The Celtic Tree Month of Nuin (Ash)

‘(February 18 – March 17)

 

Names: Nion, Nuin, Nin (pron. Nee-uhn Noo-in )

Cosdad Sida, checking of peace, that is nin, ash n: it is the maw of the weaver’s beam as applied to wood: a sign of peace is that. A checking of peace with him is that the ash of the weaver’s beam – Word Ogams of Morann Mac Main – The Scholars Primer, Calder, 1917.

Ash is a tree of interesting mythology and character with a connection to the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids: the first founder Ross Nichols took the name of Nuinn, Ash.

The Ash tree has always been given mystical import and character, frequently being associated with healing and enchantment. In Celtic literature, there are many references to the Ash tree, but in particular it is associated with the Welsh Magician-God Gwyddion, who bears an Ash staff/wand, a symbol of healing and especially transformation and empowerment in matters of destiny. As such, in the Mabinogion, the magic of Gwydion is concerned with tricking Arianhrod to give the young Llew his arms which she had previous sworn never to do, having placed a Geis (or conditional curse or fate ) upon him. Gwydion used his powers of enchantment and transformation to create a phantom army fleet of ships which then tricks Arianhrod into giving Llew his arms, and thus removing the Geis upon his destiny. Llew is later said in the myth to rest as an Eagle in an Ash Tree.

Ash was often used for spear shafts or handles for weapons. Hence Ash can be also seen to be ‘checking the powers of peace’ as above in the Word Ogams of Morann Mac Main. In this sense, application of force to destiny may bring peace through resolution of a conflict – which would be seen as healing. The English name Ash may have been derived from the Anglo-Saxon word Asec which is the name for a ritualistic spear. The name Nuin or Nin, literally means letters in the Celtic languages.

Ash cannot be mentioned without making reference to its related symbolism as the World Tree, which spans between worlds vertically from the waters of Annwn ( the lower world ), Abred ( this world ), Gwynvid ( Upperworld ) and finally into Ceugant. In this manner it symbolises the Cosmic Axis of the universe, as the central column or conduit spanning through the many levels of realms and realities. In this sense, it could be seen as the spine or backbone of the universe, or the central column of the tree of life, with many branches leading into the upperwordly realms and many roots in the lower worlds. Symbolically, it is interesting to consider our own incarnations as individual leaves upon this tree – the leaf that falls and returns to the roots to nourish the tree, in terms of the cycles of death and rebirth.

The symbolism may have come about due to the height of the Ash tree – typically they grow up to one hundred and fifty feet tall and due to its large root structure is a well-spaced out tree. It is one of the last trees in the year to leaf. All these factors may have combined in the imagination of the ancients of Europe to associate this tree in particular with the Cosmic Axis.

In the Norse mythology the Ash tree is known as the Yggdrasil and associated with the God Odin who is similar in some respects to the Celtic Gwydion. In order to obtain the Futhark Runes, Odin is said to have hung himself upon the Yggdrasil and received the Runes in his trance. As such, attuning to the World Tree in this fashion can bring gifts of blessing and inspiration. The World Tree is also said to have three roots: an air root, a water root and a root in Hel (i.e. the Otherworld ). For fans of Lord of the Rings, the Wizard Gandalf is said also to bear an Ash staff.

In The Dictionary of Symbols, Chetwin gives the explanation of the Cosmic Tree:

Cosmic Tree: may have preceded the idea of Cosmic Man. It is related to the ridge pole of the world, over which the beautifully embroided star-spangled sky is thrown. It is related to the world axis and is a symbol of Union.

In the Book of Druidry, Nuinn mentions the association of the Ash and Yggdrasil. p. 38:

The ash tree, with its wide embracing form, especially as the Umbrella tree, played in the north part of Europe something of the same part that the bo-tree played in India: it was the Great Mother, eventually the Cosmic World-Ash Yggdrasil.

The Ash was seen as the feminine counterpart to the All-Father tree, the Oak: in these two trees, the oak and the ash, the concepts of the All-Father and the all-embracing World Mother, found the widest lodging. They are still found by many to be deeply symbolic and meaningful.

There have been archaeological Druid finds of Ash wands carved with spirals in Wales which provides evidence of the powers of the Ash, suggesting that it was revered and employed by the Druids.

Thus the Ash tree is associated with positive enchantment and application of will to destiny, which in many cases represents a healing process as the individual comes into contact with the truth of their own identity and the shamanic wound.

In terms of Astrological associations correlating to the Ogam wheel of the year (as put forth by Graves in the book The White Goddess) – the Ogam Calendar – Ash corresponds to the energies and season of Pisces which is the month of March. Some also attribute the tree to the Water element and others the Air Element. Others associate the tree with the planetary forces of the Sun or the Sun in Sagittarius in particular. Ash trees bud in March-April time which may explain its approximate placement in the Ogam Calender. The fruit of the Ash tree, the keys, can be pickled and eaten in accompaniment with salads. The Ash tree comes into full bloom in May time and is known as The Venus of the Woods.

