Gender: Masculine
Element: Fire
Planet: Moon, Mars, Saturn
Zodiac Sign: Capricorns
Celtic Zodiac/ Date: The Ruler: 8July – 4August
Lunar Month: Ruler of the 8th Lunar month
Tarot: The Magician
Rune: Mannaz
Ogham: Tinne – Letter T
Crystal: Carnelian
Deities: The Holly King, Odin, Heimdall, Lugh, Tannus, Thor
Associated Festival: Lammas (Lughnasadh), Yule
Chakras: Root
Birth Month: December
Meaning: Protection, rebirth, foresight
Type: Deciduous shrub, tree
Grows in Zone: 3- 11
Plant for Bees?: No
Natural pesticide?: No
Poisonous/ Toxic: Yes- use only the leaf
The shiny green leaves and bright red berries of holly are a cheerful and festive sight. Also known by its folk name of bats wings, Holy tree, and Christ’s Thorn, holly is the sacred plant of December. The prickles on the leaves can damage the skin, mouth, and digestive tract of a child or pet. Since the leaves would be painful to eat, however, they aren’t likely to hurt anyone by purposeful ingestion.
A more serious concern is the toxin in holly berries. The toxin is present in the rest of the plant too, but it is most concentrated in the berries. The red berries may be especially appealing to young children or pets, who often like to put things into their mouths. The toxin can cause gastrointestinal problems (stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea) as well as dizziness, a rapid pulse, and low blood pressure. The toxin is especially dangerous for dogs because their bodies break it down very slowly. One of the same toxins in holly is also in chocolate which is why chocolate is also poisonous for them.
Holly berries are used by some for their purgative nature, but it is advised against doing this. Unless you are a skilled herbalist, holly berries can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration which can result in death. The leaves of certain varieties, however, can be used to fight digestive issues, fever, high blood pressure, and rheumatism. Varieties to use include Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon holly), ilex aquifolium (European holly), and ilex opaca (American holly).
Spiritually, holly is a very protective wood, good against evil, poisons, angry elementals, preventing lighting strikes, for protection, luck, psychic enhancement (dreams), fertility, truth, foresight, good wishes, endurance, patience, marriage, love, and immortality.
Holly is hung in the home for protection against lightning, poison, and evil spirits as well as to bring luck at Yule. If planted around the home, as many people today still do, it is supposed to guard against mischievous sorcerers with its sharp leaves and toxic red berries. Holly promotes a stable marriage and encourages love, luck, and dreams. Planted outside of the home, holly offers protection. A sprig of Holly was kept near the door all year long as a constant invitation for good fortune to visit the residents.
Holly is also carried to increase luck, especially in men since it Is a masculine plant while ivy traditionally brings luck to women. Holly is traditionally used to decorate the home at Winter Solstice. It is a symbol of Yule and its red berries and green leaves in the dead of winter symbolize everlasting life. Holly and mistletoe were used in fertility rites to ensure the coming of spring. Red holly berries represent the life blood of the female, while white mistletoe berries represent drops of male semen.
Holly’s association with Yule is centuries old, dating back to the Romans who hung holly in their homes and attached boughs to gifts during Saturnalia and the Druids who decorated their homes for the sylvan spirits. The edict of the Church forbade Christians from decorating their homes with holly at the same time as the pagans, leading to Christians decorating just before Christmas. However, because the tradition was so deeply rooted in society, Christians began decorating with holly during most of December. Old Christmas carols are full of allusions to holly.
Holly is the spiritual warrior of the plant world. It signifies courage and is linked with death and rebirth due to its association with the Holly King. The holly has long been linked to the holly King, a suitor of the Earth Mother, due to its red berries and evergreen leaves that bear sharp points like a crown. The holly’s name is derived from its role as a holy plant, which was brought inside during the Yuletide festivities. The sacred power of holly was celebrated long before the dawn of Christianity. In European Wiccan traditions, the Holly King represents the dark horned god of the waning year. Each equinox, he does battle with the Oak King and loses the fight in the spring only to return in the autumn to reclaim his throne beside the Earth Mother, over whom they are fighting.
Messages and prayers for the dead were pinned to the cloak of the Holly King during the spring battle so that he may convey them as he descends into the underworld. For this reason, holly is linked with the cycle of death and rebirth. Its evergreen leaves flourish in the winter when most plants die and its red berries symbolize the sacrificial blood in service of the Earth Mother.
Use level: Highly Advanced (due to sharp leaves and toxin levels)
Nothing on this website should be taken as medical or legal advice. Please use herbs responsibly. Always consult your doctor before using any kind of supplements.
From our altar to yours, with love from the sea,
