That She-Sun energy: I love gorse. Because of its ability to flower through winter, gorse is seen in folklore as a symbol of the power of the Sun.
Gorse is at its brightest now in March and April. Driving through Connemara, you get this yellow expanse that smells of coconut and vanilla.
I have been researching it and its uses and I will no doubt go on a foraging adventure soon. I have seen people make preserves, cordials, meads and it's also used to flavour and colour Irish whiskey.
In the past it was also used as a traditional dye. Dying cloth was considered something of a magical process in early Ireland, carried out only by women; no men were allowed to be present.
Gorse in Irish is aiteann; aith stands for ‘sharp’ and tenn means ‘lacerating’. In Irish mythology, all thorny bushes and trees were considered to belong to the Sidhe, or fairy folk, and thus be under their protection.
Because of its thorny properties it was believed that gorse would extend protective power over the herds. These trees were thought to guard entrances to the Otherworld, and so were thought of as sacred or cursed, depending on one’s beliefs.
It's a bush associated with the Bealtaine fire festival - the deep golden colour representing the flames and the power of the Sun.
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Lots of information from this article gathered from Ali Isaac Storyteller.