Elder Tree
elder flowers
sambucus canadensis
sambucus ebulus
sambucus nigra
sambucus racemosa

GENDER: Feminine
PLANET: Venus
ELEMENT: Air

Magickal Powers
health
healing
prosperity

DESCRIPTION
The elder is a small tree or a large shrub
with a height and spread of about 15 feet.

It has oval shaped, serrated leaves and bears large,
flat heads of creamy-white flowers
in the late spring or early summer.

Later, the heads turn to bunches
of drooping purplish-black berries.

This has been a tree popular in folklore tales for centuries
where it is always associated with magic.

HARVESTING
Pick the flower clusters when they are open and the berries
when ripe in the fall.

PRESERVING
Dry the leaves, flowers, and berries.
Berries may be frozen.

USES
The elder makes a lovely addition
to the landscape as it lends itself
to nice visual appeal.

Berries are used in jellies and cordials, and wine.

MAGIC
Branches are widely used for wands.

One must always be cautious to ask permission
from the Elder Dryad before cutting or harvesting
Elderlimbs or leaves and berries to avoid very bad luck.

It is considered very bad luck to burn Elder wood.

Leaves hung around the doors and windows will ward off evil.



SOURCE(S)
The Complete Book Of Herbs
by Lesley Bremness

~Pine Siskin aka JTS~

Pagan Daily News

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