The Hawthorn Tree

The Hawthorn Tree

I had to choose the lovely little Hawthorn Tree to talk about next, as it is also sometimes referred to as the “May” tree.  And as I write this, we’re about to be in the month of May.  It is therefore also associated with one of my favorite Sabbats, Beltane, which happens on May 1st.  This is right when the Hawthorns are blooming and starting to show their beautiful little pink or white flowers. They don’t really have a good floral smell, but they are so pretty to look at.

This tree is also one of my favorite trees because it is one of the “Magical Three”, the other two being Oak and Ash, which I will be writing about next.  These three trees can often be found growing together and it is said wherever there is an Oak, Ash and Thorn, surely there will be faeries.  So there is a ton of fairy folklore surrounding the Hawthorn, Oak and Ash trees.

Folklore

If you see a Hawthorn tree standing on its own somewhere you can be assured it will be a home of the Fair Folk for sure and if you disrupt or disrespect it in any way surely ill fortune will find you.  As history tells us, the Fair Folk or Gentle Folk, are ambivalent towards humans and have different rules than we do.  Some of them are benevolent and kind towards humans, and others, not so much.  So if you don’t know all the rules or are not familiar with all the folklore, always best to err on the side of caution.  And never cut one down or bring the flowers into your house.  However, with one exception being in the month of May around Beltane.  If you desire to cut a branch off to make a wand or ogham stick or something like that, be respectful and ask permission from the tree and the Fae or nature spirits of the tree first, then you can take a branch.  As the Pagans did in the old days for Beltane. They would often use a Hawthorn tree to make their Maypole to decorate and dance around.  But, according to the “Story Crow” on Youtube, there is a lot of folklore about farmers or land owners cutting down Hawthorn trees to make room for their crops and much misfortune befalling them afterwards. Things like having no crops to harvest, or livestock dying, insects destroying crops, or personal physical illness and even sometimes death. If you would like to hear more folklore about the Hawthorn tree, I would highly recommend checking out the Youtuber ‘Story Crow.’  You can see his video here:

Speaking of death, some people view the Hawthorn tree a little negatively, as it is also associated with being a ‘liminal space’ or in other words, a gateway to the Underworld, or gateway between worlds.  So it can help connect you to the dead or the otherworlds.  However, whether you are a Hedge Witch like me or not, you should not let this concern you.  I think if you want to connect with your ancestors or passed on loved ones, it would be a great idea to meditate under a Hawthorn tree to connect with them.  I am personally lucky enough to have one right in my front yard.  My mother passed away suddenly less than two years ago.  And I can tell you, I do feel her presence when I sit under my little Hawthorn tree.  I have also had the pleasure of meeting the Guardian Dryad (nature spirit) of the tree and the tree spirit himself.  All trees have one or more guardian spirits and they have their own spirit as well.  My tree is younger, they were only planted about 17 years ago, and he is a young male spirit, very jovial and fun.  He smiles a lot.  His Dryad is a beautiful, white haired nymph with flowing robes.  Like the Elder Tree I wrote about in my last blog, you can bring an offering of spring water, or some nuts and berries for the wildlife to a tree, sit beneath it, and journal or mediate and ask the tree and its spirits to communicate with you.

Medicinal and Spiritual Healing Properties

The Hawthorn berries are high in antioxidants and Vitamin C, highly anti-inflammatory and used most commonly for heart health.  As someone recovering from recurrent pericarditis and rheumatoid arthritis, I have used hawthorn as a supplement for my heart health and to reduce inflammation, and I love it.  They can also help lower blood pressure, improve circulation, and reduce cholesterol.  They have also been said to help with digestive issues, like bloating and indigestion and to reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.  However, disclaimer, taking a hawthorn supplement or drinking Hawthorn tree can conflict with certain heart medications.  So be sure to do your research if you are on any heart medications!

You can read more about the health benefits of the Hawthorn berry here:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/hawthorn-berry-benefits#:~:text=Hawthorn%20berry’s%20high%20antioxidant%20content,belonging%20to%20the%20Crataegus%20genus.

You can eat the berries as a snack, but do not eat the seeds!  You can make them into teas, jams and wine, or simply take a supplement like I do.  I prefer to take it in a liquid tincture like I do my Elderberry drops.  A Lot of capsules are made with fillers and crap I don’t want in my body, so I always do hours of research to see what the capsule is made of, or find a tincture instead.  I also prefer tinctures made without alcohol.  So I would highly recommend Horbaach’s Hawthorn Berry Extract. You can get it for only about $10 on Amazon at this link:

https://a.co/d/26OY85k

Thank you for joining me again!  I hope you enjoyed reading about the beautiful, Fairy attracting, heart-healing, Hawthorn Tree! As always, be good to yourself, each other and Mother Gaia! Take any small step you can towards living a Greener Life!  And join me for my next blog on the Oak Tree.  Or check out my other blogs on Green Living tips.  Many fairy blessings!

-AF- The Grove Witch