A Hazelnut I throw in the flame, to this nut I give my sweetheart’s name, If blazes the nut, so may thy passion grow, For t’was my nut that did so brightly glow.”

It’s said if you throw a hazelnut into a fire with the question of true love on your mind, how it burns indicates the depth of that love.

Cute huh? Hazels are a favorite of mine, nut and bush. The leaves are the first to change color in the fall and right now the hazels in my yard look like they’re on fire. You know how glowing embers are all colors of red, orange, and yellow at once? That’s what each leaf on our hazel bushes looks like — a bush of embers.

I like the nut too but I’ve never harvested ours. I like to leave them for the animals. Also called Filberts, the hazelnut grows with a stiff and interesting covering that stands up like the decorative crest on a Roman centurion’s helmet. That style of helmet is called a korys and, not coincidentally, the Latin for hazel is Corylus.

I haven’t mentioned this before, but my husband is a biologist. He collects plant lore like I collect words. The hazels planted all around our house, were planted, in part, because of the lore. Hazels have interesting associations. Wisdom for one. The trees contain all knowledge, and their nuts contain all that knowledge in a nutshell. In fact, the ancient Celtic Salmon of Wisdom became wise by eating them. This nondescript fish lived in a particular pool and the hazels growing around the pool would drop their ripe nuts into the water. With each nut eaten, the salmon grew smarter. He also grew another spot.  Salmon are covered with spots so just imagine how wise.  😀 What’s more, all the knowledge of the arts and sciences was thought to be associated with eating hazelnuts.

Hazel trees are thought to protect too.  They’ve been used as anti-lightning charms, and sprigs or bundles of twigs were used as good luck charms, especially good luck for safety at sea. Hazel will protect one against shipwrecks. And, even the mistletoe that grows on hazel protects against bewitching. Hazelnut is a symbol of fertility too – a bag of nuts bestowed upon a bride will ensure a fruitful marriage. Prior to WWI, September 14th  was the official go collect nuts day. It’s said that Nutcrack Night in November was a time for hazelnuts to be eaten by all the villagers. Ooh I feel a novel coming on!

۞>>>>۞<<<<۞>>>>۞<<<<۞

100 Things Blogging Challenge!
For 100 days, I’m posting a little something from my chosen topic of Words & Quotes of Love. There are 69 entries to come! Here’s one for today:

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”

~ Aristotle

۞>>>>۞<<<<۞>>>>۞<<<<۞

author Nicole Morgan’s blog day.
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com
And over on the RB4U website http://romancebooks4us.com our October contest is underway. Lots of prizes. Find those blinking ghosts.  🙂

The Sunset on Summer Fun Blog Hop is now over. In the next few days I’ll pick a winner for my coffee cup full of goodies. Thanks for playing everyone!

۞>>>>۞<<<<۞>>>>۞<<<<۞

>>Subscribe to this blog for all the what’s up with Rose news!<<