Ah…Beltane! It is the time of revelry, fertility, flowers and bees. I hope many flowers are now blooming where you live!
In many places in the Northern Hemisphere, dandelions are blooming now. In suburban yards people are busy trying to eradicate the dreaded “weed”. The botanical definition of a weed is an unwanted plant. Therefore, a carrot or orchid can be considered a weed, if it is unwanted. In the home where I grew up dandelions were considered to be “weeds.” I remember lessons in pulling the whole root out of the ground when weeding dandelions so they would not grow back. There are tools marketed for pulling such “weeds.” But let us think about this and the uses of the dandelion.
The flowers, leaves and roots of the dandelion are edible. Dandelions can be made into wine. Make sure you pick dandelions that are not sprayed with chemicals like fertilizer or weed killer. Also choose dandelions that are not in places where pets have gone to the bathroom. What do you need to make dandelion wine? The ingredients are many, many dandelion blossoms, water, sugar, oranges, lemon and wine yeast. You will need equipment such as a large crock, bottles and bottle corker. Of course a major ingredient you will need is time. Therefore you may consider this year as a jumping off point for making dandelion wine for next year. There are many other ways to enjoy dandelions that are much quicker to make: Tea, jelly, syrup, in cookies, as components in a salad, as a pizza topping and more. Consider the dandelion as you create cakes and ale for Beltane.
Dandelions are used as medicinal herbs, but the research is not conclusive at this time. From what research that has been done, there is a tremendous amount of hope for this plant. Dandelions have inulin and fiber and are said to help with digestive issues such as constipation. They may help to keep the liver healthy. They may be able to fight infection and help prevent cancer. Dandelion greens are high in calcium and vitamin K and may help keep bones strong. That is just the beginning of the list of potential health benefits. In my mind what is conclusive about the dandelion as an herb is the need for more research on health benefits of this amazing plant.
There are magickal uses for dandelions. For example you can make a tea and use it as an aid for divination. You can make a yellow watercolor paint out of squished dandelion petals and a very small amount of boiling water. You can do the same with leaves and make green paint. This is a great nature/art project for you and the children! If you are into more advanced paint making, you can extract the color of the flower, make pigment and use that in making gouache. You can then create a special painting for Beltane or paint sigils. Dandelions can be made into festive Beltane crowns. And of course you can make a wish as you blow on the white seeded puffball.
This plant is a survivor. If you do not pull the whole taproot, it will rise again! It can thrive in various kinds of soils, breaks soil up with its tough taproot, has many seeds per head and does not need pollinators to produce seeds. With all the wonders of the dandelion, why would one want to eradicate it? You might want to investigate other useful wildflowers that bloom this time of year such as violets, clover and irises.
Kick up your heels, enjoy and have a meaningful Beltane!
Auburn Greene
My Inner Wiccan 