Mistletoe is an evergreen plant synonymous with midwinter. It has distinctive forked leaves and produces white berries in the winter, which are popular with birds. Alternate names for it are Golden Bough, Holy Wood and Birdlime. It is an interesting plant because it does not follow the same sequence as other plants - you can find immature leaves, mature leaves, green berries, mature berries and flowers on it concurrently, which adds to its mystique.
It is considered sacred because it grows between earth and sky, touching neither, and a symbol of vivacity, as it bears fruit at the darkest time. At this time of year, my friend Terry the Arch Druid of Avebury would collect mistletoe on the sixth day after the New Moon, which would be cut with a golden sickle, and caught in a white cloth. To let it fall to the ground is to rob it of its magic. It is said that during the time of the Celts, all warfare was ceased during the time of cutting, making the Winter Solstice a time of peace.
It is also said that mistletoe is one of the Druid’s three sacred plants, but that they can never agree on which three, which is funny because Terry always said that the collective noun for a group of druids was called an “argument”. Mistletoe and vervain always seem to be named as two; with the third contender hotly debated.
There is an abundance of folklore surrounding mistletoe. Most people know about kissing under the mistletoe; for each kiss a berry is removed, and the smooching stops once they’re all gone.
Because it is considered a liminal plant it is considered to have deep magick, its magickal associations primarily connected to protection and fertility.
Please note that mistletoe berries are extremely poisonous.
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