The Magic of Purple Deadnettle

Spring be springing down here in my little corner of North Appalachia, and one of my favorite things to see is the purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) that’s taking over my yard with reckless abandon. Technically, yeah, it’s a weed – but weeds are just things that grow where people don’t want them to. I’m a big fan of the “use what you got” school of witchcraft, so I always end up harvesting a metric buttload of purple deadnettle each year in late March and early April. Grace Elm at the Little Victorian says, “Popping up in the earliest spring-like moments, purple deadnettle is a maideny herb. In older folklore it was said to be a cheerful herb that makes the heart merry. It grows enthusiastically were groundcover is patchy or where the soil has been disturbed, pointing to a tenacious nature and the ability to make something lovely and useful out of a barren environment.”

You won’t have any trouble spotting purple deadnettle – the dark purple flowers are a dead giveaway, but also, it’s sort of weird looking. Like many members of the mint family, the stem is squared, with four sides and clearly delineated corners. It’s also known as purple archangel and red deadnettle. The archangel name comes to us because it blooms around the Feast of the Apparition of St. Michael, which falls on May 8. It grows well in thin, sandy soil – which is abundant where I live – and it’s pretty easy to forage. Grab a handful and toss it in your basket; it spreads so widely that you won’t even notice a bare patch.

In A Modern Herbal (which any herb-using witch should have on their bookshelf), Maud Grieve tells us that purple deadnettle is useful in making decoctions to treat hemorrhaging as well as minor wounds and skin abrasions, and in teas, sweetened with honey, as a diuretic. In Nicholas Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, it’s described as a plant that “makes the head merry, drives away melancholy, [and] quickens the spirits.”

Purple deadnettle also happens to be really tasty; harvest some and add it into spring salads or teas. You can either cook it or eat it raw, it’s entirely up to you. I like to harvest the stalks and hang them to dry for later use as well. Colleen at GrowForageCookFerment says, “Use fresh dead nettle along with chickweed, dandelion greens, and other “weeds” to make a wild greens pesto. Purple deadnettle can also be added to soups, salads, or blended into smoothies. Basically any way that you would use any other green leafy vegetable or herb.”

Also, purple deadnettle isn’t a true nettle, because it doesn’t have those poky, painful spikes that cause anaphylactic reactions in so many people. However, ingesting a lot of it can lead to some unpleasant laxative side effects, and you should avoid taking it internally if you’re a pregnant or breastfeeding person.

Here are a few awesome ways I like to use purple deadnettle in magic: From a magical standpoint, purple dead nettle is associated with happiness and cheerfulness. You’ll also notice that it can grow just about anywhere, even when the soil is of poor quality, which brings to mind a certain amount of determination and tenacity.

• It’s associated with joy and happiness, so why not blend the dried leaves and flowers in a looseleaf incense blend you can burn when you’re feeling blue?
• Because it can grow just about any place at all – even in crappy low quality soil – it does tend to make me think of tenacity and determination. If you’re facing a challenge, use purple deadnettle in a spell or ritual to promote fortitude and strength of will.
• On a related note, it’s pretty hardy and resistant to obstacles, so you can use it in magic related to security and stability. If you’re struggling to maintain home, jobs or relationships, incorporate the flowers or leaves into spellwork.
• For workings related to healing magic, whether of the body, mind, or spirit, keep fresh purple dead nettle on hand – place it under your pillow, stuff a sachet or poppet, or weave the stems into a braid or wreath.

For more reading on purple deadnettle, check out:

• Natural Living Ideas: 4 Reasons To Go & Find Purple Dead-Nettle
• The Nerdy Farm Wife: 9 Things to Make with Purple Deadnettle
• Outdoor Apothecary: Wildcrafting Purple Deadnettle For Food & Medicine