Whispers from the Wildwood Oracle Deck The Whispers from the Wild deck is the one of the specialized themed decks in the Dragonland range, than can be a stand alone deck within its given theme. In the case of this deck ; those attracted to the spirituality of the wildwood. Or it can be, like its sister decks, be a companion deck to the prime Dragonland deck. The prime deck covers the usage of Cân o'r Tir in oracle card form, although it can be useful and wide ranging, it is not a one size fits all. So cards from the other decks, can if so desired be added, and cards from the prime deck removed. To create a bespoke deck that works best for the card user, there is no fixed rules or amount of cards that can be in a personal deck. The Dragonland range uses Cân o'r Tir for offering guidance as does the Wildwood deck, if you are not familiar with Cân o'r Tir . Cân o'r Tir translated from Welsh it means "Song of the Land". In any form of Celtic spirituality, the land is divine we are the land and the land is us. So via the land one can hear the divine song of the land. Cân o'r Tir is a method to hear the message of the divine via the land. Similar to the Scottish tarhairm method To the ancient Druids used signs from nature for guidance and insight there were two types used "active" and "passive". The active was to act with a tool such as today you would use the Tarot for example. The passive method is the way of Cân o'r Tir you ask your question then head out into nature to find your answer Omens, signs from your gods, etc. With lets use be it disdainful yet apt descriptive phrase 'tree hugger' of arboreal spirituality, is prevalent across not only all forms of Celtic spirituality but the secular as well world wide. Especially in northern western European cultures and spirituality. This is no coincidence or accident is it is something deeply rooted in the mythos of the cultures of the areas. In prehistory in the areas the land was widely forested and there was more land than there is today. The losing of these lands feed into the Celtic and its 'cousin' cultures and mythos with the less known flood myths such as Cantref Gwaelod, Tyno Helig, Tegid Foel to name only a few in Wales, let alone the many others in the Celtic (remaining) lands and nearby. If we look at the story of Atlantis and how it is woven into our secular world along with stories of Noah and his flood. Even if you are not a Christian it has a passive effect on you. The 'Celtic Atlantises' and the like may be forgotten to the majority, yet it remains acting in the DNA of our culture and mythology, like when you have goose bumps. We may, as a species no longer have total body hair coverage, so do not need to raise our hair to create a layer of warm hair to keep us warm in cold weather or puff out to look bigger to a predator anymore. Despite; this, the action remains as part of our fight or flee bio-programming. These floods have worked their way into the Celtic mythology, and work with Cyfarwydd. As a side note unlike its more famous Mediterranean counterpart many of the Celtic flooded lands can be visited to a degree such as at low tide around the west Welsh coast of Cardigan bay. The Whispers from the Wildwood works with Cân o'r Tir with a blend of the Celtic zodiac; Celtic Astrology was created by the Druids sometime around 1000BC. The Druid religion was based on three basic strands of belief: the first was to remember their ancestors and the past; the second was to have an understanding of nature so that they could work with it, not against it; and the third was to explore the connection of everyday reality with that of the spiritual realm. In Celtic astrology, the zodiac is based on the trees that the Druids held sacred. It was believed that the trees themselves expressed personal characteristics that could then be associated with particular months of the year. This was done by connecting the tree to a lunar month through the use of the consonants in the Celtic alphabet. 13 of the consonants form the calendar of seasonal magic, and the 5 vowels represent complementary seasonal stations. Unlike the Greco-Roman zodiac, the Celtic calendar has 13 astrological signs based on lunar months. Each month contains 28 days, except the last one (Ruis/Elder) which only has 24. However, the Celtic zodiac isn't confined solely to the lunar cycle. The Druids split their years into 2 halves: the dark half and the light half to represent the recurring cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. As a result the Druids developed a zodiac rooted in both the lunar and solar cycles of life. If you are drawn to the wildwood for your guidance and spiritual enrichment, you are far from alone. Our stone age ancestors certainly revered the wildwood. Little has remains of their practice due to their oral history being lost and the nature of wood to rot over time. Not was lost, Stonehenge may remain (clue is in the name) but not all was lost. In archaeology a posthole is a cut feature used to hold a surface timber or stone. They are usually much deeper than