The Meaning of Maythorn
Maythorn Counselling takes its name from the Hawthorn tree, a deciduous shrub of the genus Crataegus, and family Rosaceae (rose) which goes by many names including Hawberry, Whitethorn, Maytree, and Maythorn.
Hawthorn trees have historically symbolized a number of different things to a variety of cultures over many centuries, but they are especially meaningful in Celtic folklore traditions. The hawthorn tree was considered a symbol of growth, hope, healing, protection, resilience and self-expression. It was also considered by many to represent a doorway to otherworld; most prominently, the world of the faeries. There are many superstitions around cutting, moving, or generally harming the hawthorn tree, as it is considered to be extremely bad luck to harm a faery’s home!
The Lessons of Maythorn
Many different varieties of hawthorn trees provide blooms all year around, showcasing their capacity for growth, resilience, and providing moments of wonder in even the harshest of circumstances and environments. They also provide berries throughout the seasons, offering food and sustenance to surrounding wildlife. However, they have many sharp thorns which gardeners and admirers must be mindful of, as they can provide a real sting to anyone looking to harvest what the hawthorn has to offer without carefully considering its protective nature as well.
The hawthorn tree teaches us that we have the capacity to bloom beautifully under all sorts of circumstances and to be resilient under stress. It also teaches us that we must be mindful of how our protective elements manifest themselves in our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and relationships. There is value to the thorns we carry and the ways they can keep us safe, but so too is there value in celebrating the blossoms and berries we create and share with others throughout the seasons of our lives. It can teach us to consider both the seen and unseen energies that we impact every day in ourselves, one another and our environment, and to respect and honour the sanctity of the natural world around us.
