harvesting and preparation

Harvest elder flowers when the whole heads are predominantly open (May/June) and before they start to go brown. Pick the whole head at the base of the large stalk and lay gently in a basket or cloth bag. Flowers bruise and spoil very easily so be as delicate as you can. Lay the flower heads face down on a tray lined with cloth or paper and allow to dry completely. Elder flowers are magnets to insects so expect a certain amount of insect action in your kitchen as they leave the drying flowers. When fully dried, rub gently between the fingers to remove the flowers from the stalks. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark cupboard.

Pick elder berries in the same way, pick the whole, ripe heads and lay carefully in a basket or cloth bag. The berries burst very easily so use old bags/baskets for collecting as they will be stained purple by the end of the process. Lay the heads gently on a tray lined with old cloth or paper and wait until completely dry. When the berries are shrivelled and very dry, gently use a fork to comb the berries off the stalks. Put the dry berries in an airtight jar and store in a cool dark place.

You can of course pick or comb the berries off their stalks when still fresh but I never have much luck with this as the berries bruise so easily and spoil as they dry, not a problem if using them fresh or making them into syrups/jams of course.

 

Organic elder berries and flowers as both dried herb and tincture are available to buy in our herbal shop.

 

 

metaphysical

The Elder tree is prominent in the folklore of many cultures where it grows. Associated with the essence of the divine feminine, Elder is considered a Goddess tree and the number 13 is aligned with her.

 

To me she is the dark one, the midwife of the soul, the dark moon or crone aspect of womanhood, Hecate, the Grandmother, holding all the precious wisdom and healing that is distilled from a life lived deeply. Call on her and she will stand with us at the end of something (a life, a relationship, a habit) to see us through to a new beginning. Her steadfast protection allows us to transition from one state to another safely as she guards us with her unconditional love.

 

She is the dark of the moon where old unwanted things are cast away in order for new and welcomed things to begin to grow in their place. Her domain is the dark of the Underworld, the unconscious portion of ourselves, the shadow aspect even. She stands at the threshold between worlds, between lives, between projects - never in judgement, just guarding and holding the space and enabling us to safely pass through.

 

Her spirit medicine is strong and her Grandmotherly love offers us steadfast protection for when we are lost in the darkness or when we feel out of control. Her physical medicine helps keep our immune sysyem healthy and protects us from pathogens, whilst building and restoring us deep down from the cellular level.

 

Here is a nice link to all things Elder related, both seen and unseen.

dosage and cautions

Elder flower is non toxic and can be taken regularly.

The berries are best simmered in water for a while as in their raw state they can upset the tummy.

Avoid using the leaves and bark if pregnant or breastfeeding.

 

Dried flowers in tea form: 2 teaspoons per cup, 3 times daily or every 2 hours in acute infections.

Dried berries in tea form: 10g of dried berries, simmered in half a litre of water for 10 minutes, 3 times daily.

Flower tincture: 2-4 ml, 3 times daily.

Berry tincture: 2.5-5ml up to 3 times daily.

Add 12 to the child’s age. Divide the child’s age by the total.

E.g. dosage for a 4 year old...... 4 {age} divided by 16 {age + 12} = . 25  or 1/4 of the adult dosage.

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