Burdock Root, Leaf, Seed Medicine & Magick

Burdock

Some may consider as a newsence but I have learned differently. There is A LOT to this Plant!!

Sometimes considered invasive, Arctium Lappa, or burdock, is a milky root that’s cooling and tonic. This short season biennial, known as gobo in Japansese, is native to Northern Europe and Siberia.
Burdock is a member of the Asteraceae family along with plants like Feverfew and Dandelion. 

The root is sometimes used as food. The root, leaf, and seed are used to make medicine.

Its root contains calcium, arcigen, flavonoids, chromium, magnesium and potassium. 
People take burdock to increase urine flow, kill germs, reduce fever, and “purify” their  blood. It is also used to treat colds, cancer, anorexia nervosa, gastrointestinal (GI) complaints, joint pain (rheumatism), gout, bladder infections, complications of syphilis, and skin conditions including acne and psoriasis. Burdock is also used for high blood pressure, “hardening of the arteries” (arteriosclerosis), and liver disease. Some people use burdock to increase sex drive.

Burdock is applied to the skin for dry skin (ichthyosis), acne, psoriasis, and eczema.

Burdock seeds possess a slight "diffusive" quality, producing a "tingly" sensation on the tongue when chewed or taken as an extract; this indicates that some of its virtues are quickly taken up via the nervous system and put to immediate action. In this effect, it is similar to Echinacea, though much milder, and I find that Burdock seed can increase the effectiveness of Echinacea in treating colds and flus, particularly if there are swollen glands or tonsils (probably on account of its lymphatic actions). 

To Eat ~ Peel it, rinse it, chop it and sauté it as you would a carrot. It is also delicious simmered in soup.

When asked what the best way to take Burdock is; as a tea, a tincture, or to eat it. The answer is to ingest it in every way you can think of. Burdock possesses so many virtues that no one way of taking it can encompass them all. Teas are not better than tinctures and soups are not better than stir frys.
Again, think of Burdock as a nourishing herbal food; something you work into your diet and consume regularly, prepared in as many differing manners as you can dream up.

Magical Uses of Burdock ~ 

• Burdock, which is a root, is placed in amulets and in bowls of potpourri as a way to ward off negative energy  

BURDOCK ROOT (BAT WEED) - In Hoodoo Folk Magic, Spell-Craft, and Occultism

BURDOCK, also known as BAT WEED, is cleansing, uncrossing, & protective. To make a Purifying Scrub, brew Burdock ROOT into a tea with Broom Corn, Rosemary, and/or Lemon Grass, strain the tea, and add it to scrub water to purify the premises. A Protective Mojo can be made by carrying BURDOCK ROOT in a white bag with protective herbs such as Rue, Agrimony, and Black Snake Root to keep off jinxes.

Resources

http://herb-magic.com/burdock-root.html
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5405263_magical-uses-calendula-burdock.html#ixzz2O0MaZoig

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-111-BURDOCK.aspx?activeIngredientId=111&activeIngredientName=BURDOCK

http://www.herbcraft.org/burdock.html