Wild rose

I’ve been experimenting with creating woodcut inspired digital drawings of some of my favorite herbs, here’s wild rose.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about wild rose, of how she can teach us how to love our wild selves. ❤️

Many people think of romantic love when it comes to roses. As herbalists, we usually speak of wild rose as related to self-love. (Which of course spills over to others, as well!)

I think of her blend of beauty and protection — flowers and thorns. She’s a boundary plant. In this vein, I remember Sleeping Beauty’s castle, surrounded by brambles. In some versions, the princess was even known as Briar Rose. Some might say the brambles around the castle were blackberry, but blackberry is also in the rose family, and so is also a sort of form of wild rose. Hawthorn, apple, cherry, plum, blackthorn, and so many other beautiful plants share this lineage.

Of course, there are countless references to rose throughout religion and mythology… the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi was said to have been created from rose petals, roses are the flower of the Egyptian Goddess of love Isis, and roses are also associated with the Roman goddess Venus.

Herbally, rose has much to offer. The petals are fragrant, astringent, a nervine tonic, anti-inflammatory, a uterine tonic, and anti-microbial. You can collect them for use in oils, hydrosols, tea, or tincture. They are used for everything from healing guts to helping bring on menses.

Rose hips are incredibly nutritive (I include them when I make broth!) A tea, decoction, or tincture of rose hips can help your body recover from physical exertion. They are high in vitamin C and E. They also contain iron and antioxidants. They can be helpful with arthritis and gout. Please note, the seeds are best removed before using as a food.

wild rose remedies

Last year I went on an herbalism camping trip to the High Sierras. Right at our camp site was a beautiful community of wild roses. I made a wild rose and brandy tincture that is divine. I also collaborated on a wild rose and waxing Gemini moon essence with a friend. (These are both available from my apothecary, as well as a general rose petal tincture and infused oil.)

This is a photo of the wild rose and waxing Gemini moon essence being set in a bed created of natural lichen on the forest floor.

For those who may not be familiar, essences are vibrational remedies that work in a realm beyond scientific understanding. Unlike most of the other tonics I make, essences contain no physical constituents of the plants… they are pure magic. ❤️

This wild rose essence invites you to fall in love with your wild self. Moon essences can address things on the shadow side, usually hidden in the unconscious. The waxing Gemini moon, in particular, invites in the energy of communication and growing networks.

I’d recommend this essence for anyone who feels an inner darkness, or that they’ve lost their way when it comes to self-love, which may be impacting their ability to reach out and form the community they desire. This essence shines with an inner light that can help heal this. It can also help with acceptance of any part of us that is not culturally validated. We all have a wildness within that goes beyond the banality of modern constraints and that deserves to be celebrated.

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To purchase this, or any other remedy, contact me at herbalist.lleland at gmail.