Witchy Wednesday - Blackberry
Witchy Wednesday - Blackberry The Iconic Blackberry is a perennial member of the rose family of plants growing anywhere up to 9 metres long on thorny, thick stems called brambles which arch and curve in all directions. The fruit itself is dark black colour similar looking to that of the raspberry. What distinguishes the blackberry from its raspberry relatives is whether or not the torus (receptacle or stem) "picks with" (i.e., stays with) the fruit. When picking a blackberry fruit, the torus stays with the fruit. With a raspberry, the torus remains on the plant, leaving a hollow core in the raspberry fruit. The leaves are ovate, double-serrate and pinnate with 3-5 leaflets. Flowers have five petals and the canes are studded with curved prickles. Aside from the fact that the fruit is incredibly tasty and used in a great many culinary dishes, Fresh leaves, bruised can be applied to give some relief to burns, especially from steam or boiling water and is also useful for haemorrhoids, skin ulcers, and eczema. Folklore in the United Kingdom tells that blackberries should not be picked after Old Michaelmas Day (11 October) as the devil (or a Púca) has made them unfit to eat by stepping, spitting or fouling on them.The fruit is especially good for the liver and kidneys, while the leaf acts on the stomach and intestines. The root is used to make an astringent tea to ease diarrhea. As there is evidence from the Iron Age Haraldskær Woman that she consumed blackberries some 2,500 years ago, it is reasonable to conclude that blackberries have been eaten by humans over thousands of years. Magickally use blackberry when casting money spells as it contains properties of abundance and prosperity, leaves and berries said to attract wealth and healing. Blackberry is a powerful herb of protection and can be used for protection from malevolent energies, If twined into a wreath with rowan and ivy, will keep away evil spirits. According to some English folklore, passing under the archway formed by a bramble branch will cure (or prevent) all manner of afflictions including hernia, ruptures, pimples, and boils. Celtic lore said that blackberries were fae fruit and blackberries were considered protective against earthbound spirits and vampires. If planted near a home, a vampire couldn't enter because he would obsessively count the berries and forget what he was about.
