Ravenhawk's Herb of the Week

Herb of the Week: Uva-Ursa, Bearberry

This week’s herb is: Uva-Ursi, Bearberry

Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi[Ericaceae]also known as Foxberry, Crowberry, Hog Cranberry, Kinnikinnick, Mealberry, Arberry
Gender: Feminine, Element: Earth, Planet: Saturn

Uva ursi is a trailing evergreen shrub that produces red berries and flourishes in alpine forests in many regions, including North America and Europe. The long shoots rise obliquely upward from the stems for a few inches and are covered with soft hairs. It has short, creeping, reddish-brown branches and pink or white bell-shaped flowers that bloom in the summer, followed by clusters of berries. The berry, which ripens in autumn, is about the size of a small currant, very bright red, smooth and glossy, with tough skin. Bears are said to be fond of the fruit, which is edible but tastes sour. The generic name, derived from Greek, and the Latin specific name, UvaUrsi, mean the same: the Bear’s grape.

Herbal and Healing:

Healing Properties: Urinary antiseptic, digestive, diuretic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, astringent, antihaemorrhagic, antifungal, astringent, antilithic, parturient.

The antimicrobial and digestive properties of uva ursi make it a useful herb for combatting unfriendly gut organisms, including Candida, diarrhea, and dysentery.
Uva Uris is specific for chronic irritation and infection in the genito-urinary tract, useful for cystitis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, prostatitis, kidney stones, and gravel. It relieves fluid retention and aids in the elimination of toxins and uric acid. Its astringent properties and allantoin tone heal inflamed and irritated urinary passages. It can be useful for bedwetting and incontinence. Bearberry was used as an astringent and diuretic by the Cherokee, Creek, and Catawba Indians. It was also used to treat gout and urinary complaints except during pregnancy or if there is a digestive problem.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Protection, Psychic abilities, Strength, knowledge, courage, animal magick,

Bearberry is associated with increasing intuitive and psychic powers, and connection with the animal kingdom. It is also used to purify an area and create sacred space when the leaves are used as incense. Place a few dried leaves under your altar to consecrate it for sacred purposes. It is one of the main ingredients of the sacred smoking mixture known as Kinnickinnick. It is believed that barberry leaves carried on you can align you with your inner strength and help you connect with ancestral knowledge.

Recipe: An infusion made of half an ounce of leaves in a pint of boiling water strengthens and tones the urinary tract.