Blessed Thistle

Blessed thistle (Carduus benedictus) is known as a spiritual supernatural herb.

It has other names including Holy Thistle, St benedict’s thistle, Our Lady’s Thistle, Cursed Thistle due to people stepping on its spiked plant in bare feet. Legend has it that Charlemagne had a vision of a way to cure his troops of the Plague, an Angel appeared and told him to throw his sword and it would land on the plant that would cure his troops.

It landed on the Blessed Thistle. The thistle is sacred to the Scots as it is their national emblem. Lore suggests that the Scots use the thistle as a warning bell, spreading them around their camps to warn them of when the Danes were coming.

When the Danes stepped on the thistles and cried out, they gave out their positions.

Medical uses

Blessed Thistle has properties to heal stomach upset, gas, liver, gallbladder problems, helps improve the flow of bile, as an appetite stimulant, and aids indigestion. It also aides in circulation and cleanses the blood via the liver, and strengthens the heart. It is helpful for women in tea, as it reduces pain during menstrual cramps and can be used as an aid to bring forth breast milk in new mothers. Blessed Thistle also has expectorant properties making it useful for chest congestion and coughs. It also is known to slow bleeding and alleviate inflammation. It has been shown to reduce fevers as well. Blessed Thistle is part of the asteraceae (daisy) family; if someone is allergic to daisies they should not use Blessed Thistle for any homeopathic remedies.

Blessed Thistle Will

• Help protect the home.
• Protect.
• Prevent evil from entering the home.

Magical uses

Spiritually, blessed this thistle is thought to be connected to Aries and the planet Mars. The plant is often used as a sacred plant during Yule and Winter Solstice. As Blessed Thistle is a plant associated with the liver, it is helpful for calming anger and deep seated negative emotions. It is a powerful plant to use for its enduring properties, particularly if combined with Rosemary, Angelica, Basil, or Yerba Santa. Blessed Thistle has been used as a counter agent for hexes and as house protection for evil by sprinkling it around the barriers of one’s home.