they are wide although truncation may not make this apparent. Although the remains of the timber may survive most postholes are mainly recognisable a circular patches of darker earth when viewed in plan. Archaeologists can use their presence to plot the layout of former structures as the holes may define its corners and sides. Construction using postholes is known as ”Earthfast” or post in ground construction. Around the Celtic lands are many sites which have been discovered and that were types of “wood temples” one of the most famous is Woodhenge, found about two miles from Stonehenge. The site consists of six concentric oval rings of postholes, the outermost being about 43 by 40 metres (141 by 131 ft) wide. They are surrounded first by a single flat-bottomed ditch, 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) deep and up to 12 metres (39 ft) wide, and finally by an outer bank, about 10 metres (33 ft) wide and 1 metre (3.3 ft) high. With an overall diameter measuring 110 metres (360 ft), the site had a single entrance to the north-east. Today concrete pillars mark out Woodhenge's postholes at the centre of the rings Most of the 168 post holes held wooden posts, although there is evidence that a pair of standing stones may have been placed between the second and third post hole rings. Recent excavations in 2006 have indicated that there were at least five standing stones on the site, arranged in a "cove". The deepest post holes measured up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) – and are believed to have held posts which reached as high as 7.5 metres (25 ft) above ground. Those posts would have weighed up to 5 tons, and their arrangement was similar to that of the bluestones at Stonehenge. ABOVE... Woodhenge BELOW....Seahenge Another famous wooded templeone is “Seahenge” aka Holme Timber Circle. It was discovered by chance in 1998 on Holme beach on the North Norfolk coast and excavated in 1999. It comprises a ring of timbers nearly 7 metres in diameter, formed from 55 oak posts standing side by side and 2 metres high. At the centre was a massive oak tree stump. The circle was originally built inland from the sea. Coastal erosion and other changes have transformed the landscape from marsh to beach. This mysterious construction was built around 2,050 BC, during the earlier Bronze Age, when people in this part of Europe first began to use metal tools. We cannot be certain why it was built. It was probably used during the burial of an important person in the region. The timber circle has now been reconstructed and can be seen in the Lynn Museum. Those that are drawn to the wildwood have embolised the spirit of the green wood in many forms, many through creatures such as wood fairies for example. One character that has spans centuries, religions and culturess is Cernnunos. He is a nature and fertility god has appeared in a multitude of forms and made himself known by many names to nearly every culture throughout time. He is perhaps best known to us now in his Celtic aspects of the untamed Horned God of the Animals and the leaf-covered Green Man, Guardian of the Green World, but He is much older. Cernnunos worked his magic when the first humans were becoming. Our prehistoric ancestors knew him as a shape-shifting, shamanic god of the Hunt. He is painted in caves and carved everywhere, on cliffs, stones, even in the Earth Herself. Humans sought to commune with Him and receive his power and that of his animal children by dressing themselves in skins and skulls, adorning themselves with feathers and bones, by dancing His dance. Yet He is older still. In the time of the dinosaurs, the great swamps and subtropical forests of cycads, seed ferns and conifers, and later in the time of the deciduous plants and flowers, when the pollinators came and the first tiny mammals were creeping up from beneath the ground, Cernnunos was the difference and diversity of life, the frenzy and ferment of evolution. But, He is much older still. He is oldest of the Ancient Ones, first born of the Goddess. At the time of First Earth, Cernnunos grew in the womb of the All Mother, Anu, waiting to be born, to come forth to initiate the everlasting, unbroken Circle of Life. Cernnunos, as The Horned God, Lord of the Animals is portrayed as human or half human with an antler crown. Though he wears a human face his energy and his concerns are non-human. He is protector of animals and it is Cernnunos who is the law-sayer of hunting and harvest. While He is recognized most often through his connection to animals and our own deeply buried, dimly recalled, instinctual animal natures, Cernnunos is also a tree, forest, and vegetation god in his foliate aspect of The Green Man, Guardian of the Green World. His branching antlers symbolize the spreading treetops of the forest as well as his animal nature. As Master of the Sacrificial Hunt, His is the life that is given in service of new life. His wisdom is that the old must pass away to make way for the new. In his Underworld aspect Cernnunos is The Dark Man, the god who dwells