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 Strong wind, flood, cleaning, purging, loosening, release, clearing, emptying, purification, cutting, making space, saturnian influence, discarding excess, obsolescence, sacrifice, retreat (time alone), contemplation, sweat-lodge, stripping away non-essentials, weeding.
Summary: A time to contemplate our true needs/selves and then discard, free, liberate oneself from out-dated, worn-out things, attitudes, emotions, habits, people....best done voluntarily! 1
Crataegus oxyacantha
Common names: Whitethron, Mayblossom, Haw, Gazels, Halves, Hagthorn, Ladies meat, Bread and Cheese.
Description and habitat: Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, North America. A bush or small the tree that can attain a height of 30 feet and live to a great age. It had alternate simple, toothed or lobed leaves. It has stiff and sharply pointed thorns on the stems and branches. The snowy white or rarely pinkinsh flowers are usually borne in terminal, cyme-like clusters, they are composed of 5 sepals and petals. Each flower produces a single apple like fruit tipped with the conspicuous remains of the calyxx, which when ripe is a brilliant red. Each fruit contains 1 to 5 bony, one seeded nutlets.
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The timber was used for making small objects, the root wood; boxes and combs; the wood has a fine grain and takes an excellent polish. It makes a good fuel for a hot fire; it was considered more desirable for oven cooking than oak. Charcoal made from it was said to melt pig-iron without the aid of a blast.
&bsp; Black and fawn dyes can be obtained from the bark. The berries can be eaten.
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Like so many of the old sacred plants it is good and ill to bring hawthorn into the house or to cut the bush for any purpose. In some regions of Ireland and Scotland it was considered unlucky to bring it into the house. This act could bring about death of cattle, children as well as deafness to the person who cut the branch for this purpose. However branches were fastened on the outside of barns on Mayday to keep away evil spirits and ensure plenty of milk during the summer.
It is significant that of 210 sacred well in Ireland surveyed by A. T. Lucas 103 of them had a Hawthorns tree in the immediate vicinity.
&nhsp;It was once used to decorate Maypoles.
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Parts used: dried fruit, flowers
Actions: Cardiac, diuretic, astringent, tonic.
Hawthorn exemplifies the herbal principle that plants aid the vital force of the body. This one remedy can lower high blood pressure or raise low blood pressure. It is also a gentle heart tonic.
It contains flavanoids which dilate the coronary and peripheral arteries and procyanides which appear to slow the heart beat. The berries reduce high blood pressure caused by hardening of the arteries and kidney stones, while the flowers improve the health of elders suffering from aging heart and those who have had heart-valve problems. It is valuable in treating angina, irregular heartbeat, spasms of the arteries (Raynaud's dissease) and insomnia of nervous origins.
Both flowers and berries are astringent and useful in decoction to cure sore throats. A good diuretic in edema and kidney troubles.
Note:
This meditation is purely my own experience. I included it here for inspiration not emulation. Because our hearts and spirits hold different visions, each individual will have their own unique experience. --Willow Ragan
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