The Hawthorn is one of our most wild and magical native trees. Steeped in folklore they can live for up to 700 years. Once a custom to plant one in every garden for good luck, they are often found marking ancient sites and boundaries. They support a plethora of wildlife, including over 300 species of insects, doormice and other small mammals and many bird including migrating species over the winter.
Come May the hedgerows are an abundant mass of creamy Hawthorn blossom earning them the name ‘May tree’ they flower just in time for Beltane – the festival of Nature’s abundance and fertility.
Hawthorn is a safe and effective medicine of the cardiovascular and nervous system and the leaves, flowers and berries are all edible. Just standing near one can have a calming effect as we breath in its nurturing energy.
We love to gather the blossoms on our walks to make fresh tea, as well as drying some for later in the year to make a beautiful oxymel with both the blossoms and berries. This is a beautifully rich and abundant tree that a lot of species rely on so just like any plant, we gather just a little from many different trees to ensure lots of this beautiful blossom becomes the nutritious berries of Autumn.
Perhaps my favourite way to enjoy their medicine though is by spending time in the tree’s presence, enjoying their blossom, watching insects visit them busily and breathing in their magic. As we do so, allowing any fears that may be holding us back unstick from our hearts and disperse with a slow gentle outbreath. Hawthorn can guide us to reconnect to ourselves and our magic, dispel fear and live from the heart. We love crafting Wild Jewellery from this magickal wood which you can find now in our store.
Wild Fen 
How wonderful and interesting. 😀
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