Centaurea Cyanus
This is a magically plant (aren’t they all really). But when I harvest the beautiful blu corn flowers i feel i am tuning into something very special indeed. Named because they grew as weeds in cornfields, they are known by several other names: bachelor’s button, basket flower, bluebottle, or hurtsickle. Hurtsickle because the tough stems could blunt the reaper’s sickle; bachelor’s button for the tradition that a cornflower worn as a buttoniere by a young man in love would quickly fade if his love was in vain. Centaurea Cyanus tells us its related to Chiron, ‘the wounded healer’ , the greek god that gave us keys to herbalism and love of tone and harmony.
The union ritual of Handfasting where the couple chooses the color of their binding cords, Cornflower Blue symbolizes tranquility, devotion and loyalty; at least for a year and a day, a lifetime or eternity whichever the couple specify.
Corn flowers contains active substances like tannin and potassium salts, cornflower has astringent, weak diuretic, bitter-tonic anti-inflammatory and soothing proprieties.
Internally, cornflower is recommended in treating diarrhea, renal and urinary afflictions, while being used in infusions. Cornflower is also recommended for alleviating rheumatism and anorexia.
Externally, cornflower has various applications. It has soothing and antiseptic effects and is used under the form of poultices in cases of conjunctivitis, irritations and inflammations of eye lids.
The Copper Dragon 