Grandmother nettle, abundant and invisible, like the old wise crones that pass unseen in a society that prioritises youthful beauty. Wise, witchy grandmothers that they tried to eradicate in years gone by, for their superior wisdom and biting tongue. You never notice nettle til it bites you - then you curse it and your carelessness.
The magical herb for pregnant and nursing mothers, full of nutrients and goodness to keep your eyes bright and your energy up. What we crave most when pregnant and with a new baby is a strong dose of mother wisdom from a woman who has seen and done it all… instead we are handed ferrous sulphate that makes us vomit and Gina Ford books. The body rejects what is not good for it, and with any luck the mother will also expel the modern baby advice that asks her to kill her inner wise crone.
Nettle is like Baba Yaga who fixes you with her beady eye and raps you on the knuckles for not paying attention. She’s the crone initiation that knows you need to be cruel to be kind, that some things can only be learned the hard way. She can judge somebody’s character instantly, is fiercely protective and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.“Open your eyes!” she barks to our inner maiden “There is a price for ignorance!”
She will help us pick up the pieces when we invariably do pay that price.
She is also the grandmother that peers into the pale face of a new mother who is doing too much and mutters under her breath “in my day we stayed in bed, the midwife wouldn’t have us up and about for weeks”. She’s the grandmother who insists you look unwell and that you’re not eating enough for the milk to flow. The breastfeeding experts will say this isn’t true, but we let grandmother nourish us anyway.
Nettle oil, massaged into arthritic fingers and dry infant skin to bring relief. Nature knows that grandmothers and babies belong together. A lullaby so old it has no words, it’s simply hummed and passed from mother to daughter through gentle pats on the back.
Once we knew the power of nettle. She asks us to remember.
