Ruis
Elder as Ally
Ruis is intoxifying: she is a deep swirling soul of the tree sings out through the exhuberance of her musky-smelling flowers, through the heavy bunches of her black berries, through the softness pithy centre of her wood. She is hag, then maiden, then fruitful mother, changing as richly as the moon from dark to full, waxing and waning, and so she teaches of the long process of ageing, finding nourishment not only in rich fertile soil but - like crow - in the wasteland. She offers us the songs of our grandmothers who have walked the road before us. (ERO)
Oghams of Morann Mac Main: - intensest of blushes, from shame
Oghams of Mac ind Oic: redness of faces, sap of the rose
Elder grows almost as a thicket of its own making, with shoots spreading from the trunk just beneath the surface of the earth. It has clusters of white flowers in early summer, with a deep musky fragrance which are often turned into a refreshing drink, while in autumn it is covered in deep red berries loved by birds. It drops its pointed leaves quite early in autumn to reveal its twisted trunk and framework of branches, giving an air of age and of struggles. Elder is often associated with ‘dark’ places, with an association of death and of retribution. Yet for me it offers a place of acceptance, recognising that we all make errors of judgement. Elder seems to show us a place where we can honour what we have done and the lessons learnt, so giving us the wisdom of the tribal ‘elder’, so that we can move on without carrying guilt or shame. In this sense she offers beauty in relationships, a transforming energy and an open hearted place of renewal and regeneration. (CC)