Stories abound about the dangerous Elder. And there is a story told all over the world, in different cultures and various versions, of the woman who lives in the Elder. Sometimes she is called Elder Lady, sometimes Elder Woman, but my favorite name for her is Elda Mor.

The stories say that Elda Mor is a Wise Woman that has taken the shape of a tree in order to heal her children. She is powerful and she demands respect. If you wish to have her help, you must honor her. If you abuse her, or fail to ask her permission, Elda Mor will poison you.

Elder grows somewhere near you; look and ask for her. When you find an Elder bush, develop a relationship with Elda Mor. Visit with her from time to time. Then, when the elder blooms, go out in the moonlight and tell her of your desire to heal with her magic and her knowledge. She will respond, granting permission for you to take her sweet flowers. Thank her and put up you tincture immediately, capturing moon beams, Elder dreams, and the ancient wisdom of women in your bottle.

The fragile, cream colored flowers of Sambucus species, when tinctured provide a superb remedy for treating infants fevers. Elder blossom tincture seems to encourage balance in the mechanism which regulates temperature. It reduces frighteningly high fevers without fail. Put one drop per pound of weight directly under your baby’s tongue, or slide the dropper alongside your nipple and administer the drops while the baby is nursing. (Measure the drops into a spoon, then take the correct dose into a empty dropper.) The dose may be repeated as often as needed; it is completely harmless. The fever usually begins to decrease within a few hours of the first dose.

͠    Susun Weed