Sacred Trees: Their Characteristics Including Healing Properties
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Type
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Life Expectancy & Height
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Characteristics: Including Medicinal
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100-150 yrs
80+ feet |
Need LOTS of water. Pioneer species are the first to show up in an ecosystem that has been disturbed and is regenerating. They produce a large and invasive root system and can grow in soils that have few nutrients. Known to revitalize soil with nitrates.
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30-200 yrs
30 ft |
There are thousands of varieties of apple trees; beautiful and fragrant blossoms, need the winter chill that comes with the change of seasons, require cross pollination, much older ones but to make them productive again have to be cut back hard.
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120-300 yrs depending on the variety
20-70 ft |
The ash tree is a fast-growing tree that can be found throughout North America. This tree thrives in a variety of soils and climates Ash wood is one of the strongest hardwoods, used by early cultures for baskets and tool handles. Ash is an elastic hardwood that can be shaped easily.
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Aspen
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70-100 yrs
20-80 ft |
Prefer slightly acidic soil, moist, well drained, north or east slopes, reproduce by extensive suckering, serve as a succession tree where other vegetation was lost to fire and/or erosion.
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Bay
(Laurus nobilis) |
50-70 years
60 ft |
More of an shrub than a tree but can reach heights of 60 feet, give a fragrant flavor to many dishes, can thrive in containers when watered regularly, can be trained into various shapes, over watering causes root damage, repot every two years in the spring. There are male and female members of this species, this evergreen is native to the Mediterranean areas.
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Beech
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150-400 yrs
60-160 ft |
Bearing both male and female flowers on the same plant. The small flowers are unisexual, the female flowers borne in pairs, nuts are edible as is or pressed for oil, delicate bark, excellent fire wood, used for smoking meats, making drums and small household items, origin of “book” is German “buch” which means “beech tree.”
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Bilberry
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15 yrs
18” in height |
Bush 18” high in the wild, distinct from blueberries but closely related to them, produce single or paired berries on the bush instead of clusters, Bilberry extract is used as an edible ink for stamping meat, deep purple fruit, the crop of bilberries harvested in August was said by the Gaelic people to indicate how well the rest of the crops would fare in their harvests later in the
year, known for their health benefits in the treatment of diarrhea, used as a
base for liqueurs,
super fruit as they contain greater concentrations of antioxidants,
anti-microbial as well as anti-diarrhea effects, normalizing the collagen thickness in the
capillaries, the chromium
content and the high bioflavonoid
content in the herb may be responsible for the anti-diabetic action, grows well
at high altitudes, prefers damp woods and sandy or rocky soil surfaces.
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Birch
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30-60 ft
80-300 years |
Successful in cool, moist climates, 30-50 feet tall, require acidic soil that stays consistently moist, tends to be at the edge of wooded areas and along waterways, where soil is highly organic due to the constant decay of leaves, roots have to grow fast, probe cracks in barriers, can be highly destructive.
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Blackthorn
(Prunus Spinosa) |
20 ft
16 yrs |
Large suckering shrub, to the Celts, this sacred tree of the Ogham was considered a portent of challenges ahead, but with the promise of improvement once we push through those challenges, this tree has some wicked thorns that are ominous looking at best, astrological rulers: Saturn and Mars, its leaves turn yellow in autumn and fall off in winter, leaving a stark twisted black skeleton, bloom for several months. They are usually white, but occasionally pink, with red tipped stamens, juice can be used for ink or a strong red dye, berry, extremely bitter but sweetens after the first frost, astringent, stimulate the metabolism, clean the blood, and are used as a laxative and diuretic. They help with indigestion, eczema, herpes, allergies, colds, catarrh, neurosis, weak heart, kidney stones, skin, bladder, and prostrate problems, berries call Sloe berries are used in the making of Sloe Gin, dried fruit used to treat bladder, kidney and stomach disorders, liquid from the boiled leaves can be used as a mouthwash for sore throat, tonsillitis and laryngitis. It is also good for circulations, blood strengthening, and nutrient absorption, absorption of energies necessary for life. stabilizes emotions thus bringing hope and joy, Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, and represents the Waning and Dark Moons. Blackthorn is known as ‘the increaser and keeper of dark secrets’, used for ‘binding and blasting’, wood is hard, strong, plentiful, and has a convenient knob formed from the root of the shrub, black bark is especially tough, harvesting blackthorns at sunset under the new crescent of the waxing moon, its vicious black thorns make it
impenetrable and it is a tree of great density and strength.
