Tag: Poplar

A Little About August Birth Symbols

August Babies

“Fairest of the months! Ripe summer’s queen, The hey-day of the year, With robes that gleam with sunny sheen, Sweet August doth appear.” —R. Combe Miller

Zodiac: Leo until August 22 and Virgo from August 23

Gemstone: Peridot
The gemstone is formed deep inside the earth and is brought to the surface by volcanoes. They are believed to contain healing powers that protect against nightmares and bring the wearer power and influence. Colors range from yellowish green to a greenish brown.

Flower: Gladiolus, Poppy
The gladiolus brings remembrance, calm, integrity and infatuation. Poppy is also a popular August flower: red means pleasure, white means consolation, and yellow brings wishes of wealth and success.

Tree: Cypress, Poplar, Cedar, Pine

FROM: http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/photo-gallery/birth-signs-symbols#09

August’s birth flower is gladiolus, or ‘sword lily.’ Gladiolus represents remembrance, calm, integrity, and infatuation. With gladiolus, the recipient’s heart is being “pierced with love.” The other August flower is the poppy. A red poppy signifies pleasure, a white poppy is given for consolation, and a yellow poppy wishes wealth and success.

FROM: http://www.almanac.com/content/birth-month-flowers-and-their-meanings#

August Birthstone – Peridot

Peridot, a symbol of vitality and is the gemstone for people born in August. The official name for peridot is olivine, and can be found in a wide spectrum of green from light-yellow to dark olive. The Egyptians were known to mine for the peridot on Saint John’s Island around 1500 BC. It was used to ward off night terrors and more specifically, when set in gold, would ward off evil. It has also been ground into a fine powder to treat asthma sufferers and used as a cure for thirst most experience during a fever. It has been said that its owner, when worn would have the power of invisibility, and that if a thief about to be hanged or beheaded might escape if one was held in their mouth. It can bring peace, protection and sleep. It has also been worn to calm anger by soothing ones nerves, expelling negative energy. They also can attract love.

The peridot has many symbolic purposes, one that it promises growth for the future and gives strength to individuals and those in relationships. Peridot is a brilliant young green and were first discovered in the black sands of Hawaii. Hawaiian legend states they were tears shed by the volcanic goddess, Pele. It is a connection to nature and Early Egyptians drank from cups made of peridot, believing they would be drawn closer to the goddess of nature, Isis.

The Egyptians also called it the “gem of the sun”, due to its brilliance that it would showcase in the desert sun. By miners, it is said that even in darkness, the peridot could be seen, and they would mark the location. They would then return in the daytime to retrieve them. Perhaps this is why the peridot is at times referred to as the “evening emerald”. Today, it is mined in Hawaii, the Congo, Arizona, Burma, Norway, Australia and Brazil.

August is a month in which for many is viewed as the end of the summer cycle. A time when some need to make plans and begin preparing for the cooler months of fall. It is a time of harvest and hard work. Our bodies are challenged with physical work and long hours. This is a time when one might need to search for strength from an outside source or symbol. During this month we are once again in touch with the earth and the significant seasonal shifts. The birthstones representing each month are meant to empower their owners with gifts specifically needed for each of these seasonal shifts. When the human condition falls short of spiritual or mental needs, these precious stones have been believed to gift their owners strength and endurance in many forms.

Other interesting facts about the August Birthstone of Peridot:

-They were discovered first in Egypt on a tiny island named Zabargard over four-thousand years ago

-In earlier times, Catholic Bishops would wear a peridot ring as a symbol of their purity

-In Medieval times, churches were obsessively adorned by them

-Considered a gift from Mother Nature

-They are created from the conditions of extreme heat from volcanoes

-The most abundant deposits are found in Burma.

-They have been recommended for gall bladder and liver illness

Other Symbols of August:

August Birth Flower:

The Poppy, more specifically the poppy native to the Mediterranean regions. These yield a source of opium, that in the ancient world would bring on sleep and ease pain when taken in smaller amounts. Poppies were associated with the god of sleep, Hypnos and Morpheus, the god of dreams by the Greeks.

August Birth Tree:

The Pine tree. It represents, immortality and longevity.

Famous People Born in August:

Charlize Theron- August 7, 1975

Robert De Niro- August 17, 1943

Audrey Tautou- August 9, 1976

Martin Sheen- August 3, 1940

Andy Warhol- August 6, 1928

Jack Black- August 28, 1969

– See more at: http://birthstonesbymonths.net/august-birthstone-peridot/#sthash.VeUaoXRo.dpuf

A Little About May Birth Symbols

    • FROM:  http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/photo-gallery/birth-signs-symbols#06

      May Babies

      “Spring’s last-born darling, clear-eyed, sweet, Pauses a moment, with white twinkling feet, and golden locks in breezy play, Half teasing and half tender, to repeat Her song of ‘May.'” —Susan Coolidge

      Zodiac: Taurus until May 20 and Gemini from May 21

      Gemstone: Emerald
      Symbolizing love and success, the deep green stone is thought to bring foresight, good fortune and youth to the wearer. It’s also a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings — an appropriate symbol of spring.

