Prunus spinosa (blackthorn) | Plants & Fungi At Kew Discover more Geography and distribution Blackthorn is widespread across temperate Europe and also occurs in the Near East and northern Africa. It often grows in hedgerows or thickets, where it can form dense stands. Illustration showing (Prunus spinosa in fruit and in flower Description Overview: A deciduous, suckering shrub or small tree, commonly up to 4 m tall. Branches: Dark branches bear sharp, rigid spines up to 8 cm long. New growth is sometimes grey. Leaves: Edges serrated like the teeth on a bread knife. Flowers: Pure white, 1.5 cm in diameter with five petals and five sepals. Flowers commonly appear before the leaves. Fruits: Round, dark blue/purple, with a white bloom that can be wiped off. Each fruit contains a large stone with a single seed inside. Blackthorn reproduces by suckering and by bird- or animal-sown seed.

Its habit of flowering before the leaves appear helps to distinguish blackthorn from other white flowering spring shrubs, such as hawthorn (Crataegus monogyana), for which flowers appear at the same time as or after their leaves. Threats and conservation Blackthorn is not considered to be threatened since it is widespread and often common and thrives in traditionally managed hedgerows and on common land. Uses Blackthorn fruits, known as sloes, are astringent when fresh and are not therefore eaten in the same way as those of many other Prunus species (such as cherries and plums). Sloes are used to make the alcoholic beverage known as sloe gin. They are best harvested after a frost, which reduces the tannin content of the fruit. The skins of the fruit are punctured and covered with sugar, and then placed in a bottle to one third of its capacity, before it is filled to the top with gin. The contents are gently agitated over a period of at least three months, after which the contents are strained. The remains of the fruit can be mixed with melted chocolate to make sloe gin chocolate, once the liquid has been strained.

A shillelagh (stout club or walking stick) made of blackthorn and used for self-defence in Ireland. When tea derived from Camellia sinensis (a commonplace drink today) was a very expensive product, the young leaves of blackthorn were dried and used as a replacement for, or to adulterate, the more expensive tea. In the 19th century, bundles of blackthorn branches (along with those of gorse or ‘furze’, Ulex europaeus and young elm, Ulmus species) were buried to improve field drainage. Blackthorn wood has been used to make walking sticks, clubs and hay-rake teeth. A shillelagh is a highly polished stick of blackthorn wood that was made and used in Ireland, and a blackthorn walking stick is still carried by commissioned officers of the Royal Irish Regiment. Blackthorn wood is especially hard and takes a high polish. The shillelagh was used in self defence and is now used in a form of traditional fighting or martial art. Stout sticks of blackthorn are highly prized since it is rare to find blackthorn grown to this size.

Widely grown as a hedge plant, blackthorn can also act as a ‘nurse plant’ in a grazed field, allowing other plants (such as broadleaved trees) to develop protected from possible damage by grazing animals. White blackthorn flowers on dark, leafless branches (Photo: Rasbak licensed under CC BY 3.0) Millennium Seed Bank: Seed storage The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership aims to save plant life worldwide, focusing on plants under threat and those of most use in the future. Seeds are dried, packaged and stored at a sub-zero temperature in our seed bank vault. Four collections of Prunus spinosa seeds are held in Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank based at Wakehurst in West Sussex. Cultivation Blackthorn can be propagated by sowing the stones shallowly (no more than their own length deep) in a well-drained growing medium. In order to germinate, the stones must be exposed to a period of cold for approximately two months. This can be achieved by placing them in a bag of moist sand in a fridge. Semi-ripe cuttings can be taken in late summer. Blackthorn tolerates most soils, except acidic ones, but does not perform well if shaded.

Once it is established it is a tough, resilient plant. Large quantities are most easily obtained as young, bare-rooted plants that are only available when dormant, from November to March. These are useful if a large amount of blackthorn is to be planted (for instance, when establishing a hedge). The roots must be covered until planting, since exposure to wind or sun risks their drying out and dying. If conditions prevent immediate planting (if the soil is too wet or frosty) the plants can be healed-in temporarily until conditions are more favourable. Blackthorn spines strung onto a wooden handle and used to catch flounders off the East Essex coast in 1895. Blackthorn should be grown from seed collected as locally as possible since this helps to preserve local gene pools. Plants from abroad can flower and fruit at slightly different times to native ones and so can be out of phase with local wildlife. This species at Kew Blackthorn occurs naturally in the Loder Valley Nature Reserve at Wakehurst and can also be seen growing in the Conservation Area at Kew.

Dried and alcohol-preserved specimens of Prunus spinosa are held in Kew’s Herbarium, where they are available to visitors from around the world, by appointment. The details of some of these specimens can be seen online in Kew’s Herbarium Catalogue. A shillelagh (stout club or walking stick) made of blackthorn, which was originally used for self-defence in Ireland, and a fishing device made with blackthorn spines are held in Kew’s Economic Botany Collection, where they are available to researchers by appointment. References and credits 'Closeup of blackthorn aka sloe aka prunus spinosa sweden 20050924'. Image by Mnemo is licensed under Creative Commons by 3.0. Available online . Cobbett, W. (1825). The Woodlands. William Cobbett, London. Mabey, R. (1996). Flora Britannica. Chatto & Windus/Sinclair-Stevenson, London. Manley, C. (2009). British Moths and Butterflies. A & C Black Publishers Ltd, London.

Natural History Museum (2012). Rose-related Fruits. Available online (accessed on 21 May 2012). Richardson, R. & Streeter, D. (1983). Discovering Hedgerows. British Broadcasting Corporation, London. Rose, F. (2006). The Wildflower Key. Penguin Group, London. 'Sleedoorn bloemen (Prunus spinosa)'. Image by Rasbak is licensed under Creative Commons by 3.0. Available online . Thoday, P. (2007). Two Blades of Grass. Thoday Associates, Wiltshire. Kew Science Editor: Elizabeth Harbott and Iain Darbyshire Kew contributors: Craig Brough, Julia Buckley, Andrew McRobb, Mark Nesbitt, Simon Hardy Copyediting: Emma Tredwell Although every effort has been taken to ensure that the information contained in these pages is reliable and complete, notes on hazards, edibility and suchlike included here are recorded information and do not constitute recommendations. No responsibility will be taken for readers’ own actions.

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) - Woodland Trust Woodland Trust Search the Woodland Trust website Search Leaves are slightly wrinkled, pointed at the tip and tapered at the base (Photo: P Sterry/NPL) spiny and densely branched, mature trees can live for up to 100 years (Photo: P Sterry/WTML) White flowers appear on short stalks in March and April (Photo: P Sterry/WTML) Sloe berries are blue-black fruits measuring 1cm across (Photo: P Sterry/WTML) Twigs form straight side shoots, which develop into thorns (Photo: P Sterry/WTML) The dark brown bark is smooth (Photo: P Sterry/WTML) Blackthorn, also known as 'sloe', is a small deciduous tree native to the UK and most of Europe. Common name: blackthorn, sloe Family: Rosaceae UK provenance: native Interesting fact: blackthorn wood has been used to make walking or riding sticks, and was the traditional wood for Irish shillelaghs. What does blackthorn look like?