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Bryony
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11 feet
50-70 yrs |
Bryony, Greek in origin means “climbing plant, -Synonyms---English Mandrake or Wild Vine, genus of flowering plant in the gourd family, perennial, tendril-climbing, grows in hedgerows, twelve species, reproduces by seed that is spread by birds and re-sprout from the roots, berries emit an unpleasant odor and are toxic to human but are used by the larvae of some butterflies, root is collected in the autumn and used both in the fresh and dry state, taste is disagreeably bitter, but there is no odor, it is considered useful in small doses for cough, influenza, bronchitis and pneumonia, and has also been recommended for pleurisy and whooping-cough, relieving the pain and allaying the cough. it has proved of value with regard to cardiac disorders caused by rheumatism and gout, also in malarial and acute infectious diseases, used as a diuretic, used in both insect control and in blocking transmission of plant diseases by insects.
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Buckthorn
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6-12 feet
Needs a strong herbicide to kill this tree |
Classified as Invasive, there are both male and female trees, 150 species, bears fruits which are black or red berry-like with a pit in the center, Buckthorns are used as food plants by the larvae of butterflies, berries are the part used medicinally, collected when ripe and from which an acrid, nauseous, bitter juice is obtained by pressing. from dried berries a rich yellow dye, used formerly for staining maps or paper. when ripe, if mixed with natural gum substance (fun-arabic) and limewater, berries form the pigment 'Sap or bladder green,' well known to water-color painters. the bark also affords a yellow dye, gum arabic is a key ingredient in traditional lithography and is used in printing, paint production, glue, cosmetics and various industrial applications, including viscosity control in inks and in textile industries, sea buckthorn leaves and flowers are used for treating arthritis, gastrointestinal ulcers, gout, and skin rashes caused by infectious diseases such as measles, tea made from sea buckthorn leaves is used as a source of vitamins, antioxidants, protein building blocks (amino acids), fatty acids and minerals; for improving blood pressure and lowering cholesterol; preventing and controlling blood vessel diseases; and boosting
immunity, the berries are used for
preventing infections, improving sight, and slowing the aging process, the seed
or berry oil is used as an expectorant for loosening phlegm; for treating
asthma, heart disorders including chest pain (angina) and high cholesterol;
for preventing blood
vessel disease; and as an antioxidant, sea buckthorn oil is also used for
slowing the decline of thinking skills with age; reducing illness due to cancer, as well as limiting the toxicity
of chemical cancer
treatment (chemotherapy);
balancing the immune system; treating stomach
and intestinal diseases including ulcers and reflux esophagitis
(GERD);
treating night
blindness and dry eye;
and as a supplemental source of vitamins C, A, and E, beta-carotene, minerals,
amino acids, and fatty acids, some people apply sea buckthorn berries, berry
concentrate, and berry or seed oil directly to the skin for preventing sunburn;
for treating radiation
damage from x-rays and sunburns; for healing wounds including bedsores, burns,
and cuts; for acne,
dermatitis,
dry skin,
eczema, skin ulcers, and skin color changes after giving birth;
and for protecting mucus membranes, sea buckthorn berries are used to make
jellies, juices, purees, and sauces, sea buckthorn is used in cosmetics
and anti-aging products.
