The Apple Tree - Wisdom and Lore

Folk and country lore refers often to the virtues of the Apple Tree.

The tree provides abundant fruit which can be stored for winter use, and has many uses in the kitchen, not forgetting its use in herbal remedies and as a remedy acting on our subtle energies. The Crab Apple, native to Britain, is the wild ancestor of all the cultivated varieties. This is the original stock which the cultivated varieties have been grafted onto. Sadly, the many old varieties of apple are lost to us, despite the efforts of many to save them.

The abundant apples which adorn the tree in Autumn, help us to understand the apple tree's significance to our lives. It teaches us how to give all, in total trust that all will be replenished and to open our hearts to the abundance in our lives. When we give all of ourselves freely and openly, as does the Apple Tree, our hearts are open to receiving more... holding back is a symptom of insecurity and greed.

The message is to value and celebrate all you have in your life. Many feelings of bitterness, irritation and anger result from feeling a lack of worthiness. These negative feelings create imbalance, which can significantly reduce the flow of the life force energy in your body. If you do not feel worthy to receive certain things, their route to you will be blocked, as you have believed it to be. By accepting and being thankful for what you have in the present, you open up your own channels of abundance. The Apple tree is there to give us all help in keeping our trust through times of lack, and teaches us that true power is built by giving, in open-hearted generosity. The spirit of the tree can help those who harm themselves by their miserliness.

Apples are a natural remedy for the heart, stomach and bowels, our main organs of giving and receiving. Our folk memory puts forth such phrases as "An apple a day keeps the doctor away", and not without good reason. The apple's malic and tartaric acids neutralise the acid products of indigestion. A very digestible fruit, it provides excellent baby food, aiding the digestion of other foods.

Constipation can be combatted by eating a ripe, juicy apple at bedtime every night, this also helping to reduce sleeplessness and biliousness. This fruit is not only cleansing to the teeth, but its hardness pushes back the gums so the borders are clear of deposits. To get the full value of an apple it should be eaten unpeeled as its valuable acids and salts, to a special degree reside in and just below the fruit's skin.

The bark of the Apple tree provides a tonic and a stimulant which brings down a fever temperature whilst tightening the tissues and constricting distended blood vessels. The bark contains phlorizin, which is used in its pure form in modern medicine. To use the bark, strip a small area of the tree, taking care not to ring the tree. Boil it in water for 15 minutes and leave to infuse overnight. Dosage is one to four fluid ounces of the resulting remedy, daily.

The crab apple is traditionally cleansing and a detoxicant for both internal and external wounds. It is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and helps to heal skin tissue; hence the connection in our folklore with beauty. A poultice made from the boiled or roasted fruit will remove burn marks from the skin; the same boiled fruit being a relief for sore or inflamed eyes.

The Crab Apple is unusual in that of all the flower remedies, it is the only one which can be used directly externally. It acts on the mental and physical levels and Crab Apple will remove negative impression, for instance after a dirty job, or after a long and difficult nursing task. Ten drops should be added to a full bath, whereas five drops are sufficient for a compress. Some practitioners recommend crab apple when fasting, others recommend it to overcome the effects of a hangover by using four drops every half hour. Wounds can be bathed in it if you believe they are infected with poison which needs to be drawn out.

Those in need of Crab Apple tend to be more sensitive than others, taking in much more, at subtler levels, than their general constitution can cope with. They can sometimes be a magnet for dark forces, which unconscious stress often gives them the feeling of being unclean and in need of cleansing. This can manifest in self-disgust, over-anxiety about physical cleanliness and fear of contamination. The flower remedy can be used whenever there is a poor self-image, especially if it relates to body parts.

An old folk remedy for the cure of rheumatism was to rub the affected area with a rotten apple, and a cure for warts by rubbing the warts with two halves of an apple and then burying it. Pectin in the apple is a good germicide and promotes the growth of new skin tissue, providing a medical basis for the old wives' tale. This type of folk remedy is a form of Anglo Saxon sympathetic magick, which depended much upon associations. It was common practice to write a holy name on an apple; eaten on three consecutive days, this would cure a fever. The apple was considered effective against venom, or poison, a purifier and cleanser, all of which corresponds with the apple's known properties today.

Apples have a long history of use in divination, especially to foretell the future in matters of love and prosperity. The methods of divination are varied and include counting the apple pips; burning the pips after naming each one with a young man's name and watching which ones explode in the fire; apple bobbing; throwing the peel over the left shoulder to see it forms the initial of an individual when it lands; and putting an apple under your pillow to dream of your sweetheart. All these games and folk customs are survivals of much older ceremonies in honour of the Apple.

Many of these customs are performed particularly at Samhain, as traditionally the apple is linked to the Celtic Otherworld, Annwn, where the tree is called the "Silver Bough" and possesses magical properties. Samhain is traditionally a time of the year when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, a doorway between the seen world of matter and the unseen world of spirit, which is the best time of the year to make shamanic journeys, to connect to the dead, the spirit realms, to gain oracular knowledge and healing powers.

