Dandelion is the plant totem of the Budding Trees Moon which falls between March 21 to April 19 each year. We sometimes give little respect to the dandelion and want to drive this weed from our lawns. Little dandelion as a totem can teach us of the advantages of taking root as well as flying.
The dandelion has many uses for us two-leggeds here on Mother Earth. The root can be used as a substitute for coffee. Young leaves can be used in salads; while the older leaves can be cooked and eaten as greens. High in vitamins A, B, C, and G the dandelion also has calcium, phosphorus, iron, and natural sodium. Dandelion can be soothing, relaxing, and mildly sedating. It can help to purify and alkalize your bloodstream. It also has been used to balance the blood sugar levels in one’s body.
Dandelion reminds us of the necessity of exploration and experimentation in our lives. We are also reminded of the beauty of the different stages of our lives.
Native Americans used the dandelion as a remedy for hives and eczema. They boiled a tea to use for rheumatism, liver and spleen problems, gall bladder trouble, hepatitis, and headaches. They didn’t look at this plant as a weed but as a helpful plant that gave both physical medicine and spiritual medicine.
~ Mitakuye Oyasin ~ We are all related