Elder . . . .Eucalyptus . . . .Eyebright . . . .

Elder . . . .

(Sambucus nigra) poison Also known as Ellhorn, Elderberry, Lady Elder, and Black Berried Elder. Sacred to the White Lady and Midsummer Solstice. The Druids used it to both bless and curse. The elder was used in burial rites by the ancient British. Sacred to many Earth Goddess figures due to its white flowers. It was thought that witches and spirits lived inside the elder, thus the sap being red as if bleeding blood when cut.

Parts Used: Leaf, flower, and berry

A waterside tree, the Elder has white flowers that bloom to their peak in midsummer (as is also true for the Rowan) thus making the Elder another aspect of the White Goddess. The Elder is also said to be the crucifixion tree. The inner bark and the flowers have long been famous for their therapeutic qualities. 

Magical Uses: Elder wands can be used to drive out evil spirits or thought forms. Music on panpipes or flutes made of elder have the same power of the wands. A Dryad "Elder Mother" is said to live in the tree; she will haunt anyone who cuts down her wood. 

Weave Elder's magick into rites of Midsummer's Eve. For those of you who wish to see the divas on this eve, Elder flowers can be used in the ritual cup or in the incense. Stand or sleep under an elder on Midsummer Eve to see the King of the Faeries and his retinue pass by.

The flowers are used in wish-fulfillment spells. The leaves , flowers, and berries ae strewn on a person, place or thing to bless it. Wood is NOT to be burned as it is sacred to Hecate. Flowers are used for altar offerings. 

Hung over doorways and windows, it keeps evil from the house. Carry Elder to preserve against the temptation to commit adultery.

The branches of the sacred elder are used to make magickal wands for ritual. A person, place or thing may be blessed by scattering the leaves and berries to the four winds in the name of the subject to be blessed. Curses may be effected in the same manner. When worn it prevents all types of attacks.

Elder is one of the best protective herbes, it not only protects your home, but all those who live in it. Elder has a history of keeping your children and pets safe. Elder can protect your home in many ways. You could fashion the thin branches into crosses or pentagrams, hang dried bunches of berries, or make charms of the leaves. It keeps evil from the home when hung over the doors and windows. The berries drive away evil and negativity when carried. Grow it in your garden to protect from lightning and sorcery. Grown near the home it will bring prosperity. Placing sticks of the elder will protect it from snakes. Elderberries place beneath your pillow will induce a peaceful sleep.

It is used at weddings to bring good luck to the newlyweds. Flutes made from the branches are used to bring forth spirits. Carry elder to strengthen yourself against the temptation to commit adultery.

Elder can be used in baby blessings, but only if they have been collected with tradition. There is no more sacred use for Elder than to transport one into the otherworld. A patch of Elder should be treated as holy ground.

Ritual Uses: Before felling an elder recite the following, while kneeling:

"Lady Ellhorn, give me of thy wood,
And I will give thee of mine,
When I become a tree."

This will give the residing entity time to vacate. Especially among some Gypsies, sited as being dangerous, have long forbidden the use of the elder as firewood. However the wood has been used as wands for centuries. Flutes are also made from the branches to call forth spirits.

** Be careful not to experiment medicinally with the leaves, stems, bark or roots of the Sambucus family, as they contain cyanide-releasing substances which can cause severe illness.

Flowers and berries (when ripe and cooked) are considered to be harmless.

Other Uses: A classic flu remedy is a mixture of elderflower, yarrow and peppermint teas. Keep the patient well covered, as the flowers promote sweating. Use two teaspoons of the herbs per cup of water, steep for twenty minutes, and take up to three cups a day.

Warts will disappear if they are rubbed with a green twig and then buried.

Eucalyptus . . . 

(Eucalyptus spp.) Also known as Gum Tree, Blue Gum Tree, Nitens, Stringy Bark Tree. Perhaps the ultimate healing oil. The Eucalyptus genus comprises over 500 species of aromatic trees and shrubs with deciduous bark. The most common species, Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) has a blue-gray trunk, blue-green juvenile leaves, green adult leaves, and white flower stamens. Eucalyptus leaves, scented of balsamic camphor, are used by aboriginals to bind wounds; the flower nectar gives honey; and the oil, distilled from the leaves and twigs, is used in medicines, aromatherapy, and perfumes. The roots of Eucalyptus trees secrete a poisonous chemical, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants.

Parts Used: Leaf, twigs, wood, sap and essential oil

Magickal Uses: Eucalyptus may be used to purify any space, whether preparing the temple or cleansing the home of unwanted energies. 

Try stuffing healing poppets, pillows, and sachets with the dried leaves. Arrange a ring of leaves around a blue candle and burn for healing vibrations. A branch of leaves may be hung over the sickbed or in the sickroom.

String immature seed pods and hang around the neck to cure colds and sore throats. Add a few Eucalyptus flowers or leaves to bouquets sent to the sick

Eyebright . . . .

(Euphrasia officionalis) Possibly Dangerous. Also known as Euphrosyne, Red Eyebright. A Druid sacred herb. This semiparasitic annual extracts its nutrients from the roots of certain grasses found in poor meadowland. It has tiny oval leaves and small, scallop-edged, white flowers with yellow spots and red veins, resembling a bloodshot eye.

Parts Used: Flower, leaf, and twigs

Magical Uses: Brew as a tea to clear the mind and improve the memory. Carry to increase your psychic powers and use when the truth is needed to be seen. An infusion applied to the eyelids on cotton balls will induce clairvoyance. To be effective, this may need to be repeated before results are achieved.

Please be sparing in any use of this herb to the area of the eyes. Although it gained its name as a folk remedy, modern science has been unable to find any benefit by using the herb medicinally, and has been linked to causing eye ailments, flu-like symptoms, constipation, insomnia and aching teeth.

Burn as incense for clairvoyance and divination. Carry when you need to see the truth in a matter.