A bit of elderberry lore 💕

…the elder bush is sacred to Holle, the guardian of the dead. This entity has been represented in various ways in several cultures. She is alternately a hag and a nurturing mother. In any case, she is not to be trifled with. The elder is never cut down or burnt without risking her wrath. It is still common knowledge that the elder is planted in your garden to watch over the plants in the area. This hag/mother figure is believed to be a bridge between life and death, communicating with and helping souls to pass over.

For these reasons, people have carried bits of elder wood in their pockets for protection, tied prayers to its branches and dreamed underneath its canopy on a midsummer night’s eve. On All Hallows Eve, when people believe the veil between the worlds is thinnest, surely the old woman in the elder is very active.