Elder Wise
MIND
Sambucus nigra is the well known European species of elderberry most often referred to in common herbal medicine. A local Colorado variety also grows in the hills called, Sambucus cerulea. Numerous other species exist with berries that come in blue-black, which are used medicinally, and red which will give you a terrible belly ache and are not used medicinally. The flowers are a favorite of pollinators and make deliciously sweet diaphoretic (fever moving) tea and is particular impactful when paired with equal parts yarrow and peppermint. Sun loving, elder prefers moist rich soil, but can also adapt to other growing mediums. The berries are the most wildly used and hold numerous health benefits, including serving as a powerful cold & flu remedy. However, the whole plant is used among many Indigenous communities as remedy for any number of bodily ailments.
“Bringing with it an abundance of folklore, love for rich soil, and versatile medicine from berries & flowers, Elder feels like such a key component within the forests and gardens it inhabits. It’s deep rich black-burgundy berries are packed with antioxidants and flavor, and are supportive to the immune system with strong antiviral qualities. It’s flower clusters look like pure magic, reaching like fluffy, flattened snowballs for the sun. These tiny, delicate flowers overlap in medicinal use with the berries; both are indicated for congestion, inflammation, and preventing or shortening the duration of illness. ”
“The Elder tree is truly a magical medicine chest. Most of us are familiar with the berries, which are commonly used in syrups, and are a strong antiviral, as well as laxative, diaphoretic, and antispasmodic. The flowers are commonly used for their relaxant expectorant action, liver protection, and used in washes topically to soothe the skin and for sunburn or acne, as well as in eye washes for sore or infected eyes. The leaf can be used topically for wounds, bruises and sprains. Elder has a very magical history and has been used in ritual for centuries, especially for protection. This wonderful herbal ally with a plethora of uses grows locally as well! A lovely addition to any Denver garden.”
BODY
Though Elder is true to its name, sharing a long history of wisdom and healing, it is often an ally used for the young. Kiddos in particular benefit from the sweet and gentle nature of elder medicine. It is a remedy my son knows well and asks for even before it is even clear that he needs it. A potent antiviral, elder helps move and clear congestion through the gut. Think of all that mucous gunk kiddos can’t blow well out of their nose; it has to go somewhere! Elder has a protective quality that for me feels like little guardians are running round defending and protection my cells in a very, “Not Today Virus!” kind of way. At the very least the antioxidant rich berries and light bringing flowers bring comfort in times of illness.
“Elder is such a magical tree. I first met Elder Mother in Ireland during herb school, while we collected flowers for a cordial. It was so delicious, I will always associate elderflower with summer solstice festivities. The Celts associated Elder with death and regeneration. It is said this sacred plant can help us connect with ancestors and aspects of the divine. The wood was held so sacred that it was not to be burned or used in woodworking, lest you invoke the wrath and a curse from the Elder Mother spirit.
Medicinally elder, both berry’s and flowers are helpful with fevers, as it is a diaphoretic, helping the body to sweat. I feel almost everyone knows about Elderberry’s immune supporting properties and is certainly a go to for me during cold and flu season. The flowers can be emollient and that is why I thought of making a face wash for this months box, inspired by a recipe my herb teacher Tonja Reichley shared with me (and all of her students.) ”
SPIRIT
Lore and legend surrounding Elder is rich and varied. Known as a medicine of the Faeries, you need only sit with an Elder to understand why. Elder bushes create thresholds and gateways that make one feel as though they could travel to other realms. The wood has been used for wands (before Harry Potter) and as a symbol of tremendously powerful and protective magic. It is associated with the Hagal rune which is a rune of death and release, but as part of a whole/holy cycle of destruction and creation. Working with elder supports one in releasing dis-ease, inviting wellness, and providing the protective space for the work to be done. Plants are all ancestors and hold ancestral medicine, which is certainly true of elder. It is the medicine that shows us the care, calm, wisdom, peace, grace, and ease that a wise and well grandparent might hold for us. It invites strength and nourishment into our being, resistance to what is not us, clarity on what is us. Elder is the medicine of moving from a stuck place to a place of flow! It is an embodiment of moving through the doorways one cycle, to the next. If Elder has come to you today, it has come as a partner in the little healings we require every day that make the big healing possible!
“Sambucus or commonly known as Elder is a revered herb and of the highest order of the magical arts. It’s planetary rulership falls under Venus with Saturn and Mercury. We can see these represented in the different parts of Elder we use and the different actions these parts have. I have a complex relationship with Elder. It was one of the first herbs I used to try and heal myself. The fi st time I left the country I flew to Sweden where I stayed on a small island called Gotland. I got so sick on the plane and when I landed I had a terrible fever and cough. When I arrived in the island I was absolutely miserable. I realized there was an elder tree right outside withfresh ripe berries. With my little herbal knowledge I remembered it could be used for fevers and coughs and that the berries were antiviral. So I took some berries and made some tea. I didn’t realize that the stems and bark can be laxative and purgative. These stems had been steeped along with the berries and I purged quite a lot. Initially I was pretty put off from elder but after I looked up how to properly used use elder I tried another tea of it, this time being a lot more careful. My second tea relaxed me helped with my cough and I soon fell asleep. When I woke up my fever had gone down and I continued to drink more and began to feel A lot better after being sick for so long. It was a great experience, taught me how integral it was to understand how to properly use herbs and how important it is to hold them in respect. ”