(c) 1999, Jessica North-O'Connell
(This article was originally written for Fagan Magazine.)
“The Holly and the Ivy, when they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly bears the crown.”
- Old English Carol
When Mother Holle shakes her quilt, it snows. It is she who receives the souls of the dead into the Underworld and sends newborns into the land of the living. She is “keeper of the knowledge of the hidden places.”2 Her sacred plant, the Holly, is both a shrub and a tree, featuring thick, spiny evergreen leaves, white flowers in the spring developing into bright red berries which remain through the winter.
Holly is associated with the qualities of defense and protection, loyalty to dependants and the vindication of rights. Frequently planted around the home so as to form a natural fence, she is said to protect from lightning and Witches (but we know better! We’re discussing planting Holly along the roadside of our property. And if you have ever had to make your way through a thicket of Holly, you will understand why she is known as a symbol of defense!) The wood of the Holly was prized in the manufacture of palisades, battlements, spears and chariot shafts, being very hard, dense and evenly-weighted.
In the Celtic tradition, Holly is the name of the eighth month of the lunar year (May 16-June 12 of the latter Druid calendar). It is sacred to Lugh, Lord of Light, solar heroes such as Llew Llaw Gyffes, the “Long-armed Spearman,” or “Spearman with the Long Shaft,” (bringing to mind the lengthening days leading up to the Summer Solstice) and Tina, the Etruscan thunder-god. The Celts identified Holly with masculine virility and a defiant life force capable of surviving even the devastation of winter. According to legend, the Holly King battles the Oak King, defeating him for dominion over the Winter half of the year, losing to the Oak King with the coming of the Summer. I have always thought it amusing that the months sit adjacent each other!
“Holly” means “holy,” and this sacred tree of the ancient pagan world was adopted into Christianity as a symbol of “sacrifice” (originally meaning “to make whole”), Medieval legend proclaiming that the first Holly sprang from the footsteps of the Christ. The use of Holly as a Yule decoration likely originated with the Roman Saturnalia, a week-long festival honoring Saturn (the Roman equivalent of Greek Chronos, “Father Time”). Since then we have continued to “deck the halls” during the Winter Solstice season.
I have found five plants of the genus Ilex, the most commonly known being “Ilex aquifolium,” also called Mountain Holly, English Holly or European Holly. As a tree she grows to a height of 30 feet; as a shrub up to 15. She has a smooth bark, green branches and shiny dark green leathery leaves. Medicinally the leaves have been used as an astringent, expectorant, diuretic and to treat fever, gout, urinary problems, rheumatism, arthritis and chronic bronchitis.The berries are somewhat toxic BUT DANGEROUS TO SMALL CHILDREN.
White Holly, also called American Holly, (Ilex opaca) is native to the Atlantic coast of North America. She features a smooth, greyish-brown bark and alternate, elliptical, spiny leaves which are dark green in color. Like her cousin aquifolium, she produces white flowers in May and June which develop into the characteristic winter-hardy red berry. Medicinally, she is a diuretic and purgative whose past uses were primarily for assisting the body in the elimination of waste products. Her berries are a mild poison BUT DANGEROUS TO SMALL CHILDREN.
Ilex vomitoria, commonly called Indian black drink, black drink plant, emetic Holly and yaupon Holly, is a small evergreen tree or shrub native to the southern United States. Her bark is whitish-grey, leaves are leathery and elliptic. She produces white flowers which the female develops into red berries. Ceremonially First Nations peoples used her leaves to make a strong brew after toasting them in a clay pot. The drink was used for various purposes, including Ritual purification which involved vomiting. Her medicinal actions are emetic and stimulant, her leaves producing a caffeinated tea if not brewed too strong (i.e., brewed as a regular tea). As with her cousins, her berries are mildly poisonous and DANGEROUS TO SMALL CHILDREN.
Winterberry, black-alder, brook alder, false alder, striped alder and feverbush are alternate names for Ilex verticillata, a deciduous shrub commonly found in swamps of eastern North America and England. Growing to between 6 and 8 feet in height, she features a bluish-grey bark and elliptical or ovate olive green leaves with a downy underside. White flowers blossom in May and June, developing into red berries which remain into the winter months. Medicinally her bark has been used as an astringent, bitter, tonic, to control fever and decocted as a wash for irritated skin. Her berries (POISONOUS IN SUFFICIENTLY LARGE QUANTITIES) are cathartic and used to expel worms (mixed with cedar apple). Mixed with goldenseal, her bark has been used in the treatment of dyspepsia.
