Hawthorn

"The key to understanding hawthorn lies in its structure, which is best examined without the enveloping leafy coat. On the one hand, it leads to hardening and densification, on the other to impulsive discharges — the extraordinary hardness of hawthorn wood and the density of the branches are visible expressions."

"Every congestion necessarily leads to an impulsive discharge. Thorns are the plant's “antennas,” through which vital forces are taken up or given off. Another expression of the discharge is the impulsive blossoming. In early summer, hawthorn is densely covered with flowers that, pushed outwards, almost completely encircle the tree's periphery in white. The scent of the flowers is unpleasant, foul and fishy, due to the high amine content. Nitrogen is the main component of air and is the chemical-material expression of the emotional level. Nitrogen-containing substances that smell foul indicate a decomposition process that has not yet been completed. On the emotional level, this corresponds to the impulsive discharge of pent-up feelings that cannot be fully matured."

"The fruits are a blood red colour. There are many red fruits in the plant world, but very few have a colour so similar to blood as that of hawthorn, which suggests an essential reference to blood. Moreover, the fine, net-like branching of the leaf nerves points to a connection with the vascular system. Through its essential trait of the accumulation of vital forces, hawthorn becomes the prototype of a heart plant. For it is the nature of the heart to accumulate blood in order to enable the rhythmic flow of blood."