allows moisture to escape and keeps out debris. Then put the jar in a warm sunny place, like a south-facing window ledge. Occasionally, you may have to push down the flowers, to keep them under the oil, because they will go mouldy in the air. After 2 weeks, when the flowers have gone limp and colourless, carefully strain off the oil and pour into bottles, ready for use.

EATING FRESHLY-PICKED, FULLY-OPENED DANDELION FLOWERS CAN RELIEVE HEADACHES! Personally, I find the toughness of the flowers difficult to swallow but perhaps it might work as well if you just chew them?

DANDELION SAP:

The milky sap or latex from the stem has been used externally to clear warts, calluses, corns, rough skin, and to treat bee stings and blisters.

DANDELION LEAVES:

The bitterness in Dandelion Leaves makes them good for the digestion. It stimulates secretion of the digestive fluids, including stomach acid, bile and pancreatic juices. So, Dandelion Leaves promote the appetite. They aid a sluggish liver, constipation, urinary problems and fluid retention, swollen ankles and high blood-pressure. Being rich in Potassium, they help retain this mineral in the system, even with frequent urination. It supports a failing heart to ensure adequate potassium intake.

You can serve Dandelion Leaves raw in salads or you can add them to soups, stews, and omelettes or you can cook them as a green vegetable. One of my books recommends removing the mid-rib (the most bitter part) before using. In days gone by, it was common to blanch Dandelion leaves like you would chicory but modern palettes know the value of keeping greens GREEN! You can also liquidise the leaves (perhaps in a Smoothie?) to use as a diuretic: take up to 20ml of juice 3 times daily. It is also possible to make tea from the freshly dried leaves, which acts as a cleansing remedy for toxic conditions such as gout and eczema (take 3 times daily).

DANDELION ROOT:

A favourite liver stimulant with many herbalists, the root provides a gentle cleansing tonic for a wide range of problems, including gallstones and jaundice, as well as relieving constipation, joint inflammations, eczema and acne.

The root can be eaten as a vegetable, or roasted to make a caffeine-free coffee substitute, or made into a tincture.

DANDELION ROOT DECOCTION:

Put 2 – 3 teaspoons of root into 1 cup of water. Boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drink 3 times daily.

DANDELION TINCTURE can be made either from the roots only, or the leaves only, or from the whole plant as a general tonic.

To make the whole plant tincture, dig up dandelion plants. Wash off the dirt and remove any dead leaves. Chop up the plants. Place in a jar large enough to hold them and pour over them enough VODKA or CIDER VINEGAR to cover the plants completely. Put the jar in a cool place out of sunlight and leave for several weeks. Afterwards, strain out the mixture through a jelly bag or muslin cloth. You can squeeze the bag / cloth to get out as much liquid as possible. Then pour the tincture into clean amber-coloured or blue-glass bottles with sterilised tops. Remember to label and date the tincture. Store in a cool, dark place. Recommended Dosage of Tincture:
as a general tonic, take half a teaspoon twice daily;

for acute skin problems, take 10 drops in water frequently throughout the day until healed;

for digestive problems, recuperation from chronic conditions, sluggish liver, arthritis, gout, eczema and psoriasis, take half to 1 teaspoon in water 3 times daily;

for hangovers and after too much rich food, take 10 drops in water every hour until you feel better!

Here’s one last Whole Dandelion Plant recipe!

DANDELION BEER:

You need half a pound of whole dandelion plants, including roots;

half an ounce of bruised root ginger;

1 pound of brown sugar;

water;

rind and juice of 1 lemon;

1 ounce of yeast;

1 ounce of cream of tartar.

Wash the dandelions well. Then place in a pan with the ginger root, lemon rind, and 3 pints of water. Bring to boiling point and boil for 15 minutes. Strain into a fermentation bin. Add the sugar and cream of tartar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add another 1 pint of cold water and the lemon juice. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Cover the bin and leave in a warm place for 5 days, stirring daily. Strain into sterilised screw-topped bottles. It is ready to drink in 1 week. Enjoy!

References:

ALL GOOD THINGS AROUND US by Pamela Michael and Christabel King; published by Ernst Benn Ltd in 1980; ISBN: 0 510 00055 X.

HERB CRAFT: A GUIDE TO THE SHAMANIC AND RITUAL USE OF HERBS by Susan Lavender and Anna Franklin; printed by Capall Bann Publishing UK in 1996; ISBN: 1 898307 57 9.

THE HERB SOCIETY’S COMPLETE MEDICINAL HERBAL by Penelope Ody MNIMH, published by Dorling Kindersley Ltd London in 1993; ISBN: 0 7513 0025 X.

HEDGEROW MEDICINE by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal; published by Merlin Unwin Books Ltd UK in 2012. ISBN: 978 1 873674 99 4

Author: Veronica Smith first published on 18th April 2016.