There is also much folklore and natural magic associated with powers of Ash. The traditional Witches broom or Besom was also traditionally made of an Ash staff, together with Birch twigs and Willow bindings. Interestingly, it is thought that the Besom represented the Hieros Gamos or sacred wedding of energies as in the Wiccan Great Rite and was used in the form of shamanic flight. Hallucinogenic mixtures may have been smeared upon the handle, to be absorbed through the skin of the hands/wrists, whilst the Shaman/Witch danced around with the pole between the legs, as if ‘Riding’ the broomstick into the otherworld, to gain perception of other realms and converse with spirits of the otherworld, this being a form of Astral Projection or Shamanic flight. Indeed the Ash staff used for the main handle may have been so employed because of its association with the World Tree or Yggdrasil, since travelling between the worlds in the shamanic flight could be seen as travelling via the Cosmic Axis into the upper and lower worlds. It is possible that some surviving traditions of Celtic Witchcraft may have been the remnants of the teachings of the Druid Ovates, as postulated by Philip Carr-Gomm in Druidcraft.

In some traditions, Witches were said to live inside Ash trees, in the Germanic traditions there was the Askafroa or wife of the Ash who was an evil spirit said to do much damage. To appease her it was said to be necessary to make a donation to her on Ash Wednesday. In the Greek Hellenic traditions the Melai Nymphs were said to dwell within Ash trees, and it is suggested there was associated sacred rites in this traditions.

In the essay ‘The Initiatory Ceremonies and Priesthood from the text Druidism: The Ancient Faith of Britain’, Dudley Wright (quoting Forling, in ‘Rivers of Life’) speaks of the Ash as being particularly holy in these isles and part of Pagan initiation. He states an ancient world wide belief in which to pass through clefts of rocks or trees had the symbolism of being born again. A folk practice was recorded in Suffolk, England in 1834 where an Ash tree is split longitudinally and a baby was passed through the hole three times. The tree was then bound up and if the tree successfully healed itself – all was to be well with the child in life. The practice was also recorded in several other counties for the purpose of healing Hernias in small children and was performed either at midnight or dawn.

In terms of the Sacred Druid alphabet the Ogam, Ash was included in the first Aicme or Series of Ogams as a Chieftan tree. There are several arrangements of Ogams – some attribute the Ash to the Five branched ogam (BLF arrangement) whilst others attribute it to the three branched ogam (BLN arrangement ). Typically, the Ash more frequently appears in the texts as the five branched Ogam, which may follow since appearance of clusters of Ash leaves would symbolically look more like the five branched Ogam.
Ancient Ireland was said to have five sacred trees in the Dindesenchas, the Lore of Places; three of these sacred trees were ashes: Daithi, Eo Munga and Tortie. Unfortunately, during Roman-Christian times these trees were felled and lost.

In terms of Natural Magic, small crosses of ash wood carried upon the person were said to prevent them from drowning whilst at sea. The use of Ash Keys is generally thought to be protective against negative sorceries. Ash Wands are thought to have been used for the raising and directing of healing energies and enchantments. Ash leaves placed under the pillow before sleep were thought to bring prophetic dreams or were placed in water containers since it was thought the leaves fought off illness.

Another use of the tree was for the curing of lameness, swellings in cattle and general pains – which were thought to be caused by a shrew running over them. Thus a shrew would be thrust deep into a hole bored in an Ash tree, and plugged up. It was then thought that any animal or person who was brushed or asperged with leaves from that particular tree would be cured. In Richmond Park in London, in the mid-19th century such a shrew ash was widely visited with the intention of healing children of whooping cough and other ailments.

It was also a folklore tradition that Snakes could not bear to be near an Ash tree or a wood cut from an Ash. In Irish folklore if shadows were cast upon crops by Ash trees, it was though the crops would be ruined. At many of the sacred wells in Ireland, Ash stumps have been found, which suggest its association with healing/wishing well and well dressing traditions.

Ash trees were also thought in northern England to cure rickets and warts. One Celtic tradition states that Ash trees originated in the underworld Annwn or in the underworld sea realm, Tethys.

There is a well-known English folklore verse which predicts how much rain there will be in spring from the dates when the Oak and Ash trees bud:

Oak before Ash we are in for a splash
Ash before Oak we are in for a soak.

Another verse, associates Ashes with the ability to draw lightning:

Avoid the Ash,
It Draws the Flash.