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Elder
(sambucus nigra) |
10-35 feet
3-6 years this plant freely suckers. As one plant is starting to decline, a suckering plant can be established to take the original plant’s place |
Tiny trees or deciduous shrubs, 5 and 30 species, special care made not to over water them, shady and moist areas, common habitats for the trees include grassland, woods, waste ground and alongside roads, flourish in soils that are both fertile and disturbed; pioneer species, this plant freely suckers--as one plant is starting to decline, a suckering plant can be established to take the original plant’s place, nectar source for hummingbirds; the berries are used to treat neuralgia, nerve conditions, sciatica, lumbago, the flu, the common cold, obesity, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma and intestinal inflammation or irritation, flowers can treat epilepsy and sinusitis and make the walls of damaged blood vessels stronger, the leaves are used for urinary and kidney problems and getting rid of the body's excess water, leaves are also used as an antiseptic poultice for wounds, the dark berries, when ripe, can be safely eaten; the fruit is often used to make pies and jam,, when they are unripe, they are slightly toxic and should be avoided, plant's green
components are poisonous, flower heads of elder trees are frequently used to
make infusions, cordials and syrups, the flowers can also be used to make soup.
The berries and flowers of the tree can both be used to make elderberry wine.
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Elm
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150-300 years
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30 species of elm trees, fast growing, grow as high as 115 feet tall with leaf canopies that stretch out as far as 80 feet wide, reproduce easily through suckers and air-born seeds, wood was valued for its interlocking grain, and consequent resistance to splitting, bends well and distorts easily making it quite pliant -- wood of choice for making bows, long, straight, trunks were favored as a source of timber for keels in ship construction and in making plows, resistant to decay when permanently wet, agent that forms a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane -- particularly useful to treat dry coughs, used in the treatment of ringworm, homoeopathic tincture is made of the inner bark and used as an astringent, medicinal tea was also formerly made from the flowers.
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Conifer
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Coast Douglas Fir - max. height of 390 ft, 500-1000+ yrs.
Coastal Redwood 380 ft; 500-2000 years Ponderosa Pine: 230 ft 300 - 600 yrs Spruce 60-200 ft using “layering” can live upwards of 10,000 years Juniper 30-90 ft 20 yrs |
Coastal Douglas Fir is currently the second-tallest conifer in the world (after coast redwood--see directly below). Provides food and homes for various animals (e.g. black-tailed deer, elk blue grouse, porcupines, mice, and chipmunks not to mention a wide variety of birds), yields more timber than any other tree in North America, used in construction, pilings, decking, marine structures, railroad ties, mine timbers, house logs, posts and poles, fencing, flooring, pulp, and furniture. It is also a popular Christmas tree, sap can
be turned into glues and photo supplies, buds (next year’s leaves or shoots located at the end of the branch) have been used to flavor eau de vie, (French for "water of life") a clear, colorless fruit brandy, buds also a rich source of vitamin C; pitch was used medicinally for skin irritations, injured bones; bark was used for rheumatism, anti-inflammatory and helpful for chronic, low-grade coughs, as a remedy for seasonal colds, as a diuretic, and for unspecified kidney & bladder ailments; cold infusion of the needles was used as a mouthwash; helps with mental clarity, grounding, purifying (at all levels, particularly good for the liver and gallbladder); strong relationship with the water element-- penetrating into deep, dark places of the soul that are in need of healing; http://www.goldrootherbs.com Redwoods: redwoods grow treetop needles with tight spikes that conserve moisture, due to little evaporative surface, lower branches produce flat needles in order to catch additional light through the thick canopy of branches, shallow root systems that extend over one hundred feet from the base, intertwining with the roots of other redwoods-- increases their stability during strong winds and floods, the roots never die--new trees sprout from old roots, when the parent tree dies, a new generation of trees rise, creating a circle of trees that are often called fairy rings, flower during the wet and rainy months of December