      Flower: Lily of the Valley
      The lily of the valley represents sweetness and humility, purity of heart and honor.

      Tree: Poplar, Chestnut, Ash

      FROM: http://www.almanac.com/content/birth-month-flowers-and-their-meanings#

      May’s birth flower is the lily of the valley, which signifies sweetness, humility, and a return to happiness. If you want to show your loved one that your life is complete with them, give them a few lilies of the valley. The other May flower is the hawthorn plant, which represents hope and supreme happiness. Hawthorne signifies that you want only the best for the recipient.

      FROM: http://birthstonesbymonths.net/

      May Birthstone – Emerald

      May Birthstone Emerald

      The gemstone representing May, is the Emerald. As spring in the northern hemisphere occurs in May, the emerald stands for a time of rebirth and growth. The French refer to the emerald’s inclusions and fractures as “jardin’s”, translated as garden, resembling the color of spring foliage.

      For each stone of the Gregorian calendar, each month of the year brings in a new cycle. Each cycle represents a new season, has a renewed energy, and a new meaning. The month of May is one of abundance and life in it’s youthful beauty. Following the rainy month of April, the month of May is one that symbolizes fresh, new, green life. The emerald as a precious stone for the month of May. Beautiful, fertile valleys blessed with rain are symbolic of the Emerald in that both offer energy both in a spiritual and physical sense giving sustenance for one who might own an Emerald and for those living within the valleys.

      The emerald has been a symbol since the Egyptians engraved the stone with pictures of foliage. It would then be gifted to their deceased loved ones for their burials to represent eternal youth. It is the Egyptians who mined emeralds in the desert to the east over two-thousand years before the birth of Cleopatra. During her reign, this was her favorite stone, and even claimed one of the emerald mines as her own. She would bestow an emerald to a visiting dignitary on their departure. When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in South America, they noticed that the natives were wearing some of the largest emeralds they had ever seen. They attempted to hide the mines from the Conquistadors, but were unsuccessful. Today, that area is known as Columbia, where some of the most prize emeralds are unearthed. There are sources of emeralds that have been found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Zimbabwe, and Russia.

      The Romans regarded the emerald representative to the goddess of love, Venus. They wore the gem to honor Aphrodite, their adopted goddess of love for fertility, beauty and love. Their emperor, Nero had eyeglasses that were made of emerald so that he might watch the gladiators battle and maintain his eyes’ health, and to ease the strain upon his eyes.

      These crystals grow slowly within the confines of metamorphic rock, making them rare and thus, very valuable and expensive, sometimes more so than diamonds. It represents wisdom, patience and growth. It often given as an anniversary gift, as these characteristics in a relationship are important. It also represents friendship, faithfulness and loyalty, and they have been utilized for the effective treatment of health issues related to fertility, eyes, spine and for headaches. The Emerald can prevent seizures, reduce fevers and stop bleeding.

      Some other interesting facts about the May Birthstone Emerald:

      -Mostly all Emeralds have been treated with an epoxy resin or oil to fill in surface cracks making them less visible

      -Some of the oils used to treat Emeralds are clear, however, some are tinted green in order to make them appear more vivid

      -Mummies were buried with emeralds

      -It is often times worn by travelers for luck and has legends of calming stormy seas

      Other symbols of May

      May Birth Flower:

      Lily of the Valley and the Hawthorn. Hawthorns flower in May and symbolizes the return of spring and summer. Maypoles were constructed of hawthorn.

      May Birth Tree:

      Ash, Popular, and Chestnut

      Famous People born in May:

      Fred Astaire- May 10, 1899

      Mr. T- May 21, 1943

      Bing Crosby- May 2, 1903

      Tina Fey- May 18, 1970

      Audrey Hepburn- May 4, 1929

      Candice Bergen- May 9, 1946

      Anne Heche- May 25, 1969

      Cate Blanchet- May 14, 1969

      See more at: http://birthstonesbymonths.net/may-birthstone-emerald/#sthash.VNnsHCVq.dpuf

Poplar/Aspen Tree (Aprox. Sept. 22)

