All Heal
Druide coupant le gui au sixième jour de la lune, Henri-Paul Motte, 1900
Mistletoe, with its distinctive milky white berries, brings a touch of ancient, pagan magic into our homes at Christmastide. A sylvan parasite that grows on trees, particularly favouring apple, oak, and lime, mistletoe was venerated by the Iron Age Druids because it grew between heaven and earth – neither being sullied by the mundane, nor being too exalted to be beyond the reach of man. It was called ‘All Heal’ because of its medicinal properties, and was thought to encourage fertility, hence the custom that lingers today – of kissing under the mistletoe. It is associated with key moments from Greco-Romano and Norse myth, and is one of my favourite Yule traditions. Here, in this brief poem, I seek to honour this small, but mighty plant.
From Silver Branch: bardic verse, Awen 2018.
Signed copies available direct from the author.