Habit: spiny and densely branched, mature trees can grow to a height of around 6-7m, and live for up to 100 years. The dark brown bark is smooth, and twigs form straight side shoots, which develop into thorns. Leaves: slightly wrinkled, oval, toothed, pointed at the tip and tapered at the base. Flowers: blackthorn is a hermaphrodite, meaning both male and female reproductive parts are found in one flower. White flowers appear on short stalks before the leaves in March and April, either singularly or in pairs. Fruits: once pollinated by insects, the flowers develop into blue-black fruits measuring 1cm across. Look out for: it is a spiny shrubby tree with black-purple twigs and small, narrow leaves. Could be confused with: hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), without leaves. The flowers of blackthorn appear before the leaves and the spines have buds along their length, on the hawthorn flowers emerge from the same point as the buds. Identified in winter by: the twigs are black and spiny with leaf buds along the spines.

Where to find blackthorn Blackthorn is native to Europe and western Asia. It can also be found in New Zealand and eastern North America. It grows best in moist, well drained soil and thrives in full sunlight. It grows naturally in scrub, copses and woodlands, but is commonly used as a hedging plant. Value to wildlife Early flowering, blackthorn provides a valuable source of nectar and pollen for bees in spring. Its foliage is a food plant for the caterpillars of many moths, including the lackey, magpie, common emerald, small eggar, swallow-tailed and yellow-tailed. It is also used by the black and brown hairstreak butterflies. Birds nest among the dense, thorny thickets, eat caterpillars and other insects from the leaves, and feast on the berries in autumn. Mythology and symbolism Blackthorn was long associated with witchcraft, and it is said that witches' wands and staffs were made using blackthorn wood. How we use blackthorn The timber is hardwearing and tough, light yellow with a brown heartwood. It was traditionally used for making walking sticks and tool parts.

It burns well, and is often used as firewood. Blackthorn is used as a hedging shrub, particularly in wildlife gardens. The sloes are used for wine making and preserves, and, most commonly, flavouring gin. Threats Blackthorn can be susceptible to fungal diseases which causes blossom wilt in fruit trees, and the fruits can sometimes be distorted by a gall-forming fungus, Taphrina pruni. Trees need your help... will buy and install a bat or bird box to support woodland wildlife. Every £30 you give will pay for brambles to be cut back encouraging wildflowers to grow. Every £50 you give will pay for the land, planting and care of five oak saplings. Want to donatea different amount? Whatever you choose to give, your donation will help us protect woodland and wildlife. Trees need your help... Tree Lore: Blackthorn | Order of Bards and Druids Ogham: Straif (ST), a Chieftain Tree Scots Gaelic: Draighionn Welsh: Draenen ddu Astrological Rulers: Saturn and Mars The Blackthorn tree is esoterically known as both the Mother of the Woods and the Dark Crone of the Woods.

Description Type: Blackthorn is a deciduous tree; its leaves turn yellow in autumn and fall off in winter, leaving a stark twisted black skeleton. Location: Found throughout the British Isles, Blackthorn dwells on the edge of woodlands forming dense thickets and hedgerows, often with Hawthorn and Elder. I found Blackthorn growing along the sacred Ridgeway near Wayland’s Smithy, and on the path leading to the White Horse of Uffington. Size: The Blackthorn ‘tree’ is actually more like a large shrub, with dark twisted branches, which can grow to twelve feet in height. Traditionally, it is said that Blackthorn never exceeds thirteen feet.1 Bark: ‘Rough and scaly, and bright orange just under the dark gray surface.’2 Branches/Twigs: The thickets are dark, dense and thorny, the branches and twigs twisting and branching out in all directions. The sapwood is light yellow and the heartwood is brown.

Thorn: The tree bears wicked long sharp thorns, which if pricked, can turn septic.3 Flower: The tree bears musk scented small, delicate, white flowers with oval petals clustered into a star shape in early spring4. The blossoms, which are thin and rounded with toothed edges, appears before the leaves in early March, and bloom for several months. They are usually white, but occasionally pink, with red tipped stamens.5 Leaf: Small dark green oval leaves which turn yellow before they fall off in winter6, Fruit: Small blue-black, sometimes deep purplish, round globular berries in the summer, ripening after the first frost.7 Sloe berry juice can be used for ink or a strong red dye.8 Commercial uses: The wood is mainly used to manufacture walking sticks and Irish shillelaghs. The berries are harvested for sloe gin and fruit jam. It also has medicinal uses. Medicinal Uses The Blackthorn’s fruit, the sloe berry, ripens and sweetens after the first frost. Tasting the berry in August, I found it to be extremely bitter.

An alcoholic drink, Sloe Gin is made from this small dark blue berry, which is used both medicinally and magically. This berry has been found in archaeological sites from the Mesolithic and Iron Age periods (8000-2700 BC), proving that the blackthorn berry was a part of early man’s diet.9 Sloe berries are a very bitter tonic. They are 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. They disperse toxins.10 In 17th and 18th Century, sloes were brewed as a purgative to treat ‘fluxes in the belly.’11 The fruit and leaves of Blackthorn contain tannins, organic acids, sugars and vitamin C. Steeped in boiling water, the flowers have a mild diuretic, tonic and laxative properties. The dried fruits are used to treat bladder, kidney and stomach disorders.

The 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.’(The Wisdom of Trees, page 127) Green Man Tree Essences: ‘Blackthorn - Circulation. Helps absorption of energies necessary for life. Stabilizes emotions. Brings hope and joy. Stimulating.’ The leaves can be boiled into a decoction that, once cooled, is an excellent mouthwash and gargle for those suffering from tonsillitis or laryngitis. It can also be used as a soothing eye bath. A tea made from the powdered bark has a calming effect on the nerves. (Celtic Tree Mysteries, page 166) They can be prepared as a juice, syrup, jelly, jam, wine or sloe gin beverage. They are excellent when combined with apples in a jam.12 Try making a blackthorn tincture, with a sloe gin base! Folklore Blackthorn is depicted in many fairy tales throughout Europe as a tree of ill omen.

Called Straif in the Ogham, this tree has the most sinister reputation in Celtic tree lore. The English word ‘strife’ is said to derive from this Celtic word. A long hard winter is referred to as a Blackthorn Winter. To Witches, it often represents the dark side of the Craft. It is a sacred tree to the Dark, or Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, and represents the Waning and Dark Moons. Blackthorn is known as ‘the increaser and keeper of dark secrets’.13 The tree is linked with warfare, wounding and death, associated with the Scottish Cailleach - the Crone of Death, and the Irish Morrigan. In Scotland, winter begins when the Cailleach (also the Goddess of Winter) strikes the ground with Her Blackthorn staff. According to Christian folklore, Blackthorn is seen as a sinister tree and associated with Witches. Blackthorn was often used for ‘binding and blasting’. A black rod is a Blackthorn wand with fixed thorns on the end, used to cause harm to others. In British folklore, a Witch will use a Blackthorn stang14 in rituals of cursing.

The sharp thorns were reputedly used by English witches to pierce poppets in their curses, called the ‘pins of slumber’15. In South Devon folklore in England, Witches were said to carry Blackthorn walking sticks, with which they caused much local mischief. Witches and heretics were burned on Blackthorn pyres. The Devil was said, in medieval times, to prick his follower’s fingers with the thorn of a Blackthorn tree.16 Blackthorn is also associated with Witchcraft in Scotland. In 1670, in Edinburgh, Major Thomas Weir was burned as a Witch along with his most powerful magical tool - a Blackthorn staff, carved with a Satyrs head, which was said to have fantastic powers - it was even able to fly through the air. Major Weir claimed that he received this magic staff from the Devil, but it is more likely that he obtained it while he served as an officer under General Leslie in Ireland. The Major was a pious Covenanter, and people came from miles around to hear his sermons.

