As spring slowly turns into summer, a small white flower, with a beautiful scent, starts to bloom and spreads love throughout its surroundings. Elderflower is used to heal the body, celebrate the summer solstice and to cool down the body during summer. When summer ends the flowers turn into delicious berries that can be harvested and consumed throughout the winter.
Elderflower is so powerful that it can heal internal inflammations and flu, can prevent viruses from entering our cells and can heal skin conditions and inflammations (such as sunburn and acne). Using elderberry water daily to wash your face can even help prevent wrinkles.
Traditional use
Ancient cultures would sit under an elderflower bush during midsummers to help them connect with spirits or to receive protection. It has been said, that sleeping under an elderberry tree or playing the flute made from elderberry wood will bring one to the magic land of fairies. Crushed elderflower leaves, spread around your garden or farm will protect livestock and deter caterpillars and flies. An elderberry tree in front of your house will protect it from a lightning strike. In ancient Rome, there was a belief that elder leaves soaked in wine healed snakebites. Elderflower is still even used to this day in blessings and rituals by scattering the leaves and petals into the air.
As it is a very special plant with lots of properties, it is very important we know how to harvest it correctly. One way of doing this is to choose an elderberry tree and connect with it by visiting it frequently, sitting up against it and talking to it. When a connection is established, you can give thanks for the fruits it has given you, or leave some offerings in return for asking for help or answers to your questions. The more time and love you give it, the more you will receive. It is one of the few plants with huge potential to heal as well as to teach and guide us if we learn to connect and use it properly. So please do give it a try!
Practical use
Elderflower can be used in many different ways, however, consuming too many of the raw flowers or berries can cause diarrhoea. Therefore, try the following; fry the petals, use them to make tea, bake with them or use them to make ice-cream. You could also make an elderflower/elderberry tincture by diluting the flowers/berries with alcohol (50:50) or simply add them to oils. In autumn elderberries are great to make syrups and jams with. Elderflowers can be added to a warm bath to rejuvenate and calm down the nervous system. If you are affected by negative energies then you can make an incense spray to protect you and your surroundings.
My favourite use of elderflowers is to make a syrup, which can be preserved in the fridge and used throughout the whole summer. To prepare the syrup, simmer some elderflowers, mint and home-made lemonade for 5–10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the ingredients cool and infuse overnight, in the morning strain the mixture, add honey or agave syrup to taste and then preserve in closed crystal bottles in the fridge. This elixir is very sacred, especially if you leave it to infuse under a full moon. It is a blessing from Venus for a fertile and chilled summer to all who drink it.
If you have any questions, would like to share your recipes or experiences with me, or would like to join me whilst preparing magic elderflower potions, write to me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
