Apple Blossoms
From
Patti Wigington
In the English ballad “Thomas the Rhymer,” young Thomas is cautioned against eating the Fairy Queen’s apples, because to eat the food of the dead would prevent him from ever returning to the land of the living.
For the ancients, the apple was considered a symbol of immortality. Interestingly, it’s also seen as a food for the dead, which is why Samhain is sometimes referred to as the Feast of Apples. In Celtic myth, an apple branch bearing grown fruit, flowers, and unopened bud was a magical key to the land of the Underworld. It’s also a symbol of the harvest, and is frequently found on altars during Mabon celebrations.
The apple is often found as a component in love magic, and the blossoms may be added to incenses and brews. In traditional folklore, apples are used as part of love divination — peel the apple in a continuous length, and when the first strip of peel falls off, it will form the initial of the person you are to marry. Cut an apple in half and count the seeds — an even number means marriage is coming, an uneven number indicates that you’ll remain single for a while.
Other names: Silver Bough, Tree of Love, Fruit of the Gods
Gender: Feminine Element: Water Deity Connections: Venus, Aphrodite, Diana, Apollo, Zeus
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