He was considered the ‘Saint of West Bow’, until one day in 1670, instead of his usual sermon, he confessed years of debauchery with his sister, Jean, to the congregation. Brother and sister were both tried and condemned to death. His ghost, along with the infamous Blackthorn staff, is still said to haunt the Edinburgh West Bow district.17 The Irish cudgel is called a bata, or more popularly, a shillelagh, (named for the Shillelagh forest near Arklow, in County Wicklow). Every young boy was trained to defend himself with this Irish fighting stick. Although sometimes made from Oak, Ash or Holly, the shillelagh is usually made from Blackthorn, which is hard, strong, plentiful, and has a convenient knob formed from the root of the shrub. The black bark is especially tough. The wood was cured by burying it in a dung heap or smearing it with butter, then placing it in the chimney. Blackthorn can be used in spells of protection as well.

In Irish tales, heroes were aided by the Blackthorn tree - if they threw a twig of Blackthorn after them, it would take root and form an impenetrable hedge or woods, thwarting the pursuing giant.19 In England Witches would carve the Norse rune thorn on a Blackthorn stave for protection. Often in fairytales, such as ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Blackthorn forms the thick, impenetrable thorn bramble that hides the magic castle from intruders and princes alike! In order to prove worthy, the prince must cut through this thorn forest to rescue the princess. Blackthorn is said to bloom on Christmas Eve, as is the holy thorn at Glastonbury. It is one of the trees, which were reputed to form the thorny crown of Christ at His crucifixion. Where Blackthorn grows near its sister plant, Hawthorn, the site is especially magical.20 Blackthorn often topped the Maypole entwined with Hawthorn, and is called ‘Mother of the Woods’. At New Year, celebrants made Blackthorn crowns, which they burned in the New Year’s fire. The ashes were used to fertilize the fields.

Blackthorn was sometimes woven into wreaths with Mistletoe to bring luck in the coming year, and the garlands used to wassail the Apple trees.21 Celtic Legend In The Word Ogham of Morainn, for Blackthorn it is said, ‘careful effort, strongest of red, strong red dye on metal, and hedge of a stream.’22 Steve Blamires teaches that Blackthorn is associated with warriors, war, blood and death. The hedge referred to is the warriors’ spears, and the stream is their rapid advance into battle. According to Steve Blamires, ‘Straiph, that is Blackthorn; the hedge of a stream is Straiph.’23 In the Irish legend, the Pursuit of Diarmaid and Grainne, a passage describes Sadhbh eating sloe berries and becoming pregnant as a result. She gave birth to a son who was born with a lump on his head. The lump turned out to be a worm or snake. The snake was eventually killed in sacrifice for another man. In The Sword of Oscar, sloe berries are part of a sacrificial theme as well.

Blackthorn’s theme in traditional stories often indicate a warrior’s death in service to the High King or tribe.24 In the Word Ogham of Cuchulain Blackthorn is ‘an arrow’s mist’ and ‘smoke drifting up from the fire.’ These are both kennings for death.25 Literary References Biblical reference: ‘There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me.’ (II Corinthians, Ch. 9, v. 19)26 Of all the trees that grow so fair, Old England to adorn, Greater are none beneath the Sun Than Oak and Ash and Thorn. (Puck of Pook’s Hill, by Rudyard Kipling, 1906)27 Ogham Oracle Straif (ST)29 Drawing a Blackthorn stave or card indicates the actions of fate in your life, something that cannot be avoided but must be faced and dealt with. Blackthorn gives you the strength to accept and persevere in the face of adversity. The Sloe berry sweetens after the first trial of winter, the frost.

Accepting fate and adversity as a challenge, and making it work for you, results in an unexpected sweetness in your life. Blackthorn can also herald the presence of the darker deities in your life, such as the Irish Morrigan and Dagda. Again, this is a sign of the spiritual strength and support that is available to you if you pick up the gauntlet. It is the one of the trees associated with the Bean Sidhe and the Dubh Sidhe.‘Straif also offers initiation into the mysteries of self-conquest and transcendence.’30 Daring to travel with the darker deities of the Celtic pantheon is a spiritual adventure at the deepest level! Blackthorn opens the pathway to Underworld initiation. Meditating under a Blackthorn bush during the Samhain season can put you in touch with powerful Underworld deities, such as the Morrigan. Wear a protective amulet with the Blackthorn ogham, sloe berries, or a blackthorn wand, if you choose to do so. Blackthorn is the tree, which helps us to face the necessity of our own death.

In many magical practices, we are encouraged to face death, in order to abate our morbid fear of it. Initiations are often re-enactments of our own death and rebirth. On the negative side, Blackthorn can indicate a persistently negative, resentful attitude that draws negative experiences to you. Blackthorn can indicate a persistent and morbid fear of death. How you ‘frame’ your life is how your life plays out. Blackthorn can be seen as a reminder not to frame your life in negative scenes, but re-interpret them in a more positive way, to draw more positive experiences. Magical Uses According to John Matthews, the message of Blackthorn is ‘Magic is Everywhere’.31 Jane Gifford assigns Morrigan as the deity associated with Blackthorn, as well as the colour red, planets Mars and Saturn, gem Black Opal, and a feminine polarity. The chief attributes are the ‘Inevitability of Death, protection and revenge, strife, and negativity.’32 Blackthorn is used for purification, as well as protection, ridding the atmosphere of negative energy. It deals the issues on a Karmic level, which cannot be avoided.

Meditating on Blackthorn can purify our minds of negative thoughts and impulses at the deepest level of our psyche. It can aid us in combating fear, depression and anger. The thorns of the Blackthorn can be imagined to lance the built up abscess of negative thoughts, and release the emotional toxins, which can then begin to heal.33 Using the gentler sister tree, Hawthorn, in conjunction with Blackthorn, can aid the process of healing. Traditionally, Blackthorn is used in protection against evil, creating boundaries, purifying, confronting our own dark side. Blackthorn dispels negativity, toxins, old wounds, and impurities. It can be used in exorcisms. It is associated with chthonic and protective deities. With Blackthorn staff, All malice and bane, I thus confound. From a blackthorn tree along the Ridgeway near Wayland’s Smithy, I cut myself a wand (and left a little blood). I saved the cuttings from the wand as well, which included leaves, twigs and berries, and dried them.

I use blackthorn to establish boundaries when working magic, so that nothing evil or unwanted can enter my Circle or Grove. I also carry a ‘mojo bag’ of protective herbs with me. I've included dried sloe berries for their powers of protection. Magical Blackthorn tools come in many forms; Irish shillelagh, walking sticks, stangs, wands, thorns, ogham staves, berries. Most of these are used for protection, although some will still use the energy of Blackthorn for cursing. Tools made of blackthorn must be treated with the utmost respect. Healing with Thorn Trees Next time you are ill or depressed, imagine lying on your pallet, and in the dark of night, two eldritch sisters enter the room, one dressed in black, the other in white. The dark older sister, Draighean34, (Blackthorn), assesses your illness with a calculating experienced eye. She moves her sinewy, dark hands quickly over your body, touching points here and there, causing you acute pain. She mutters strange incantations under her breath in a low, crackling voice.

