Hawthorn
The keeper of the gentle boundary
Nature of the plant
The hawthorn grows in hedges, at forest edges and in pastures. It can live to a great age. In May it wraps itself in white blossoms, in autumn it bears small red fruits. Between the blossoms sit sharp thorns. Birds find shelter and food in its dense branches. Since ancient times it has been planted as a living hedge; in Ireland and Britain it is a fairy tree that one does not cut down.
Inner attitude
The hawthorn is tender and defensive at once. It blossoms lavishly and yet knows its boundary. Its thorns are not an attack, but a clear «here».
The essential qualities
- protective
- warm-hearted
- clear
- tenacious
- blossoming
It opens its heart and keeps its thorns.
Meaning
The hawthorn calls when your heart wants to be open without being hurt. It teaches you to stay soft and at the same time to draw good boundaries – lovingly, but clearly.
Voice of the plant
«You may blossom and say no. Both belong to you.»
Encounter & working together
You meet it in old hedges and along field edges. In May, look at its blossoms and its thorns side by side and ask yourself where your softness needs protection.
Pay attention to
- where your heart wants to open
- where you may draw a clear boundary
- where you protect others and forget yourself
The hawthorn works when you are ready to unite softness and clarity.
Essence
I blossom with an open heart and honour my boundaries.
