North America's Super Food - Blueberry

Humble berry wild fruit
Giving life with every bite
Beautiful color for your art
Luck and prosperity without a fight

Ah, blueberries!  My first experience with  fresh blueberries was when I was 11 or 12.  I was on a canoeing trip with my family in the Boundary Waters region that straddles the U.S./Canadian border.  A few days into the wilderness we found the low, creeping bush filled with small blue berries.  That night we had blueberries for dessert.  Then the next morning, we had pancakes filled with so many blueberries that they wouldn't hold together.  Yum!

Those little gems are native to the eastern woodlands of the northern U.S. and southern Canada, but closely related species grow around the world.  Some of these are the European bilberry, cranberries, and huckleberries.  The wild blueberry has been a staple in the Native American diet and pharmacopoeia for 10,000 years when they started growing in the debris fields left behind as the glaciers receded. 

The humble little blueberry is one of the most life giving foods on the planet and is considered to be one of Earth's super foods.  They are loaded with vitamins C, K, and E.  They are high in iron, manganese, calcium, and phosphorus.  They are a good source of health promoting flavonoids and fiber.  Blueberries support healthy bone structure, blood health, heart health, and metabolism.  They support tissue regeneration and a healthy gut microbiome.  Blueberries help to regulate blood sugar and insulin sensitivity.  They are protective of the nervous system and eyesight.  There is evidence of blueberries having positive effects on brain health, memory, and cognitive ability.  And that is just the beginning of the ways blueberries benefit health.  Herbalists and traditional medicine people use blueberries to treat a number of symptoms.

But, be careful.  This little gem is a dye plant.  Those tasty little berries will stain everything they touch.  With a minimal amount of effort, you can create a stain, a dye, or ink from blueberries.

Metaphysical and energy practitioners have also found a wide array of uses for the blueberry fruit and bush.  Most of these come from the European use of the bilberry, but Bilberry and blueberry are energetically interchangeable.  The primary use of blueberries is as an addition to Lughnasadh festivals.  According to tradition, they are the Oracle of how the harvest will go that year.  They are a symbol of abundance, health, luck, and protection.

Blueberries are considered to be very protective.  Dried leaves placed under the door mat or hung in the home is believed to prevent the entry of evil spirits and negative influences into the home.  Dried and crushed berries and leaves sprinkled around the property may provide a protective barrier.  If you believe that someone is sending evil intent your way, make a blueberry tart and eat it.  It is believed to protect you from the inside out, repelling all negativity thrown at you.

Blueberries are used in a number of ways to bring good luck and prosperity.  A blueberry incense is believed to break up the negative patterns and habits in your life.  Spells using blueberries can be created to attract wealth and health.  A cup of blueberry tea is a good aid for meditation and can calm the mind and spirit.

According to Native American legend, blueberries are a gift from the Great Spirit.  In a time of famine and starvation, the blueberry was given to bring them back to health.  The star pattern on the blossom end of the berry is said to be a reminder of the gift of food when the people were in need.   This fruit is called star berries by the people of the eastern woodlands of North America.

Sources:
healthline.com
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nib.gov
ars.usda.gov
marblecrow.com
flyingthehedge.com
plentifulearth.com
​20,000 Secrets of Tea by Victoria Zak