She is frightening, but you must trust her if you are to heal. All the negative images you’ve ever held rise out of your subconscious like phantom characters in a Samhain festival. The night grows old and dawn approaches. Weary, the elder sister steps back and the gentle Huath, (Hawthorn) takes her place. Dressed in white, with long bright hair, she lays a cool gentle hand on your brow, muttering her own incantations in a sweet bell-like voice. The phantoms recede with the light, and the pain eases. As she sweeps her pale hands up and down your body, touching the same spots her dark sister had, the pain vanishes and you feel refreshed. You fall into an easy, restful sleep as the sisters leave your chamber, their work done The most powerful times of the year to use Blackthorn for purification and banishing are Imbolc (Feb. 1st) and Samhain (October 31st) At Imbolc, Blackthorn is one of the first trees to flower, thus, it aids the ushering in of Spring.

In the Celtic Ogham, Blackthorn, called Straif, rules the mystical three day period of Samhain, from October 31st to November 2nd, where it marks the ‘parting of the veils between the physical and the spiritual.’ 35 Blackthorn can be used to create safe boundaries from which to communicate with the dead, and protect us from evil spirits during this auspicious time. At Samhain, because its berries ripen in the Winter, it helps us to prepare for the dark season to come.36 At this uncanny time, the Morrigan and Dagda, are said to mate. The wintry fruiting Blackthorn tree is associated with Underworld Initiations. The Cailleach announces winter with a bang of her ancient Blackthorn stang. Blackthorn is also used to celebrate the fertility magic of May Day, along with its sister tree, Hawthorn. Blackthorn wands were used for divination and wishing at this auspicious time of year.

Bridal chambers were decorated with Hawthorn and Blackthorn flowers in May, the musky scent of the flowers stimulating desire.37 Blackthorn and Hawthorn, being sister trees, represent the dark half and the light half of the year. Blackthorn is the tree of Samhain, whereas Hawthorn is the tree of Beltain.38 Protective Spell from Jacqueline Paterson:39 This spell must be performed with the clear intent of returning ill wishing to the source. In doing so, the spell caster must divorce herself from all ill wishing, or the spell will backfire upon herself. Purchase or carve a candle into a body shape. Carve the name of your tormentor into the candle, naming him or her out loud. Use three Blackthorn thorns, and push one each into the candle image’s forehead, heart, and stomach. Light the candle, and when it burns down to each thorn, utter these words each time: Evil return to the one who sent thee For me and mine are now set free No hurt nor harm can enter here For my life and way are now made clear. Allow the candle to burn down, and out. See yourself as released from the other person’s energy.

Your intent must NOT be to harm your tormentor, but to release every baneful connection between you both. If your tormentor continues to send harm, it will now be his or her responsibility, and rebound on his self or herself. This spell is about protection and justice, not revenge Deities I associate this tree with the Irish Morrigan and the Dagda, the Scottish Cailleach, the Welsh Cerridwen, the British Morgan le Fay and Gwynn ap Nudd; all dark, chthonic, Underworld deities. Jane Gifford associates the Blackthorn with the Morrigan40. Steve Blamires associates Blackthorn with the Irish God, Donn, a father God, who is associated with death. He, being a paternal deity, is a gentle guide who helps us mitigate the fear associated with death.41 Druid/Celtic Ritual Druids often use the magic of wood in their ceremonies. Rituals taking place in sacred groves or nemetons are especially potent. The presence of Blackthorn in a Samhain or Yule ritual would be ideal. Initiations: Blackthorn wands or staffs can be used during initiations.

It is especially effective if used in conjunction with a Hawthorn staff to represent death and rebirth; Samhain and Beltaine. Samhain: During your Samhain ritual, you can use a Blackthorn staff for the celebrants to pass under, on their way to the Underworld. Samhain or Yule: During your Samhain or Yule ritual, you can ceremonially call the Caeilleach Bheur, who is the Old Blue Hag of Winter, a fearsome Scottish deity who, banging Her magic Blackthorn stang upon the ground, calls in the season of Winter. Song of the Cailleach Bheur What’s all this merriment and cheer? Is it not winter that you fear? I am the old veiled one of the wood, And my appearance shall do you no good. My realm is cold, dead, and dark. The ground is barren and the trees are stark. My fierce white hounds, with eyes of red Howl through the night, a paean to the dead. I strike my blackthorn upon the ground! Now nothing green or living shall be found. I am the Cailleach Bheur, and now is my reign.

I shall not leave you until next Beltaine.42 ________________________________________ Bibliography Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, by Scott Cunningham, Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, 1985 The Spirit of the Trees, Science, Symbiosis and Inspiration, by Fred Hageneder, Floris Books, Edinburgh, 2000 The Heritage of Trees, History, Culture and Symbolism, by Fred Hageneder, Floris Books, Edinburgh, 2001 Tree Wisdom, The Definitive Guidebook, by Jacqueline Memory Paterson, Thorsons Publishing, San Francisco, 1996 The Wisdom of Trees, by Jane Gifford, Sterling Publishing, New York, 2001 The Healing Energies of Trees, by Patrice Bouchardon, Journey Editions, Boston, 1999 (doesn’t refer to Blackthorn, but has much information about healing with trees, in general) Celtic Tree Mysteries, Secrets of the Ogham, by Steve Blamires, Llewelyn Publications, St.

Paul, 1997 The Book of Ogham, the Celtic Tree Oracle, by Edred Thorsson, Llewelyn Publications, St. Paul, 1992 Ogham, the Celtic Oracle of the Trees, by Paul Rhys Mountfort, Destiny Books, Rochester, Vermont, 2001 Famous Edinburgh Crimes, by Ross MacDonald, Lang Syne Publishers, Newtongrange, Midlothian, 1977 Oracles The Celtic Tree Oracle, a System of Divination by Liz and Colin Murray, St. Martin Press, New York, 1988 The Green Man Tree Oracle, Ancient Wisdom from the Greenwood, by John Matthews and Will Worthington, Barnes and Noble Books, New York, 2003 Websites: Green Man Essences: Artwork: Bill Worthington, email at: willworthingtonuk@hotmail.com ________________________________________ 1. The Wisdom of Trees, page 122 2. Celtic Tree Mysteries, page 165 3. The Spirit of Trees, pages 185 4. Tree Wisdom, page 79 5. The Wisdom of Trees, page 122 6.

Tree Wisdom, page 79 7. The Wisdom of the Trees, page 122, Tree Wisdom, page 79 8. The Wisdom of the Trees, page 126 9. The Spirit of Trees, pages 185-188 10. The Spirit of Trees, page 187 11. Tree Wisdom, page 82 12. The Spirit of Trees, page 187 13. Tree Wisdom, page 82 14. Thumbstick, with forked top 15. Tree Wisdom, page 81 16. The Green Man Oracle, page 76 17. Famous Edinburgh Crimes, pages 17-22 18. Green Man Tree Oracle, by Will Worthington 19. Tree Wisdom, page 81 20. The Green Man Oracle, page 76 21. Tree Wisdom, page 80 22. Celtic Tree Mysteries, page 166 23. Celtic Tree Mysteries, page 165 24.