in the House Beneath the Hill, the Underworld. He is the one who comforts and sings the souls of the dead to their rest in the Summerlands of the Otherworld. Cernnunos, as Master of the Wild Hunt, who pursues the souls of evil doers, is not associated with a biblical or even modern morality, but with the protection and continuance of the Land and Nature and the spirits that dwell therein. Shuffle the cards, and while shuffling picture a woodland scene in your mind then draw one card and take in the images and words on the card, as "thought of the day" an inspirational message for your day. This method also works for a one card reading, while asking your question. With three or five spread, after the shuffle. Spread the cards out in a fan, move your hand over the cards and draw three or five and draw your answer from there. Ok it’s not easy to grasp at first but it’s not a straight forward thing. Think of it this way, each week you go to a crowded room and try to talk to a person you need an answer from across the room; you cannot hear each other, but as time passes you develop a sign language system and learn each other’s mannerisms and the like, and over time you learn to communicate, it is the same with the cards. Example readings..... Robert asked his cards with a one card reading. QUESTION "I have problems getting to sleep at night, my mind turns over with what happened with my interactions with people around me during the day. I wake up the next morning on edge and the vicious circle goes on." CARD DRAWN. ANSWER "It may seem to simple to be the answer, it may also may not be the full solution, but is certain part of the answer. If you are interacting with negative body language (most communication is done via the body and is done subconsciously). People around you see this so act defensive and the vicious circle continues, the circle needs to be broken. A smile, a kind word, little gestures and the like. This helps to break down the walls that have gone up. Trudy asked her cards wirh a five card reading. QUESTION. This past year I feel like I have fallen out of love with my husband of almost four years. I just feel like I miss my freedom of when I wasn't married. He is a great guy but I just don't feel a connection anymore. What should I do? CARDS DRAWN ANSWER. You miss targets (card 18) some times we meet people that is like 'shoot fish in a barrel' but only sometimes. 'he is a great guy' how many targets does he hit, is it enough in the long term? The window to party in youth is short so now is the time to make a change if any (card 32). If you are going to put on boots make sure they are the right or at least best fit (card 35). 'he is a great guy' if the boot size is wrong for you, but a great fit for someone else. Then it is not nice to leave the boots on the shoe rack, they must be given to a person they will fit. Do you have the courage to face the unknown to find the right fit?(card 30) you must embrace the MIGHT. Birch is the guardian of new beginnings, so settling for the boots you have with the help of a cobbler (relationship counsellor) or finding new boots, it will be okay in the long run, but you must make a choice. The Cards and their Meanings Birch 20th December - 20th January. Purification, Guardian of New Beginnings, Bringer of Hope,Channel of Emotion, Protection. To the Druids, the Birch (often referred to as the "Lady of the Woods" due to its grace and beauty) represented renewal, rebirth and inception, since it was the first tree to come into leaf after the Winter Season. The Birch along with the Elder were said to stand on either side of the one "Nameless Day" (December 23). This slender but determined tree, which represented the seed potential of all growth, is hardier than even the mighty Oak and will thrive in places where the Oak will fail to flourish. It also signifies cleanliness and purity. The Birch once fulfilled many purposes...from providing handles for brooms and axes to the manufacture of cloth and children’s' cradles. It is particularly well-known for its use in making writing parchment and oil from the bark was often used to treat skin conditions and depression. People were once "birched" in order to drive out evil spirits, while twigs were given to newlyweds to ensure fertility. Witches would use Birch twigs bound with Ash for their broomsticks or "besoms." Birch has been known to cure muscular pains and the sap used in the manufacture of wine, beer and vinegar. It is the rod of a Birch that Robin Red Breast used to slay the Wren in a furze or gorse bush on Saint Stephen's Day. In Wales, the Birch is a tree of love and wreaths of Birth are woven as love tokens. Its trunk was frequently use to form the traditional maypole and boughs were hung over cradles and carriages to protect infants from the glamor of the Little People. Rowan 21st January - 17th February Powers: Healing, Success and , Protection, Psychic Intuition Rowan trees were planted near doors and gates to ward off evil influences and branches were attached to barns in order that the cattle housed inside