Sorbus aucupariaRowan Tree
This small tree has much significance for the people of northern Europe. It is associated with the Celtic holiday of Imbolc and the goddess Brigid. Druids dyed ritual garments for lunar celebrations black with the bark and berries. They wove wattle beds from rowan whips, which they laid upon to induce trance. These magickal trees have been found planted around numerous stone circles. At one time this plant was considered especially protective for dairy cows, and British farmers drove their cattle through hoops of rowan to protect them
. Likewise, it was planted
next to one's home in order to protect it, and it
was thought to be bad luck to dig one up. In Welsh
churchyards, these trees were planted to protect
and guard the dead. In the Highlands of Scotland,
using any part of this tree except the berries was
taboo, unless the wood was to be made into a
ritual object. For instance, a threshing tool
could be made out of rowan wood only if it were to
thresh grain for ritual and celebration. A traditional
traveler's charm was a rosary of dried rowan berries on a red thread.
Rowan is
the clan badge of the Malcolms and the McLachlans.
On the Isle of Man, equal-armed crosses were made
from the branches gathered without using a knife
and bound with something red--ribbon, yarn, a bit
of leather. These crosses were worn and put on
cattle for protection. Rowan branches have been
made into dowsing rods for divining the presence
of metal. The berries are made into a wine in the
Highlands (fruits harvested after the first frost
are especially good for this purpose), Scots make
a strong spirit from them, the Welsh made ale from
them, and the Irish used the berries to flavor
mead. Rowan wine is considered an aid to second sight. The berries also
make a nice
jelly.Top
In Norse Magick. This
tree is also considered protective in Scandinavia.
Runes were carved on rowan staffs in the past, and
the name rowan is even said to come from the Norse
word runa, for charm. Rowans that grow in the
crevices of cliffs are considered especially
powerful and are called "flying rowans," much
as in the UK solitary trees are considered especially powerful and
deemed Fairy trees. In Norse
mythology, the first woman was made from a rowan
(the first man was made from an ash), and this
tree saved the god Thor from being washed away in
the river of the Underworld.
TopPlanetary Associations. Perhaps because of this Thor connection, some consider this a Mars tree that is especially good for ensuring virility and protection in war. But most associate rowan with Mercury. For one thing, it is very fast growing (one of its common names is quickbeam), but Mercury is also the god of magick, and rowan can call and banish spirits, help increase psychic abilities, and open communication with the spirit world. Its wood is great for making tools of divination and wands, and its leaves and berries (which have a pentacle on the end) are good for divinatory incense. Top
How It Grows. This
member of the rose family is a native of northern
Europe and becomes a small tree of maximum height
of 65 ft/20 m (40ft/10 m more usual). It enjoys
growing in the mountains near scotch pine, oak,
and birch, and is one of the most northerly
growing trees on the European continent. It is
nicely decorative. Its very sweet-scented
cream-colored flowers appear in May and are
strongly Moon. The more Sun-connected berries are
bright red; they are very sour from vitamin C and
must be cooked before eating because of the
presence of a carcinogen (which is destroyed by
heat or fermentation). Rowan needs another rowan
nearby to make fruit; try planting a threesome. In
fall, leaves turn yellow naturally, or frosts can
turn them bright orange-red. The bark is quite
handsome (this is a good bonsai tree) and is a
good host for lichens. Blackbirds eat the berries,
but deer and rabbits enjoy eating all parts of
this tree, so protect saplings from them. Also watch
out for Japanese beetles, which especially favor members of the
rose family, including rowan. The
rowan is also known as Delight of the Eye
(Luisliu--in the Ogham alphabet, the name for
rowan is luis), Quickbeam, Quicken, Witchwood,
Sorb Apple, Royne Tree, Wicken, Rune Tree, and
Rudha-an (Scots Gaelic for Red One).
TopHow to grow rowan trees from seed: Soak the seed for 24 hours in cold water in the fridge. Then rinse and fold the seeds into a paper towel that has been wet and wrung out. Put in a baggie and warm stratify at 59-77F/15-25C for 30-60 days (check periodically to make sure they don't mold or dry out), then put the baggie into the veggie drawer in the fridge at 33-37F/1-3C for 90-120 days. Take out & sow to germinate--you can time it to take them out in March and sow them outside (not in direct sun). Instead of a paper towel, some people like to mix the seeds with 3 times their volume of sterile moist planting medium put into a little plastic margarine tub or a baggie. You can skip the warm stratification, but the cold stratification is necessary, and skipping the warm will mean less germinatiion over a longer period. Still, you don't need that many seeds to germinate unless you are planting a forest. You can also just sow them outside in fall. This plant likes light, acidic soils (dig in some peat moss) that do not become water-logged. Plant in full sun away from other trees--it does not compete well, although it will manage under the shade of scotch pine. It will grow in the northern part of temperate and in cold areas (zones 2-6, or down to -20F/-28C) but cannot take any heat, so it cannot be grown in the south at all. Once it is established, it is easy to propagate from twigs. General growing info Top
Rowan Berry Jelly
Rowan Berries
Granulated Sugar
Wash berries and remove stems. Put in a large pot and just cover with water. Boil until soft. Mash and strain in a jelly bag or press through cheese cloth.
Put 6 - 1/2 pint (1 cup) empty canning jars into a canner and cover with water. Boil them for at least 10 minutes to sterilize them.
Measure how many cups of juice you have as you transfer it to a clean, large pot. Boil the juice for 25 minutes. Stir in 1 cup sugar for each cup of juice you started with. Boil until the juice reaches the jellying point--8 degrees F above the boiling point for water at your altitude. This will take about 20 minutes.
Prepare lids. Check your package for directions.
Ladle the jelly into hot canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, or the seal will not be good. Make sure there is no stickiness. Put the lid and screw band on and put them in the canner.
Cover all the jars with water and boil for 10 minutes (or 20 minutes over 1000 feet). Take the jars out and let them sit overnight. Don't touch the lids.
The next day, check to see that the sealed lids are curved down. If a lid clicks when you press it in the middle, it is not sealed. Use those ones soon. Store the rest in a cool dark place.
If this jelly is too runny for your taste, add crabapples for pectin. Top
Sorbus aucuparia
Rowan Tree
100 seeds $4.25
Uses in
Witchcraft & Magic:
Honoring Brigid
Celebrating Imbolc
Druid
Sacred Plant
Making Sacred Objects
Sacred Uses
Mercury
Herb
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