Life flow, Inner Sight & Protector
The magick of Rowan berries! Rowan is one of my favorite trees and I love creating Intention Candles with this magickal berry. I infuse rowan berries into my soy wax to create candles for protection, increased intuition and awareness. She also reminds me of life cycles and flow as she marks the seasons and provides food for wildlife.
Rowan, or Mountain Ash, is a native tree that prefers to grow high in the mountains and its berries are food to many birds, bears and other wildlife.
Rowan’s bright orange clustered berries bring so much colour and beauty to the landscape that surrounds us, her berries holding on long after the last leaf has fallen. Each rowan berry has a five pointed star at its base, an ancient symbol representing the five elements that make up all life; earth, air, water fire and spirit and has been for many magickal uses as protection, bringing on new creativity and breathing new life into the areas that no longer serve us. Its wood has long been used for carving and creating walking sticks, believed to be a sacred tree bringing increased psychic abilities and intuition.
Rowan’s orange berries can be harvested from September to November if the birds and bears don’t beat you to it! I made a necklace this year from fresh harvested berries, threading them with a fine needle through the stem mark then allowing the berries to dry for a few weeks. It has been worn symbolically throughout the ages to strengthen the immune system, as protection, to increase intuition and to connect us to the spirit world.
They can also be harvested and made into jellies or even better, makes a fabulous marmalade, or add their juice to drinks and teas as they are high in vitamin c. The bitter taste of the berries is made more palatable by cooking them and can be very helpful in aiding digestion, working with the liver and gallbladder. They taste even better after the first frost or freeze them before using them for cooking.
Happy harvesting!