Calendula: The Golden Healer 🌼
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If you have ever grown calendula in the garden, you will know how its bright orange petals follow the sun. To me, it feels like a flower that carries light, softening wounds, soothing pain, and bringing warmth where it is needed most.
Herbalists have long honoured Calendula officinalis, also called pot marigold, as one of our most versatile remedies. Its story stretches back thousands of years. The Romans used it for digestive issues and infections, even during times of plague. In folk medicine it was known as “poor man’s saffron,” brightening food and fabric as a dye while also tending to fevers, jaundice, and liver troubles.
A Plant for Skin and Beyond
Calendula is best known as a healer of the skin. Applied externally as a poultice, cream, or infusion, it helps wounds knit, reduces inflammation, and wards off infection. It has antifungal and antimicrobial actions, making it a gentle ally for stubborn issues like thrush or athlete’s foot.
Inside the body, calendula continues its work. Sipped as a tea or taken as a tincture, it soothes gastric ulcers, supports the gallbladder, and calms indigestion. It has also been used traditionally to ease and regulate menstruation. Wherever there is heat, inflammation, or imbalance, calendula seems to bring its cooling, balancing touch.
A Herb With Science Behind It
Modern research is beginning to confirm what traditional herbalists have always known. Calendula contains compounds with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal actions. It has also shown promising results in cancer research, with antitumoral and anti-metastatic effects, and it plays a role in palliative care, particularly in reducing radiotherapy-induced skin damage.
What I love about this is that the science does not take away the magic, it simply shines a new light on what herbal traditions have always trusted.
My Journey With Calendula
My first personal experience with calendula came when my children were small. I used a calendula nappy cream at night, and by the next morning, any irritation or rash had simply disappeared. I remember calling it “magic cream” because the results felt nothing short of miraculous. That simple experience stayed with me and shaped my respect for calendula as a healer.
In more recent years, calendula has become one of my most trusted plant allies. I use it often in the creams I create, not only for its ability to soothe and heal skin, but also for the comfort it brings. Making these preparations has been part of my own healing. When so much of my health felt out of control, the act of infusing petals into oil gave me something tangible, nourishing, and filled with sunlight.
A Simple Ritual With Calendula
Here is a gentle way to welcome calendula into your life:
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Place a teaspoon of dried calendula petals in a cup.
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Cover with boiling water and let it steep for 10 minutes.
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Strain, sip slowly, and imagine the warmth of the sun moving through you.
As you drink, you might whisper this affirmation:
“I carry the golden light of healing within me.”