Celtic Tree Mysteries, page 168 25. Celtic Tree Mysteries, page 168 26. The Wisdom of Trees, page 122 27. The Wisdom of the Trees, page 125 28. Graphic from OBOD Message Board 29. The Celtic Tree Oracle, page 50 30. Ogham, the Celtic Oracle of the Trees, page 118 31. The Green Man Tree Oracle, page 75 32. The Wisdom of the Trees, page 127 33. Tree Wisdom, page 84 34. Irish Gaelic for Blackthorn 35. The Wisdom of Trees, Page 122 36. Tree Wisdom, page 82 37. Tree Wisdom, page 85 38. The Wisdom of Trees, 124 39. Tree Wisdom, page 86-87 40. The Wisdom of Trees, page 127 41. Celtic Tree Mysteries, page 170 42.

by smb, 1993 Blackthorn Blackthorn The Mother of the Wood Fourth of the Witches' Cross-Quarter Sabbats Samhain, Hallowe'en, All Souls; October 31 / November 1 Letter: Z, Ss, St, Z Color: Bright Purple Animal: Wolf, Toad and Black Cat Virtue: Unity Association: Bad luck, strife, unexpected changes. Resentment, confusion, refusing to see truth. Challenge: Turn a negative situation into a positive one. Uses: Makes excellent hedge grows and provides ample shelter for wildlife. The branches are used to make fighting sticks known as shillelaghs. Description: Thorny, rosaceous shrub bearing white flowers and small blue-black fruits. Straif is a tree letter associated with pain, wounding and damage. The dense, spiny 'sloe-bush' us an unpleasant plant to tangle with and drawing this ogham suggests that you have been, or will be, on the receiving end of rather thorny experience. Yet it is not all bad, for straif also offers initiation into the mysteries of self-conquest and transcendence.

Symbolism: The inevitability of Death, Protection and Revenge, Strife and Negativity, The Balance between light and darkness. Stone: Black Opal, agate, bloodstone Birds: Thrush Folk Names: sloe, sloe plum, wishing thorn, faery tree Medicinal properties: The fruit and leaves contain Vitamin C, organic acids, tannins, and sugars. Steep the flowers for a diuretic, tonic, and laxative. Her dried fruits can treat bladder, kidney and stomach ailments. Boil the leaves for a mouthwash or to sooth the throat from tonsillitis or laryngitis. Magickal properties: The thorns were used as pins to stick in a poppet. Wand or Staff can be used for help in exorcisms or for protection from fire and for general protection. A staff can be used to make wishes, and carrying the wand or Staff protects one from evil. The wood makes a good divining rod. The blossoms, the fruits and the crimson sap display the three colors of the Great Goddess: white, black, and red. The dangerous long spikes and the red "blood" that flows in the veins of this tree enhance the dramatic effect of her symbolism.

The advance of dualistic religions, which separate the world into "good" and "evil" brought about the demonization of the Blackthorn tree. Where it once had provided magical protection against negative influence, it now became the emblem of evil forces. Blackthorns are sacred to the Luantishees, which are Blackthorn Fairies who guard the trees. Their Festival is November 11th. THE CELTIC TREE ORACLE by Liz and Colin Murray The Blackthorn is a wintery tree. The fruits, known as sloes, ripen and sweeten only after the first frosts. The white flowers open early, often before the leaves appear. A cold spring was traditionally known as "a blackthorn winter." Black-barked and with vicious thorns, the Blackthorn forms dense thickets when given the opportunity to spread. The Gaelic word "straif" has links with the English "strife." The wood of the Blackthorn is that traditionally used for the Irish cudgel, or shillelagh; the thorns, those used in witchcraft to pierce wax images.

Celtic Tree Mysteries by Steve Blamires The spiritual lesson of the Blackthorn is to accept the inevitability of your own death, and to prepare for it. This means having a good grasp of what the Otherworld is and what it means to you It also means more mundane things like making sure all of your debts, on all levels, are paid; that there is nothing left unsaid or undone in this world; that provision has been made for those you leave behind; and that you are ready and able to face those who have gone before you. These will include friends and family whom you will be pleased to rejoin; but there will also be those whom you tried to avoid in this world. You must be in a constant state of readiness for death, doing things as soon as they need to be done, saying things when they need to be said, and repaying debts and favors as soon as practical. Tomorrow may be too late. You can try to examine your death objectively by seeing yourself as a sort of Otherworld judge, who is now reviewing your physical life and deciding just how you coped with it. Use your imagination at a spiritual level to scrutinize how you have fared in this world so far.

Act upon any faults or omissions you identify during such spiritual exercises. Use the spirit of the blackthorn to help you through these difficult exercises. They will leave and indelible mark in your aura, just as the juice of the sloe will upon your clothes. This mark will point out, to those who can see such things, that you are a person who understands the nature of this world and the Otherworld, and who is not afraid to move from one to the other as the need demands. Blackthorn has twisting and angular branches, seldom reaching over twelve feet in height. Traditionally used in hedgerows, it produces white blossoms in spring and later, sloes (clusters of small round berries.) It's most potent feature is the thorns which are long, slender and extremely sharp. These thorns may be the reason for the association with strife, warfare, and wounding. "Straif" is a tree-letter associated with pain, wounding and damage...however, it also offers initiation into the mysteries of self conquest and transcendence. Protection Spell: Carefully gather a few thorns from the tree.

On a piece of paper, write the name of the person or situation from which you seek protection, and then wrap it around the thorns. Bury this in the ground - if possible near the tree from which the thorns were collected. Of all the trees that grow so fair, Old England to adorn, Greater are none beneath the Sun Thank Oak, and Ash, and Thorn Rudyard Kipling, Puck of Pook's Hill 1906 from The Wisdom of Trees by Jane Gifford The blackthorn was respected as a cantankerous old crone, the hag aspect of the White Goddess, whose thorns remind us of our own negative attitudes that tear us apart. These attitudes also take root and grow into impenetrable thickets if they are left unchecked. We are advised to look at the many ways in which we hurt ourselves and others, and to think of ways to prevent this. When we face up to our own negativity, blackthorn guides us through the darker parts of our personality, helping us to pay off spiritual debts, and to accept the inevitability of our own death, which is the one thing on earth of which we can all be certain.

Morrigan Morrigan is a Triple Goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. She reigns over Destruction and Creation. Her name means ï¿½Great Queen,ï¿½ ï¿½Phantom Queen.ï¿½ She also was a prophet and a shape-shifter, frequently appearing as a hooded crow, and the raven of battle. Some say she evolved into Morgana LaFay, sorceress of the Arthurian Legend. Worship Her at Samhain, the Festival of Death, and the decent into the time of dormancy. Samhain ï¿½The holy day of Samhain is, in the Celtic tradition, the first day of Winter: a time of sacrifice, divination for the New Year, communion with the dead, of endings and rest. On this night the world of spirits, ancestors and mortals might meet. Within the mythic cycle of the Goddess as Crone, She deepens into Herself and enters the dreamtime, the place between the worlds where past, present and future exist simultaneously.