The pentagram can be found within the apple by cutting it across its width; the shape being revealed in the formation of its pips. This ancient symbol of knowledge is sacred to the Celtic death Goddess, Cailleach, the Crone, the Veiled One, honoured at Samhain. Verjuice, a kind of scrumpy cider, was also her drink at this time of the year, inducing altered states and otherworldly experiences. Verjuice is made by gathering ripe crab apples, laying them in a pile and leaving them to rot and sweat. The rotten fruit is gathered into a bowl with the stalks removed, beaten to a pulp and pressed through a coarse cloth. The resulting liquid is then bottled and ready for use one month later.

The Apple Tree has close links with the Shaman, the Wisewoman and the Magician and used when undergoing magical transformation or Otherworld journeys. Celtic Arthurian Myth names one of these Otherworlds as Avalon, the Apple Vale, the mythical paradise where hills were clothed with trees bearing flowers and fruit together. Merlin reveals to his Lord the existence of his orchard. It was borne from place to place by the Enchanter on all his journeys. Other legends tell of Otherworld visitors to our World appearing in the same guise as the Shaman, carrying an apple branch with bells on it. The Apple tree also represents Shelter, either in this World or as a place to rest when making Otherworld journeys.

An apple wood wand would be the appropriate magickal tool to use to make Shamanic journeys to the Otherworld. It is said that the Apple is used as a calling sign to the Otherworld that you wish to enter their realm. The wand will help you physically, mentally and spiritually connect to the Apple tree.

Finding the right piece of wood for a wand may take time. Go about this task in a magical frame of mind. There are many considerations such as: do you feel you can cut a piece from a tree, or will you wait for a piece which has already been cut? You can ask friends of family to tell you when they prune their Apple trees so that you can search through the cuttings for a suitable piece. Another way to obtain cut wood without actually cutting, is to contact a local tree surgeon and ask if you may have some or if he will advise you as to when he is cutting apple. If you cut from a tree, remember to ask the tree's permission; hear its answer, and show the tree your respect. As always, thank the tree for its gift and leave your "thank you" gift beside or beneath the tree. In many respects, asking the tree is the beginning of a relationship between you and the tree which is stronger than if you have a piece of wood from an unknown tree and your wand will create more power for you.

Another thing to focus on is the size of the wand, which is determined to personal preference. Most wands are measured to the length between your elbow and the tips of your fingers, but smaller wands are easier to carry from place to place with you. If you wish to peel off the bark, it is easier to do so when the wood is freshly cut, before it dries hard onto the wood. Then again, you might wish to leave the bark on. Focus on what the wand means to you and you will feel what is right to do for you. Apple wood is traditionally good for carving, so if you wish, try your hand at a bit of inspired carving. Rough carving is good to do while the wood is still green, then left to dry out before finishing. Drying out time depends on the wand's size; a pencil thin wand will take only one to two weeks, but a larger one may take a few months. Apple wood takes longer than most to dry out and is liable to split if not done naturally. If you peel off the bark off, drying off is best done inside so the wood maintains its colour. A cool, airy place like a shed or garage is a good place for drying out. If, however, the bark is left on, it is best left outside, so that the wind, rain and sun can season it slowly.

If you wish to work with the Apple Tree's energy, the process can be aided by focusing on Apple trees and working with apple wood, eating more apples, drinking apple juice and the occasional glass of cider, or drying the apple peel and drinking it as a tea. Try cultivating Apple trees from pips for some very special trees with which you are closely linked. Sit under Apple trees as often as possible, get to know their vibration and making friends with them.

The Ogham system links the apple to the spiritual warrior; one who is unafraid to make the journey to the Otherworld and back, one who is unafraid to face death or madness. This is the divine madness of the Shaman. Mad people held a different place in Celtic society. Their madness was believed to be a gift and a rare ability, which link them to the Otherworld, oracular knowledge and meaningful insights. In today's society madness is feared, suppressed and hidden away. Wassailing, for instance; the idea of waking up the tree's spirit so that it could get on with the job of making apples on which everyone so depended, was considered perfectly acceptable in the past, but in today's society, it would be considered quite mad.

So, there is so much more to the Apple tree than first meets the eye. It holds a power beyond its stature, and enhances abilities beyond the everyday, despite it being an 'everyday' fruit in our society. We have lost contact with the tree and the enjoyment of the sight of trees in full bloom, of sitting in an orchard on a quiet summer's evening, and picking baskets of crisp, perfect fruit in the Autumn. Opening your heart to the spirit of the Apple tree is the first step in making this journey to gain the hidden knowledge it holds for you.

There are so many choices that there must be an abundance. As abundance comes pouring into your life, there has to be discrimination and choice. Choosing the path with a heart and the path of beauty helps in these decisions.