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Holly Moon
July 8th - August 4th
The Holly is the eight Moon of the Celtic year, and is a perfect
time to celebrate your achievements and focus on your future. It
is a time to celebrate your success with family and friends and
to consider sharing your good fortunes with others.
The Holly tree (of which there are well over 150 species) can grow
to be as high as fifty feet and is native to most of Central and
Southern Europe. It bears shiny red berries in Autumn, which last
throughout the Winter season. The leaves of the Holly are shiny,
dark green in colour, elliptical in shape and have spiny points.
In order to produce berries, both a male and a female tree are required.
Only the female tree produces berries, which although lovely to
look at, are poisonous. Holly likes a rich and heavy soil and it
cannot survive cold winters. This is why it is not present in Eastern
Europe, and it may also be part of the reason why it thrives (but
only as shrubby undergrowth) in deciduous forests with their temperate
microclimates. In any event, we typically find Holly in company
with Beech, Oak or in the Mediterranean hills forming forests together
with Yew and deciduous Oaks. Holly can adapt to very shadowy environments
(like the forests mentioned above) yet it does like the sun, though
preferring a climate that is not too dry during the summer.
We find Holly more and more at home the closer we get to the Atlantic
Ocean. In fact it is in Ireland and England where we see Holly as
beautiful, impressive trees. From May to August the tree bears clusters
of small, wax-like, white flowers, which seem peculiarly attractive
to bees; and, as the species is almost diaecious, that is, has on
one tree flowers in nearly all of which the ovary is aborted, and
on another those in which the four stamens bear hardly any pollen,
it is by these insects that its fertilisation is mainly effected.
This is also, of course, the reason why certain trees, being male,
never produce berries; though an opinion has been expressed that
male Hollies become female with age. Many of the variegated forms
grown in gardens produce little or no fruit, though one of these
(var. laurifolia) bears a profusion of fragrant flowers. This absence
of fruit argues a certain want of vigour, which is borne out by
the fact that variegation is apparently produced by a deficiency
of potash in the soil.
The wood of the Holly is hard, compact and beautifully white in
colour being susceptible of a very high polish and was once used
in the making of inlays and for walking sticks as well as riding
crops.
A tincture or tea made from the berries and leaves has long been
regarded as a cure for high fever, jaundice, rheumatism, gout and
all sorts of other complaints. The leaves are soaked over night,
then briefly boiled, with a threefold effect: the fever goes down,
the cough is soothed and mucus is released. Whether or not it really
has these medicinal properties is uncertain, though it does at the
very least work as an astringent, expectorant, or purgative, with
a high potential for harm so that it is not the safest bit of folkloric
wisdom to add to one's list of favourite herbal concoctions . Eating
a number of the red berries will cause stomach ache, vomiting and
diarrhoea.
Given its evergreen nature, the Holly represented immortality and
was one of the Nine Sacred Woods used in Need-Fires (the others
being Oak, Pine, Hazel, Juniper, Cedar, Poplar, Apple and Ash).
In ancient Irish lore, it was also listed as one of the Noble Trees
of the Grove (along with Birch, Alder, Willow, Oak, Hazel and Apple).
The Holly was particularly sacred to the Druids, who believed that
its shiny leaves and red berries stayed green to keep the earth
beautiful when the sacred oak lost it leaves. They wore sprigs of
holly in their hair when they went into the forest to watch their
priests cut the sacred mistletoe. The Druids instructed folk to
take it into their homes during Winter in order to provide shelter
for the Elves and Faeries during cold weather and it was also regarded
as a strong and protective herb, guarding against evil spirits,
short-tempered Elementals, poisons, thunder and lightning. The notion
of protection against lightning is based upon the fact that the
spikes of Holly leaves act as miniature conductors, granting immunity
to the tree. It was also believed to be especially favoured by the
Sun. As a magickal herb, the Holly bestowed wisdom and courage and
was considered to be useful in dream magick. According to lore,
if a young girl gathered nine leaves from the "she-holly"
at midnight on a Friday and then tied them into a three-cornered
handkerchief using nine knots, she might dream of her future husband
by placing the handkerchief beneath her pillow.
It was once thought that if the smooth leaves of the "she-holly"
was brought into the house first during Yule, the wife would rule
the household during the approaching year. If the "he-holly"
with its prickly leaves were brought in first, the husband would
rule. It was also once believed that if a man carried a Holly leaf
or berry upon his person, he would become attractive to women. One
old custom associated with the Holly was to place pieces of candle
on the leaves, light the candles and then float them in a tub of
water. Each person would then make a wish upon his or her leaf.
If the candle remained lit, then the wish was said to come true.
It was said that to keep even one leaf inside after Imbolc would
bring about misfortune. Apparently, Holly wood when thrown in the
direction of any animal would compel that animal to obey.
In Ancient Rome, gifts of Holly were given during the Saturnalia
celebration and the use of its branches as Yule decorations was
common to many cultures. The image of the Holly King is familiar
to most people and has been personified as the Ghost of Christmas
Present in several celluloid versions of Charles Dickens' "A
Christmas Carol." By tradition, a Holly branch should never
be cut from the tree but instead, must be pulled off. It is considered
unlucky to cut or burn Holly, but it is thought to be lucky to hang
a small branch remaining from the Yule celebrations outside the
house. This is said to protect against lightning and ensure good
fortune.
The Holly offered empathy and understanding within its branches
and was often associated with goodwill and love, virtues of certain
Gods and Goddesses. For this reason, it was frequently planted near
homes for protection and to ward off evil, psychic attacks and demons.
When Celtic chieftains chose a successor, that successor was crowned
with a Holly wreath and Celtic men carried branches of the tree
for good luck. The Holly was said to ease thoughts of jealousy and
mistrust while providing protection from evil spirits. Also reputed
to tame wild beasts, babies were bathed in water from the leaves
in order to protect them from harm.
In Christian lore, the Holly miraculously grew its leaves out of
season one Winter night in order to hide the Holy Family from Herod's
soldiers. One variation on an ancient legend also states that it
was the tree from which Christ's crucifix was made, all of the trees
of the forests refusing the defilement of the cross by splintering
into tiny fragments at the touch of the axe, the Holly alone behaved
as an ordinary tree, allowing itself to be cut and formed into a
cross. It also became known as the Holy Tree, symbolic of the Crown
of Thorns.
Holly individuals are practical, capable and steadfast in the face
of adversity. They are strong-willed and make for trustworthy friends
with a great reserve of physical endurance. Down-to-earth people,
they usually possess much spiritual contentment. In relationships,
the Holly person is supportive, possessive, affectionate and protective,
although often overly protective, not inclined to wander and frequently
marries a childhood sweetheart. Hollies also make for tolerant and
very supportive spouses and tend to have a number of close friends
of both sexes. The weak point of the Holly individual is sensitivity
to personal criticism; his or her need for constant affection and
attention can make the Holly demanding in a close relationship.
Holly Tree Fact File
Scientific name: Ilex aquifolium
Height: Reaches heights up to 15m - 25m
Wood: Holly is usually clean stemmed with a bush or pyramidal
head and the wood is hard. The trunk is green when young, turning
grey with age.
Flowers: The flowers are small and white and the berries
are bright coral red. Pick Holly flowers from May to June
Leaves: The leaves, flowers and bunches of berries make holly
easily recognisable.
Berries: Berries grow only on female trees Pick berries from
November to December.
Distribution: Ireland, UK, Central and Southern Europe and
the Mediterranean.
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