Pictures of wild hawthorn bushes laden with red berries crept into my daily feeds and coincided with the current solar term of ‘Cold Dew’.

Apparently an adage exists that ‘It’s time to harvest hawthorn during Cold Dew’. The 17th Autumnal term of Cold Dew is a 15 day period in the Chinese Lunar-Solar Calendar - 17th of 24 Solar Terms in the Chinese Almanac that conveniently combines both Lunar and Solar markers for Astrological and Agricultural needs. The Hawthorn tree is prized by many herbalists and used in herbal medicine for it’s extracts. As this solar marker falls to Autumn, it’s harvesting of the red berries over the next fortnight. The antioxidants in hawthorn are thought to boost heart health by strengthening blood vessels and stimulating blood flow.

However, for S. Hemisphere readers where the opposing season reigns, the hawthorn tree maybe in full bloom - if you are lucky enough to grow such a specimen in a warmer climate! The mass of white flowers are also known as May flowers and are used for spring bridal bouquets and maypole decorations. Associated with fertility, it interestingly has links to Venus with it’s five white petals, sacred to the Goddess Brigid. Interesting given the medicinal uses are for heart related issues - and herbal uses speak to affairs of the heart.

FOLKLORE + Faerie Tree

Hawthorn is a sacred Druid Tree, linked to the Fire element and planetary links to Mars for those competent in talismanic magic. I’ve written before why the tree resonates with me, as a single wild hawthorn faerie tree acted as a landmark for visitors to my parental home. As road signage wasn’t popular, directions went something like…. look out for the double twisted bend, on the fork of the road with the hawthorn tree on a triangular patch of grass (fire element). Hawthorns are alive with faerie folklore, as the male neighbours who tended to the patch of grass did so with great caution - fearing to ever trim the tree. Folklore hinted to use a brush made from the hawtree in the month of May, will ‘sweep away’ the head of the household! While witchy folk favoured preforming rituals under the thorny shrub. The May flower blossom is also said to be an unlucky flower and to bring it into the house presages misfortune, perhaps linked to a celibacy omen. The leaves under a mattress curtail promiscuity. Yet in magical lore its flowers are said to form part of fertility spells. With folks in Suffolk, UK, believing it particularly unlucky to bring its flowers into a bedroom. Either part of the tree is favoured by fishermen, as carrying a sprig garners a good catch.

Folklore concurs that the tree is a protection symbol as the house where Haw and House resides, no evil ghosts may enter. It is also believed to be a powerful force against storm damage and in a nod to Geomancy wisdom, it’s said Hawthorn protects against lightning. The Hawthorn is indeed sacred to the faeries and part of the fairy-tree triad of Ireland. When the trio of ‘Oak, Ash and Thorn,’ grow together it is said that one may see faeries!

When approaching the thorny bush, do so with reverence and permission from the guardian spirits. Harvesting any part of tree is only advised when the tree is grown in a boundary hedge form (no singular tree). So if you are lucky enough to have foraged some haw berries and - know how to identify a hawthorn berry correctly-keep an eye out for our regular Almanac days posts for ideal Tong Shu and moon days to harvest and store to preserve your berries for tea, decoction or beauty making. Follow us on social media - so you don’t miss out on an auspicious day - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

ⓒ Feng・Shui ・ISM 2023

“ Living eye to eye with environmental wisdom”

— FENG SHUi iSM