Apr 11
Apple Blossom Days
"Would God I were the tender apple blossom
That floats and falls from off the twisted bough ..."
~ The Londonderry Air
Apple blossom buds are a welcome sign of spring with their delicate white to pale pink and reddish-pink undersides and their scents of wild rose, jasmine, water lily and honey. Apples are one of the magical trees which form part of the Celtic Ogham tree alphabet, its Ogham name being Quert. And in Victorian flower language, the beautiful apple blossom means represents a variety of meanings including peace, fertility, sensuality, hope, and good fortune. 🍎🌸
One of the harbingers of spring, the budding and blooming of apple blossoms makes for a delicate sign of warmer days to come.
In Celtic folkloric traditions, the other world of Avalon was also known as the Avallach, the Isle of Apples, ruled by Fairy Queen, Morgan le Fay. Avalon was believed to be the land of both the fairies and the dead, and was where King Arthur was taken after being wounded in a major battle to be healed by his sister, Morgan.
The Celts attributed the power of healing, youth, and rebirth, to apples, and designated apples as one of the magical trees which form part of the Celtic Ogham tree alphabet, its Ogham name being Quert.
This tartan, by Carol A.L. Martin, was designed "in keeping with my thoughts of spring ... I started thinking of apple blossoms."