Tag: Crataegus

Hawthorn (May 13 – June 9)

HAWTHORN LORE

  • 6th Moon of the Celtic Year – (May 13 – June 9)
  • Latin name: crataegus oxyacantha (from the Greek ‘kratos’ – hardenss, ‘oxus’ – sharp, and ‘akantha’ – thorn). In other words  Hawthorns have
  • Celtic name: Huath (pronounced: Hoh’ uh)
  • Folk or Common names: Bread and Cheese Tree, Gaxels, Hagthorn, Halves, Haw, Hazels, Huath, Ladies’ Meat, May, Mayblossom, May Bush, Mayflower, May  Tree, Midland Hawthorn Quick, Thorn, Tree of Chastity.
  • Parts Used: Berries, wood, branches, seeds, flowers.
  • Herbal usage: The berries are used as a cardiac tonic. Since this is a powerful herb it is best not to be used alone, so mix it with borage, motherwort,  cayenne, garlic & dandelion flowers. Hawthorn leaves can be used as a substitute for oriental green tea, the seeds can be roasted and used like coffee.  Hawthorn makes a light, hard, apple-like wood. Hawthorn usually doesn’t grow much bigger than a shrub, and is popular in England as a hedge plant. The  wood from the Hawthorn provides the hottest fire known. Its leaves and blossoms are used to create a tea to aid with anxiety, appetite loss and poor  circulation. The pink or white star-shaped blossom gives off a musky scent – for many men, a strong scent of female sexuality. They are edible, sprinkled on  desserts. Young leaves (country name – pepper and salt) can be eaten in salads and sandwiches.
  • Magical History & Associations: The bird associated with this month is the night crow, the color is deepest black, and the gemstone is Lapis Lazuli.  The Greeks and Romans saw the Hawthorn as symbolic of hope and marriage, but in medieval Europe it was associated with witchcraft and considered to be  unlucky. This seeming contradiction is to be expected from a tree with such beautiful blossoms and such deadly-looking thorns. Hawthorne has a strong  association with water. It is a Masculine herb, associated with the planet of Mars and the element of Fire. Hawthorn is so strongly associated with the  Celtic May Eve festival of Bealtaine (Beltane) that “may” is a folk name for it. Whitethorn is another name popular in Brittany, where the tree  marks Fairy trysting places. Sacred hawthorns guard wishing wells in Ireland, where shreds of clothing (“clouties”) are hung on the thorns to  symbolize a wish made. The Roman goddess Cardea, mistress of Janus who was keeper of the doors, had as her principal protective emblem a bough of Hawthorn.  “Her power is to open what is shut; to shut what is open.” Hawthorn is also associated with the deities of Flora (orgiastic use), the White Goddess  Maia, and Hymen. There is an old legend which says that the first Hawthorn bush grew from the staff of St Joseph. The Burning Bush of Moses is a variety of  hawthorn, Crateagus pyracantha. Hawthorn is one of the nine woods that is traditionally placed on the Bale-fire: “Hawthorn is burned to purify And draw  faerie to your eye…”
  • Magickal usage: The month of Hawthorn is a good time to do magick designed to clear away old habits and spiritual cobwebs. Hawthorn can be used for  protection, love and marriage, health and prosperity, Fertility, Purification, Chastity, male potency, Fishing Magic, purity, inner journeys, intuition,  female sexuality, cleansing, and Happiness. The fey are said to especially like Hawthorn groves, since the Hawthorn is sacred to them. Hawthorn is one of the  tree fairy triad of Britain: ‘Oak, Ash and Thorn’, and where all three trees grow together it is said that one may see fairies. The flowers are  supposed to “bring fairies into the house. Solitary Hawthorn trees growing on hills or near sacred wells act as ‘markers’ to the faery realm. It  is said that a person should never cut a blooming Hawthorn, as the fey will become angry. It is also said that sitting under a Hawthorn tree in the month of  May might mean being lost forever to the unknown, mystic faery world. Even today, in parts of Ireland and Wales, it is a spring custom to braid crowns of  Hawthorn blossoms and leave them for faeries, who come at night and dance around them. This custom brings blessings to whoever left the crown. The Hawthorn  blossom, for many men, has the strong scent of female sexuality and was used by the Turks as an erotic symbol. Uses of Hawthorn in fertility/sexual talismans  include using the leaves under the bed to preserve virginity (a good thing for those of us with teenaged daughters (LOL). Hawthorn has long been used to  increase fertility, and because of this power it is incorporated into weddings, especially those performed in the spring. In many parts of Europe it was  customary in the spring or early summer to go out to the woods and cut down a Hawthorn and bring it in back to the town. There the Hawthorn was set up with  much celebration. Branches of the Hawthorn were also fastened to all the houses. This custom was said to bring the blessing which the Hawthorn tree-spirit  has in its power to bestow into the village. Hence the custom in some places of planting a May-tree before every house, or of carrying the village May-tree  from door to door so that every household may receive its share of the blessing. May poles used to be decorated, and sometimes even made from Hawthorn.  Hawthorn has strong protective qualities. Hawthorn can be attached to a cow barn and the cows will stay healthy and produce an enormous milk supply. A globe  made of Hawthorn can be placed in the kitchen for fire protection. Hawthorne in the rafters of a home is good for protection against spirits, and ghosts. In  the past most witch’s gardens contained at least one Hawthorn hedge for protection, as well as being one of the ingredients in the famous Flying  Ointment. Leaves can also be used as a charm to protect a newborn child and a thorn carried in a pouch can bring good luck while fishing and can also ward  off depression. A Hawthorn branch hung from the roof or chimney of a house will protect it from lightning. Worn or carried, Hawthorn promotes happiness in  the troubled, depressed or sad. It also can be used to promote beauty. At dawn on Beltane a young woman who wants to remain beautiful for the rest of the  year, can go bathe in the dew of the Hawthorn tree while chanting this rhyme:”The fair maid, who on the first of May,         Goes to the fields at the break of day,         And bathes in the dew from the hawthorn tree,         Will ever strong and handsome be”.

