Green Witch Series- Comfrey Mundane & Magickal Uses
Rebecca HaynesComfrey - Botanical name- Symphytum officinale (also known as black wort, boneset, bruise wort, comfrey, knitback, knitbone, slippery root).
Comfrey is actually a group of plants containing about 35 different species and is part of the Borage family of plants.
Comfrey is a perennial herb originally found in moist grasslands in western Asia, Europe, and North America. Comfrey can grow to a height of 1–3 ft (0.3–0.9 m). It has a black, turnip-like root and large, hairy broad leaves. It has small bell-shaped flowers of various colours, typically cream, white, pink or purplish.
Cultivation: Comfrey thrives in almost any soil condition, but prefers a shady position under trees. Comfrey is a prolific grower and can be propagated by seed or by the division of its roots in the autumn.
Harvesting and Drying: Comfrey leaves can be dried in a dehydrator, or can be bundled and air dried.
Mundane Uses of Comfrey:
Culinary Uses:
Historically, the young leaves of comfrey have been consumed as a vegetable, however nowadays it is recommended against any internal consumption of comfrey.
Aromatic Uses:
Comfrey is not an aromatic herb and is not used in the perfume industry.
Medicinal Uses:
The root and leaves of the comfrey plant are used medicinally.
Historically, comfrey has been used for numerous ailments. In fact, up until fairly recently it was prized for its plethora of healing benefits.
One of the main uses of the plant Comfrey is, as its common name knit bone suggests, its application to broken bones. It is also beneficial in healing sprains and can be used to heal muscle and joint pain.
Comfrey helps to heal broken bones and "knit" them back together. Comfrey leaves can be applied as a poultice for this application or there are Comfrey creams and lotions that are available at health food stores and chemists
that can be used also. In fact according to an article published by the National Library of Medicine "Human studies have shown that comfrey creams have mild analgesic effects and decreases muscle and joint pain"
Historically some of the medicinal uses for comfrey have been the use of the plant internally which has now been said to be dangerous (comfrey is said to contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are hepatotoxic- toxic to the liver) - I am not a qualified herbalist or doctor, and therefore I will not add anything to this discussion. The link above has information on this topic if you are interested. If you choose to read up on comfrey for internal use- and there is plenty to be said out there, do so at your own risk and always consult a registered medical professional prior to taking anything internally. In many countries, comfrey is banned as an internal supplement.
Caution: Do Not Consume. Never apply comfrey to an open wound. Always consult a registered medical doctor before self treating injuries/ issues.
The Magickal Properties Of Comfrey:
Folk Names: Assear, Black Wort, Boneset, Bruisewort, Consohda, Consound, Gum Plant, Healing Herb, Knit Back, Knit Bone, Miracle Herb, Slippery Root, Wallwort, Yalluc, Gavez, Smeerwartel, Karakaffes, Ztworkost
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Saturn
Element: Water
Powers: Safe Travel & Money
Comfrey is often seen as a comforting and protecting herb with its base vibrations being comfort and safety, therefore its magickal uses typically involve any situation in which you need to create a safe environment or bring comfort to a situation.
The ability that Comfrey has to knit things together will help bind your possessions to you and keep them safe.
- Comfrey can be used for safe travel, to create an easy journey
- Keeping Comfrey root in your car is said to prevent theft- same goes for your wallet.
- Dried Comfrey root is often carried in luggage to ensure safety during travel.
- In finance, Comfrey can bring about luck in risky financial situations
- Comfrey leaves are used for abundance, so adding some dried comfrey leaves to your wallet or money bowl can help increase wealth
- For health and healing, Comfrey can transform and release old beliefs that no longer serve your purpose (therefore making you uncomfortable and adding to illness)
- In relationships comfrey can be used to bring peace, stability and comfort.
Magickal Ways To Use Comfrey
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Comfrey can be used in its fresh, dried or oil form.
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Dried Comfrey leaves or roots can be added to Magick bags and carried with you during travel
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Comfrey infused oil can be used to anoint candles for candle magic spells.
- Fresh comfrey can be placed in a vase on your altar to attract wealth and abundance.
The Magickal benefits of this herb are not set in stone. These magickal benefits are from a Eurocentric viewpoint, as is my personal background and what I am familiar with.
Do your own research before working with each ingredient always and consult sources from your own ancestral background. What is right for me in my situation, may be completely wrong for you.
Mundane Ways To Use Comfrey:
One of my favourite mundane ways to use comfrey is as a green garden fertiliser. It actually makes a fantastic green fertiliser, whether by chopping the leaves and laying them around your plants, or by planting them near your plants to draw nutrients up through the soil. I won't go into detail here about using comfrey as a fertiliser as I have already written a blog post here if you would like to check it out.
Comfrey is another fantastic plant to grow, especially if you like your plants to have multiple uses. It helps attract bees into the garden, which pollinate your other plants, it acts as a living fertiliser, and it has numerous mundane and magickal properties. What is not to like about this wonderful herb?
Let us know what you think about this fantastic plant. Do you grow it? If so what has been your experience with it? Do you use it for mundane purposes, magickal purposes, or both? We'd love to hear your experiences.