The Elder is the Old Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, and powerful indeed is her protection and blessing. As a protection against evil (and later against witchcraft!) its branches were hung in doorways of houses, cow sheds, buried in graves and its twigs were carried at funerals.Įlder can be used to bless a person place or thing, by scattering leaves and berries to the four directions, and over the thing or person being blessed, while and speaking invocations with heartfelt intention and imagry. Other folklore customs associated with the Elder invoke its ability to drive away evil spirits. Thus it is considered unlucky to make a cradle out of Elder wood - Birch being the proper wood for a cradle, signifying a new start or inception. Similar tales tell that if a child's cradle were to be made of Elder, Hylde-moer would pinch the child black and blue and give it no peace or rest. Should the tree be chopped down and furniture made of the wood, Hylde-moer would follow her property and haunt the owners. Early European folk tales tell of a dryad, Hylde-moer, the Elder Tree Mother, who lives in the Elder tree and watches over it. Maybe a fear of releasing that malevolent spirit or maybe born of a deep respect for this tree, which gives so much by way of medicines, food and drink. There are very strong superstitions about not cutting down the Elder. These later overlays grew out of fear of the Old Ways and eradication of the village hedge witch or wise woman who would have used the Elder in many of her herbal remedies. These superstitions say that the tree itself brought death, that a malevolent spirit dwelled within it, that is was the tree from which the cross was made and the tree from which Judas hanged himself. But there are two very different folktales associated with the Elder, with a later overlay of bad press imposed by the Church, in their need to eradicate the old Pagan religion from this land. Elder blossom was worn at Beltane to signify witchcraft and magic and Elder twigs were woven into a headdress at Samhain to enable the wearer to see spirits. The earliest folk tales praise Elder's ability to ward of evil or malevolent spirits, and to undo evil magic. Flutes made of Elder were used to summon spirits, and Elder was also a common wood of wands. Certainly it is a purgative and will induce vomiting and perspiration. It is said in Irish folklore that is it the Elder stick and not Ash ones, which were used by witches for their magic horses, which makes me, wonder whether the bark was perhaps used for inducing trance. The presence of the Old Mother energy of the tree probably also accounts for this name. It is also called the "witch's tree" and certainly the village hedge-witch would have used the Elder extensively, as herbally it is wonderfully rich and potent in all its parts - leaves, flowers, berries and the bark. Funerary flints found in megalithic long barrows were Elder leaf shaped, suggesting this association goes back a long way. The Elder is sometimes called the "death tree" because of this. Elder is a reminder of the never ending cycle of life, death and rebirth, bringing power and hope at his dark time in the year's cycle. It is a powerful symbol of the life energy and creation at a time of the year when everything must return to the Earth for regeneration and renewal. The Elder grows rapidly from any part, and so speaks to us of regeneration and the power of the life force. Each death, each end, brings a new start, rebirth and regeneration. For this reason the message of the Elder is to honour the beginning in every end and the end in every beginning. The Elder rules the 13th moon in the Celtic Tree Calendar, the ending of the old year and beginning of the new at the Celtic festival of Samhain. The Elder is the Old Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, a wise old energy at the end of the year-s cycle. It is easy to be thankful for all its abundant herbal, magickal and culinary gifts and easy to feel and honour the wisdom of a wise elder, the wise woman spirit - the Queen of Trees, the Elder Tree Mother. Of all the trees, I talk readily to the Elder and feel the presence of its spirit in a tangible way. Revised 2006 By Glennie Kindred - Of all the native trees of the British Isles, it is the Elder tree, which evokes my deepest affection. Spirit of the Elder First Published - White Dragon Magazine. Spirit of the Elder | Print-friendly article by Glennie Kindred from .uk
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