The season invites you to enter a place of stillness and simply be where you are: not moving forward or backward but utterly present, suspended in the space between past and future. It is here that you may hear Her voice in the crackling fire, rain, and wind. Review the year that has passed with introspection and retrospection. Commune with your ancestors and honor your beloved dead. Remember your sisters who perished in the Burning Times, and commit yourself to the struggle for justice. Divine and ask the Fates for blessings in the coming year. What do you leave behind in the year that has passed, and what do you wish to take with you? How will you prepare to listen to the Old Wise One within?ï¿½ The Green Man Tree Oracle by John Matthews & Will Worthington MAGIC IS EVERYWHERE Magic lies all around us - not the magic of fairy tales, but real magic connecting our universe to a living continuum. After centuries of being told that it was forbidden, the preserve of experts, we have now forgotten the magic that lies within us. To access this personal magic, we must step away from busy, surface consciousness and sink deeply into the ever-flowing stream of our magical dreams.

The ideas, scenes, and presences that throng the deepest levels of our understanding require intense listening: we must step into the present and interact with it as fully as possible. This Blackthorn card suggests that we remember that magic is everywhere (far closer than we think) that it brings light into the darkest places. What makes the Blackthorn so strong is its ability to foster waking dreams. The magic of thorns: Like all thorny plants, the blackthorn had a darker side and, like the blackberry, reminds us of the hedge of thorns preventing the prince from reaching Sleeping Beauty unscathed. In some stories the prince loses his sight when he falls upon the thorns, and of course there is also the ever-present association with the crown placed around Christ's brow at the Crucifixion. Green Man Tree Oracle An old Celtic custom was to light great bonfires on Halloween. After each fires had burned out, they made a circle of the ashes of each fire. Within the circle, nearest the circumference, each family member that helped build the fire place one pebble. If, on the next day, any stone was out of its place or had been damaged, that family member was to have a very bad upcoming twelve months.

On Halloween, we wear costumes and masks to mimic or trick the spirits into thinking we are one of them, so they will not create havoc for our crops and livestock. Sprinkle some salt on your child's hair to protect her/him from evil spirits. The Goddess Pomona and her Roman harvest festival inspired the traditional "Bobbing for Apples" at this time of year. If you hear footsteps behind you tonight, don't look back - it may be the dead following you. And if you turn back, you may join them soon. If you see a spider on this day, it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you. Wishing you a Blessed Samhain, Halloween, All Hallows Eve, All Saints Eve, Hallowmas, Witch's New Year, and Dia de los Muertos! The Song of the Blackthorn Fairy The wind is cold, the Spring seems long a-waking; The woods are brown and bare; Yet this is March: soon April will be making All things most sweet and fair.

See, even now, in hedge and thicket tangled, One brave and cheering sight: The leafless branches of the Blackthorn, spangled Information About Blackthorn Plants – What Are Uses For Blackthorn Berries Image by Achim Prill By Amy Grant Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a berry producing tree native to Great Britain and throughout most of Europe, from Scandinavia south and east to the Mediterranean, Siberia and Iran. With such an extensive habitat, there must be some innovative uses for blackthorn berries and other interesting tidbits of information about blackthorn plants. Let’s read on to find out. Information about Blackthorn Plants Blackthorns are small, deciduous trees also referred to as ‘sloe.’ They grow in scrubs, thickets and woodlands in the wild. In the landscape, hedges are the most common use for growing blackthorn trees. A growing blackthorn tree is spiny and densely limbed. It has smooth, dark brown bark with straight side shoots that become thorned. The leaves are wrinkled, serrated ovals that are pointed at the tip and tapered at the base. They may live for up to 100 years.

Blackthorn trees are hermaphrodites, having both male and female reproductive parts. The flowers appear before the tree leafs out in March and April and are then pollinated by insects. The results are blue-black fruit. Birds enjoy eating the fruit, but the question is, are blackthorn berries edible for human consumption? Uses for Blackthorn Berry Trees Blackthorn trees are extremely wildlife friendly. They provide food and nesting space for a variety of birds with protection from prey due to the spiny branches. They are also a great source of nectar and pollen for bees in the spring and provide food for caterpillars on their journey to becoming butterflies and moths. As mentioned, the trees make a terrific impenetrable hedge with an enclosure of painful spike laden interwoven branches. Blackthorn wood is also traditionally used for making the Irish shillelaghs or walking sticks. As to the berries, the birds eat them, but are blackthorn berries edible for humans? I wouldn’t recommend it. While a small amount of raw berry will probably have little effect, the berries do contain hydrogen cyanide, which in larger doses may definitely have toxic effect.

However, the berries are processed commercially into sloe gin as well as in wine making and preserves. Prunus spinosa Care Very little is needed in the way of care for Prunus spinosa. It grows well in a variety of soil types from sun to partial sun exposures. It is, however, susceptible to several fungal diseases which can cause blossom wilt and, therefore, affect fruit production. Blackthorn - Wild Flower Finder BLACKTHORN (astringent, hard, in-edible, used in sloe-gin) category Flowers very early in the year before the leaves emerge, usually in March (2013 started cold with March 2013 being the coldest March on record, so flowering was delayed). 20th May 2013, High Bradfield, Derbyshire. Blackthorn is a tall tree-like shrub which is used as a hedge (foreground) able to withstand all blooded livestock including man by means of its dense stiff branches with their long sharp spines. 16th Sept 2009, Silverdale, Lancs. Often grows on sea-top cliffs. Reaches up to 4m tall. Almost impenetrably thick.

16th Sept 2009, Silverdale, Lancs. A straggly branch with leaves and sloe berries. 25th Sept 2009, Duddon Valley, Cumbria. Picking Sloes is a hazardous business, the thicket is dense and very thorny, and any skin punctures can be slow to heal and may go septic. 6th Aug 2009, Dyserth, Prestatyn, N. Wales. Photo: © RWD The thorns are long, stiff and sharp, the leaves are arched backwards, and slightly serrated with forwards pointing teeth. Sloes are covered by a steely blue bloom, which is actually a natural yeast rather than any mould. These yeasts contribute to the flavour of sloes so are to be welcomed rather than washed off. 20th May 2013, High Bradfield, Derbyshire. The thorns are about 5cm long and very sharp! 25th Sept 2009, Duddon Valley, Cumbria. The steely bloom is removed on handling. They are impossibly bitter and astringent to eat.

Best marinated with gin for a year, then removed before drinking. 19th April 2008, T & M Canal, Harecastle Tunnel towpath. Un-opened flower buds early April. The older branches are very gnarly, often covered in lichen. 19th April 2008, T & M Canal, Harecastle Tunnel towpath. The root of the thorns and branches are usually encircled by three rings. 19th April 2008, T & M Canal, Harecastle Tunnel towpath. The flowers emerge late March before the leaves, making for a stark contrast with the near-black branches. 19th April 2008, T & M Canal, Harecastle Tunnel towpath. Flowers are white with five petals and numerous stamens bearing yellow pollen. Hybridises with : (Prunus cerasifera) Trees to produce Prunus × simmleri (which has no common name). Wild Plum (Prunus domestica) Trees to produce Prunus × fruticans (which also has no common name).

Distinguishing Feature : The marble-sized, rock-hard, bitter, steely-blue-bloomed blackish berries which appear rather later later autumn. The scratches on hands and arms inflicted whilst trying to pick them. Not to be confused with: Buckthorn or Sea-Buckthorn [shrubs or trees with similar names]. Some similarities to: otherwise known as Damson (Prunus domestica subsp. institia), but that has not got long thorns, and the fruit (damson) is both larger and softer than are sloes. The flowers emerge before the leaves, in late March, two weeks after Cherry Plum and a month before Hawthorn. The black berries which appear in September have a steely blue bloom that is removed on handling. The 'spinosa' part of the binomial name (the specific epithet) refers to the sharp spines on the branches. The berries are far too bitter (and hard!) to eat, and are best left in a bottle of gin for a year with a little sugar to taste, then removed before drinking.