would be protected from misfortune. This tree was also believed to guard the gateway to the spirit world and its boughs often used for dowsing and deflecting spells. The Rowan is sometimes called the "Whispering Tree" and ancient legend tells that it has secrets to reveal to those who would but listen. The Rowan has been associated throughout history with protection against wickedness and is believed to be the wood which was used to engrave the Norse Runes. Its name is linked with the Norse "Runa" or "Rundall," meaning "a charm." It is also associated with the Sanskrit "Runall" meaning "magician." The Cornish and Scots would carry an equal-sided cross of Rowan to protect them from harm and wands were often placed over doorways to houses in order to ensure good fortune. In Wales, Rowans used to be planted in churchyards so that they might to watch over the dead. The Rowan, a tree of protection and insights, was known to be a tree belonging to the Faery. Its wood was frequently used for bows, favored second only to Yew for this purpose. When sliced in two, the orange-red Rowan berry reveals a pentagram symbol of protection. Thus, this tree was believed to possess the ability to protect from enchantment and trickery. It was once thought that the berries of the Rowan were so sacred that the Gods guarded them jealously and kept them from humankind. The Rowan was also believed to enhance strength with courage. The Ancient Druids would light fires of Rowan wood to help induce insights as to how a battle might progress and to invite the Faery folk of the Sidhe to fight alongside them, thus lending aid in the fray. The Tuatha De Danaan are said to have brought the Rowan to Ireland from Tir Tairnagire, the "Land of Promise." In Irish legend, the first human female was created from Rowan (the first male being created from Alder). The Rowan tree, whose blossoms are members of the Rose family, flowers in May and rarely grows to be more than 30 feet in height,. Also known as the Mountain Ash (although it is not related to the true Ashes), this tree is sometimes referred to as the "Lady of the Mountains," due to the fact that it often grows in the most inhospitable of places, though it is most frequently found in mountainous areas as well as gardens. The Rowan is also known as "Delight of the Eye," "Wiggy" and "Witchbane." This is a small, deciduous tree (considered by some to be more a shrub) with shiny, smooth, grey-brown bark that tends to roughen with age. All parts of the tree are astringent and may be used in tanning and dyeing black. When cut, its wood yields poles and hoops for barrels. The ripe red berries are said to be beneficial in the treatment of sore throats and inflamed tonsils and were once used as a curative for scurvy. The fruit of the Rowan is a favorite among birds and a delicious jelly can be made from the berries, which carry a pentagram shape...the symbol of protection and, according to many folk legends, an aid against magick. The Welsh once brewed ale from Rowan berries, but the secret of this art has been lost over time. Walking sticks or magician staves were customarily made of this wood in order to ensure safe journeys at night and it was often carried on ships to prevent damage from storms. If planted upon a grave, the Rowan was thought to keep the deceased from haunting. A Rowan which grows out of another Rowan is known as a "Flying Rowan" and was considered especially potent against witches and their magick...a counter-charm against sorcery. Rowan is considered an "ornamental wood" and is a wonderful lure for birds (which gives this tree yet another name, "Bird Catcher"). It is also useful in making fence posts and walking sticks. Ash 18th February - 17th March Powers: Protection, Health, Courage, Matters concerning the Sea The Ash was a sacred chieftain tree, believed to "court the flash" since it was prone to be struck by lightning. The wood of the Ash was thought to be enchanted and was used by the Druids to fashion wands and spears. Its twigs were placed in circles as a protection from snakes, while witches would use the timber as handles for their broomsticks. 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 the 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 once 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 and in Ancient Wales and Ireland; oars were made of this wood. The shade of this tree is said to be harmful to plants because its roots will strangle other roots. The Ash of the Ogham alphabet is the Cosmic Ash, also known as the World Tree. It appeared in Norse mythology as Yggdrasil, the Tree of Odin (or Woden) who hung upside-down from its branches in order to gain enlightenment into the secrets of the Runes. Gwydion, the Celtic equivalent of this Norse God, was known to choose the thick, strong twigs of the Ash for his wands and was renowned for his magical abilities. The Ash has roots which deeply penetrate the soil, souring the ground and making it difficult for other vegetation to grow beneath it. The wood of the Ash is tough and pliable and often used in weaver's beams. This tree was indicative of the linking between the inner and outer worlds. 