Motherwort Tea

🌿 Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

Also known as: Lion’s Tail • Throw-wort • Heartwort • Mother’s Herb
Family: Lamiaceae (Mint family)
Origin: Native to Central Asia and Europe; now naturalized in North America
Parts Used: Aerial parts (leaves, stems, and flowers)
Primary Use: Internal – Heart, Hormonal, and Nervous System Support

✨ Description

Motherwort is one of nature’s great comforters — a herb that calms the storm within, both emotionally and physically. The name itself, Leonurus cardiaca, translates to “lion-hearted,” a fitting title for an herb that strengthens the heart while softening tension and fear.

A member of the mint family, Motherwort has a distinctly bitter, earthy aroma with subtle floral undertones. It has been revered for centuries by midwives and herbalists for its power to soothe anxiety, ease menstrual discomfort, and regulate the heart and womb.

Traditionally, it was known as the “mother’s friend,” cherished for its role in women’s reproductive and emotional health. Beyond its feminine associations, Motherwort serves all who seek balance — easing an overactive mind, calming racing thoughts, and supporting the cardiovascular system through life’s many transitions.

💗 Internal Uses & Benefits

• Heart Health: Gently strengthens the heart muscle, regulates palpitations, and reduces blood pressure from tension or anxiety.
• Menstrual & Hormonal Support: Encourages menstrual flow, relieves cramps, and helps balance hormones before or after menstruation.
• Postpartum & Menopausal Care: Known for easing mood swings, night sweats, and postnatal blues.
• Nervous System Tonic: Calms panic, irritability, and emotional overstimulation.
• Digestive Aid: The bitterness of Motherwort also promotes digestion and liver function when used as a tonic.

How to Use:

• Tea or Infusion: Steep 1–2 tsp dried Motherwort in 1 cup of hot water for 10–15 minutes. Drink up to 2 cups daily.
• Tincture: 1–2 mL up to three times per day.
• Capsules: Take as directed on packaging for consistent daily support.

It may taste bitter — but its medicine lies in that very bitterness, encouraging release and renewal.

🌬️ Smoking & Aromatic Use

Motherwort can be used in herbal smoke blends as a calming, heart-centered herb.

• Effect: Mildly sedative, grounding, and emotionally balancing.
• Best Blends: Pair with Damiana, Mullein, or Rose petals for relaxation and meditation.
• Note: Use in moderation — the taste is distinctly bitter and earthy.

When burned as incense or smudge, Motherwort is believed to clear emotional heaviness and restore peace in the home.

🐾 For Pets

⚠️ Not recommended for pets, especially cats or small dogs. While not highly toxic, its alkaloids may cause digestive upset or drowsiness.
For heart support in animals, Hawthorn or Dandelion are gentler alternatives.

💧 External Uses

• Bath or Compress: Steep a strong tea and add to bathwater for relaxation and emotional grounding.
• Massage Oil: Combine Motherwort-infused oil with lavender or rose for a heart-opening, soothing blend.
• Topical Use: Apply compresses over the heart or abdomen to ease cramps or tension.

🔮 Metaphysical & Energetic Uses

Element: Water & Fire
Chakra Alignment: Heart & Solar Plexus

Spiritually, Motherwort is an herb of protection, courage, and emotional release. It embodies maternal love — fierce yet forgiving — teaching compassion for oneself and others.
Energetically, it helps those who give too much reclaim their power and boundaries.

In ritual practice, Motherwort is burned or steeped to soothe grief, heartbreak, and emotional fatigue. It opens the heart chakra while grounding energy back into the body, reconnecting the spirit to self-trust and serenity.

Affirmation:

“My heart beats steady and strong. I am calm, loved, and protected in my peace.”

🌿 Pairing Suggestions

• Hawthorn Berry & Leaf: To strengthen the heart and circulation.
• Lemon Balm: To enhance relaxation and soothe the nervous system.
• Skullcap or Passion Flower: For insomnia and anxiety.
• Yarrow or Red Raspberry Leaf: For menstrual balance and womb toning.

🌼 Harvest & Sourcing

Our Motherwort is organically cultivated in Eastern Europe and wild-harvested in the United States at full bloom, when the plant’s energy is at its highest.
The aerial parts are gently air-dried in shade to preserve their alkaloids, essential oils, and vivid green color.

⚖️ Energetics & Taste

• Taste: Bitter, earthy, slightly minty.
• Energetic Profile: Cooling, calming, grounding, and regulating.

⚠️ Warnings

• Not recommended during pregnancy (may stimulate uterine contractions).
• Use cautiously if on heart medications, sedatives, or thyroid support.
• Avoid during heavy menstrual flow.
• May cause mild drowsiness — avoid driving immediately after consumption.

🌻 A Note from the Herbalist

Motherwort is the herb I turn to when the world feels too heavy, when the heart races and the mind won’t quiet.
She reminds us to breathe, to soften, and to return home to ourselves.
Bitter yet deeply comforting, she represents the strength that comes from gentleness.
Take her in your tea, your smoke, or your bath — and let her teach you the medicine of rest. 🌸