Blue Vervain - Verbena Hastata Monograph

Blue Vervain Monograph - Verbena Hastata
Photography, Art and Writing by Freya Fawn Giles

Common Name - Blue Vervain
Latin Name - Verbena Hastata
Folk Names -  Blue verbena, Swamp verbena (1) Enchanter’s plant, herb of enchantment, ironherb, herb of grace, herb of the cross, holy herb, holy wort, Indian hyssop, Juno’s tears, pigeon grass, simpler’s joy, verbena, herb of Venus, ferfain, herba veneris, van van, Tears of Isis (2)
Plant family - Verbenaceae
Parts of plant used - Arial Parts. Leaves and Flowers. (1)
Energetics - Cooling, Drying (1)
Taste - Bitter, Acrid

Preparations - Tincture, glycerite, oil, tea (1) The tea is so bitter, almost unpalatable. It is recommended to mix with some sweet or aromatic herbs to make more appealing. Herbs like Rose, Tulsi or Chamomile work great.

Doses - Tincture: fresh leaf and flowers (1:2, 60% alcohol); dried leaf and flowers (1:5, 40% alcohol) Energetic dosage: 5-10 drops, 3 times a day. If no results are seen, or in cases where the personality does not match: increase to 1-2 ml (.2-.4 tsp) up to 4 times daily. If the personality of the client is that of the classic Blue Vervain person, the energetic drop doses are likely to work for them, whereas when a specific clinical application is desired but the personality does not match, larger doses may be necessary.(3)

Safety - Do not use during pregnancy (2) Extremely large doses may cause nausea and vomiting. Large doses may stimulate a miscarriage in pregnant women, although traditionally, in normal doses blue vervain was used to protect against miscarriage (Easley.) According to the USDA, Blue Vervain can interfere with blood pressure medication and hormone therapy.(3)

Growing and Harvesting This plant is very easy to grow in the north (zone 3) but is not native to northern so called british columbia. Seeds require cold stratification and take some time to germinate. My plants are very well established after 3 years and are one of the first perennials to pop up in the spring. I do mulch them very deeply for our cold winters.- Prefers moist soil and full to partial sun. Very hardy and easy plant to grow once established.

Tradition dictates that Vervain should be gathered before dawn during the dog days of summer - roughly July 3 to August 11 - when the star Sirius would be brightest in the eastern sky. However you choose to harvest Vervain, as with all of our plant relations, it should be done in a sacred manner. As an herb of Venus, Vervain can be used in love spells of all varieties. It’s legacy as a Venusian herb lived on in the Victorian language of flowers as it meant “you tempt me.” In addition to love magick, Vervain can be used in protection spells and healing spells of all varieties.  Use the herb for fertility of both people and fields - especially when used around the Summer Solstice. Use to help with psychic development.(2) The most potent tincture is made from the fresh plant although it may be dried and stored in a cool, dark, place for use in teas.(3)

The spirit and heart of Blue Vervain Medicine - Thomas Easley says blue vervain is for “tight-necked, over-achieving, list-makers, who can’t ask for help.” Matthew Wood adds that Blue Vervain is for “people who make lists…of other peoples faults.” He also notes that Blue Vervain people tend to be “strong above, weak below” meaning that they can be strong in words, weak in action - very intense and judgmental of others, often holding themselves and those close to them to almost unattainable standards. Dorothy Hall’s personality type for Blue Vervain is workaholics who feel uncomfortable when there is nothing to do. Detail oriented people who have trouble sitting still and (curiously) suffer from neuralgias and skin problems.  Kiva Rose says that it works “when you’re so irate and uptight you could dismember the nearest living creature.” Larken Bunce notes that she finds Blue Vervain most useful in states of Hot/Excess/Tension, where the goal is to cool & relax digestion, reduce irritability, anxiety, headache, muscular tension, overt inflammation, & insomnia.

We have discussed the very specific uses for a simple of Blue Vervain as an energetic balancer for a specific personality, however, this powerful plant should not be overlooked in formulas even when the client does not fit the personality type. Blue Vervain is a key herb in formulas for nervous system support, mood improvement, digestive system support, menstrual cycle support, musculo skeletal tension & holding patterns, lymphatic stagnation, inducing sweating when necessary, in some cases of pulmonary hypertension and in the case of diffuse esophageal spasm. For nervous system support, Blue Vervain pairs well with Motherwort and Skullcap for a generalized anxiolytic tincture to be taken throughout the day. Thomas Easley & Matthew Wood note case studies in which Blue Vervain has been helpful for spasmodic nervous disorders including tics, palsy and tourette’s syndrome when the tension manifests above the shoulder (neck, face, scalp.)  (3)

My notes
This plant is alluring, entrancing and no doubt magical. I often gravitate toward hanging out beside my Blue Vervain because there are so many bees, dragonflies and butterflies attracted to the flowers. I have nibbled on a leaf and I can tell you the taste is pretty acrid. My face scrunched up and I was close to spitting it out. I highly recommend using this herb in tincture form and in very small drop doses to start. At the time of writing this monograph my home made tincture is not ready yet but I am looking forward to using my own medicine versus store bought. If you do not have access to the plant to make your own fresh tincture I do recommend the Prairie Doctor Brand Blue Vervain Tincture. They have a website you can order from and I trust their practices. I can be a high strung person at times.  I like to get things done and have been known to burn out. Over the years chronic pain has taught me I cannot do everything and am learning to ask for help or appreciate how someone else could do a task differently but with the same result.

This drive to constantly be active does lead me to pain, headaches and neck tension. It has been a psychological curve ball adjusting to living with chronic pain after being able bodied and strong for many years. The gardens are teaching me to slow down, but September is a tough month to slow down, I am struggling to find balance. Our first frost is weeks away and I have my hands full harvesting our large veggie gardens, greenhouse and my apothecary garden while my love is working full time. I am looking forward to using my Blue Vervain tincture to work with my tendency to grind the day and be in pain later and the natural flow of my life right now, which is to slow down and be gentle with myself. Blue Vervain medicine will hopefully support me on my journey of slowing down, asking for help, resting and finding relief from the physical manifestations of grief, stress and physical limitations. I will be writing a follow up blog post after using the tincture for some time and share all my experiences ! Thank you for reading

Freya Fawn.

References/Research

1. https://www.learningherbs.com/blog/blue-vervain-uses#gsc.tab=0  Monograph written by Tara Ruth

2. https://www.wortsandcunning.com/blog/of-holiness-and-intensity-vervain-plant-profile Monograph Written by Alexis J. Cunningfolk

https://www.herbrally.com/monographs/blue-vervain Monograph Written by Geradinle Lavin