    Hawthorns are a favorite tree of Witches, and we are said to be able to transform ourselves into a Hawthorn tree at will. Hmmm, I haven’t tried    that one yet, but it might come in handy next time the Jehovah’s Witnesses come knocking on my door and I want to hide. Hawthorn is also a good wood to    make brooms and wands out of because of its strong bond with Witchcraft. Just make sure that if you are going to cut off a limb of a Hawthorn tree for this    use, that you do it on Beltane, since to cut it at any other time is unlucky. It is also bad luck to pick Hawthorn flowers before the first week of    May”, and it also was considered “a sign that death is on its way if brought into the house, except for the first of May”. In ancient    Britain, destruction of a Hawthorn tree might bring on tragedies such as the death of one’s cattle or children and a total loss of well-being.

About the Celtic Month of The Hawthorne Tree

The Hawthorne Tree

FOLKLORE & PRACTICAL USES: HAWTHORN

by Muirghein ó Dhún Aonghasa (Linda Kerr)

Crataegus oxyacantha– English Hawthorn. Found in England and continental Europe.

The hawthorn is easily recognized by its branches, covered with long, sharp thorns. Its small, usually white flowers bloom in May, earning it the additional name of May or Mayblossom, although in the southern U.S. it usually blooms in April (the ship Mayflower was named after the hawthorn). Its generic name, Crataegus oxyacantha, is derived from the Greek work kratos, meaning hardness (of the wood), oxus , meaning sharp, and akantha , meaning thorn. The old German name for the tree, Hagedorn , means Hedgethorn; the word haw is also an old word for hedge (1).
The red fruit, or haw, which appears in late summer, resembles a miniature stony apple. The wood makes an excellent fuel, making the hottest wood fire known, and in the past was more desirable than oak for oven-heating (2).
To the ancient Greeks and Romans, the hawthorn was a symbol of hope and happiness, and was linked with marriage and babies. Hawthorn was dedicated to Hymen, god of marriages. The torches carried in the wedding procession were made of hawthorn. People would put a sprig of hawthorn in their corsages, while the bride carried an entire bough (3). This also helped to appease the goddess Cardea, who did not like weddings, especially in May. In England, May was considered a lucky month for engagements, though not for marriages.
Later, in Medieval Europe, it was thought to be an evil and unlucky tree, and foretold a death in the house if brought inside. The hawthorn was considered one of the witches’ favorite trees, and on Walpurgis (Beltane) night, witches turned themselves into hawthorns. “With a little superstitious imagination, the hawthorn’s writhing, thorny branches at night probably do look enough like a witch to have instilled fear in medieval folk (4).”
In Ireland lone hawthorns belong to fairies, who meet at and live inside them. Many dire things are predicted if a lone thorn were disturbed in any way, among them illness and death. The Irish believed the fairies spread their washing across the thorn to dry. Ireland also has sacred hawthorns at holy wells, on which rag offerings are left (5). According to Geoffrey Grigson, the haws are also called ‘hags, (6)’ and might be a connection with the old Irish Hag-Mother, whom it was said that the rags and clothes were meant for.
The most famous hawthorn of all is the Glastonbury Thorn. It is Crataegus monogyna var. praecox , putting out leaves and flowers in winter and again in May. According to the Glastonbury legend, the Crown of Thorns was made of hawthorn. Later, it was added that Joseph of Arimathea stuck his dry hawthorn stick into the hill, where it at once grew, and ever after bloomed on Christmas Day (7).
The hawthorn is associated with May Day more than any other plant. On most May Days the hawthorn was already in full bloom, before the British at last changed the calendar in 1752 and adopted the New Style. May Day now comes thirteen days earlier (8).
Hawthorn was gathered on May Day morning, interwoven, and placed on doors or windows. The interweaving was important, since the power of magical plants was always increased by weaving them into various shapes. The magic of the hawthorn had already been increased during the night by the dew, which the country people always considered a magic fluid, especially on May Day morn (9).
On May Day, fairies and witches were abroad, and just as excited as humans by the beginning of summer. Milk and butter were likely to be stolen or bewitched. In Ireland, the rowan was the surest protector against this, while in England and France, the protective plant was the hawthorn (10).
Sex and fertility were very much a part of the old May Day celebrations, and were symbolized by the hawthorn. The stale, sweet scent of the flowers makes them suggestive of sex. This same smell led to the belief that hawthorn flowers had preserved the stench of the plague. The flowers contain trimethylamine, which is an ingredient of the smell of putrefaction (11).
Today hawthorn may be the source of an important cardiac medicine. Scientific research has shown that hawthorn dilates blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more freely, lowering blood pressure. It also regulates heart action, acting directly on the heart muscle to help a damaged heart work more efficiently. It works slowly and seems to be toxic only in large doses, making it a relatively safe, mild tonic (12). When administered properly, hawthorn is good for a heart muscle weakened by age, for inflammation of the heart muscle, for arteriosclerosis, and nervous heart problems.
At home, the hawthorn flowers and berries can be decocted (boiled) and drunk for a sore throat. They are also helpful in kidney trouble, acting as a diuretic. The berries can be made into a tea, which is good for nervous conditions and insomnia (13).
An excellent liqueur can be made from the berries or flowers. This recipe using the flowers dates back to about 1775. May Blossom Liqueur: Try to gather the may blossom on a dry, calm day when there is no dust flying about. Pick as much as a preserving (quart) jar will hold. Fill it up with brandy or vodka. Close the jar and shake it 3 times a week for 3 months. Filter and if necessary add sugar to taste. The resulting liqueur is excellent in custards and sauces (14).Sources:

1 Grieve, Mrs. M. A Modern Herbal (2 volumes). 1931. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, NY, pg. 385
2 Ibid, pg. 385.
3 Lust, John. The Herb Book. 1973. Bantam Books, New York, NY.
4 Ibid.
5 Grigson, Geoffrey. The Englishman’s Flora. 1955. Phoenix House LTD, London, England, pg. 169.
6 Ibid, pg. 166.
7 Ibid, pg. 170.
8 Ibid, pg. 168.
9 Ibid, pg. 168.
10 Ibid, pg. 167.
11 Ibid, pg. 168.
12 Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Edited by Claire Kowalchik and William H. Hylton. 1987. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA, pg. 275.
13 J. Lust.
14 van Doorn, Joyce. Making Your Own Liqeuers. 1980. Prism Press, San Leandro, CA, pg. 72.

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The Hawthorne 

LUNAR ENERGIES & ESOTERICA

As Dictated by Epona to Imré

Huath – Hawthorn – is the sixth lunar tree/month of the year. The Yin or female energies have subsided and the yang or male energies are on the up- swing. This is the perfect time of the year for people to begin to utilize and collect the Yang that is needed, because the energy is not yet strong enough to blow us out of the water, but is just strong enough to begin using. Women will find that the men around them have become irritable and testosterone-ridden – be warned, ladies, that this is the last chance that you are going to get, before the cycle of Yin returns, to establish the balance in the home.
This is also a good time to practice abstinence; for Hawthorn is the moon of purification and creative (as opposed to fertility-oriented) uses of sexual energies. We have found that women who indulge in the increase in their sexual appetites will feel the repercussions of their actions during the summer (around the Summer Solstice in particular) as “female problems.” Use this increased sexual energy to form a stronger bond with Nature. You will find it easier to contact spiritual guides, or ‘the Masters.’ Just as your energies are easily released at this time, so are Nature’s.
Folklore tells us that at this time of the year priests would go out into their church- yards and beat the surrounding stones in order to form a boundry and to keep evil spirits away. However, according to myths that originated in times when standing stones commonly created the physical boundaries around magickal circles, that the stones were struck so as to “wake them” or charge them (see Needles of Stone Revisted, Tom Graves). This would create the astral boundries. What does this mean? Well, it is now the time to begin understanding who you are and how you are developing. This will begin to happen as you go to Nature, yet, along with your pilgrimage comes the need to realize your basic physical limitations brought about by this incarnation. You must transcend them by imploding, or going within your being and discovering how unlimited you are within. Discover the mysteries of You. This is that time of year.

For further research, look up these points:

Vestal Virgins
Cardea (goddess)
Lady Godiva

(This is what we have come to know and understand. We would like to hear from those who have experienced it differently or would like to add to what we have. You never stop learning! – Epona, High Priestess of Faerie Faith)