Ilex paraguariensis is more commonly known to some of us as yerba mate, mate, Paraguay tea or yerba. She is an evergreen shrub (or small tree) native to Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, with alternate, elliptic leaves featuring a blunt tip. She produces small white flowers and reddish berries which grow up to 1/4 inch in diameter. South Americans drink her tea in the same manner as North Americans drink coffee. Mate contains less caffeine than coffee and some teas, especially those from India. (Teas from China also contain less caffeine than Indian tea.)
Medinally she is used as a depurative, diuretic and stimulant and some have found her useful for headaches and migraines. She has also been known to benefit neuralgia and insomnia(!) and to relieve fatigue, stimulating mental and physical energy. A delicious drink and nice alternative for those seeking to break the coffee habit......
I recently learned that an oil is also produced from the Holly tree. My friend Barb, a massage therapist, swears by it. She uses it in her practice because it absorbs well into the skin, is non-greasy, does not stain sheets and rarely do people exhibit any allergic reaction to it. I’ll be checking out Holly oil for my own aromatherapy practice soon.
Holly has always been a special companion to me, not the least of it, I suppose, because I was born in Holly month! Years ago, when I owned a metaphysical shop, a gentleman came in with a beautiful set of Runes, crafted entirely by hand from the wood of a Holly tree. They were wonderful to the touch and smelled slightly medicinal, this due to the residue of a fungus which favors the Holly tree, I was told. The gentleman said he would never make another set because he had found it far too challenging as the wood is so very hard. Needless to say, I bought them immediately and read with them on special occasions.
Within two years of the above incident, I received a phone call from one of my former customers (I had just closed my shop). He brought me, as a gift, a lovely wand made from a Holly branch, cut in a grove which he had happened across during a trip to England. With the wand was the story of acquisition, the tale of a holy Ritual told in a hallowed and reverent manner. I was honored to receive such a gift!
Of course, no discussion of Holly would be complete without reference to Ivy, symbol of the sacred Self, the wandering soul and the ability thrive under the harshest of conditions. Since antiquity Holly and Ivy have been paired as a representation of the potency of life. To place an Ivy leaf under one’s pillow was said to cause one to dream of one’s true love, a metaphor for one’s inner Masculine or Feminine self. Holly and Ivy paired may also be seen as representative of the Masculine and Feminine Principles, e.g., the protection of the male towards the creative generation of the female (as in child-bearing), or the protective aspects which guard the labyrinthine voyage to the inner self, the journey of self-knowledge.
I have found two varieties of Ivy: one is English Ivy (Ginseng family), the other is Ground Ivy (Mint family). Therapeutically, English Ivy has been used as a poultice for cuts and skin eruptions. SHE IS TOXIC IF TAKEN IN LARGE QUANTITIES AND SO ARE HER BERRIES.
Ground Ivy was used for cough and lung disorders, flatulence and fever. Once doctors employed her as a remedy for “painter’s colic” (lead poisoning). She contains a large amount of Vitamin C and is reputed to cause hallucinations. She has been used to brew a very intoxicating ale and simultaneously was reputed to be a cure for drunkenness. The Maenads of Greek lore were said to chew Ivy leaves to induce erotic and poetry frenzy. Not the first plant which comes to my mind for its therapeutic value! Please consult with a reputable herbalist before using either Holly or Ivy medicinally!
When we were planning our handfasting, my betrothed decided that we should crown each other after speaking our vows: Holly for him, Ivy for me. My youngest daughter was our “crown-bearer” rather than flower girl. It was wonderful - unique and so in keeping with our spiritual beliefs and ancestral (Celtic) traditions!
For that Special Someone, here is a massage oil to share. Make sure you get a massage in return!
To 2 oz (60 ml) Holly oil (or any vegetable oil), add 2 drops Frankincense, 1 drop Myrrh, 4 drops cardamon and 3 drops ginger. This is roughly enough for two full-body massages. Add more Holly oil if needed. This is a warm, spicy blend which is good for sore muscles and supportive of the digestive process. Frankincense encourages deep breathing and meditation, supporting our connection to the Divine.
NOTES:
1.According to the Druid, the Priestly caste of the Celtic peoples, dryads or guardian tree spirits, took up residence in the Holly tree during the winter months. “Dryads” were originally tree priestesses whose Mystery teachings evolved into what later became Druidism.
2.”The Priestess of Holly,” The Witch’s Book of Days, Jean Kozocari, Yvonne Owens, Jessica North, Beach Holme Publishers, 1994, p. 119
Bibliography:
Goddesses in World Mythology - Martha Ann & Dorothy Myers Imel
The Herb Book - John Lust
The Celtic Tree Oracle - Liz and Colin Murray
The Witch’s Book of Days - Yvonne Owens, Jessica North & Jean Kozocari
Magic & Medicine of Plants - Reader’s Digest
