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FLOWERS
Bluebell ~
According to legend, one who hears a bluebell ring will soon die. A
field of bluebells is especially dangerous, as it
is intricately interwoven with faerie enchantments.
Clover ~
A four-leafed one may be used to break a faerie spell.
Cowslips ~
These are loved and protected by the faeries.
They help one to find hidden faerie gold.
Foxglove ~
Name is derived from "Little Folks' Glove".
Florets are worn by faeries as hats and gloves.
Heather ~
These blossoms light the flame of fairy passions and may open the gates between the fairy world and our own. It thrives in wide open spaces, and Faeries who enjoy living in such undisturbed places are said to feast on its tender stalks. The Fae of this flower are drawn to humans who are shy.
Pansies ~
The flower that was used as a love potion by Oberon, a
faerie king thought to have been invented by Shakespeare.
Peony ~
Necklaces made from the seeds of this flower were used to protect children from being kidnapped by fairies.
Poppies
Sleeping in a field of these blossoms is said to bring fairies into your dreams
Primroses ~
These flowers make the invisible visible. Eating them lets you see faeries.
If one touches a faerie rock with the correct number of
primroses in a posy, the way to faerieland and faerie gifts
is made clear. The wrong number means certain doom.
Ragwort ~
Used as makeshift horses by the faerie.
St. John's Wort ~
Protects against faerie spells and
is also used as a healing herb.
Wild Thyme
Part of a recipe for a brew to make one see
the faeries. The tops of the Wild Thyme must
be gathered near the side of a faerie hill.
TREES
Alder ~
The Fey of the Alder have been described as water spirits or as "Dark Faeries". They are very protective and when they leave their trees, they are said to take the form of a Raven.
The Alder is sacred to faery and elf kings. Our word 'elder' (as in 'elder' kings) is derived from its name.
Apple ~
To ensure good harvests, leave the last
apple of your crop for the Apple-Tree-Man.
Ash ~
Known for its healing properties, Druids' wands were made of ash twigs. Also used for protection, placing Ash berries in a cradle prevented a child from being traded for a changeling by an evil faery. In other times, weak-limbed children were passed through split ash trees which were then bound up. If the tree grew straight, the child would as well. Also may be used as a substitute for Rowan in magickal dealings.
Birch ~
The Birch stands out as a graceful, slender tree with a characteristic white bole. The white indicates cleanliness and determination in overcoming difficulties. This tree starts the celtic tree calendar, and so represents the energies associated with new beginnings.
Blackthorn ~
The blackthorn is a wintery tree; its berries (or sloes) ripen only after the first frost. It is guarded by the Lunantishee and any attempt to cut it's wood on Beltane or Samhain would be fiercely punished.
Elder ~
Elder trees offer protection to fairies from negative spirits and are sometimes actually witches disguised as trees. Never lay a baby
in an elderwood cradle or the faeries will pinch them so they
bruise.
Hazel ~
As the Hazel is sacred to the fey, it is said that a wand of its wood can be used to call them. Celtic legend says it is the receptacle of knowledge, and in England the hazelnut is a symbol of fertility.
Hawthorn ~
The Hawthorn is also known as the Witches Tree. Along with the Oak and Ash, when growing naturally together, these three make a natural place where fairies can easily be seen and are known as the faerie triad of trees. The flowers are supposed to "bring fairies into the house". Solitary Hawthorn trees growing on hills or near sacred wells act as 'markers' to the faery realm. It is said that a person should never cut a blooming Hawthorn, as the fey will become angry. It is also said that sitting under a Hawthorn tree in the month of May might mean being lost forever to the unknown, mystic faery world. Even today, in parts of Ireland and Wales, it is a spring custom to braid crowns of Hawthorn blossoms and leave them for faeries, who come at night and dance around them. This custom brings blessings to whoever left the crown.
Oak ~
These trees are safe havens and homes for many varieties of fairies. Oakmen are created when an oak stump sends up shoots. One should never take food offered by them as it is poisonous. The oak derives its Gaelic name, (Old Irish daur, Welsh derw) from the Sanskrit word duir, or "door" and since trees have their roots in the unseen world, they are believed to be doors to these realms. Druids, who worshipped within sacred oak groves, derived their name from this word, combined with the Indo-European root wid, 'to know', becoming the "Wise Ones of the Oakwood."
Rowan ~
The Rowan has long enjoyed its reputation to protect against enchantment. Its name is linked with the Norse 'runa', a charm, and the Sanskrit 'runa', meaning a magician. The wood of the Rowan is used in butter churns so that the butter would not be overlooked by faeries. Rowan berries were often regarded as magickal (their berries have a small pentagram at the point where they are joined to the stalk) and were said to be the food of the Tuatha De Danaan. In Scotland, fires made from rowan wood were used to protect the cattle against evil fairy spirits, and it is said that 'bewitched' horses could be controlled by a Rowan whip.
Willow ~
Folk stories claim that at night these trees uproot themselves and
stalk travelers. The Willow is water-seeking, thriving near lakes and streams. It's wood is used for healing, protection, fertility; and has especially magickal qualities for women.
MAGICAL MUSHROOMS
Toadstools ~
In Celtic lore,
they are among the food of the gods. Some toadstools associated with the faerie are Fly Agaric, Yellow Fairy Club, Slender Elf Cap, Dune Pixie-Hood, and Dryad's Saddle. Some have poisonous or hallucinogenic properties.
Fairy Ring Mushrooms ~
These mark the boundaries of faerie rings
sources: Encyclopedia Mythica, Year of Moons,Season of Trees by Pattalee Glass-Koentop, Tree Medicine, Tree Magic by Ellen Evert Hopman, The Celtic Tree Oracle by Liz and Colin Murray
 
  
 
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