Straif carries the shadow’s wisdom. It is challenge, disruption, and the fierce medicine of confrontation. This is the blackthorn, whose sharp thorns and dark fruit mark both danger and endurance.

In folklore, blackthorn was a tree of boundaries and curses, but also of defense and survival. It blooms white before leafing, a sign that purity can emerge even from hardship. Its wood was used for walking sticks and cudgels, giving it a reputation of both protection and force. In Irish tradition, blackthorn hedges often bordered sacred or protected land, and breaking them carelessly risked the wrath of unseen powers.

Straif reminds us that not all trials are punishment. Some are teachers that cut away illusion and reveal resilience. To walk with Straif is to face the storm and know that endurance itself is a form of grace.