and January, each tree can produce as many as 100,000 seeds annually, inner bark infusions used for jaundice and purifying the blood; warmed foliage was used for earaches; gummy sap taken with water as a stimulant and a tonic; tannic acid protects from rot and intrusion of insects, Ponderosa Pine -- boughs used in sweat lodges for muscular pain, as decoctions for internal hemorrhaging, roots used to make blue dye, needles were used as insulation for underground storage pits, wood was used fence posts, boards for general construction, and to fabricate snowshoes, single logs used to make dugout canoes, bark used to cover houses. Most parts of the plant were used for food, including the pitch, seeds, cones, bark, buds, and cambium (delicate layer between the inner bark and wood), pollen and needles were used in healing ceremonies. Spruce: Natural layering typically occurs when a branch touches the ground, whereupon it produces roots and grows upward eventually severing its connection with the parent plant, medicinal uses --compound in bark is a powerful prebiotic that feeds our healthy gut bacteria, bark is also an anti-inflammatory, inner bark along with the shoots used to treat urinary tract infections, influenza, colds, rheumatism and even tuberculosis, bark has also been placed on wounds to promote healing and preventing infection, shoots are rich in vitamin C, spruce oil for chewing gum and as a flavoring agent. Juniper: evergreen, individual plants produce either male or female flowers, small green berries turn dark bluish purple when ripe, oil of Juniper is given as a diuretic, stomachic, and carminative in indigestion, flatulence, and diseases of the kidney and bladder, oil mixed with lard is used on exposed wounds to prevents irritation from flies, seeds from juniper cones as food, tinctures made from steeping juniper leaves were remedies for vomiting, arthritis and persistent coughing. Indian women in labor drank juniper tea to speed delivery. Juniper was also used as a general tonic and a cure for colds, fevers, tonsillitis and pneumonia, used by some as a diuretic and helpful in preventing gas and heartburn, famous as a flavoring in gin , in ancient Egypt it was used in treating tapeworms as well as all types of stomach disorders, used by Native Americans to ease pain of arthritis; aromatic wood is used for furniture, paneling, fence posts and pencils, in Europe, juniper was hung over doorways on the evening before May Day and prior to Halloween to ward off evil spirits. |
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Gorse
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Up to 23 ft
but more commonly 2-8 ft (hence more of a bush than a tree) - 30 yrs |
Sharp thorns and small, yellow flowers, fixes nitrogen, which allows it to establish on soils with very low nitrogen fertility, there are up to 400 million seeds in the soil under a mature gorse bush at any one time, seed is viable in the soil for at least 25 years, living gorse is highly flammable, gorse is unpalatable to cattle and only new growth is palatable to sheep and
horses, mature gorse is eaten by goats, gorse thickets provide shelter or habitat for rabbits, feral cats, house mice and foxes; can be highly invasive (a real problem in Australia); medicinal -- flowers used to treat jaundice, an infusion of the blossoms used to help in cases of scarlet-fever, seeds have an astringent property, also used to treat snake-bite and as an insecticide (to get rid of fleas). |
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Hawthorn
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16-45 ft.
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Distinguished by its sharp, woody thorns and serrated leaves, spring, the tree is covered with clusters of flowers in shades of white or pink, some varieties turn a vibrate shade of orange-bronze in autumn, thrives in full sunlight and any well-drained soil, Medicinal properties: flowers, leaves and fruits all have properties that reduce blood pressure and stimulate the heart, as well as act as a mild sedative, they are also used to circulatory disorders, migraine, menopausal conditions, angina, and insomnia, flowers are strongest as sedatives, and used
externally can treat acne and skin blemishes,
berries (also known as "Pixie Pears")
contain Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C--when crushed are used to ease
diarrhea, dysentery, and kidney disorders, works best when taken as a daily tonic
over time, on an
energetic level cleanses the heart of
negativity and stimulates love and forgiveness, said to be under the protection
of the fairy realms, also thought to bring happiness, and good luck, love
and protection, original May Poles were made of Hawthorn, traditionally it is
unlucky to bring May blossoms into the home.
