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Hawthorn
May 13th - June 9th
The Hawthorn the sixth moon of the Celtic year, is a time to concentrate
on your lover and on renewing the intimacy and understanding between
you. Young people were adorned with blossom and lovers lay in fields
to empower their relationship and the crops with fertility and prosperity.
Hawthorn (Crataegus) is deciduous and a member of the rose family.
The common name for hawthorn comes from haw, which is an old English
word for ‘hedge.’ The tree’s name simply means ‘thorny
hedge.’ Hawthorn was used extensively as hedgerow because of
its thorny nature and quick growth, angering peasants who no longer
could enter the lands they previously roamed at will. Its Latin
name, Crataegus, means ‘hardness’, referring to the quality
of the wood. Once established, a hawthorn hedge, with its sharp
spiky thorns, can create a very secure barrier. In fact the word
hawthorn literally means hedgethorn. The flowers which, appear in
May have a heavy scent. The flowering of the Hawthorn tree is a
sure sign that winter is over and spring is underway, hence the
tree has been viewed as an indicator of changes in the seasons or
a weather omen.
The wood of the hawthorn was used for making small articles, for
its wood has a fine grain and takes a beautiful polish. The root-wood
was used for making boxes and combs. It also makes excellent fuel,
making the hottest wood-fire known, and it used to be considered
more desirable than Oak for oven-heating. Charcoal made from it
has been said to melt pig iron without the aid of a blast. The stock
of the hawthorn is employed not only for grafting varieties of its
own species, but also for several of the garden fruits closely allied
to it, such as the medlarand pear. The Hawthorn is related to peach,
almond and apple trees, and to the sacred strawberry, ode'imin,
heartberry, that gives its name to the month of June, Ode'imini-giizis,
the Moon when Strawberries ripen. Brides carried may blossom in
their wedding bouquets to encourage fertility, a custom that persists
today, even though the original meaning may be forgotten.
The hawthorn tree’s well being is affected by many diseases
and pests. Many of them are also attackers of roses, since the hawthorn
is a member of the rose family. There are also many unique pests
that affect only the hawthorn.
In Celtic lore, the hawthorn plant was used commonly for rune inscriptions
along with Yew and Apple. It was once said to heal the broken heart.
The intrinsic energy of the hawthorn is focused on the heart centre.
The leaves, the flowers and the berries can all be used herbally
and are prized as a cardiac tonic. The red berries which, develop
in September, are especially the most effective. They act in a normalising
way upon the heart by either stimulating or depressing its activity,
depending on the need. Hawthorn berries will gently move the heart
to normal function, and may be used safely as a long-term treatment
for heart weakness, palpitations, high blood pressure and angina.
Drink an infusion of the berries daily during periods of stress,
pressure of work, or for any nervous condition. They are also a
popular winter food for wild birds. The robin is long believed to
have cut itself on the thorns of the hawthorn and has remained red-breasted
ever since. The blossoms can be drunk as a tonic tea, which also
has a beneficial effect on the heart and circulation. It is both
necessary and safe to take it over long periods as its action is
very gradual. If you collect the flowers, they need to be dried
quickly in brown paper bags hung in an airy place and then sealed
in an airtight container, as their potency tends to deteriorate
quickly. Gather them fresh every year. The Druids used the Hawthorn's
properties to strengthen the body in the frailty of old age.
In Irish folklore Hawthorn, or whitethorn, is associated with the
festival of Beltane. Hawthorn is often associated with faeries and
referred to as the fairy bush, and it was considered bad luck to
cut it in fear of offending the fairies that inhabit the tree. Beltane
was believed to be a time when fairies would come out into the land
of humans and sometimes steal folk away to fairyland. Mothers would
put may blossom on their baby's cradle on May Eve, to prevent the
fairies from stealing them and leaving a changeling in their place.
So the lesson is to be careful not to fall asleep under a hawthorn
tree on May's Eve, or you might be 'away with the fairies'. However,
during the May Day celebrations the making of a maypole and collecting
of the sprigs and flowers was allowed for use in the festivities,
after which they were placed in the home to banish all evil influences
Both Celts and Wiccans believe it is unlucky to bring hawthorn
blossoms indoors. The only time one should break or cut hawthorn
branches is on Beltane Eve. Hawthorn is linked with the bridal link
of the Goddess and uninhibited sexuality. Places where hawthorn
grows profusely often seem to mediate earth energies and evoke a
connection to ancient times when people were more in tune with the
land.
Some believe that the Hawthorn is a holy plant, and has healing
powers which is why no negative energies will find peace by it.
The hawthorn tree once thought to be a trysting place for the Earth
spirits, and was often planted at crossroads, since such spirits
were thought to gather there. Weary travellers often would tear
off and leave bits of clothing hanging in the trees as a prayer
flag or ‘wish-rag’ offering for health, luck, love and
success. This tradition continues today. Use a piece of thorn as
an amulet to ward off depression and restore happiness. This practice
may have started, again, when travellers picked the hawthorn leaf
and chewed it for nourishment, a feeling of well-being and replenishment
of energy. Thus, the hawthorn became known as the ‘bread and
cheese’ tree, giving as much sustenance as a plate of bread
and cheese.
There are a lot of contradictions connected to the Hawthorn. It
is considered to be a tree destined to bring bad fortune to the
owner, as this is the thorny tree that some believe was made into
the crown of thorns used at Christ's Crucifixion. It naturally follows
that to bring any part of the tree into a house but most importantly
the flowers, will result in someone in the house dieing, and its
wood was then used for funeral pyres. Attacking or cutting down
a Hawthorn tree should not be attempted for the same reason. One
contradiction to this belief is that to place a Hawthorn branch
above the door will warn negative forces not to enter. In some places,
a hawthorn spray hung over a door indicates scorn. But then again,
fasten hawthorn to a cowshed and be assured of an enormous milk
supply or place a globe made of hawthorn in the kitchen for fire
protection. Put hawthorn in the rafters of your home for protection
against spirits, ghosts and storms.
Faeries abound in both Celtic and British antiquity, when the powerful
‘three’, oak, ash and thorn, grow together. Solitary hawthorn
trees growing on hills or near sacred wells serve as markers to
the Faery realm. Never cut a blooming hawthorn, as the faeries become
angry and definitely don’t sit under a hawthorn tree in the
month of May or you will be lost forever to the unknown, mystic
faery world. Even today, in parts of Ireland and Wales, a springtime
custom, to bring blessings upon yourself and your family, is to
plait crowns of hawthorn blossoms and leave them for the angels
and faeries, who come at night and dance around them.
Witches were said to have the ability to turn themselves into hawthorn
trees at will. On Beltane (May Day) morning, many witches wash their
faces at sunrise in the morning dew of the hawthorn tree for beauty
throughout the coming year.
Astrologically hawthorn people are stubborn but loving people and
tend to be very beautiful in youth. They bring out the worst in
their friends but not in a bad way, more as a way of helping them
to root out bad habits and attitudes. They are supportive and protective
of all they consider to be family. They can be tough to work with
and have a single-minded attitude. They do not joke around but attend
only to the business at hand, which makes them very shrewd business
people. They are very dependable and stable, and won’t go back
on their words.
Hawthorn Tree Facts
Scientific Name: Crataegus
Family: Rosaceae
Height: Can reach 10m.
Wood: Combination of Brown and Grey Bark
Leaves: Lobed, tooth leaves.
Flowers: Small white flowers very conspicuous in May and
June.
Fruit: Berries.
Distribution: Native to temperate regions of the Northern
Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America.
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