The Celtic Year - Elder

Elder/Ruis

(25^th November – 21^st December)

exorcism – prosperity – banishment – healing – visions – faerie magick – spirituality – cleansing – sleep – exorcism – offerings – love – protection – eternal life (birth/death/rebirth) – Nature spirits & fae communication 

The Elder is possibly the most special tree you will ever encounter as a witch because, if you go by ‘The Wiccan Rede’, it is the tree of our Lady, the Goddess. Therefore, I have no hesitation is proclaiming that the Celts, on designing this calendar of trees, saved the best for last. The 13^th month of this ancient and revered botanical year is Ruis… ‘Blessed Be, my Lady’.

Associations

Polarity:      Feminine

Element:      Air; Water

Sabbat:      Winter Solstice

Symbols:     Judgement; Transformation; Death & 

               Regeneration; Fate; The Inevitable;

Deities:      Hel; Hela; Holda; Venus; Hilde; The White Lady; Bran; The Great                      Goddess; The Calliech

Planet:       Venus

Animals:      Pheasant; Raven; Rook; Black Horses; Badgers;

Colour:       Blood Red; Dark Green; Black;

Gems:         Olivine; Jet (Black Amber); Dark Green Malachite

Flower:       Dandelion    

Medicinal & Herbal Uses:

• All parts of an elder tree can be used medicinally and it is therefore not surprising that it treats over 70 different conditions via not only herbal remedies but some chemical ones too.
• Use the bark of the newest elder twigs dried and powdered (in small doses) to fight constipation. It is also used raw to ease headaches and to induce childbirth.
• If you make an infusion from the leaves (left to cool) and use it as an ear-drop, it can reduce inflammation and treat pain.
• Vitamin C is high in both the leaves and the berries and so when made into poultices, salves, and waters, can greatly ease sunburn and other such minor inflammations.
• Tea made from elder flowers can be used for treating coughs and a bad throat (I like to think this true of elderberry wine too but I don’t think it has been proven).
• The flowers also make a wonderful cleanser/lotion for the skin.

 Magickal Uses:

• Make a protection wand from elder as protection is one of it’s most powerful abilities.
• Known as the ‘Witch’s Tree’, the local hedgewitch would have certainly used magick for healing.
• Used in protection magick – form charms to protect against negative magicks used against you.
• Growing an Elder tree in your garden is a gentle way of protecting yourself and loved ones from misfortune and harm.
• As the Winter Solstice falls during this month and represents the return of the Sun (or if you prefer, the Sun’s returning power), now is a good time to call the Sun Gods and Goddesses.
• A head-dress made of woven elder twigs was worn by witches of old to see spirits.
• Wear Elder Blossoms at Beltane to signify and show off your witchy nature.

Other Information:

• Only eat the berries when they are ripe or prepare for some bad reactions.
• Dyes are often made from elder as the leaves, bark and more obviously the berries can all be utilised in this way.
• The berries are extremely yummy (if not an acquired taste) and make fabulous wine, jam, vinegar and syrups… mmmmm!!!!
• Elder trees are often planted in and around cemeteries (especially over Europe), to reject negative spirits.
• The Elder tree represents the old crone in the Triple Goddess cycle, the oldest energies at the end of the year and because of this it has the reputation of being the ‘Death Tree’.