Awe descend into the holiday spirit, or what is left of it in magical Britain and Ireland, it's important to note the symbolism of these two plants often associated with the holiday. Not the fresh smell of trees in the home or the cheeky thrill of mistletoe but the holly and the ivy. It is thought that the most ancient magical people brought plants into their homes to keep them alive during winter beyond prying eyes, yet at this time of year, we bring in the holly and leave the ivy to fend for itself. Holly, traditionally considered masculine due to it's thorns (though if I were pressed to say who I would consider thorny, it would not be the males) and ivy, the peaceful and intertwined, was considered to be feminine. I have not known many women I would consider either, though both sound better than bloody thorns.
Ivy is an assertive nuisance in modern herbology, but our ancestors saw it as a symbol for family and cohesion against any obstacle. The ivy stands alone, without help, stalwart and strong and ever-growing. Holly is strong, never fading through winter and the harshest conditions and the symbol of parenthood. The red berries, symbolic of blood shed and the white blossoms, symbolic of purity. Strength, blood and purity is something we've seen much of in the magical world, though often in the way that breeds destruction. This is perhaps why the ivy is important, as this is two side of the same coin. Ivy binds things together, even as the holly tears them apart.
And so, I gift you holly to help fight the battles you must fight and ivy, to remind you of the ties that bind and the peace the world is craving. True peace, not the play pretend occurring out there now. May they serve you well.