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Hazel
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26-32 ft
20 yrs |
Often described as a bush rather than a tree, as it tends to produce several 'trunks' or shoots rather than just one, come into bloom in February, nuts (raw, roasted, or ground into a paste) are used as a dietary source of protein and minerals, nuts are also a source of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidant, reduce risk of sudden cardiac death, hazelnut oil is also used in the cosmetic industry as well as in the making of sweets, Magic Properties: to enlist the aid of plant fairies, string hazelnuts on a cord and hang up in your house or ritual room. Magically, hazel wood is used to gain knowledge, wisdom and poetic inspiration, develop your intuition, so that you can see deeply into many things, holds the secrets of the earth, and can teach about dowsing and the currents within the land, known as ley lines, to dream of a Hazelnut tree is said to predict wealth as well as unexpected good fortune.
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Holly
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Upwards of 30 ft
Up to 300 yrs |
Evergreen, May to June small white flowers, red berries throughout fall and winter, Holly has been used for gout, stones and urinary problems, for chronic bronchitis, rheumatism and arthritis, berries are mildly poisonous and are dangerous to small children, excellent protective herb, Holly guards against lightning, poison and evil spirits. Planted around the home it protects it and its inhabitants from mischievous sorcerers. When thrown at wild animals, holly makes them lie down quietly and leave you alone, even if you don't hit them with the plant. Holly water (infused or distilled) is sprinkled on newborn babies to protect them, Holly is also carried to promote good luck, especially by men, since the Holly is a 'male' plant (Ivy is the corresponding plant for women), hung around the house for good luck.
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Kalina (AKA: Viburnum, Stag Bush, black haw)
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80-100 yrs
Vary in height from 3ft to 20 ft, depending on the variety |
150 species, a favorite tree in Ukraine popular in North American as well, thrives in dry woods and thickets, and on rocky hillsides in fertile soil, blooming from March to June, the fragrant blossoms are little snow-white umbrellas that turn to blood-red berries in the fall, berries are very delicious, especially after frosts, they contains ascorbic acid, tannins and glycosides, and for health maintenance, has enough vitamins to exceed the lemon! In antiquity, extract of flowers is a treatment for allergic skin reactions, and juice is a treatment for blemishes. Tea made from the bark was used as a styptic agent (stops bleeding), and as a sedative for cramps, also noted for the following properties: nervine (benefiting the nerves), antispasmodic, tonic, astringent, and diuretic, noted as also being helpful in cases of diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, heart palpitations, female reproductive issues, and cramping of the limbs, the condition for which it is most valued is that of threatened abortion--i.e. it rapidly checks abortion, provided the membranes have not already ruptured, by its quieting effects upon the irritable womb, women who have previously been unable to go to full term have been able to pass through the pregnancy without mishaps which would otherwise have proven disastrous to both child and mother, also used to control postpartum hemorrhaging, tincture made from the bark of the roots is considered by some to be the very best uterine tonics.
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Liden
(AKA: lime tree, basswood) |
50-70 ft
100-150 yrs |
Ideal for shade and blocking wind, doesn’t have a fast growth rate (13”-24” per year), as well as having pleasant smelling yellowish-white flowers, leaves are obliquely heart-shaped, dark green above, paler below, flowers make a popular tea (especially in France), wood valued for ease of working (small carvings) but not for its strength and durability, it never becomes worm-eaten, used in piano and organ manufacturing, as charcoal for artists’, inner bark or bast when detached from the outer bark in strands makes excellent weaving material for mats and even fishing nets that are both strong and elastic, as foliage it is eaten by cattle, either fresh or dry; flowers infusions are reportedly good for indigestion, nervous vomiting, heart palpitations and spasms, in a bath are very soothing.
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Maple
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50 to 75 ft
100-400 yrs (depending on variety) |
Prized for its beautiful fall foliage colors and its sap that's used to make syrup, extensive shallow root systems, suffering terribly from acid rain, leaves are shaped like a hand, seed pods take the shape of a double-winged "samara" and mature in the fall, common varieties are Red, Sugar and Silver, bark has astringent properties and has been used medicinally as an application for sore eyes, purify the blood, strengthens the liver, aids in shortness of breath, used as cough medicine, dried and ground inner bark was sometimes used as flour, rotten wood yields a purple dye, wood is rot resistant, burning the wood produces potash--used in make of soap, glass and gunpowder, good-quality hardwood handles for axes, digging sticks, in modern times, furniture, instruments; Sugar Maple trees need freezing temperatures at night to sustain sap production, 40 gallons of maple sap produces 1 gallon of maple syrup, very good source of the trace mineral manganese as well as zinc (helps decrease the progression of atherosclerosis, help with skin problems such as acne, and help support a healthier prostate and immune system), manganese (important in energy production and antioxidant defenses).
