Latin: Lamium album
Also Known As: White Dead Nettle, Blind Nettle, Dumb Nettle, Deaf Nettle, Bee Nettle
Family: Lamiaceae
Habitat and Description: Archangel is a fairly low growing perennial, preferring hedgerows and waysides as well as shady patches in wooded areas. It slightly resembles its cousin, the stinging nettle, however has leaves of a wonderful rich emerald green, roughly spear shaped with toothed edges. The flowers are a beautiful creamy white, with a vaguely helmeted appearance like many of the flowers in this particular family, and form in whorls around a roughly square shaped, hollow stem. The flowers are much loved of the bee, and I have to admit I was rather fond of them myself as a child – it is very easy to pluck the flower from its base and suck the nectar from the narrow throat of it. The whole plant grows between 20 to 60cms tall, and is commonly found throughout most of Britain until you get really far north – it really isn't so fond of Scotland and north Britain.
Archangel flowers from April through to very late in the Autumn. The whole plant smells quite unpleasant when bruised, and is covered with tiny, fine hairs. Many seem to have a fairly poor opinion of this plant, however I think it is much under rated and under used, and is actually quite a lovely sight when there are swathes of it in flower. And of course, it is much loved by the bee, as I already mentioned – certainly a good reason to be fond of the plant given the plight of the honey bee of late.
Parts Used: aerial parts – leaves and flowers.
Constituents: Tannins, mucilage; iridoids; phenylpropanoids; flavonol glycosides; flavonoids including quercetin; triterpene saponins; amines such as histamine, choline and tyramine; rosmarinic acid; an alkaloid named lamiine and volatile oils, as well as some potassium salts.
Planetary Influence: Venus (no surprise at all given its uses!)
Associated Deities and Heroes: There's very little information on the magical uses of this plant, or on which deities it could possibly be associated with, however I'm going to go out on a limb here and hazard a guess that it could be associated with the maiden goddesses – Kore and Persephone, for example.
Festival: Probably Ostara and Beltaine.
Constitution: warm and dry
Actions and Indications: White Archangel is predominantly used as a herb for women's issues, as it is drying and can be used to resolve various problems relating to menstruation.
First off, let's take a look at what the venerable herbalists have to say about it. Culpeper reckons that it 'makes the head merry, drives away melancholy, quickens the spirits, is good against quartan agues, stancheth bleeding at the mouth and nose.' Quite a list of recommendations, and it doesn't end there! He also declares that it is good for gout, sciatica and other joint problems, and is a good wound healer and useful in the treatment of ulcers that have gone sour. Finally he mentions that it can be used to draw splinters and other things that should not be stuck in the skin. Strangely, Gerard doesn't have much to say about the plant at all, other than vaguelly commenting that the flowers are used to make a distilled water that 'makes the heart merry' and 'restores the spirits'. Mind you, I'm pretty sure that most of the books on Gerard's herbal have been so severely chopped down from the original that they mention only one or two lines from the original book, or rather books – it's in two huge volumes!
Archangel is a tonic herb, specifically for the urinary and reproductive tract and the prostate, and since it is astringent is useful for any condition of the respiratory and reproductive tract that generates excessive amounts of catarrh. It is also a mild diuretic, antispasmodic and sedative, as well as a blood cleanser useful in the treatment of spots, acne and pimples.
To go into more depth on my original comment concerning the herb's affinity for the female reproductive tract, this herb can be used as a menstrual regulator, to treat excessive and painful bleeding and leucorrhoea. The histamine, choline and tyramine constituents give this plant its anti haemorrhagic effect, similar to that of Shephard's Purse (Capsella bursa pastoris). As it is astringent, it gives better tone to the uterine tract and is useful for menstrual problems associated with stress, hormone imbalance and related issues.
Archangel has a long standing reputation as being useful as a venous tonic, to promote tissue healing and act as an anti inflammatory, possibly due to its flavonoid content.
Some authors are of the opinion that this herb is particularly suited to thin, pale young women where weakness is brought on by nutritional deficiency.
Spiritual and Energetic Uses: Apparently Archangel is associated with youth, purity and joy, and is especially good for those who have lost their innocence – not greatly surprising given the white colour of the flowers! It is well suited to those who have gone through some kind of sexual trauma, rape, or abortion, as well as any emotional experience which has made a person find it more difficult to see the lighter side of life. It is a very good 'light at the end of the tunnel' herb, for those who feel totally smothered by depression and can't see a way out of it.
Magical Uses: No magical uses have been found for this plant yet, despite my oversized library of books, so I'm going to hazard another guess and state that since it is associated with maiden goddesses, it would probably do well as a decoration for rituals concerning youth, spring time and joy.
Folklore: The fresh young leaves can be steamed as a spring vegetable, with spring onions. The flowers make a wonderful tea, picked and infused in hot water, then sweetened with honey.
The name 'Lamium' comes from the Greek 'laimos' meaning 'throat', referring to the shape of the flower. The nickname – which I generally use as a matter of course – refers to the plant's general blossoming date of May 8th, the old version which falls 11 days before the current one, and which was dedicated to the Archangel Michael.
Not a great deal of folklore about this herb seems to exist at first glance. If I find any further stories and information, I'll update this monograph with them.
Dose: 5mls of the tincture three times a day. 2Tsp of the herb per cup of hot water, three times a day.
Contraindications: White Archangel is generally safe for all. No contraindications have been found thus far.