Neolithic Shamanism: Spirit Work in the Norse Tradition - Raven Kaldera 2012

Elder (Sambucus nigra)
The Green World: Plants

Raven: Dame Elder—Lady Ellhorn they called her once, and I call her that still—is a powerful guardian as well as a healing plant. She is the guardian of the road to the Land of the Dead, as Angelica is the guardian to the road leading to the Upper World. In the spring, she is laden with lacy blossoms reminiscent of the lace on the dress of a regal woman. In the autumn, her berries are as dark as her Downward Road. When I call to my dead, I bring a bit of elder wrapped up in purple black cloth—some dried blossoms, a dried leaf, a bunch of dried berries, and most important, a piece of her hollow stem. It’s said that whistling through or looking through her hollow stem can help you see the road that the dead walk on. I’ve tried both, and I can say that if Lady Ellhorn has decided to aid you, it is indeed true. If you work with the dead, she is a wise guide and guardian.

Galina: I first encountered this spirit in healing work. I do not have any particular expertise in this area, but she came to me once when I was quite ill and offered aid, for which I was immensely grateful. I have found in my own counseling work that she occasionally comes forth for clients who are dealing with immense emotional pain, especially if that pain involves grief over the loss of a loved one. She has invaluable lessons to share in healing from emotional trauma and grief, in processing and carrying on. I have also found that she is able to cleanse away the psychic malaise that often attaches itself to people in states of depression or grief. She is an immensely powerful emotional balm. Many of the Norse healing goddesses, such as Eir, have alliances with her.

Elder is native to all parts of Europe and has been a popular medicinal plant since prehistoric times. It is associated with the thirteenth Celtic tree month, Ruis. The name elder comes from the Germanic names Hylde or Holda, and it is associated with Frau Holde in the Germanic myth of the young girl who falls through a well into an underworld. The elder tree was associated just as frequently with Hela, the Norse death goddess, or with various other unspecified queens and kings of the Realm of the Dead. In contrast to the earlier summertime brightly colored fruits and berries, elderberries last into the autumn and are purple-black. Elder wood should never be burned, as it is bad luck; in medieval days “Lady Ellhorn” was treated as a sentient being who should never be cut or burned. The Danes called her Hylde-Moer, or Elder Mother. When Christianity took over, the story was changed so that elder was supposedly the wood of Christ’s cross and thus was bad luck to burn; it seems that making sure that Lady Ellhorn was not burned was more important than the reasons why. It should never be used for furniture; supposedly a child laid in a cradle of elder wood will be pinched black and blue by invisible fingers. If an elder tree grows on your property, leave it be. If you must cut it to make way for a building, propitiate the tree spirit with vigor.

Elder is immensely protective and is hung over doorways and windows to defend a home from evil, snakes, and robbers. Hanging it in a barn protects livestock. It supposedly has the power to release people from evil enchantments cast on them by sorcerers. Elder leaves or berries cast upon a person or a location are a blessing. Flutes or panpipes made of elder call Nature spirits when played, and a staff made of elder (as the plant of Hela) allows one to see through glamour. Traditionally, green elder branches were laid in graves to protect the soul of the Dead person.

This tree was used in burial rites in many areas of northern Europe. All the way back to the earliest folkloric mentions, the elder tree is one of the two plants (the other being angelica) whose hollow stems led to their use in spells to slide through and visit the Underworld. The difference between them is that Angelica is the Plant of Light, by which those shamans whose alliance is with spirits of Light may safely visit the Deathlands, retrieve things for their clients, and leave quickly and safely. Elder, on the other hand, is the Tree of the Underworld and is the “tube” used by shamans whose alliances reside there; they may come and go as they please by leave of Elder Mother.

Lady Ellhorn is a dignified crone; stern, wise, and a bit critical. She is willing to help with any sort of healing, as long as she is respected and given the kind of deference due to a wise elder, no pun intended. She has very little sense of humor, though, and does not like being made fun of. Be careful to ask before you pick any part of her leaves, flowers, or berries.

Exercise: Conversing with Elder

Find an elder tree and sit under it for a while. The American variety, Sambucus canadensis, is smaller than the European variety, a shrub rather than a tree, but is linked to the same grandmother spirit. Sit by her and very courteously converse with her. Dame Ellhorn likes one to make respectful conversation for a bit before asking for anything, and the first thing you should ask her for is advice. Take it graciously, and then if she seems not to dislike you, ask for her help should you wish to deal with the dead in any way. If she agrees to protect you, understand that her price may be fairly high. If nothing else, she may want to continue giving you advice, and seeing you take it . . . about all sorts of things. As an ally, you can carry some bits of her blossom, leaves, fruit, and stem whenever you deal with the souls of humans who have passed on, and she will give you good wisdom on the process.