Ravenhawk's Herb of the Week

Herb of the Week: Yew

This week’s herb is Yew.

Yew(Taxus) Family: N.O. Taxaceae and Coniferae Common Names: common yew, European yew, English Yew, and graveyard tree

Yew is a genus of coniferous trees or shrubs known as yews in the family Taxaceae. There are 8 species of yew, all of which are evergreen. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived and reach heights of 8.2–65.6 ft, with trunk girth averaging 16 ft. They have reddish bark, lanceolate, flat, dark-green leaves 1⁄2–1+1⁄2 in long and 3⁄32–1⁄8 in broad, arranged spirally on the stem, but with the leaf bases twisted to align the leaves in two flat rows on either side of the stem. No tree is more associated with the history and legends of Great Britain than the Yew. Before Christianity was introduced, it was a sacred tree favored by the Druids, who built their temples near these trees – a custom followed by the early Christians. The association of the tree with places of worship still prevails. Yew is poisonous use only with supervision. The fleshy berry is edible, but the hard seed within is a deadly poison.

Herbal and Healing:

Healing Properties: analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiallergic, anticonvulsant, antinociceptive, antiosteoporotic, antibacterial, antifungal, antiplatelet, antispasmodic

There are many medicinal uses for Yew plants dating back centuries. Parts used tips of branches, bark, and berries, Historically, Native Americans used Yew to treat ailments like rheumatism, fever, and even arthritis. The Japanese used Yew leaves for things like diabetes and to induce abortions. In homeopathy, a tincture of the young shoots and also of berries is used in a variety of diseases: cystitis, eruptions, headache and neuralgia, and affections of the heart and kidneys. Western yew has been found to contain relatively large concentrations of an alkaloid known as taxol. Taxol has been demonstrated as being an effective treatment against advanced cases of ovarian and breast cancer, two deadly diseases.

MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Immortality, Rebirth, Protection, Longevity, Change, Divinity, Strength,

Gender: Feminine Element: Earth and Water Planet: Saturn and Jupiter Goddess: Hecate

Yew is associated with death, passing, rebirth, longevity, banishing, binding, communicating with departed souls, Immortality, renewal, regeneration, rebirth, everlasting life, transformation, protection against evil, and connecting with ancestors. It is associated with divination and astral travel, and anything that relates to communication or travel between realms. Yew is burned to contact the spirit of the dead. Because it grows to a great age, it became a symbol of stability in Celtic regions, It was used as the central “world tree.” in ritual spaces and was often planted in graveyards. In ancient times yew sticks were carved with the Ogham characters as tools of divination.