**Today we’re going to be doing a deep dive exploration on the Hops plant.**

*By the end of this post you may have a new herbal ally to reach for!*

Plant Feature: Hops, Humulus lupulus, with recipe

This post may contain links but they are not affiliate links. I am not in any sort of affiliate program at this time. They are links to things I actually use.

If you’re a regular follower of this blog you may have noticed another absence. This time I had to wait to replace some of my recording equipment. It’s hard to grow a YouTube channel & social media presence when your stuff isn’t working properly. If you aren’t already following the YouTube channel, Natural Living Alchemy why not go ahead & subscribe now so you don’t miss any of the videos that accompany most of these blog posts.

While I was on a short break figuring things out I had an idea on how I would like to structure things going forward.

The idea of plant features came into creation. These features are guides that cover a lot about what these plants have to offer & different ways we can work with them.

I will also be sharing one of my favorite recipes featuring the plant.

When the name hops comes to mind truth be told I generally just thought about a pint of beer on a hot summer day.

One of the first recorded uses for hops was actually for beer; this originated in a monastery in northern France in 822CE. There is a theory that hops was used in beer because of its ability to inhibit sexual desire, as we will talk about shortly.

General Information:

Name: Hops

Latin name: Humulus lupulus

Common name: European hops, common hops

Family: Cannabaceae

Parts used: flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles)

Herbal Tastes:

Bitter is telling us this herb is going to stimulate the digestive tract as well as the liver, gallbladder & pancreas

Pungent is telling us this herb has an affinity for the cardiovascular system, digestive system, respiratory system & nervous system

Sweet is telling us that this herb helps to build, nourish & has a restorative action on the tissues of the body with a specific affinity for the mucosal membranes of the body & is nourishing to the overall fluids of the body.

Herbal Actions & Bodily Affinities:

Nervous system: its primary action is as a nervine sedative & nervine relaxant helping it to be a primary remedy for sleep disturbances. It is suited for those who have a hard time falling asleep due to racing thoughts & worries.

Hops contains a compound called methyl-butanol, which has a sedating effect on the central nervous system. It also helps with moderate tension & anxiety.

Digestive system: it can be used to help address stress related digestive symptoms. Due to its bitter taste telling us it has an affinity for the liver, helping to stimulate bile secretions & clear obstructions in the liver

Hops also contain some cholagogue properties helping to promote the flow of bile from the gallbladder which is then deposited in the upper parts of the small intestine to help with the digestion process & the emulsification of fats & oils from foods so they are easily digested.

Hops does contain some metabolic effects & can help address certain metabolic syndromes such as insulin resistance & type 2 diabetes. Some of the constituents in hops can have a positive impact on cholesterol levels & help reduce systemic inflammation. It may also help reduce body fat in healthy adults.

Musculoskeletal system: it has some relaxant, meaning it can relax the central nervous system, & some spasmolytic or antispasmodic actions. Keep in mind that states of tension or constriction can show up as physical or emotional manifestations.

Hops also contains some analgesic properties as it helps to reduce constriction in the nervous system

Reproductive system: it works as an anaphrodisiac, it reduces sexual desire & is indicated in abnormal & excessive sexual excitability in all genders.

Specifically to the male reproductive system it can help with nervous irritability.

Specifically for the female reproductive system it can help support menstruation issues like a lack of excessively painful cycles and menopausal symptoms.

Hops does contain some estrogen precursors as well & is considered to be phytoestrogenic. Phyto is a Greek root word meaning plant.

Respiratory system: it can be beneficial to the membranes of the heart & the blood vessels in the lungs of smokers & nonsmokers.

Perhaps hops is an herbal ally you would want to reach for if you live in a heavily polluted community

Skin: it is considered to be a mild alterative & mild diuretic helping to clear heat & dampness from the body. This could point to a potential treatment for skin inflammations such as eczema & acne

On top of all that hops also contains some antiviral & antimicrobial properties

Phytochemistry/Active Constituents:

Alpha acids (Humulones): Known for their bitter flavor and preservative properties in beer, they are also thought to contribute to the sedative properties of hops.

Beta acids (Lupulones): Contribute to the hops’ antibacterial properties and are believed to play a role in their sedative action.

Essential oils: Provide the characteristic aroma of hops and contribute to their calming effects.

