Overview
Of all the plant medicines in my home, a tincture of echinacea is perhaps the most used. When I wake up with the beginnings of a scratchy throat, or notice that my lymph nodes are swollen, echinacea is the first thing I reach for.
It is a plant of resilience and fortification, standing as a sentinel to ward off minor illnesses and malignancies. Its cooling, drying nature tempers the heat of infection and reduces inflammation in the body; its immunostimulant and lymphatic properties rally the body’s defenses. It is best employed at the first sign of sickness, when its influence can turn the tide of an impending infection.
Magically, echinacea aligns with Jupiter in Libra, balancing and fortifying both body and spirit. Its historical use in medicine pouches and purification rites suggests an ability to enhance spiritual endurance and connection, serving as both an offering and a purifier. Echinacea is not simply a healer; it is a potent plant ally, activating the body’s innate ability to ward off harm and fostering a state of enduring vitality.
Botany
Common Name: Echinacea, Purple Coneflower
Botanical Name: Echinacea Purpurea or Echinacea Angustifolia
Family: Asteraceae
Native Region: Eastern North America
Geographic Distribution: Widely cultivated across North America as an ornamental and medicinal plant.
Botanical Description: Echinacea is an herbaceous perennial plant in the daisy family. Plants grow upright, to a maximum height of nearly four feet (120 cm). The alternate leaves are oval or lanceolate, 2–12 inches (5–30 cm) long, with margins that may be puckered or finely toothed. It blooms throughout the summer and into autumn, with cone-shaped flowering heads that usually range from purple to white. The individual florets within the flower head are hermaphroditic, having both male and female organs. It is pollinated by bees and butterflies.
Harvesting and Safety
Parts Used: Whole plant, but especially the root
Harvesting Guidelines: Leaves, flowers, and aerial parts are harvested in summer, when the plant is in full bloom or just before. Roots are harvested in autumn, after the aerial parts have died back. Echinacea is so widely used that it is now listed as at-risk, so be sure to buy or harvest sustainably grown echinacea.
Safety Issues: Echinacea is generally considered safe. Preparations of echinacea can cause a scratchy or tingling sensation in the mouth; this is harmless, but may be unpleasant.
Individuals with allergies to other plants in the Asteraceae (daisy) family may be sensitive to echinacea. There are theoretical concerns about the use of echinacea in cases of autoimmune disorders, but clinical data is lacking.
Medical Usage
Energetics: Cooling and drying
Actions: Alternative, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, immunostimulant, lymphatic
Uses: Echinacea is used primarily as an immunostimulant – it is frequently used on a short-term basis during the onset of infections, particularly infections of the upper respiratory tract – colds, flu, and sinus or throat infections (Herbal Academy 2021). Echinacea aids in antibody formation and in the production of white blood cells. It also helps to strengthen and clear the lymphatic system (Easley 2016).
Pharmacology: While the specifics of echinacea’s medicinal action are not well understood, it does contain alkamides, flavonoids such as nicotiflorin and rutin, caffeic acid derivatives, polysaccharides, and glycoproteins.
Specific Indications:
- For infections of the respiratory tract, echinacea can be taken as either a decoction or a tincture. It is best taken as soon as symptoms are noticed (Herbal Academy 2021).
- A decoction of echinacea can be taken internally to combat viral infections, or used topically to prevent the infection of wounds (Easley 2016).
- A decoction of echinacea can be used as a gargle to combat throat or tonsil infections (Chevalier 2016).
Preparation and Dosage:
- Decoction, 2–4 oz. up to 3 times daily
- Tincture, ¼–1 tsp up to three times daily
- Wash, applied to topically up to three times a day
Magical Usage
Temperature: Airy – warm and moist
Astrology: Jupiter in Libra
Folklore: Because it is native to North America, traditional European folklore on echinacea is virtually nonexistent. Among the native tribes of North America, echinacea was considered to be a powerful spirit medicine; many native peoples included a piece of echinacea root in medicine pouches. The root was also chewed in sweatlodge ceremonies, to aid the purification process (Salmón 2020). Cunningham notes echinacea as being used by Native American peoples as an offering to appease spirits and strengthen spells, but this claim is uncited (Cunningham 2000).
References
- Chevallier, A. (2016). Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. Penguin Random House.
- Cunningham, S. (2000). Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. Llewellyn Publications.
- Easley, T. (2016). The Modern Herbal Dispensatory. North Atlantic Books.
- Herbal Academy. (2021). Introductory Herbal Course – Recipes and Monographs. Herbal Academy.
- Salmón, E. (2020). Iwigara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science. Timber Press.
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