References:
The Book of Druidry – Ross Nichols
Druid Source Book – John Matthews
Ogam – Paul Rhys Mountford
Encylopedia of Natural Magic – John Michael Greer
Magical Herbalism – Scott Cunningham
The Mabinogion – Jeffrey Gantz (Translator)
The White Goddess – Robert Graves
Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore – Jacqueline Simpson & Steve Roud
The Dictionary of Symbols – Tom Chetwin
Druidcraft – The Magic of Wicca & Druidry – Philip Carr-Gomm
The Western Mysteries – David Allen Hulse

Published on The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids

Introduction to Ogham – 4th. Aicme

 

Ailm (AHL-m)              Silver Fir (Abies spp.)

Ailm (AHL-m) elm * In Ireland Ailm refers to the elm (Ulmus procera) which grows all
over Ireland.

The Silver Fir is known as the Birth Tree. It was the original Christmas tree from central Europe. The needles are burned at childbirth to bless and protect the mother and baby.

Burn Silver Fir for Happiness; Harmony; Peace; Inspiration; and Wisdom.

To a witch, the cones, warn of wet weather and foretells when a dry season approaches. Its
cones respond to the environment by opening with the sun and closing with rain.

It offers a clear perception of the present and the future, its wood is used for shape-shifting
and magic involving change.

 

 

Onn (UHN) Furze, or Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

Onn (UHN), furze – Furze, or gorse, is a thorny shrub growing to six feet tall. It grows in heaths, moors, pastures, and open woodlands. It produces bright yellow flowers around the time of the spring equinox, which were very popular in pagan fertility rituals throughout Europe and the British Isles for many centuries. It is not often cultivated in North America, but is a serious weed in central California and some other areas.

Furze is a member of the Pea family (Fabaceae, or Leguminosae)

Furze/Gorse is associated with the Spring Equinox. Furze is a symbol of fertility and has the magickal uses of protection and money. Furze is a good herb to use as a protection against evil. In Wales hedges of the prickly Gorse are used to protect the home against dark fairies, which cannot penetrate the hedge.

Furze indicates a time of life changing events through the acquisition of knowledge.

 

Úr (OO-r)                                    Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

Ura (OO-rah), heather – Heather is a shrub growing to six feet. It is a major component of
the vegetation type called “heath”, the source of the term “heathen”. It is evergreen, and
produces bell-shaped pinkish flowers in the late summer.

There are a number of other plants called “heath” or “heather” in the genera Erica, Phyllodoce, and Cassiope, relatives of Calluna, and are similar in appearance. Calluna is cultivated in North America with several Erica species from other parts of the world.

Heather is a member of the Heath family (Ericaceae).

A tea made from the leaves of the Heather was used as an aphrodisiac. Heather is sometimes carried as protection against rape and violent crime.

Heather is one of the Fairy flowers, and is said to light the flame of fae passions, and may
open the portals between the fae world and the human realm.

Make an offering of Heather on “Beltane” eve to attract faeries to your garden. It is the Midsummer Tree of the Summer Solstice. When it’s burned with fern, heather will attract rain.

 

Eadha (EH-yah)                              Poplar (Populus tremula)

Eadha (EH-yuh), poplar – The aspen grows to 65 feet along rivers. It sprouts from the base
and may form clumps or thickets. The black poplar (Populus nigra L.) reaches 100 feet in
sandy and gravely soil along rivers. The white poplar (Populus Alba L.) is of similar size
and habitat, but is more common in southern Europe. Both species are cultivated in North
America (the “Lombardy poplar” is a form of black poplar). The North American aspen
(P. tremuloides) is very similar to the European aspen. Poplars are members of the Willow
family (Salicaceae).

Poplar is commonly referred to as the talking, whispering and quivering tree. In Irish Gaelic, it is known as “Crann Critheac”, the quivering tree. It is a keeper of language, but it can keep no secrets.

Poplar was used by the ancients to make shields; it is believed to have the power to protect
from death and injury.

 

Iodhadh (EE-yoh)             Yew (Taxus baccata)

Idho (EE-yoh), iodho (EE-woh), yew – The yew is a slow-growing conifer, living as long as
1000 years and reaching 65 feet, they are known for their strength and resistance to the
cold. It is much less common in recent times because of overharvesting (it’s hard, springy
wood was the source of English longbows). The evergreen needles are very broad, and the
seeds are produced in red, berry-like cones. Yew is in the Yew family (Taxaceae).

The Yew is regarded as a natural emblem of everlasting life.

In Irish mythology, the yew is one of the five sacred trees brought from the Otherworld at
the division of the land into five parts. Known as the Tree of Ross, it was said to be the
“offspring of the tree that is in Paradise”, and it brought lasting plenty to Ireland. In the
Brehon Laws, it is named as one of the Seven Chieftain Trees, with heavy penalties for
felling one.

Staves of yew were kept in pagan graveyards in Ireland where they were used for measuring corpses and graves (taking ones measure).

