Hawthorn Berry Meaning and magickal uses
Also called Haws, May Berries, Crataegus
The hawthorn's red fruit, for heartfelt love, protection and happiness at home.
- Intentions
- Love, Protection, Healing, Peace
- Element
- Fire
- Planet
- Mars
- Zodiac
- Aries
- Day
- Tuesday
- Moon phase
- Full Moon
- Chakra
- Heart
- Parts used
- Berries (haws)
How to use it
- Heart charm
String dried hawthorn berries on red thread and hang the string near your bed or altar as a charm for an open, courageous heart in love and friendship.
- Threshold protection
Place a small dish of dried haws by your front door, or tuck a few into a pouch with a pinch of salt, asking that your home stay protected and happy.
- Beltane offering
At Beltane or in autumn when the berries ripen, leave a few haws beneath a hawthorn tree as a thank-you to the land and the spirits folklore says guard the tree.
Works well with
Substitutes
History and folklore
Hawthorn is one of the most storied trees in British and Irish folklore. Lone hawthorns were believed to be fairy trees, and people would plough around them rather than risk cutting one down. Its blossoms belong to Beltane and May Day, while its deep red berries ripen in autumn and feed birds through winter. Folk herbalists linked the haws to the heart, and witches use them for love, happiness and protection, carrying a little of the tree's guardian spirit into the home.
The hawthorn's red fruit, for heartfelt love, protection and happiness at home.
- Intentions: Love, Protection, Healing, Peace
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Mars
- Zodiac: Aries
- Day: Tuesday
- Moon phase: Full Moon
- Chakra: Heart
- Parts used: Berries (haws)
Safety: The seeds inside the berries contain compounds that can release cyanide if crushed and swallowed, so never eat the seeds and keep berries away from children and pets. Do not swallow hawthorn as a remedy if you take heart or blood-pressure medicine, are pregnant or are breastfeeding. Watch out for thorns when picking.
How to use it
- Heart charm. String dried hawthorn berries on red thread and hang the string near your bed or altar as a charm for an open, courageous heart in love and friendship.
- Threshold protection. Place a small dish of dried haws by your front door, or tuck a few into a pouch with a pinch of salt, asking that your home stay protected and happy.
- Beltane offering. At Beltane or in autumn when the berries ripen, leave a few haws beneath a hawthorn tree as a thank-you to the land and the spirits folklore says guard the tree.
Works well with: Hawthorn, Beltane, Red Candle, Rose Quartz, Tuesday
Folklore
Hawthorn is one of the most storied trees in British and Irish folklore. Lone hawthorns were believed to be fairy trees, and people would plough around them rather than risk cutting one down. Its blossoms belong to Beltane and May Day, while its deep red berries ripen in autumn and feed birds through winter. Folk herbalists linked the haws to the heart, and witches use them for love, happiness and protection, carrying a little of the tree's guardian spirit into the home.
The Witch's Cabinet is a free reference for your practice. Correspondences are traditional associations, not medical advice. Always follow the safety notes, especially with herbs and essential oils around children, pets and during pregnancy.