Bletted berries make for a better sloe gin, that is, it is best not to pick them until after the first frosts (although, with warming Winters, this might be never). If there is no natural frost, bletting can be performed by cycling them alternately in a freezer and refridgerator for a fortnight before pricking the sloes and pickling them in gin. Remove and discard the berries before drinking, they are too bitter, but can be used to make a (gin-flavoured) jam afterwards. The Blackthorn thicket is almost impenetrable and is used as hedging especially around the lanes backing on to farmers fields constraining livestock (it is a little untidy for garden hedges). The fruits are characterised by a high concentration of phenolic acids (such as Gallic Acid ), which explains their high bitterness, although other phenolic compounds will also contribute, such as flavonoids and anthocyanins. Altogether, they contain 2 coumarins, 3 phenolic acids, 6 flavonols and 14 flavan-3-ols.

ANTHOCYANIDINS Both a blue and a permanent red dye can be obtained from the berries and were used to dye wool and as an indelible ink for writing. The fruits contain several anthocyanins and anthocyanidins such as Cyanidin-3-O-Rutinoside Blackthorn | Define Blackthorn at Dictionary.com blackthorn a shrub or tree of the genus Crataegus, as C. calpodendron. 2. a walking stick made of a blackthorn tree or shrub. 3. Also called sloe . a much-branched, thorny, Old World shrub, Prunus spinosa, having white flowers and small plumlike fruits. 4. 1350-1400; Middle English blak thorn. See black , thorn Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for blackthorn Expand Historical Examples Young Blood E. W. Hornung The sloe, which is the blackthorn, comes still earlier and has fewer leaves. Penelope's Irish Experiences Kate Douglas Wiggin Moreover, blackthorn wore most of the clothes brought by the scullion.

Children's Literature Charles Madison Curry The king gets angry, and says “that there is not a blackthorn in all his garden, and that he is telling him a lie.” Basque Legends Wentworth Webster I had recovered it for him if it were not for that infernal Irishman with his blackthorn. By the Barrow River Edmund Leamy Yet another black variety has a spine like a blackthorn at the end of the tail, and its bite is extremely deadly.

The Ogham Trees - Straif - Blackthorn The Ogham Trees Original artwork © Ruby Clark 2011 Blackthorn - Straif Ogham letter ST The Dark Half from All Hallows Eve - Oct 31st to before May Day -April 30th Associated festival: Samhain Oct 31st Powers: Overcoming Adversity, Banishing Negativity, Raising Awareness and Energy, Purification, Protection, Exorcism 'See even now, in hedge and thicket tangled, One brave and cheering sight: The leafless branches of the blackthorn, spangled With blossoms starry white!' a verse from 'The Blackthorn Fairy' by Cicely Mary Barker - see her art work at the bottom of the page. Prunus Spinosa – The Blackthorn – is a tree of profound magical tradition. It is designated one of the Eight Chieftain Trees on the Ogham Tract, where its name is Straif (strife) and is said to be the ‘Increaser of Secrets.’ It’s folk names include sloe (after its fruit), sloe plum, snag, spiny plum.

wishing thorn, faery tree, (dark) mother of the woods, pear hawthorn. A Blackthorn hedge in full fruit, in the field next to Hurst Wood, Charing, October 2011 The Blackthorn, or Sloe Bush, is a small to medium sized deciduous shrub, growing to about 4 metres in the wild if left unpruned. The bushes grow in profusion on the edges of woods and amongst ancient hedgerows or in waste ground, on cliff-tops and screes where there is no chalk. They are often planted as barrier hedges since their strong, long thorns make an excellent defence. They can withstand repeated strong winds and will thrive in any soil as long as it isn’t full chalk or very acidic. In 1889, T.F.Thiselton-Dyer wrote ‘The Folk-lore of Plants’, chronicling reports, memories and sayings from elderly country workers.

There were two about the Blackthorn, as follows – "An eldern stake and a blackthorn ether, Will make a hedge to last for ever" and - "When the sloe tree is as white as a sheet, Sow your barley whether it be dry or wet." The trees are an ancient, native pioneer species, the fruits eaten by early man. There’s evidence that the Blackthorn was used in Iron Age communities (c3400 yrs ago) as remains were found, buried in a straw filled pit (thought to be used for ripening and preserving the bitter sloes) in the Lake Village near Glastonbury and recorded in a vast catalogue of findings by the excavator Arthur Bulleid .........

‘The only things that call for special remark in the above list are the cultivated plants, for though the sloe, blackberry, and haw were eaten, they were probably nothing but the wild forms.’ from 'The Glastonbury Lake Village - a full description of the excavations and relics discovered 1892 – 1907' by Arthur Bulleid and Harold St.George Gray Blackthorn trees along the lane, still in blossom in early April 2011 The small trees are bushy with dark, almost black stems and viciously thorny twigs, set at right-angles to the trunk and branches. The leaves are greyish-green, small (3 – 5cm long, 2cm wide), carried on short stalks and elliptical in shape. They spread easily by underground suckers and the thickets can become extremely dense. The tiny five-petalled flowers are unusual in that they open very early in Spring, late February to March in a cloud of white blossom while the leaves are nothing but tiny buds. The clustered, white, starry flowers are very striking against the black of the bare branches.

From September on, the characteristic deeply bloomed blue-black bitter fruits begin to ripen. Known as sloes, they resemble tiny damsons. Inside the flesh is a greenish-yellow and there’s a single stone – they are a much loved autumn-winter fruit for many birds. They can be ‘wild harvested’ in October, or after the first frosts, to make a delicious ‘Sloe gin’, which is kept until the Yuletime celebrations- (see below). A Nightingale Singing - © BBC Picture Library 2010 <div align="center"><a href="">nightingale song by Nick Penny</a></div> Click above to listen to the beautiful sound of the nightingale Click ¡ to go to Nick Penny's website to download. Blackthorn is an important haven for wildlife, many birds will nest in the protective thickets, including the song-thrush and the now scarce nightingale. The leaves provide food for the caterpillars of hairstreak butterflies and a vast community of different moth species. The wood itself is not much worked nowadays, it doesn’t get to any great size but it does burn well!

Still used for more ‘magical’ and traditional purposes – it makes fine (if notoriously difficult to manage) wands. It is very hard, will take a high polish and makes a strong, elegant and individually patterned walking stick. In Ireland it was customarily used to make shillelaghs (a kind of club once used in sport). The base of the wood at the root often forms a large knobbly lump which naturally forms the head of the club. The sticks on the right were made by 'Olde Shillelagh Stick Makers & B & B ' in County Wicklow. Early manuscripts tell us that the sharp, long thorn of the Blackthorn was used as an awl by leather workers to make holes. Care is needed when picking the sloes, or harvesting the wood for craftwork as the spines can set up a nasty inflammation if scratching occurs. from Robert Graves' version of 'Cad Goddeu' -'The Battle of the Trees' See my Ogham Sacred Trees page Blackthorn Healing and Medicine Fruits, leaves and flowers of the Blackthorn have been effectively used in folk and herbal medicines for centuries.

