Latin: Verbascum thapsus
Also Known As: Aaron's Rod, Blanket Leaf, White Mullein, Mullein Dock, Our Lady's Flannel, Blanket Herb, Woollen, Rag Paper, Wild Ice Leaf, Clown's Lungwort, Bullock's Lungwort, Beggar's Staff, Golden Rod, Adam's Flannel, Beggar's Blanket, Cuddy's Lungs, Fluffweed, Feltwort, Hare's Beard, Candlewick Plant, Clot, Doffle, Feltwort, Flannel Plant, Graveyard Dust, Hag's Tapers, Hedge Taper, Jupiter's Staff, Lady's Foxglove, Old Man's Flannel, Peter's Staff, Shepherd's Club, Shepherd's Herb, Torches, Velvetback, Velvet Plant
Family: Scrophulariaceae
Habitat and Description: As you can no doubt guess by the wide variety of colourful and descriptive nicknames for this tall, stately plant, Mullein has decidedly hairy leaves, covered in a soft silvery coloured down. The leaves themselves grow in rosettes around the stem, and are large and oval in shape, a soft pale green grey in colour. The flowers grow on a tall stem rising many feet above the leaves, with randomly placed, honey fragranced yellow flowers growing up the stem in profusion – these appear in the second year of growth. It prefers a well drained soil that tends towards dryness and can be a bit tricky to grow in the herb garden as a result – I find them a bit hit and miss at times for this exact reason. The flower spikes sometimes divide at the top into smaller flower laden branches. The plant itself is a biennial, native to Europe, Asia and Western China, and can these days also be found in North America. It can be found on sunny banks, fields, roadsides and in wasteland, preferring a poor, dry, chalky soil for best growth.
Parts Used: Aerial parts – leaves and flowers. The leaves are gathered in the first year, the flowers in the second year. The roots are sometimes used.
Constituents: iridoids including ajugol; flavonoids such as verbascoside; saponins; volatile oils; tannins; mucilage.
Planetary Influence: Saturn
Associated Deities and Heroes: Jupiter, Circe, Odysseus, St. Fiacre. Given the folklore and alternative names for this plant, I suspect you could probably associated with assorted crone deities and death deities as well.
Festival: Samhain
Constitution: cool and moist but only slightly so – generally temperate.
Actions and Indications: Being a classic herb of Saturn, Mullein is used to restore balance and bring structure back to the body. It is used for conditions where the body has either worn down villi and tissues, resulting in harsh, dried out conditions, and for the other side of the coin – problems causing the body to be saturated with too much fluid, such as oedema and mucous building up in the digestive tract and respiratory system.
The root is used by herbalists in North America to soothe acute pain. The flowers are particularly good for earache, and problems affecting the nerves, whereas the leaves are better for the respiratory system and related problems, and for musculo skeletal problems.
As a softening, soothing herb, it is wonderful for old, dry, tickly coughs and conditions of the lungs where the lining has worn down, resulting in regular chest infections with a tight chest, dry membranes and a chronic, long lasting cough. Mullein softens the membranes, opens the chest and allows proper breathing, acting as a tonic to the respiratory tract and alleviating the misery of winter chest infections.
The other area that Mullein particularly suits is conditions affecting the joints – hot, dry, constricted conditions such as rheumatism, arthritis and related joint complaints, as well as broken bones, strained tendons and ligaments and torn muscles – I rather suspect it will combine particularly well with Comfrey in this general area. Indeed, it has such a long standing reputation in this area that even Culpeper recommended it as useful for gout and stiff sinews, as well as for dislocated joints and broken bones.
Apparently Mullein can also be used as a pain killer and nervine, soothing and easing conditions where the nerves have become trapped and tight. The flowers can also be used as a mild sedative for insomnia – another usage linking the flowers to the nerves. Quite appropriate really when you consider the structure of the plant and where the flowers are located – right at the very top of the stem.
Mullein can also be used to ease both acute and chronic cystitis, and to relieve water retention and bladder irritation. As a useful digestive remedy, it can be used for those suffering from abdominal pain, diarrhoea with urgency and long lasting digestive upset.
The flowers infused in seed oil is a useful remedy for ear ache and ear infections when rubbed around the base of the ear and one or two drops placed into the ear itself – not recommended, however, if you have a perforated ear drum.
Topically, Mullein can be used to make a great drawing poultice or ointment for splinters and bites, and can be used to soothe rashes, cuts and grazes, and of course to ease the pain from broken bones and dislocated joints.
Spiritual and Energetic Uses: As a flower remedy, Mullein's general appearance is a very good indication as to its uses. Mullein can be used to bring clarity and inner light, to help a person stand firm and develop inner strength (think of Mullein's appearance for a moment – strong, upright central stem, almost represents a backbone really, with the flowers at the top as the head.) It can be good for those who struggle with their conscience – perhaps to help them see whether what they did was right or wrong and how to learn from their mistakes if their choice was wrong. Mullein is a very good plant for those who feel they have lost their sense of 'self', to help them figure out where their boundaries are and develop into the people they are supposed to be. I'd be inclined to give it to those who have gone through a traumatic or life changing experience and who need help processing it all and learning from their experiences. It could possibly also be used as a bit of a safety net, to provide reassurance and prevent the descent into bitterness that can follow negative experiences.
Magical Uses: Mullein, like so many of the more well known herbs, has a long history of magical usage, and is yet another of those herbs used to engender courage in the bearer. It protects those who carry it against wild animals, and apparently if you put it into your shoe it will prevent you from catching a cold. The dried herb guards against nightmares, evil spirits and negative magic and is added to sachets and charms to hang over doors and windows for these purposes. It is also used in men's love magic. I rather suspect that, given the plant's long history as a candle substitute, it could be added to spells to bring illumination and understanding to whoever was performing the spell in question. The plant can be used to make a purple dye, suitable for colouring robes, cords and possibly altar cloths for magical works.
Folklore: Some think that the Latin name 'Verbascum' is a corruption of the original word for beard, 'barba', alluding to the wooly appearance of the plant. The plant was certainly known by the Greeks and Romans – Pliny suggested that figs should be wrapped in Mullein leaves to help them keep fresh for longer. The stems were used as replacement torches by legionaries and were dipped in wax and used as candles at funerals – this usage continued up until the middle ages. The flowers were used by Roman women to make a blonde hair wash.
Apparently both Circe and Odysseus used the plant – Circe used it as part of her spells, and Odysseus used it to protect himself from her spells, amusingly enough!
In the Middle Ages, Mullein was grown in monastery gardens as a protection from the devil. Again, conversely, Mullein was used as candles in witches spells, though if the plant was gathered in a particular set of circumstances – the sun in Virgo and moon in Aries – the plant could be used to guard the bearer against sorcery.
Dose: up to 5mls three times a day of the tincture, or 1 cup of hot water over 2tsps of the dried leaf or flower, infused for up to 15 minutes and drunk three times a day.
Contraindications: If using any of the plant as a tea, strain the resulting liquid through muslin as the hairs growing on the leaves irritate the mouth.