In the bardic schools, poets used staves of yew to help them memorize long incantations. It
is said that the poet “Cesarn” cut (the words) in Ogham into 4 rods of yew. Each was 24′
long and had 8 sides.

In “The Wooing of Etaine”, the beautiful heroine was abducted from her husband, Eochaid, who searched for her for a year and a day to no avail. Finally, he sought the help of his druid, Dallan, who made four rods of yew and inscribed them with Ogham. Through this means he discovered that Etaine was in the sidh of Bri Leith, with the faery king, Midir.

Yew is one of the nine sacred trees for kindling Beltane fires.

Introduction to Ogham – Third Aicme

 

Muin (MUHN)                    vine (Rubus fruticosa)

Muin (MUHN, like “foot”), blackberry* In Ireland Muin refers to the Bramble or Blackberry shrub, which grows wild along every hedgerow in Ireland it has a prickly spreading vine system and fruits in September a rich fruity wine can be made from the fruits.

The Vine is considered one of the Chieftain trees of the Ogham. Its attributes involve Inner
development. Vine is considered a tree of reincarnation and eternal life due to the spiraling
pattern of its growth. The Blackberry vine is often used in healing and money spells.

 

Gort (GORT)                Ivy (Hedera helix)

Gort (GORT), ivy – Ivy is also a vine, growing to 100 feet long in beech woods and around
human habitations, where it is widely planted as a ground cover. Ivy produces greenish
flowers before Samhain on short, vertical shrubby branches.

The leaves of these flowering branches lack the characteristic lobes of the leaves of the rest
of the plant. Like holly, ivy is evergreen, its dark green leaves striking in the bare forests of
midwinter. Ivy is widely cultivated in North America.

It is a member of the Ginseng family (Araliaceae).

The Greek God of Wine, “Bacchus”, wore a crown of ivy.

Ivy is the plant badge of the Gordons who originated in the lowlands of Scotland. The Greeks and Druid priests gave newlyweds wreaths of ivy to confer a blessing of strength and eternal love. Bards were presented Ivy crowns for their festivals (Eistedfods).

Ivy invokes protection when planted on or near a house. Ivy is equated with fidelity and is
woven into marriage wreaths. It is also used in charms to bind luck, love, and fidelity to your person.

 

nGéatal (NYEH-dl)           Reed (Phragmites australis)

Ngetal (NYEH-tl), reed – The term “reed” is used with great imprecision in North America,
but it is clear that the reed of the Ogham is the common reed (Phragmites australis). This is a giant grass, with stems as high as 12 feet. It grows in marshy areas, where it often forms dense stands.

The vertical stems live only a single year, dying in the autumn and being replaced with new
green shoots in the spring. The dead stems rattle and whisper in late autumn winds.

In North America it is widespread in cooler climates. Common reed is in the Grass family
(Poaceae, or Gramineae).

 

Reed indicates direct action, and finding direction and meanings for the purpose of your
journey. The Reed is symbolic of music, bagpipes and flutes.

A broken reed is the symbol of all that is untrustworthy, for it shows something that is
rigid and inflexible. Reed is associated with the salmon of wisdom and most waterfowl.
Cut Reeds were used as pens and symbolized wisdom and scholarship.

 

Straif (STRAHF)                Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)

Straif (STRAHF), blackthorn – The blackthorn is a relative of cherries and plums, and is the source of the sloe fruit. The fruit has been used for centuries to make a potent alcohol that was drunk during Pagan rituals in Eastern Europe, and in British Isles.

It is a thorny shrub growing to 12 feet, often forming thickets on south-facing slopes. The
blue-black fruits are edible, but bitter until after the first frost. Blackthorns are seldom
cultivated in North America. They are members of the Rose family (Rosaceae).

Blackthorn is depicted in many fairy tales throughout Europe as a tree of ill omen. A long hard winter is referred to as a Blackthorn Winter.

It is a sacred tree to the Dark, or Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, and represents the Waning and Dark Moons. Blackthorn is known as “the increaser and keeper of dark secrets”.

The tree is linked with warfare, wounding and death, associated with the Scottish Cailleach
– the Crone of Death, and the Irish Morrigan. In Scotland, winter begins when the Cailleach (also the Goddess of winter) strikes the ground with Her Blackthorn staff.

A black rod is a Blackthorn wand with fixed thorns on the end, used to cause harm to others. In British folklore, a witch will use a Blackthorn stang in rituals of cursing. The sharp thorns were reputedly used by English witches to pierce poppets in their curses, called the “pins of slumber”.

In South Devon folklore in England, witches and heretics were burned on Blackthorn pyres. The Devil was said, in medieval times, to prick his follower’s fingers with the thorn of a Blackthorn tree.

The Irish cudgel is called a “bata”, or more popularly, a shillelagh. The shillelagh is usually made from Blackthorn.