It appears that modern writers and workers with herbal medicines simply re-iterate the advice given by their two famous forefathers. 'Sloe Gin', a liqueur made from ripe sloe berries steeped in gin with added sugar, is a popular drink to take by the fireside in the dark, winter evenings - as a panacea for winter ills or simply for pleasure! (see my 'sloe-gin' recipe and instructions here ). Both the herbalists, John Gerard, writing in 1597, and Nicholas Culpeper in 1653 sing the praises of Blackthorn in their work .... ‘The juice of sloes do stop the belly, the laske and bloodie fluxe, the inordinate course of womens terms, and all other issues of blood in man or woman.’ writes Gerard, (picture of 'The Sloe tree' above).

Whilst Culpeper recommends a decoction of the powdered bark of the roots, or of the fresh or dried berries as a cure for ‘lask of the belly , or stomach, or the bloody flux, and to ease the pains in the sides or bowels.’ Also from Culpeper, high praise for the distilled liquid of fresh blackthorn flowers steeped for a night in sack (a kind of highly honeyed mead or sherry). It is ‘A most certain remedy, tried and approved, to ease all manner of gnawing in the stomach, sides and bowels, or any griping pains in any of them, to drink a small quantity when the extremity of the pain is upon them.’ The herbalist doesn’t stop there! A distillation of the leaves, a condensation of the juice of the berries, both made into lotions or ‘a simple distilled water of the flowers’ are all to be prescribed .....

‘to gargle, and wash the mouth and throat, wherein are swellings, sores, or kernels, or to stay the defluxions of rheum to the eyes and other parts, and also to cool the heat and inflammation in them, and to ease hot pains of the head by bathing the forehead and temples therewith.’ ‘It is the juice of this berry that makes the famous marking ink to write upon linen; it being so strong an acid that no other acid known will discharge it.’ . The 'Physicians of Myddvai' recommend the following: 'For pain in the chest (dyspepsia.) Take a large quantity of black thorn berries, bruise briskly in a mortar, mixing very new ale therewith. Put this mixture in a new earthen pot, over its edges in the earth, for nine days and nights, giving it the patient to drink the first thing in the morning, and the last thing at night. ' Used contemporarily, the sloes, picked in October and ripened over a few frosts are extremely bitter and astringent, but rich in Vitamin C. They could be used fresh or dried, crushed and steeped in a little boiling water for at least a week.

The resulting medicine could be taken internally to cleanse the blood of disorders and as a general metabolic stimulant and tonic. The flowers, again fresh or dried can be made into a tisane with boiling water and drunk to help with stomach complaints. The Blackthorn Elixir (left) can be bought online from Healthfoods UK 'Blackthorn Tree Essence' can be bought online from Green Man Essences where all sorts of essences made from our native tree flowers can be found in 10 and 30ml bottles. Blackthorn Myth, Religion, Spirtuality and Folklore Element: Fire Ruling Planet: Mars Gender: Masculine 'Lunantisidhe' by Andrew L Paciorek See more of his extraordinary art at his project website batcow.co.uk Unlike most of the great mystic trees, the Blackthorn appears to be peculiarly our own. There is little or no association with the powerful mythical traditions of other civilizations, and the stories of old with mention of the tree or fruit are Celtic, both Irish and Scottish. The Blackthorn is such a power for magick, that in Irish folklore it has its own faery tribe to guard it.

They are called Lunantisidhe or Lunantishee, spiky, angry creatures who will curse you should you be foolish enough to try to cut wood from the trees at the day of old new year- Samhain (Nov 11th) and the old May Day, Beltane (May 11th ). I can find no record that the Lunantisidhe ever updated their calendar, so do be careful to remember the dates! 'The Morrighan' by Emily Balivet used here with her kind permisssion. See the artist's huge range of mythological paintings here at her website Blackthorn has a reputation for being a force for protection and hope amongst devastation, whilst at the same time being a source of pure malevolence. It’s the latter belief which has survived and is familiar even to this day. This is most likely because there are so many superstitions linked with age-old witchcraft and the wood. Old superstition tells that if a Whitethorn (May or Hawthorn) is planted next to a Blackthorn, the Blackthorn will die, and good will have triumphed over evil.

The tree is sacred to the third phase of the Triple Goddess, the Crone – known in differing guises as Morrighan or Cailleach or Beira, Goddess of Winter – all asscociations with the waning of life, the waning year and the waning moon. She is depicted at times carrying a stang or staff of blackthorn wood and often accompanied by her pathfinder crow or raven. Early practitioners of dark witchcraft favoured the wood cut from Blackthorn and tipped with the thorns as a wand – or even as a ‘blasting rod’ or ‘black rod’, used apparently for cursing. The rod would frequently have the ancient Futhark rune for thorn ‘Thurisaz’ scratched or burned into it. Illustration of Witch Burning from The Cambridge Folk Museum . The thorns have been found stuck into witches ‘poppets’, used as pins. Superstition tells us that the devil pricked the fingers of his victims with a sloe thorn and sealed the deals he made in the resulting blood. Because a scratch from the sloe bush was apt to go septic if unattended, it was thought to be poisonous.

Witches burned as heretics were sometimes accompanied into the fire with their blackthorn wands or staffs, and branches of it were thrown in to feed the flames. This may be where the tree gained its reputation for purification, and even exorcism. The starry blossoms were considered unlucky and not worn as a decoration or brought into the house. They were associated with death, probably because they bloom on the bare, thorny black branches at winter’s end. Blackthorn Magic, Charms and Beliefs 'The Blackthorn Fairy' by Cicely Mary Barker * Use the dried wood, thorns and berries in a herbal incense to banish negativity and in ceremonies of purification. If the malicious influences are very strong, burn the incense for seven days at noon and midnight. * Should you happen to know of a child who has been captured by the fairies, go to the top of a fairy hill nearby and burn several blackthorn thorns (seven would be good as seven is the faery number). The child will be released. 'The Sloe Fairy' by Cicely Mary Barker * Pop a thorn or dried berry into your ‘charm bag’ for added protection from negative spirits and to attract positive powers.

* To avoid heartburn indigestion for the year, eat the first three open sloe-blossoms that you find in February. * You may be able to summon The Wild Hunt at Samhain, All Hallows Eve, by taking a quantity of small, thorny blackthorn twigs and sloe berries. Circle the balefire three times and throw them into the depths. Fan the smoke, stare into it and ask to see the chase – if you dare! In the Word Ogham of Cuchulain, the Blackthorn is described in riddles as ‘smoke drifting up from the fire’ and this can be taken as a sign of death. * Add blackthorn wood to the Yule fire to banish winter and hail the return of the sun and the lengthening of the days. * Unburden yourself of secrets by taking three sharp thorns from the tree for each secret you wish to tell. Bind them into bundles of three with a little red thread. Stick each bundle into a shiny, fresh apple and whisper your secret close as you do it.

(As rulers of the 'Dark and Light Side' of the year, Apple is often coupled with Blackthorn in Ogham and in magick). Next hang or stick the apple and its secrets onto the blackthorn tree and leave it there. Faulkner Postcard. Artist GMC 1927 1920's art glassware by Daum of France

Question: What is the fruit of the blackthorn tree?
Answer: Sloe