Cherry

In ancient mythology the fruit of the Cherry tree contains the elixir which gives the Gods their immortality! In Chinese lore it was believed that the magical Phoenix slept on a bed of Cherry blossom to bless it with ever-lasting life. In old Buddhist stories, the Cherry is representative of fertility and femininity.
When the Wildwood was at its peak, or ‘climax’, the dark and inhospitable forest, populated by wild animals, would have seemed frightening to our ancestors. But once a year, in the spring, they would have been cheered when the native cherry trees, scattered through the forest, burst into blossom. The word ‘cherry’ derives from the French cerise and Spanish cereza which evolved from the Greek place name Cerasus, today the city of Giresun in northern Turkey, from where cherries were first exported to Europe.
Our native cherry trees are thought to have originated in Central Asia from where they slowly spread westwards. There is archaeological evidence that cherries have been eaten by our ancestors since prehistoric times, cherry stones having been found in Bronze Age settlements which date back to 2000BC. At least two species of cherry are recognized as being native in Britain, the bird cherry and the wild cherry. And this is where the fun starts – you’ll have to concentrate.
The generic name for the species is Prunus, which is the Latin word for a plum tree. Logically the bird cherry should have the botanical name Prunus avium, avis being the Latin word for a bird. But the botanical name for the bird cherry, which has bitter fruit, is Prunus padus, padus being the Greek word for a wild cherry tree, and the name for our native wild cherry is Prunus avium, avium literally meaning in Latin ‘of the birds’. Therein lies the clue. The native wild cherry, commonly called a gean from guigne, the French word for the tree, is the ancestor of cultivated cherries. Birds love the sweet fruits; they will gobble them up even before they are fully ripe. So that is why the sweet-fruited wild cherry is called Prunus avium and the bitter-fruited bird cherry is called Prunus padus.
If you find a wild cherry tree growing in a wood, look carefully at the leaves. If they are in shade they grow large to intercept as much light as possible. If they are exposed to sunlight they tend to be thicker to concentrate the light which stimulates photosynthesis.
The pretty spring cherry tree flowers may lift the spirits but they belie less attractive characteristics of the trees. The greyish-brown bark of Prunus padus emits an acrid smell, sufficiently unpleasant to persuade our ancestors to believe that by putting it at the door of a house it would ward off the plague. Despite this, in the past cherry tree bark was used to make fabric dyes, ranging in colour from cream to tan, and a reddish-purple coloured dye was obtained from cherry tree roots. The bark, leaves and seeds of cherry trees contain chemicals called cyanogenic glycosides. If fresh leaves are chewed the chemicals can release hydrogen cyanide, a poison which can be lethal for children and animals. Even small doses can cause headaches, tightness in the throat and chest and muscle weakness. Despite this potentially fatal characteristic Native Americans use cherry leaves to make teas for the treatment of colds and coughs.
Throughout Japan, the Cherry, or ‘Sakura’ tree is representative of good fortune, new beginnings and revival. Folklore says that when the Sakura spirits release their gorgeous fragrance in springtime, their gift of beauty and elegance is to be truly celebrated! Unfortunately, the Cherry blossoms only bloom once a year and their gentle, pale petals surround us for a short time. It’s because of this that the Cherry not only represents beauty and innocent pleasures, it also teaches us to appreciate the brief time we share together with our loved ones. Even in modern Japan, the festival of Hanami is held every year to celebrate the coming of the Cherry blossom in spring; family, friends and loved-ones congregate amongst the Cherry trees to celebrate and reflect upon their happy lives together so far.
In ancient mythology the fruit of the Cherry tree contains the elixir which gives the Gods their immortality! In Chinese lore it was believed that the magical Phoenix slept on a bed of Cherry blossom to bless it with ever-lasting life.
In old Buddhist stories, the Cherry is representative of fertility and femininity. According to legend, the mother of Buddha was supported by a holy Cherry tree as she gave birth. The symbol of the ruby-red Cherry is also popular in western culture and the gift of a Cherry tree is said to bring good fortune and future happiness to the days to come!
Magickal In Highland folklore, Wild Cherry trees had mysterious qualities, and to encounter one was considered auspicious and fateful. In fact, in the Highlands it was once taboo to use Cherry wood, as Cherry trees, were regarded as being so magickal in Highland culture. They were also a bit rarer in the Scottish Highlands as the Cherry tree grows best in the more southerly regions of the UK.
When using Cherry wood or any part of the Cherry tree for spells, please note it is best to do these rituals on the day of Venus [Friday] during the hour of Venus for best results.
Cherry stones have been used as talismans to attract love. According to Tess Whitehurst, authoress of such books as You are Magical and The Magic of Trees, Cherry blossoms are for divine love, forgiveness, gentleness, remembering one’s primal innocence, romance, and weight loss, although from my research the only one I find matching would be love. Still, many witches do find new reasons for certain things working for them that no one else has done.
Any part of the Cherry tree can be used for spell work and for incense making [bark], oils, sachets, witch bottles, poppets, and the branches are well-suited to becoming magic wands. The Cherry wood wand is best for healing and love spells / rituals.
Healing
Cherries rentacherrytree dot co dot uk Cherries! ~ rentacherrytree.co.uk
Regarding the Cherry tree, Nicholas Culpeper wrote: “The gum of the Cherry-Tree, dissolved in wine is good for a cold, cough, and hoarseness of the throat”. The gum, I would presume came from within the bark of the Cherry tree, as most cold and cough remedies even to this day, use the bark of Cherry trees to silence coughs due to cold and to help expel phlegm. Not only was the bark of the Cherry tree used in England and surrounding countries during this time but across the pond, Native Americans also used the bark of Cherry trees in the same way. And, I am quite sure they did not consult Mr Culpeper’s writings, although it may be possible that returning Englishmen from North American travels may have passed round the knowledge about Cherry trees and we in turn began using this information for ourselves.
Other attributes of the Cherry tree’s fruit, by Mr Culpeper are the ability to “provoke urine” and also “mends colour in the face, sharpens the eyesight, provokes appetite, and to expel gravel and wind”… do I want to know what he means by ‘expel gravel’? Probably not… it is enough for me to know cherries will most likely make you fart.