In England Witches would carve the Norse rune “Thorn” on a Blackthorn stave for protection.

Blackthorn often topped the Maypole entwined with Hawthorn, and is called “Mother of the Woods”.

 

Ruis (RWEESH)                       Elder (Sambucus nigra)

Ruis (RWEESH), elder: The common elder is a shrub growing to 30 feet in damp clearings,
along the edge of woods, and especially near habitations. Elders are grown for their blackish berries, which are used for preserves and wine. The leaf scars have the shape of a crescent moon. Elder branches have broad spongy pith in their centers, much like the marrow of long bones, and an elder branch stripped of its bark is very bone-like. Common elders are seldom seen in cultivation. Elders are in the Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae).

Elder is sacred to the Celtic White Lady and the Summer Solstice. The Elder is a tree of Venus and is associated with the element of Air.

Early European legends tell of a dryad called Hylde-moer, The Elder Tree Mother, who lives in the Elder tree and watches over it. Should the tree be chopped down and furniture made of the wood, Hylde-moer would follow her property and haunt the owners.

Elder as a Vampire protection is older folklore than the lore about garlic.

It is said in Irish folklore that it is Elder which is used by witches for their magic “hobby
horses” and besoms.

The Elder is also seen in a negative light by the Christian religion, since Judas allegedly hanged himself from an Elder tree and the cross used to crucify Jesus was supposed to be made of Elder.

According to the Rede; Elder is the Lady’s Tree, burn it not or cursed ye be!

Second Aicme

 

hÚath (OO-ah)      Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)

Huath (HOO-ah), hawthorn – Like willows, hawthorns have many species in Europe, and they are not always easy to tell apart. All are thorny shrubs in the Rose family (Rosaceae), and most have whitish or pinkish flowers. The common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
and midland hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) are both widespread.

They are common in abandoned fields and along the edges of forests. Both are cultivated in North America, as are several native and Asiatic hawthorns.

Hawthorn is a druid sacred herb which is associated with the Summer Solstice.

Hawthorn is the classic flower used to decorate a maypole as it is considered to be a herb of
fertility. At one time Beltain was once reckoned as the day the hawthorn first bloomed.

Hawthorn is sacred to the fairies, and is part of the tree fairy triad of Britain “Oak, Ash and Thorn” and where all three trees grow together it is said that one may see fairies.

 

Duir (DOO-r)         Oak (Quercus spp.)

Duir (DOO-r), oak – The oak of myth and legend is the common oak (Quercus robur L.). It is sometimes called the great oak, which is a translation of its Latin name (‘robur’ is the root of the English word “robust”). It grows in the lowland forests, and can reach a height of 150 feet and age of 800 years.

Common oaks are deciduous, losing their leaves before Samhain and growing new leaves in
the spring so that the trees are fully clothed by Beltane. Common oaks are occasionally cultivated in North America. Oaks are members of the Beech family (Fagaceae).

In Scandinavia the oak is considered to be the tree of the Thunder God, Thor”. Pliny writes that the Druids performed all their religious rites in oak-groves, where they gathered mistletoe from the trees with a golden sickle. The word “Druid” means wise man of the oak. Strabo describes three Galatians tribes (Celts living in Asia Minor) as holding their councils at a place called, “Drunemeton”, the “oak grove sanctuary”. Druids of Gaul ate acorns as a way of divining the future.

Kildare, where St. Brighid founded her abbey, derives from “Cill-dara”, the Church of the
Oak. The sacrifice at Nemi took place at Summer Solstice, which brings us to the battle between the Oak King personifying the waxing wear, and the Holly King, who ruled the waning
year. At Midsummer, as the year began its turn towards the dark again, the Holly was victorious, but at Midwinter, the Oak King defeated the forces of darkness once again, revealing himself as a Vegetation God who must die each year so that Life can be renewed. It is not surprising, then, that images of the Green Man carved in wood and stone in medieval churches most frequently show oak leaves growing out of his ears and mouth.

In the Welsh story “Math, son of Mathonwy”. The hero Lleu is betrayed and killed, but after his “death” he turns into an eagle and perches atop a magical oak tree on a plain, where he suffered “nine-score hardships”.

In Cornwall, a nail driven into an oak cured toothache, while in Wales, rubbing the oak with the palm of your left hand on Midsummer’s Day kept you healthy all year.

 

Tinne (CHIN-yuh)       Holly (Ilex aquifolium)

Tinne (CHIN-yuh), holly – The holly is a shrub growing to 35 feet in open woodlands and along clearings in forests. Hollies are evergreen, and stand out in winter among the bare branches of the deciduous forest trees that surround them.

Hollies form red berries before Samhain which last until the birds finish eating them, often after Imbolc.

Hollies are members of the Holly family (Aquifoliaceae).

