Elder

I have a funny relationship with the Elder (Sambucus nigra), I love the flowers, love their flavour and have long utilized them along with Elder's powerfully medicinal (and again tasty) berries, though I'm wary of tree itself, aware of it's sanctity. I'm quite superstitious where natures concerned. It's home to the Elder Goddess, a mostly benevolent nature spirit offering blessings through her bountiful gifts, though you must always ask before you take, and folklore tells us that to cut down an Elder or burn it's wood is sure to antagonize her...and you don't want to do that. I don't even like trimming Elder, always offering placations, and never never burning any trimmings. The 'always asking before taking' (and thanking), is something I've long adopted across my foraging practice and has become second nature. It feels only right and proper. It's not just flowers and berries with Elder either, it's been understood since prehistory that all parts of the Elder offer practical uses. Another wonder of natures superstore, or as Naboo on The Mighty Boosh aptly described it...Shamansbury's.