POPLAR / ASPEN LORE

  • Tree of the Fall Equinox – (Aprox. September 22)
  • Latin name: Common Poplar – Populus Balsamifera; Trembling Poplar – Populus Tremuloides; Balm of Gilead – Populus Candicans; Black Poplar –
  • Celtic name: Eadha (pronounced: “Eh’ uh”).
  • Folk or Common names: All Poplar – Popple, Alamo, Aspen; Trembling Poplar – American Aspen, White Poplar, or Quaking Aspen; Balm of Gilead –  bombagillia.
  • Parts Used: Bark and buds (sap)
  • Herbal usage: Poplar can be used as a tonic, chiefly used in treating fevers. The infusion has been found helpful in treating chronic diarrhea. Balm of  Gilead buds can be used as a stimulant or tonic. A tincture of them is useful for complaints of the chest, stomach, and kidneys, and for rheumatism and  scurvy. The sap collected from the buds can be used to make a healing ointment and can be used as an external application in bruises, swellings, and some  skin diseases. Teas can be made from the Poplar buds and are useful in helping treat arthritis and rheumatism.
  • Magical History & Associations: In Gaelic tongue the tree was called Peble and Pophuil in the celtic way. Poplar is generally a plant of Jupiter,  Saturn and the Sun and is associated with the element of water. Its color is rufous (red) and the bird associated with Poplar is the Whistling Swan. The  stones associated with Poplar are Amber, Citrine Quartz, Sapphire and Swan Fluorite. The Anglo-Saxon rune poem seems to refer to the Poplar as being  associated with the rune “berkano”. Heracles wore a crown of Poplar leaves in triumph after killing the giant Cacus (the evil one) and retrieving  Cerberus from Hades. The upper surface of the Poplar leaves was thus darkened from Hades’ smokey fumes. Poplar trees are sacred to the Mesopotamian  goddess Ua-Ildak. The Grass King of Grossvargula, who was seen as having fertilizing powers, went on horseback wearing a pyramid of Poplar branches and a  crown. He led a procession of young men about the town and was then stripped of his branches beneath the Silver Lindens of Sommerberg. Poplar (Aspen) is said  to be the tree of the Autumn Equinox and of old age, and is known as the shield makers’ tree. The Black Poplar was a funeral tree sacred to Hecate as  death goddess, to Egeria, and to Mother Earth. Plato makes a reference to the use of Black Poplar and Silver Fir as an aid in divination. The Silver Fir  standing for hope assured and the Black Poplar for loss of hope. The Grove of Persephone in the Far West contained Black Poplars and old Willows. In ancient  Ireland, the coffin makers measuring rod was made of Aspen, apparently to remind the dead that this was not the end. In Christian lore, the quaking Poplar  (Aspen) was used to construct Christ’s cross, and the leaves of the tree quiver when they remember this fact.
  • Magickal usage: The Poplar’s ability to resist and to shield, its association with speech, language and the Winds indicates an ability to endure and  conquer. The Poplar is known as the “Tree that Transcends Fear”. Poplars symbolize the magick of joy, the aging of the year, resurrection and hope   – and are connected to the Otherworld. Poplar can be used in magick done for success, passage and transformation, Hope, rebirth, divinations, shielding,  endurance, agility in speech and language, protection, and love – and as an aid in astral projection. Balm of Gilead buds can be carried in tiny red bags to  help mend a broken heart. These buds should be kept as close to the heart as possible. Balm of Gilead buds can also be placed under the pillow and slept on  to heal a broken heart. It may take several days to feel relief, but this really works. Balm of Gilead is also effective for grief, homesickness and the  blues. Poplar can be used in protection charms of all kinds. Poplar is a good wood to burn in balefires and ritual fires since it offers protection. Shields  can be made of Poplar since the wood is thought to offer protection from injury or death. Add some Balm of Gilead resin to your tinctures to enhance the  “fixing” of the scent and to offer some added protection to the tincture. Carrying Poplar helps to overcome the urge to give way under the burden  of worldly pressures, and aids in determination. Poplar buds can also be carried to attract money and can be burned as an incense to create financial  security. Siberian reindeer-hunting cultures carved small goddess statues of Poplar (Aspen) wood. Groats and fat were then offered to the figures with this  prayer:”Help us to keep healthy!         Help us to hunt much game!”

    Poplar buds are also sometimes added to flying ointments and was also used in astral travel. A medieval recipe for a    flying ointment called for Cinquefoil, Poplar leaves, soot and bat’s blood obtained at the wake of the new moon. The trembling leaves of the Poplar    tree can be ‘read’ to divine messages from the God and Goddess, and also from spirits that drift into woods. The Poplar is the sacred World Tree of    the Lakota nation. For the sun dance ceremony, a Poplar is carefully cut and lowered, then is re-erected in the center of the dance circle. While being    carried the Poplar must never touch the ground. Green branches, a buffalo skull and eagle feathers were used to decorate the Poplar for this ceremony.