The common holly is often cultivated in North America, as are hybrids between it and Asiatic holly species The Holly or kerm-oak is the evergreen twin of the Oak and rules the dark or waning part of the year. The Sun-king is called the Holly King or Dark Successor (Tanist) in the Druid Calendar. The Oak and the Holly form the pillars of a bridge that crossed the “Rainbow
River” flowing into the entrance of Gwynvyd.

The Romans, observed the custom of sending holly boughs, along with other gifts, to
celebrate Saturnalia.

In Arthurian legend, Gawain (representing the Oak King of summer) fought the Green
Knight, who was armed with a holly club to represent winter. The holly is the plant badge of the Scottish clans of Drummond, Innes, Maclean, MacNab and Matheson.

Holly has been used throughout the ages as a protection against evil. It was also hung around houses as a protection against lightning.

 

Coll (CULL)        Hazel (Corylus avellana)

Coll (CULL), hazel – The hazel is the source of hazelnuts. The wood of the hazel shrub has been used for centuries in the making of wands. It forms a shrub up to 20 feet tall, inhabiting open woodlands and scrubs, hedgerows, and the edges of forests. The filbert nut in North American is Corylus maxima, a related species.

The European hazelnut is cultivated in North America, primarily as an ornamental.

Hazelnuts are in the Birch family (Betulaceae).

Hazel wood is one of the nine traditional firewood’s that is part of the Balefire, which the Druid’s burned at Beltane. Hazel is known as the tree of Wisdom. Staffs made of Hazel were once considered as a sign of authority among the Druids.

Celtic legend tell of a grove of Hazel trees below which was a well, a pool, where salmon swam. These trees contained all knowledge, and their fruit contained that knowledge and
wisdom in a nutshell. As the hazelnuts ripened, they would fall into the well where they were eaten by the salmon. With each nut eaten, the salmon would gain another spot.

In order to gain the wisdom of the Hazel, the Druids caught and prepared the salmon. But Fionn, the young man stirring the pot in which the salmon were cooking, accidentally burned his thumb with the boiling stew. By reflex, he put his thumb into his mouth and thus ingested the essence of the sacred feast; he instantly gained the wisdom of the universe.

The Hazel is a tree that is considered sacred to the Faeries. A wand of hazel can be used to
call the Fey forth. In Irish folklore, the Hazel tree was the home of “Bile Ratha”, the poetic
fairy.

Forked hazel sticks are used to find water or buried treasure.

 

Quert (KWAIRT)        Apple (Malus spp.)

Quert (KWAIRT), apple – When most of us think of apples, we think of the domestic apple, but the ogham tree was most likely the European crabapple (Malus sylvestris Miller). This tree grows to 30 feet in moist fertile soils in oak woodlands, and has been extensively cultivated. The fruits are small versions of the domestic apple, and also show the pentacle when cut across.

Cultivated crabapples in North America are usually Asian species, but this species is a common rootstock for apple trees. Apples are in the Rose family (Rosaceae).

The Common Apple or Wild Apple (Malus sylvestris) is native to Europe and Western Asia. Petrified remains of apple slices on saucers have been found in tombs dating back over 5,000 years.

In Scotland, the Crabapple is the plant badge of Clan Lamont, whose Highland territories
were around Cornwall and Argyll.

In Norse tradition, the Apple is the tree of immortality. The Goddess Idunn was the keeper
of the apples, which she fed the Norse Gods and Goddesses to keep them forever young.
Apple wands were also used in Norse love rituals.

The Earth Goddess, Gaia, gave Hera, the Queen of Heaven, an apple tree when she married the Chief God, Zeus. That tree was kept in the Garden of the Hesperides, guarded by the dragon, Ladon. One of Hercules’ tasks was to fetch an apple from that tree.

In Celtic tradition, the Otherworldly Avalon was also known as the Avallach, the Isle of Apples, ruled by Fairy Queen, Morgan le Fay. This is the land of fairies and the dead, where King Arthur was taken to be healed by his sister, Morgan. Like their cousins to the North, the Celts attributed the power of healing and youth, or rebirth, to apples.

Apples are sometimes buried in churchyards in an effort to feed the dead.

In the Welsh “Câd Goddeu” (The Battle of the Trees), the Apple is described as the noblest
tree of them all, the tree that symbolized poetic immortality.

In the Irish Druid tradition, the Silver Bough is cut from a magical Apple tree, where silver
apple shaped bells played a mystical tune, which could lull people into a trance state. Druids could make contact with the Otherworld during a trance enhanced by this silver apple bough.

The Druid Merlin was purported to work in a magical Apple Grove guarded by birds, revealed to him by his master, Gwendolleu. He was said to receive the gift of prophecy from the Faerie Queen, conferred through the consumption of one of her magic apples. Merlin was also said to take shelter under anapple tree during his bout with madness.