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 centre. In Celtic lore, the Ash connected the three circles of existence...Abred, Gwynedd and Ceugant...which may be interpreted as the Past, the Present and the Future, or as Confusion, Balance and Creative Force. There was no hell in Celtic beliefs...only continual rebirth as passage was made from circle to circle until the Land of the Blessed was finally reached. The Common Ash is a large, deciduous shade tree with grey-brown bark furrowed in diamond patterns. A major tree of the lowland forests in much of Europe (together with the Oak and the Beech), it can grow to 130 feet in height on open sites, with a broad crown reminiscent of the American Elm. The Ash was and still is an important timber tree and traditional material for the handle of a witch's besom. The Common Ash is occasionally cultivated in North America and similar native Ash species are widely grown as street trees. The Ash is a member of the Olive family. The Ash is a tenacious tree, such that it is not unusual for a singular branch to begin to sprout from one tiny point on the bark of an otherwise dead trunk. Alder 18th March - 14th April Powers: protection, giver of courage, easer of fear and doubt. The Alder was believed by the Druids to link both male and female principles, thus helping to create a balance between the two within each individual. It is also associated with courage and represents the evolving spirit. Considered to be a tree of death and resurrection, it may have been used (along with the Poplar) in the fe rod which was kept in pre-Christian cemeteries for the measuring of graves and corpses. The fe rod was handled only by an appointed official and was believed to have been carved with an Ogham inscription. Resistant to the rotting element of water, wood from the Alder was often used in the making of bridges, boats, clogs and milk jugs. It was also frequently used in the making of magical whistles, flutes and pipes. It was once a crime to fell an Alder since the angry tree spirit was believed to take revenge by burning down houses. If felled, however, the tree literally "bleeds" by turning from white to red. Red dyes were once made from the bark, brown dyes from the twigs and green dyes from the flowers of this tree. The Alder is a Faery tree sacred to Bran and, therefore, oracular in nature and often used for divination. Medicinally, it would be used to rid people of fleas and boils. In Irish legend, the first human male was created from Alder (the first female being created from Rowan). The Common Alder is a somber, deciduous tree with a dark bark. It is water-loving and most comfortable along lowland rivers and streams, often in the company of Aspens, Poplars and Willows. Like the Willow, the Alder sprouts from a stump, this allows this tree to regenerate after heavy flooding. In protected areas, Alders may grow to be 65 feet tall. European Alders are not widely cultivated in North America (where they are often sold under the name of "Black Alders"). Alders are members of the Birch family. The timber of the Alder is oily and used extensively for underwater foundations...parts of Venice and many medieval cathedrals were built on Alder pilings. On the Continent, Alder is used extensively to make cigar-boxes and the branches make good charcoal...valuable in the manufacture of gunpowder. Alpine peasants are often reported to have been cured of rheumatism by being covered with bags filled with heated Alder leaves. Horses, cows, sheep and goats are said to eat of the Alder, but swine refuse it and it is thought that it may be bad for horses, turning their tongues black. Willow 15th April - 12th May Powers: Healing Help in Grief and Death, Inspiration, Fertility, Love The Willow symbolizes the female and rhythms of the circle. This tree was sacred to the Moon and, in Celtic lore, the Universe was hatched from two crimson serpent eggs (which contained the Sun and the Earth) hidden among the boughs of the Willow. Hens' eggs were substituted for those of the serpent and symbolically eaten as part of the Beltane feasting. This ritual was eventually transferred to the celebration of Easter in the Christian calendar with the eggs becoming Easter eggs. Staves cut from this tree were often used for fencing, roofing house and lunar wands. Along with Sandalwood, Willow bark aided in the conjuring of spirits forth from the Otherword. It was also said to help soothe those who felt bitter or jealous and proved to be an effective medicine in the cure of worms and dysentery. Both Willow bark (containing Salicin) and the Primrose (the plant associated with the Willow) were once used as analgesics, particularly in the treatment of arthritic diseases. Pregnant women would lay cloths beneath the tree in order to catch the leaves, which were believed to assure an easy birthing process. Always known as a "tree of enchantment," the Willow is reported to have bestowed the mystic gift of eloquence