The Apple
With the Autumn Equinox approaching, my thoughts turn towards the harvest, especially the Apple Festival in Greenbluff coming up. Michael and I have a little tradition of going out there with friends each year to picking apples, drinking fresh cider and go on a hay ride or two.
As far as apples go though, I admit that I have not always been too keen on apples. As a child I much prefered strawberries and other softer fruit. I still do not like eating apples raw and unsliced. Living in Washington State though has softened me to them a little. Anyhow with the Apple Festival near, I have been researching apples a little. I am the type of person who always likes to have tidbits of info to share, in and our of circle. This article in the sum of the information I have gathered.
General Info
The apple tree is in the species of Malus domestica of the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the mostly widely cultivated tree fruits in the world. It is also one of the oldest fruit trees to have been cultivated. The petrified remains of apples have been found in tombs dating back as far as 5000 years. Though the modern apple came from a single variety in Asia, there are now about 7,500 varieties of apples in the world.
The fruit of the apple tree is, of course, the apple, which is full of nutrients and can be stored for long periods of time, this made it ideal for winter storage. The apples was an important stable in Europe and Asia because of this (and later in North and South American with the arrival of Europeans.)
The apple has long been valued for its healing properties, I doubt we would say "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" if it were any other way. Modern research suggests that many vitamins and antioxidants in apples can help reduce the risk of cancer (particularly colon, prostate and lung cancer) by preventing DNA damage. There are also some studies that suggest that a certain group of chemicals found in apples might help protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases, such are Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Folklore
The long history of traditions and legends associated with the apple can most likely be tied to the fact that it has been a stable of the human diet for so long. Sometimes it seems the apple is about as polarized in legend as the raven.
- To many Christians, the apple is often named as the forbidden fruit which Adam and Eve shared, leading to their expulsion from Eden. Naturally, this point is hotly debated by religious scholars, particularly since the word “apple” has been used as a generic term for many fruit, including berries and nuts, as late as the 17th century.
- In Norse folklore, the Apple is the tree of immortality. A sacred orchard was kept by the goddess Idunn. She fed the apples to the other gods keep them forever youthful. To the Norse, the apple represented long life, wisdom and love.
- In Greek folklore, Gaia gave Hera an apple tree when she married Zeus. That tree is kept in the Garden of the Hesperides, guarded by the dragon, Ladon.
- In Silesia (now modern day Poland) sleeping under the apple tree or with an apple under your pillow was said to induce dreams.
- In Celtic folklore, the apple symbolized life, death and rebirth as well as healing and youth. It was said that the apple tree was the bridge between the realm of the living and the dead.
- In Arthurian legend, the isle of Avalon (or Avallach) is believed to mean “Isle of Apples”. It is ruled by the Fairy Queen, Morgan le Fey.
- Irish folklore, the god Óengus gave three miraculous apple trees as a wedding gift for the one of the Milesians. One was in full bloom, one shedding its blossoms, and one in fruit.
It was also said that if a woman should peel the apple skin in one continuous ribbon and throw it over her shoulder, it would land in the shape of her future husband's initials. - In Druidism, “tuiloc” (mistletoe) is a sacred plant. Because it was often in apple trees, this also made apples sacred. They also had a sacred apple tree from which the Silver Bough was cut and from it hung silver apples which sounded like bells and could lull because into a trance-like state. It was said that the Druids could make contact with the other world through these trances.
- In South West England the Apple Wassail is a traditional form of wassailing still practiced in some cider orchards, it is sometimes called “howling”. It is thought that this practice originated from Pagan practices as offering to the Gods for a fruitful harvest. On Twelfth Night, men would go to the cider orchards with their wassail bowls and sliced of bread. Bread was laid at the roots of each tree and a cider libation was also poured over the tree roots. The ceremony is said to "bless" the trees to produce a good crop in the forthcoming season. Sometimes certain songs were sung (this is thought to be one of the origins of Christmas Caroling.) A few of the traditional ones are (from Wikipedia):
- Celtic: Cerridwen, Morgan le Fay, Olwen
- Norse: Freyja, Idunn
- Greek: Aphrodite, Dionysus, Gaia, Hera
- Roman: Cupid, Pomona, Venus
- Middle Eastern: Ashtarath, Astarte, Ishtar, Shekinah
“Here's to thee, old apple tree,
Whence thou mayst bud
And whence thou mayst blow!
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow!
Hats full! Caps full!
Bushel--bushel--sacks full,
And my pockets full too! Huzza!”
(South Hams of Devon, 1871)“Stand fast root, bear well top
Pray the God send us a howling good crop.
Every twig, apples big.
Every bough, apples now.”
(19th century Sussex, Surrey)“Here we come a wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wandering
So fair to be seen.
Love and joy come to you,
And to you your wassail too,
And God bless you and send you a happy New Year.
And God send you a happy New Year.”
(Somerset, 1871)
Some deities associated with the apple in legend and lore are:
Modern Paganism
Different circles and families have their own unique traditions too, like Michael and I going out to the Apple Festival each Equinox. I know a lady who buries a few apples each Samhain with her children. She tells them it is to honor the fey and spirits. She also uses it as a stepping stone to talk to her kids about family ancestors and the cycle of life.
There is one thing I have heard mentioned more often then anything else when it comes to the apple and it has little to do with folklore and more to do with the appearance of the apple.
When you cut an apple in half on it's equator, it's seed casings are revealed. The arrangement of these form a five-pointed star. This symbol, the pentagram, is an ancient symbol for occult knowledge and the love goddess, Venus. The seed pentagram turns into a pentacle when you factor in the circular shape of the apple's flesh. The pentacle often used as a the symbol of protection, the earth, sacred knowledge and sometimes the Goddess (it represents a lot of other things too but that is for another essay.)
Magickal Uses
Apple wood is often used to make magical items like wands, besoms, pendulums, wreaths and pentacles. This is probably because of its ties to primarily female deities and many Pagans tend to be more Goddess oriented. I personally use a lot of apple wood because I have easy access to it, I love its energy vibration and it looks beautiful.
Apple blossoms have five petals (again like the pentagram), are white or pale pink and being a flower, associated with female energies. To many this ties them with the love goddesses Venus and Aphrodite, and makes them good for love spells and sachets.
Apples often adorn festive harvest altars along side of pumpkins and corn. Cut crosswise they can be used and natural or impromptu pentacles and representations of Earth and fertility. Of course if you celebrate a particular deity who is linked to the apple it makes sense to place them on your altar. Sometimes they are made into apple dolls. A great tutorial for making apple dolls can be found here.
Apple juice is often used as a substitute for wine in circles, particularly when underage people are present. I see no problem with the substitution, though I find it to be something that is almost only done in the United States (probably because of the stigma attached to alcohol.)
Rituals and Meditations
Recipes
If you have a tried and true apple recipe to share, let me know!
Miscellaneous Tidbits
- Herbalists have long used apple juice fasts to flush out gallstones.
- The Chinese associate the apple with Yin (female energy.)
- In astrology the apple is associated with the planet Venus.
- Apple wood is one of the nine woods traditionally placed in the Wiccan balefire.
- In the modern Reclaiming tradition, (which, from what I understand is heavily influenced by Celtic and Arthurian lore) the dead journey to the Isle of Apples to await rebirth.
Sources
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