Hawthorn - The May Queen | Beltane's Plant Magick

May is one of my favourite months. With Spring in all of her glory, I feel that the plant that expresses the season's fertility at its peak is Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacanthides/Crataegus species). Known as Mayflower, due to her flowering around Bealtaine/Beltane/May Day, she also heralds the upcoming months of Summer; she is the precipice - the gateway from Spring to Summer and her plant magick has so much to offer. Her pretty white flowers (and sometimes pink, depending on the variety) have an incredible, heady scent that is hard to describe until you have caught a drift of it on the wind - and then it is unforgettable. It is often an acquired taste but to me, it is sweet and musky - an unmistakable potent femininity. Personally, I love it.

In Celtic traditions, Bealtaine festivals were held on the first day of the first bloom of Hawthorn and it was used to decorate maypoles, connected with fertility and passion. In Irish traditions, it is thought that the trunk of a singular Hawthorn tree was a portal to the Fairie realm. Hawthorn adorns hedgerows and parks, standing unabashedly strong in her beauty and bringing a sense of confidence and connection to her environment.

Here at WytchWood, I planted a Hawthorn in the Garden of the Goddess around 2 years ago. Like all good things, it takes time for them to bloom. She didn't flower for the first year, instead taking her time to bed in. Her arching branches reaching like open arms to embrace the garden and providing welcome resting places for perching birds that somehow know how to navigate her thorns. This year she is showing signs of flower buds and, Goddess willing, I will be crafting a flower essence from these in the upcoming days.

Common Uses

It is the red berries of Crataegus oxyacanthides which are commonly used for medicinal purposes, a gentle remedy for the heart and circulation, helping with fatigue, palpitations and laboured breathing. Hawthorn also helps to reduce irritability, making it possible for recuperation, rest and healing to take place. Hawthorn is an adaptogen, encouraging our bodies to adapt to a state of balance, working with our bodies for what is best for us, whether this is either stimulating or slowing the heartbeat, .

Spirit Medicine

I have always admired Hawthorn. She stands tall and proud wherever she grows. While her flowers are a magnificent show, she is not showy - she has no need when she has the strength and confidence of herself - and she is always solid and dependable, generously sharing the essence of herself, waving her arching branches in the breeze, calling us toward her beguiling fragrance and medicinal fruits. She encourages us towards stability, to be grounded in ourselves with strong and sharing hearts. She is anchored in the Earth, wherever this may be, deeply content to serve her purpose and share her gifts.

Browse The Apothecary

Content Copyright 2024 VOLVA and Andrea Doran

Important

This post is intended for information purposes only and not medical advice - please visit the terms page for more details . Please seek advice from a medical professional and, if you are considering herbal medicine, please consult a professional Herbalist.