Bards (poets) and Ovates (shamans) carried apple branches, (with bronze, silver, or gold bells), called the “Craobh Ciuil” (Branch of Reason) as symbols of their office.

First Aicme

 

The most familiar Ogham system in use today is the Tree Ogham. The Tree Ogham is split up into; eight Chieftain Trees, eight peasant trees and eight shrub trees. In lessons two through five we will take a look at each group of five and their associations. We can develop a deeper understanding of each letter by understanding its connections with each tree.

1st Aicme

Ogham Symbol Sound/Letter Name Associated Tree

Beith – pronounced (BETH)        Birch (Betula pendula Roth)

Beth (BEH), birch – The silver birch is the most common birch in much of Europe. It is one of the first trees to colonize an area after a mature forest is harvested; this is probably a large part of its symbolic connection with new beginnings. It grows up to 100 feet high, but is more often found in spreading clumps on sandy soils. The common birch (B. pubescens Ehrh.) is almost as widespread as the silver birch, but grows primarily on acid or peaty soils; it can reach 65 feet in height.

The word “birch” derives from a root meaning ‘bright’ or ‘shining’ Because of its connection to renewal; the birch has been utilized in many cultures. In Scandinavia, switches of birch are used on the body to stimulate the process of purification in the sauna.

In ancient Britain the birch rod was used as a rod to purify the criminal of their misdeeds,
and in some cases it was used to expel evil spirits from those deemed insane.

In many cultures, including the Shamanic beliefs, the birch is seen as the “Axis Mundi”, (Cosmic World Tree). Often, baby cradles were made out of birch because of its power to drive out evil influences and its association with renewal.

 

Luis – pronounced (LWEESH)      Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)

Luis (LWEESH), rowan – the rowan, or mountain ash is related to serviceberries. The red berries were historically used to lure birds into traps, and the specific epithet “aucupari’a” comes from words meaning “to catch a bird”. Rowans thrive in poor soils and colonize
disturbed areas. In some parts of Europe they are most common around ancient settlements, either because of their weedy nature or because they were introduced by humans. Rowans flower in May. They grow to 50 feet and are members of the Rose family (Rosaceae). They are cultivated in North America, especially in the northeast.

The rowan is sometimes called “the Whispering Tree” because it is thought that the tree held secrets. The rowan is also associated with protection against witchcraft and bad luck.Rowan twigs were placed above doorways and barns to protect the inhabitants against misfortune and evil spirits.

Rowan stakes were driven into corpses to stop their ghosts from visiting, especially when they died from acts of violence. The Druids used rowan fires with incantations to summon spirits to help them portend in forthcoming battles.

Scottish tradition does not allow the use of the Rowan tree’s timber, bark, leaves or flowers, nor the cutting of these trees, except for sacred purposes under extenuating circumstances.

Rowan is also called the Witch Tree, or Wicken Tree, and can be used for divining precious
metals.

 

Fearn – pronounced (FAIR-n)       Alder (Alnus glutinosa Gaertner)

Fearn (FAIR-n), alder – The common alder is often found along lowland rivers, where it grows with aspens and willows. Like willows, alders sprout from stumps–this allows them to regenerate after heavy flooding. In protected sites they may grow to 65 feet tall. Their leaves are more blunt-tipped than most North American alders, which look more like the grey alder (A. incana (L.) Moench). Like ashes, European alders are not widely cultivated in North American (they are often sold as black alders), but several native species are.

Alders are members of the Birch family (Betulaceae).

The old superstition of “whistling up the wind” comes from making a whistle out of Alder.

Alder figures into a couple of ancient mythologies. Scandinavian mythology tells us the first
woman was fashioned from an Alder trunk. In Irish mythology the first man was said to be
made from an Alder.

The Alder is known as the “King of the Fairies”. In Homer’s Odyssey Alder is named the first of the three trees of resurrection. The two other are White Poplar and Cypress. In Denmark and Germany, the spirit of the Alder tree was said to carry children off to the Otherworld. An example of this belief can be found in Goethe’s ballad “The Erl-konig” (The Alder King).

 

Sail – pronounced (SHAiLuh)       Willow (Salix spp.)

Saille (SAHL-yuh), willow – Like North America, Europe is home to a large number of willow species Two common tree willows are the white willow (Salix alba) named for the whitish undersides of its leaves, and the crack willow (Salix fragilis) for the propensity of its
branches to “crack” off (probably another adaptation to flooding).

Both species grow along with poplars and alders along lowland rivers. They can reach 80 feet in height, and they both vigorously sprout from stumps. The white willow is sometimes grown in cultivation in North America. Willows are members of the Willow family (Salicaceae).

