MONTHLY RITUALS

May New Moon — Elder Leaf Greens

The land has fully greened now.

Hedgerows are thickening, leaves unfurling, sap rising fast through stem and branch. The soft brightness of early spring has deepened into something fuller — richer, greener, more abundant.

This month, we’ll be working with the fresh young leaves of Elder (Sambucus nigra).

A tree of threshold and protection.
Of edges, crossings, folk memory, medicine, and wild abundance.

The fresh young leaves hold soft spring greens within them — luminous yellow-greens that speak of growth, expansion, and entering more fully into life.

This feels like the right plant to begin this next chapter of Colour Rituals with.

Over the next two weeks, I invite you to begin drawing closer to Elder.

Not rushing toward outcome, but entering into relationship.

What to gather

• A small handful of fresh young elder leaves

• A natural fibre cloth, garment, or fabric scrap

• A stainless steel or enamel pot

• Rainwater if available

• A notebook or journal

• A bowl, jar, or vessel for observing colour

You do not need to gather everything immediately.
Let it happen slowly.

What to notice over the next two weeks

• Where Elder grows near you

• The smell of crushed leaf between fingers

• The shifting greens of the season

• The difference between new growth and older leaf

• The feeling of fullness arriving in the landscape

• What in your own life is greening, growing, or asking for expansion

You may wish to:

• place elder leaves in water and observe the colour shift

• sketch the leaves

• sit beneath the tree

• gather a few leaves for your altar or workspace

• begin noticing green more consciously in the world around you

This month’s Colour Ritual will explore working with fresh Elder leaf greens through a simple immersion dye process — entering the green world through leaf, water, cloth, and time.

The full ritual and recipe will arrive on the Full Moon.