I find it utterly
enchanting that each of the major seasonal sabbats has a dedicated tree. The
Furze/Gorse is categorised as a shrub/herb rather than a tree but is particularly
sacred to this celebrated Spring day because it is associated particularly with
the young sun due to its ability to bloom yellow almost all-year round. I
therefore see it, and I hope the ancient Celts would agree, as representation
of eternal life and rebirth, reflowering throughout the endless cycle of the Wheel
of the Year.
Associations
Polarity: Masculine
Element: Fire
Sabbat: Spring Equinox/Ostara/Eostre
Symbols: Aries, Fertility, Money,
Deities: Jupiter, Thor, Onn, On-Niona
Planet: Mars
Animals: Cormorant
Colour: Yellow, Dun
Medicinal
& Herbal Uses:
- Make
a decoction from Furze flowers to be used as a tonic against jaundice, to
invoke urination and to cleanse the kidneys of ‘gravel’ or ‘stones’.
- Parts
of the
- The
flowers, being a rich sun-like golden yellow, make an excellent yellow
dye.
Magickal Uses:
- Both the wood and
blooms can be burned for protection or as a preparation for conflict.
- Use Furze in financial
magicks to attract gold.
- Plant hedges of the
prickly Gorse to protect your home from ‘dark fairies’ who, according to
lore, cannot penetrate the hedge.
- Give Furze as a gift
to bring luck to the recipient.
Other Information:
- The Latin name for
this tree is ulex europaeus
- Folk names: Broom,
Frey, Furze, Fyrs, Gorst, Goss, Prickly Broom, Ruffet and Whin
- Sacred to the Druids.
- There is a school of
thought which infers giving Gorse as a gift to the one you love will bring
anger. An old rhyme that refers to the all-year flowering habits:
When Gorse is out of bloom
Kissing is out of season
- Rich in nectar and
pollen making it a wonderful resource for the 6-legged, winged population.
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