Celtic month of Elder

We are currently enjoying the Celtic Month of the Elder.

'The unique personality of the elder was anciently believed to come from the spirit of the 'Elder Mother' who dwelt within the tree.  The Elder Mother, called Elle or Hyldemoer in Scandinavian and Danish myth, worked strong earth magic and according to legend, avenged all who harmed her host trees.  No forester of old would touch elder, let alone cut it, before asking the Elder Mother's permission three times over and even then he was still in dread of her possible wrath.  Likewise, in many country districts of Europe and Britain, wise people still show respect by touching their hats when passing elder trees, in continuance of ancient custom.  Certain North American tribes also believe that elder is the Mother of the human race.

According to legend, witches would often turn themselves into elder trees, and one famous witch-tree turned a king and his men to stone, thereby creating the Rollright Stones in Oxfordshire.  This ancient piece of folklore tells of a Danish King, on his way to battle for the English Crown with his warriors, meeting the witch and asking her what his fate would be.  The witch replied:

Seven long strides thou shalst take,
And if Long Compton thou canst see
King of England thou shalst be.

Because he was almost at the crest of a hill, the Dane was confident as he strode forth, but unexpectedly at his seventh stride a long mound rose up before him, blocking his view.

The witch replied:

As Long Compton thou canst not see,
King of England thou shalst not be.
Rise up stick and stand still stone,
For King of England thou shalst be none,
Thou and they men hoar stones shall be,
And I myself an Elder tree.

In an instant the Danish King and his men were turned to stone.  Those warriors loyal to the King became the King's Men stones set in a circle; and those who had questioned his authority turned into the Whispering Knights, huddled together and apart from the others.  The King himself became the King Stone, standing, still in shocked attitude, apart from all his men.  The witch then resumed her guise as the guardian Elder tree.'

from 'Tree Wisdom' by Jacqueline Memory Paterson.

Following picture from Wikipaedia: The Rollright Stones of Oxfordshire.

A Pillow of Leaves

Chasing leaves, like thoughts, I feel 
Autumn closing in on me. 
As I lie beneath the chestnut tree 
Blue skies appear between the leaves. 
As leaves drop, larger skies appear 
Like a huge blue duvet over me. 
The leaves become my comfy bed, 
A crumply pillow for my head. 
A place to keep my hopeful thoughts 
A place to sleep, my wishes caught. 
Caught amongst the rustle, rustle, 
A time to rest away from bustle. 
A place to think, a time to learn and 
A chance to wait for new life to return... 

I am a conker, rich and brown 
Fat and shiny, I snuggle down. 

The end of the summer.

"August, the traditional holiday month for most people, is a busy time for the farmer as he works long hours to bring in his harvest.  You can hear the muffled roar of combines in the cornfields and the incessant thump of balers on the farm.  The burning of straw in the stubble fields leaves them charred and blackened and if this is done without proper care, it can seriously scorch and damage the surrounding hedges.

Dog-days, the first two weeks in August, often bring sultry, hot weather.  They are named after the bright Dog-star Sirius, which during this time rises and sets with the sun.  Settled weather on St. Bartholomew Day, the twenty-fourth, promises a fine autumn: there is a country saying that:

If St. Bartholomew Day be bright and clear

Then a prosperous autumn comes that year."

from "Discovering Hedgerows' by David Streeter and Rosamond Richardson

So here we are at the very end of August 2011.  The summer has gone by very quickly for me and already there are many signs of Autumn. Our weather here in England has been very disappointing with little sunshine this month and lots of cloud, but it could have been much, much worse. Last night we saw a bat flitting past the window of the house and I was aware that the nights are really drawing in.

Midsummer's Day

High Summer always mean 'red' to me and the flower that epitomizes red is definitely the poppy. My picture today is of one of my 'Guardsman' poppies in full colour. They don't flower for long and fade to a wishy-washy pink so whilst they are flowering, I need to make the most of them.  Just like summer really, over too soon!

Next week on 21st June we will enjoy the longest day of the year in this area. There will be celebrations at Stonehenge.  I wrote about that here.

'The period - early June to early July - is ruled by the Oak Moon and the certainty of a good crop comes under the aegis of this moon.  The earth is pregnant, but the safe delivery of a healthy and bountiful harvest has to be worked on.'
From: 'Enchanted' - Titania's Book of White Magic


Certainly, this year we have had troubles with drought in the east of England.  Virtually no rain fell during the months of April and May and so now, despite irrigation, the farmers are expecting the crops to be less than they hoped for. However, we have had a bumper crop of delicious strawberries and raspberries. No doubt we will catch up with the rain at some time this year.  We always have before and nobody has mentioned a hose-pipe ban in my area YET! but a few wishes won't go amiss.

I hope your Midsummer's Eve is all you wish it to be.

Blessings, Star

Elder flowers

The elder flowers are beautiful just now.

'Both the berries and flowers make excellent wines, jams and jellies and can be added to the cooking of meat, vegetable and sweet dishes.  In addition, elderflower water makes an excellent facial rinse, which cleanses and brightens and if cotton pads soaked in it are placed over the eyes, they will feel brighter and refreshed.

Elderflower tea can be taken as a painkiller and is useful in the treatment of colds.  Elderflower tea cleanses the blood and is slightly diuretic so it can also speed recovery the morning after the night before!  

Elder leaves can be made into an infusion and rubbed onto the skin to deter flies and other insects.  Elder leaves boiled until soft are useful for dressing bruises, strains etc.  However, I would not recommend using them on an open wound as, under some circumstances, they can be toxic.'

From:  'The Real Witches' Garden' by Kate West