A Wiccan Bible - Exploring the Mysteries of the Craft from Birth to Summerland

Liber ab Planta (Book of Plants—Condensed^1111

many plants which can prevent such suffering and premature death? Perhaps more

importantly, how many will suffer and die because the plant that holds the secret to

their health has already become extinct? Having witnessed the final hours of my father’s

life, I can tell you that I wouldn’t wish death by cancer on my worst enemy.

Although we cannot state that the ancients knew the Yew would one day be used in

the battle against cancer, it does seem as if there was at least a little bit of divine inter-

vention in establishing the plant as sacred. Interestingly enough, plant lore works the

other way as well. Not only does it tell us to preserve plants because they are sacred, it

sometimes warns against their use because they are sacred.

“But Elder be the Lady’s tree, burn it not or cursed you’ll be.”

From The Wiccan Rede

The Wiccan Rede does not say this because our Lady loves the Elder more than

any other plant. It says this because if you regularly burn elder, you are likely to become

very ill (cursed you’ll be). Consider its lore in both the Wiccan religion and older sources:

Elder—Feminine, Venus, Water

English Elder—Sambucus nigra

American Elder—Sambucus canadensis

Primary astrological association: Libra, Taurus

Secondary astrological association: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio

God association: Olocun

Goddess associations: Hel, Hulda, Ochun, Venus

Celtic tree calendar: Ruis, November 25 through December 21. The 13th month of the

year.

Pendants and talismans made of Elder offer protection and encourage one to be

faithful to his or her spouse. Elder berries and flowers are scattered to the four Quar-

ters during the opening of Wiccan rites to call the blessings of the four Quarters upon

the magick that is to be worked. Elder trees planted in the four corners of a property

also lend protection, prosperity, and call forth blessings. But the wood is again and

again forbidden from both ritual and utility fires.

Although the ripe berries are used to make wine and the flowers are used to make

tea, the bark, leaves, roots, and unripe berries are poisonous. It is the one wood warned

against inclusion in ritual fires as cited in both The Wiccan Rede and its most cited

source, Rede of the Wiccae, because it is likely that the smoke from the burning of

elder will cause a person to become sick and might bring on death. How’s that for a

curse?

The religions that currently dominate this world seem to feel as if all living things

are here for our benefit. Now do not get me wrong, Wiccans have been just as guilty of

objectification as any other world religion. We have scores and scores of books that tell

us what plants can do for us and very few books that tell us what we can do for plants,

m WB Chap 06.p65 111 7/11/2003, 5:51 PM