Yarrow: The First Plant That Helped Me

The first time I consciously turned to Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.), I was in pain. Period cramps had taken over my day, and I didn’t want to reach for the usual quick fixes. I made a strong tea, slightly bitter, earthy, and I drank it slowly. The shift was quick. Yarrow helped. That was the moment I began to understand what plants could really do.

Yarrow’s Latin name, Achillea millefolium L., carries the story of Achilles, the warrior hero of Greek mythology. One version of the myth says he was dipped into a tea of Yarrow as a baby to protect him from harm. His mother held him by the ankles - the only part untouched - which later became his one vulnerable spot.

Traditionally, Yarrow has been used for wound healing, fevers, digestive issues, and menstrual pain, for moving what’s stuck and bringing balance where needed. Achilles is said to have used it to tend the wounds of his soldiers. The knowledge was passed down to him by his teacher, Centaur Chiron (who we’ll meet again in a future blog, especially when I begin weaving astrology into this space).

In the past, every herbalist was also an astrologer, it was considered essential knowledge. You couldn’t be a truly skilled herbalist without understanding the patterns of the sky, as well as the plants on the ground.

Yarrow is one of those plants that reminds me why I do this work. Whether I’m using it in a tea, a tincture, or just noticing it growing wild, it always feels like a quiet kind of remembering.