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Oak
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Over 900 years
Upwards of 50 feet tall |
Over 20 species, 36 feet in girth, the spreading boughs extending above 300 feet in circumference, POWERS : Protection, Health, Money, Healing, Potency, Fertility, Luck, two twigs bound with red cord to make an equal-armed cross, makes a potent safeguard against evil, nick-named the Gospel Tree because following the clergyman and his parishioners going the boundaries of the parish the clergyman would read passages from the Gospels and ask for blessings for the people, As timber, the particular and most valued qualities of the Oak are hardness and toughness, particularly advantageous in shipbuilding, bark is universally used to tan leather, oak-bark with a small quantity of heavy metals yields a durable dye [copper for purplish color, iron salts for black, potassium aluminum sulfate for brown, tin salts for yellow].
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Poplar
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150+ ft.
50 years |
35 species of Poplar trees, trees have both male and female yellow flowers which bloom in the spring before the leaves appear, the fruit consists of small capsules that each contains dozens of tiny seeds covered with silky white hairs that easily ride the winds to
get dispersed, fast growing; the buds (before the become leaves or flowers,
only use fresh not dried or frozen, when covered with a thick resin) have a
long history of medicinal use, known as the Balm of Gilead, Poplar bud oil
extracts are usually very rich in anti-oxidants, useful as mild pain relievers, anti-clotting effects, massage oils used
for deep tissue work, superior first aid rapid response topical applied to
scalds and burns, serves as an antiseptic, speeds healing and reduces scarring,
stimulates nerve regeneration, used externally on hemorrhoids, sprains,
hyperextensions, and arthritic joints, used internally for sore throats,
headaches, sore muscles and joints, Poplar bud tea is anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, relief
for gout symptoms, and calming the bereaved, resin is also used as a glue with
the added feature of being water-proof.
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Reed
(Phragmites) |
Can grow as high as 15 ft
Is a perennial |
Common name for several tall, grass-like plants of wetlands, numerous “families” of reeds each having their own peculiar characteristics, flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by wind, some (common reed) are used in thatching, others (papyrus) are used in the making of paper, stems woven into everything from baskets to flotation devices, all parts used as an anti-asthmatic, diuretic, digestive disorders, leaves applied externally to stop bleeding and disinfect wounds, leaves (raw or cooked) to treat bronchitis, flowers (decocted) to treat cholera, root (decocted or juices) to treat coughs, diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and food poisoning, as a food the root - raw or cooked - are like potatoes, can also be dried, ground coarsely and used as a porridge.
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Rowan (Mt. Ash)
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100+ Years
60 Feet |
Grown from seed, dispersed by birds, new growth from planted twigs, May to June produces sprays of white flowers. First fruits appear in September and are ripe by October, they have a bitter essence; berries from the Rowan were processed for jams, pies, and bittersweet wines. They also made a tea to treat urinary tract problems, hemorrhoids and diarrhea. The fresh juice of the berries is a mild laxative, and helps to soothe inflamed mucous membranes as a gargle. Containing high concentrations of Vitamin C, the berries were also ingested to cure scurvy - a Vitamin C deficiency disease, boiling the bark yielded a liquid that was used as a blood
cleanser and to treat diarrhea, nausea, and upset stomach.