Flavonoids: Including xanthohumol, which is recognized for its antioxidant properties and has been the subject of research for its potential health-promoting properties.

Signature:

Hops gives us an animal signature & is considered a panther medicine. Herbs that are panther medicines all have a scent that is enticing to cats, Catnip fits into this category.

Panther medicines help to relax the smooth muscles, think of the smoothness of movement & relaxation that this cat embodies.

Signature = Sign in Nature. Learn more HERE, HERE & HERE

Magickal correspondence:

It can be used in trance work or burned as an incense to help create a specific state of consciousness

It is suitable for rituals as an offering

Energetics:

Cooling to the entire system, helping at address excessive heat

Drying anything that helps to increase secretions does have an overall drying effect. For example the digestive secretions have to eventually leave the body which is how it has a drying effect

Relaxing to the body as opposed to a tonic or astringent action

Contraindications & precautions:

It is not recommended for people experiencing significant depression as hops may accentuate your symptoms.

Any sedative should only be taken for short periods of time as they are not going to be getting to the bottom of why you may be experiencing insomnia. Prolonged use of sedatives can lead to a habit, without necessarily invoking an addiction. The body just becomes too reliant on the use of sedatives. Think about them as a bandage you can reach for while you address the underlying issues, but all bandages need to be changed eventually.

I would avoid using hops if you are pregnant or breastfeeding as it does have an effect on the reproductive system

It is not recommended for use on children or infants. I would use catnip in this case instead.

Common preparations & doses:

Tea/infusion → 1 heaping teaspoon/1 cup water for 10-30 minutes up to 3 times a day. An hour or so before you’re wanting to go to bed
Tinctures → 1:5 in 40% alcohol, 1-4 ml per day
Capsules → usual dosage is 500mg
Fluid extract → 0.5-2 ml 3 times/day & right before bed
Fomentation → hot infusion on a cloth or a poultice on boils, irritated skin, muscle spasm & pain in the lower back

Channeled message:

Allow me to remind you of the forgotten parts about who you are. Allow me to help you relax your tired & busy mind. It’s time to return back to who you are & who you’re meant to be, allow me to help you remember

Learn how to get your own personal messages from plants HERE

Additional notes:

Hops belongs to the Cannabaceae family of plants. This is the same family of herbs that the cannabis plant belongs to. You could think of hops as a cousin to the cannabis plant.

Ruling planet:

Mars & Venus

When doing my research I found a co-rulership between these two opposing planets.

According to Nicholas Culpeper, an English botanist, herbalist, physician & astrologer Mars is the traditional ruler of Hops.

According to my herbal teacher Sajah Popham Venus is the ruler of hops

Without getting too deep into this, we may save this for a future blog post, there is a connection between Mars & Venus plants. They are on the same polarity, although seeming fairly opposite, they do help balance each other's forces.

Ruling element:

Air

Plant Feature: Hops, Humulus lupulus, with recipe

Now that you know all about hops, it’s time to make a cup of what I like to call my Sleepy Time Tea.

Image of the finished tea with ingredients

While you can totally just add some hops flowers into a cup, pour over some hot water, steep & enjoy, I like to add some other herbal allies to it. Feel free to add one, two or all the herbs in this recipe.

Equipment:

Kettle
Tea strainer
Tea cup
Measuring spoon

Ingredients:

1 cup Water
1 tsp dried hops
1 tsp dried spearmint
1 tsp dried chamomile
½ tsp dried valerian root (See Notes & Substitutions)
Raw honey to taste
Lemon slice (optional)

Method:

Heat water just before it’s boiling- 80C
Add the dried hops, valerian root (if using), spearmint & chamomile, allowing it to steep for 10-15 minutes
Strain out the herbs
Sweeten with raw honey to taste
Add lemon if desired

Notes & Substitutions:

Valerian root is an interesting herb in the fact that people can oftentimes react to this herb very differently. I find Valerian root helps me relax, my son on the other hand finds the opposite & Valerian root stimulates him. Not necessarily something you would want in a sleepy tea but the only way to know for sure how you are going to react to it, is to try it out.

Not every herb is for everybody, always exercise common sense. If you have any known allergies to any of these ingredients, please just skip the ingredient.

Comment down below & let me know if hops a plant ally you already work with or are planning on doing so after you’ve learned about all these amazing health benefits? I’d love to hear about it