Hawthorn Month: Traditions and Customs

The sixth tree in the Celtic calendar is the hawthorn.

The Hawthorn is a small tree with an abundance of foliage, growing on its thorny branches, which is wonderful for garden birds to safely make ther nests. It is known for its longevity and can live over 400 years. In March the Hawthorn tree’s leaf-buds open and pale green leaves appear. These leaves are joined by masses of delicate white flower buds, which open in May to reveal blossoms with five white petals surrounding stamens with bright pink heads. Each flower produces a fruit, called a ‘Haw’ which appear in July and ripen in October resembling small bright red apples which are loved by our birds.

The Fairy Tree:

Hawthorn is believed to be home to the fairies who live in the Hawthorn to look after the magical tree. This belief persists in some parts of Scotland and Ireland even today.

In Celtic Mythology, Fairies are not friendly, harmless sparkling little creatures that live at the bottom of your garden.

Fear of the Hawthorn:

The Hawthorn is a tree of opposites, with several interesting juxtapositions that were not missed by the Celts.

In Welsh mythology, the hawthorn becomes the insidious lord of the giants.

In Ireland, people are convinced that hawthorn should not be cut down, because a person will be cursed.

For European peoples, hawthorn is primarily a Maypole, around which various rituals are performed. Brides add hawthorn flowers to their bouquets so that there would be many children.

In Turkey, the hawthorn branch is a symbol of sexuality, this is not surprising, because this bush blooms in May, when nature abounds and the very air is filled with love. Its white flowers are associated with the masculine in terms of symbolism, and its red autumn berries are associated with the female cycle.

Hawthorn Flowers

Hawthorn flowers used to decorate baby cribs to prevent fairies from stealing children. The hawthorn that grows by the well indicates the entrance to the realm of the fairies. But falling asleep under a hawthorn bush is dangerous, because fairies can take you away to their beautiful and magical land.

Hawthorn is burned in honor of the god Belenus, the Celtic god of the Sun. In this case, hawthorn flowers meant the return of summer.

Hawthorn, Oak and Ash Triad

Hawthorn is a sacred tree of fairies, one of the triad of tree fairies in England: Oak, Aspen and Hawthorn. According to legend, where these three trees grow together, you can see fairies. Sitting under the Hawthorn Tree’s , say, on the eve of Ivanov’s Day or All Saints’ Day is extremely dangerous – the spirits can take you to their place or bewitch you.

Harvested on Palm Sunday or Ascension, the hawthorn was kept in the house as protection against lightning. To make the plant more effective, Ascension Hawthorn must be brought by someone else from someone else’s territory, it is not enough to collect it from trees growing on your own site.

It is believed that the Glastonbury Thorn grew from a cutting cut off from a crown of thorns.

In Celtic Ireland, it was believed that a person who destroyed a hawthorn exposes himself to the greatest danger, since as a result of this his cattle could fall, his children could die, and he himself could be completely ruined. Hawthorn was used during ritual orgies, when the Druids called on the people to imitate the fertile summer.

At the festival of Beltane, young women would hold a twig of Hawthorn blossom to attract a husband.

Protective Qualities of Hawthorn

In ancient Rome, it was believed that hawthorn branches would protect the house from evil spirits. Branches hung on windows and doors.

The protective functions of the hawthorn are associated with the mythical properties of Vulcan, the blacksmith god, the keeper of heavenly fire, which, according to astrologers, directs the higher energy of the mind. The Celtic symbol “chalice” is associated with the mastery of the Celts to work with metal. However, in later myths, the cup is a symbol of the Holy Grail, with which the divine mystery or source of eternal life is identified.

The Celts consider Hawthorn as a strong magic tree, from which wands are made for magicians and sorcerers. The thorns of the plant are used by witches to pierce wax figurines.

Celtic folklore tells us that a woman who goes out at dawn on May Day (May 1) morning and washes her face with dew from a hawthorn tree will be incredibly beautiful.

Hawthorn is a father of Olwen

The hawthorn in the Celtic tradition is the tree of the deity of winter and darkness:

The hawthorn is the father of Olwen, who, due to the heavy large eyelashes that covered his shoulders, was is able to see until he ( like the Slavic Viy) did not raise an eyelash with a pitchfork.

The Celts considered the hawthorn tree to be a tree of forced chastity.

Celtic Hawthorn Month:

Things to Do to be filled with the symbolic energy of this period, you need to do the following:

• add spice to your life;
• wear red underwear;
• weave a sprig with hawthorn flowers into your hair;
• add young hawthorn leaves to the salad;
• wash yourself with morning dew after the new moon;
• light red candles;
• decorate the table with hawthorn flowers;
• meditate on love;
• Eat strawberries.
• The Celtic calendar of trees will continue with the month of oak, which starts in June.

Hawthorn: Born on May 13 – June 9

Born as a Hawthorn, you are constantly bubbling with new ideas, have many talents and easily adapt to all changes. As a rule, your strength lies in knowing the weakness of the enemy. You are good strategists.

Hawthorn in Celtic astrology, in fact, is not what it seems at first glance. Externally and internally, you can be completely different people, which proves once again that “you can’t judge a book by its cover.”

You may live an ordinary life, but a fiery passion and an inexhaustible creative fire burn inside you. You adapt well to most life situations and always look happy and satisfied in the eyes of others.

You are curious and interested in a variety of topics. You can be called an excellent listener, and people turn to you for support in order to get rid of their problems.
You have a healthy sense of humor and understand irony well. You see the big picture and have amazing insight.

The Celtic calendar of trees will continue with the month of oak, which starts in June.