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Spindle
(Euonymus) |
30 ft
5-20 yrs |
More a shrub than a tree, spectacular autumn display, yellowish flowers in spring, fruit persists into winter, highly adaptable to soils and light conditions, Seeds yield a yellow dye when boiled in water, a green dye can be produced with addition of alum, hardness that fitted it for skewers, spindles, etc., wood, which is of a light yellow hue, strong, compact and easily worked--excellent for pipe-stems, charcoal made from young shoots were valued by artists for its smoothness and ease with which it could be erased, charcoal was also employed in the making of gun powder, known in US as Wahoo, Burning Bush, or Indian Arrowwood--this is the kind generally used in medicine, bark, leaves and fruit can all be injurious in large doses because of their actively irritating properties, in small doses -- stimulates appetite, serves as a diuretic, is particularly efficacious in disorders of the liver and gallbladder promoting a free-flow of bile, also known to produce watchfulness, and a sprig of it was believed to afford the person who carries it protection from plague, considered the mother of the Furies due to it’s irritating properties.
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36 inches high;
Root System can go on forever; the part above ground has a 2-year cycle--bearing fruit the second year Each plant viable for 15-20 yrs |
Any rough, (usually wild) tangled prickly shrub whose chief characteristic are its thorns-- e.g. the, blackberries, raspberries, marionberries, juneberries, loganberries, lingonberries, thimbleberries, wineberries, boysenberries, etc., fruits ripen only with the onset of cold weather, bramble forms an underground, perennial rootstock that throws up new shoots in the spring that have a two-year ‘life span’; powerful magical wood. Rods of thorns enjoyed great popularity among wizards and witches.
Linked to Thurisaz the fertility rune in the sense that it breaks down the barren and hard, rocky realms into workable soil as to bring fruitfulness to crops and wombs, Energy: enthusiasm, self-empowerment, chaos, breaker of resistance, unconscious forces (+ or -), It’s not uncommon for the rune meaning of Thurisaz to be described as a thorn, representative of Thor and his hammer--forceful enemy of unconsciousness, best mental state for working with the rune is enthusiasm to promote expanded consciousness. |
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Vine
(Including Ivy) |
If conditions are right, vine can go on indefinitely, it can even become invasive if not managed well
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Weak-stemmed plant that derives its support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface, It may climb by tendrils (grapes), by aerial roots (poison ivy), by twining (morning glory); by adhesive disks (Virginia creeper), or by hooked spines (Rattan). Some climbers, such as English Ivy, will grow along the ground like trailers if no support is available. The stems of Vines require requires support in order to climb with the help of tendrils or twining or creeping along the ground, or any structure. Certain Plants always grow as Vines, while a few grow as Vines only part of the time. For instance, Poison Ivy and Bittersweet can grow as low shrubs when support is not available, but will become Vines when support is available. Vines include Plants like Bittersweet, Grapes, Honeysuckles, Ivy, Lianas and Melons, medicinal uses for the leaves of climbing ivy only revolve around its ability to alleviate respiratory problem-- the berry of the ivy plant is toxic if ingested by humans, climbing ivy also good for treating arthritis, skin infections, itching and parasites, burns, reducing fevers, sinus problems, and as an aid in weight loss.
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50 to 70 feet in moist soils
15-50 yrs |
Bark been used to relieve pain qualities for thousands of years, today is a component of aspirin - salicylic acid, bark is collected in the spring time, being careful not to ring the tree or it will die. The decoction is made by soaking 3 teaspoons (15ml) of the bark in a cup of cold water for 2 - 5 hours, The pliant stems are used to make baskets and 'wickerwork', in Neolithic times they were used to make the walls of houses, bark also used for tanning animal hides to make leather, as it contains tannin.
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Yew
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3000 years
50+ feet in diameter |
PLACE OF ORIGIN: Britain to N. Iran, widely cultivated in North America, leaf, bark and seeds of ALL species are poisonous, flesh of the berries can be used as a laxative and a diuretic, oldest known wooden implement is a spear made of yew wood, about 50,000 years old, hardness of the wood lent itself to the making of many implements, a judge's staff was made of its wood to symbolize the wisdom that comes with age, it was planted in graveyards as a form of protection from malevolent spirits.
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