In traditional German folk beliefs Wacholder (Juniper) held a status almost unmatched by any other tree. It was viewed as a living fortress—a plant so fiercely protective, holy and potent that evil spirits and diseases simply could not pass its defense.

In German folklore, folk medicine and folk magic the apple does indeed play a fascinating, ambivalent dual role. It links the earthly living world with the otherworldly and magical realm.

If you  walk through the German countryside in late June, you’ll notice the fields and roadsides exploding with a brilliant sun-yellow flower. In modern herbalism we know it as St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum).

When we think of magic, healing or rituals in general our minds so often wander to the midnight hours.

With their jet-black plumage, piercing gaze and a croak that seems to echo from another realm, the raven is one of the most spiritually charged figures in German mythology and folklore.

Germanic name: NAUTHIZAnglo-Saxon: NEEDOld Norse: NAUDRPhonetic value: NTraditional meaning: Need