The Willow is often the symbol for the Ovate Grade of Druid. According to Druidic mysteries, two scarlet snake eggs were hidden within the Willow. The Universe was hatched from these two eggs, one containing the Sun, the other the Earth, relating to both cosmic birth and the birth of mankind. Traditionally, in spring rituals, these were replaced by hen’s eggs, colored scarlet for the Sun and eaten at Beltane. This rite later became the Christian celebration of Easter.

In Sumer, 4000 BCE, Ishtar’s predecessor, Belili, was known as the Willow Mother. Orpheus, the poet, was said to have received his Gift by touching the Willows in a grove sacred to Persephone.

Brighid has Her Fire festival, Imbolc, or Brigantia, during the Willow month.

The Willow tree has been associated with death, grief and cemeteries, the leaves themselves
symbolizing unrequited love or the loss of a lover. The leaf has also been worn as a charm
to protect against jealousy.

Willow has been used in the Sacred Pipes and the tobacco blends of many Native Americans because it is thought that it is most effective in carrying messages to the Great Spirit.

 

Nion – (NEE-uhn)        Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)

Nion (NEE-uhn), Ash is a major tree of lowland forests in much of Europe, along with oaks and beeches. It grows to 130 feet in open sites, with a broad crown reminiscent of American elm trees. Ash was and still is an important timber tree, and is a traditional material for the handle of a besom; it is also a popular wood for wands. The common ash is occasionally cultivated in North America, and similar native ash species are widely grown as street
trees.

Ashes are members of the Olive family (Oleaceae). The wood of the Ash is thought to be enchanted and was used by the Druids to fashion wands and spears.

At one time, children would be passed through the branches of an Ash in order that they
might be protected and to cure them from illness. Ash leaves were placed under pillows to
induce prophetic dreams or placed in bowls of water to ward off ailments.

The Celts believed that the Ash originated in the Great Deep or the Undersea Land of Tethys. It belongs to the trilogy of sacred Irish trees (the other two being the Oak and Hawthorn) and is said to offer particular protection from death by drowning.

The seeds of the Ash have long been used in love divination. If the seeds did not appear on
a certain tree, then its owner was thought to have been unlucky in love or a future venture
would be unsuccessful.

In Northern England, it was believed that if a woman placed an Ash leaf in her left shoe, then she would be fortunate enough to immediately meet her future spouse. In Greece, the Ash was sacred to the Sea God Poseidon.

In Norse mythology, the Ash is known as “Yggdrasil” (Cosmic World Tree). It was from this tree that Odin hung upside down from for nine days in order to obtain the runes. Also in Norse legend, it was an Ash which spanned the universe, with its roots in Hel and its boughs supporting the Heavens and Earth at its center.

In Celtic lore, the Ash connected the three circles of existence; Abred, Gwynedd and Ceugant.

About The Celtic Tree Month of Muin (Vine)

( September 2 – September 29)

 

The Vine month is a time of great harvest — from the grapes of the Mediterranean to the fruits of the northern regions, the Vine produces fruits we can use to make that most wondrous concoction called wine. The Celts called this month Muin. The Vine is a symbol of both happiness and wrath — passionate emotions, both of them. Do magical workings this month connected to the Autumn Equinox, or Mabon, and celebrate garden magic, joy and exhilaration, wrath and rage, and the darker aspect of the mother goddess. Use the leaves of the Vines to enhance your own ambition and goals. during this month. The month of Vine is also a good time to get balanced, as there are equal hours of darkness and light.

 

by Patti Wigington
Published on ThoughtCo

About the Celtic Tree Month – Coll (Hazel Moon): August 5 – September 1

“The lunar tree calendar of the Celts has long been a source of controversy among Celtic scholars. Some even claim it was never a part of the old Celtic world, but was an invention of author/researcher Robert Graves. The Druids are generally given credit by other researchers for creating this system. There seems to be no scholarly evidence to prove otherwise, yet many Celtic Pagans feel that the system pre-dates the time of Druidic influence over Celtic religious matters. It is probably reasonable to believe that the truth lies somewhere in between these three extremes. It is most likely that the tree system was in place, with minor regional variations before the time of the Druids who experimented with it, discovered the magical properties of each tree, and codified all the information into the system we have today.”

—-Joelles Sacred Grove

The Hazel Moon was known to the Celts as Coll, which translates to “the life force inside you.” This is the time of year when Hazelnuts are appearing on the trees, and are an early part of the harvest. Hazelnuts are also associated with wisdom and protection. Hazel is often associated in Celtic lore with sacred wells and magical springs containing the salmon of knowledge. This is a good month to do workings related to wisdom and knowledge, dowsing and divination, and dream journeys. If you’re a creative type, such as an artist, writer, or musician, this is a good month to get your muse back, and find inspiration for your talents. Even if you normally don’t do so, write a poem or song this month.

Source

Patti Wigington, Author
Published on ThoughtCo