Mistletoe
Keywords
Birth, Fertility, Health, Immortality, Love, Protection, Rebirth,
Secrets
Historical
Background and Folklore
Mistletoe is a parasitic evergreen that grows on the branches of
deciduous trees—frequently on apple, poplar and willow, but
rarely on oak. Anything that grew on an oak was believed to be a
gift from the God. It was regarded as particularly magic because
it occupied the heavenly realm atop trees and seemed to come from
out of nowhere. When found on the sacred oak, it was believed to
carry the life essence of the god. Because it frequently outlived
its host tree, mistletoe was also a symbol of survival and immortality.
Mistletoe’s white juicy berries, plentiful at Yule represented
the seed of the God/Green Man and the quickening spirit of nature.
The red berry of the holly, represented the life blood of the Goddess—together
they ensured the continuity of life. As evergreens, they both symbolized
the immortality of the Goddess and God. Mistletoe’s association
with fertility remains to this day with our custom of kissing under
a sprig of it at Yule. |
Mistletoe gathered at the Summer Solstice was used as a household
amulet and hung above a doorway to ward-off mischievous spirits. In
Virgil’s The Aeneid (19 B.C.E.) the hero Aeneas gained access
and safe conduct through the world of the dead because he carried
a sprig of mistletoe.
Associations
Element: air
Energy: masculine
Goddesses: Arianrhod, Freya, Venus
Gods: Apollo, Asclepius, Balder, Jove, Odin
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Other
Being/Character: Aeneas
Celestial Body: Sun
Color: red
Gemstone: black pearl
Ogham Character: the blank Ogham as suggested by Graves
Rune Character: Sigel/Sig – Letter: S
Dates: December 23, The Nameless Day (Celtic tree calendar)
Miscellaneous: hidden sources; survival; sabbats: Yule/Winter Solstice,
Litha/Summer Solstice; celebrate the God and male energy/Green Man;
use in rituals for balance of male/female energy
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