upon Orpheus when he visited the sacred grove of Persephone at the Temple of Delphi in Greece. The Celts associated the Willow with poets and young suitors would commonly wear a sprig of Willow to acknowledge the power and status of the old "wise one" (the Cailleach of Celtic myth who was the Crone aspect of the triple goddess and to whom this tree was sacred). The words "Witchcraft" and "Wicca" are both derived from the word "Willow." The Willow was also host to the sacred Mistletoe of the Druids, which was often more commonly found growing on the Willow and the Poplar than it was on even the mighty Oak. This tree was once referred to as "Witches Aspirin," probably not only for its reputation in resolving dilemmas, but also for its headache-relieving properties. In the past, some cultures have been known to "Wear the Green Willow" in order that others might be aware they were going through a period of mourning and Druidical sacrifices were customarily offered in Willow- wicker baskets. It was once said that if someone felt an overwhelming need to confess, the secret could be shared with a Willow and be forever trapped. Its wood was often used for planing and lining burial graves due to its associated symbolism with death and protection. There are at least 500 species of Willow...from tall trees to Arctic plants barely two inches tall. The European Willow, found in central and Southern Europe, is also known as the White Willow because of its greyish bark. The American variety is called the Black Willow due to its black-colored bark. Together with Poplars and Alders, this tree is usually found growing beside streams and lowland rivers, with a preference for damp and boggy areas. Its spreading branches, which reach toward the source of water, create a full shape and its leaves are long and slender, covered with silver hairs that give the entire tree a "shimmering" appearance. Willows can reach 80 feet in height and sprout vigorously from stumps. Its flowers are tiny and bear no petals. It is an imposing tree with a thick trunk and heavily-ridged bark. The Willow's catkins, which appear in early spring prior to the appearance of leaves, attract bees to begin the cycle of pollination. Hawthorn 13th May - 9th June Powers: Fertility, Chastity, Protection, Caution, Relaxation, Happiness The Hawthorn was a symbol of psychic protection due to its sharp thorns. It was also generally seen as a tree which brought good luck to the owner and prosperity to the land upon which it stood. It belongs to the trilogy of sacred Irish trees (the other two being the Oak and the Ash). Faery spirits were believed to dwell in Hawthorn hedges, which were planted as protective shrubs around fields, houses and churchyards. The Hawthorn was once thought to offer psychic protection to the traveller. The twigs would frequently be used as a curative for depression and the powdered seeds used to cure gallstones. Often used for walking sticks and to make fires, the Hawthorn also formed the Maypole around which the Celts would dance at Beltrane...the onset of summer. The Hawthorn was associated with both the sacred and the unlucky (some holding the belief that it was from the Hawthorn that the crown of thorns used at the Crucifixion of Christ was made, for example). To destroy this tree was to incur great peril to the individual who was responsible for such an act. The Hawthorn was embodied in the character of the chief giant Yspaddaden in a Welsh romance of Kulhwch and Olwen. As a guardian figure who attempts to protect the virginity of Olwen, he is felled and the blooms of summer soon open. Thus, the Hawthorn symbolized the advance of summer and the defeat of winter. In ancient times, young girls would rise at dawn in order to bathe in dew gathered from Hawthorn flowers, thus ensuring their beauty for the coming year. The blossoms, especially the white variety, were also used to decorate halls and worn as crowns by maidens in wedding ceremonies. The Celts believed the Hawthorn could assist in releasing negative and/or blocked energy held within. According to some Arthurian sources, Nimue trapped the besotted Merlin in a Hawthorn tree, where his voice may be heard to this very day, but perhaps the most famous Thorn tree was at Glastonbury (the site of Glastonbury Abbey), which is said to have sprouted from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea and reputed to have blossomed only on Christmas Day. The original tree is believed to have been felled during the English Civil War...although Hawthorn Trees may still be found around the Abbey, which are said to be the cuttings of the ancient original. Associated with the Goddess Brighid, the Hawthorn is connected to the Festival of Beltane...a time when the branches of the tree are pruned or blossoms removed to symbolize the beauty of the journey and make way for new growth. It is considered unlucky to take the tree, branches or blossoms into the home for fear that a member of the Fae may be residing therein. The Hawthorn is one tree which has managed to breach the divide between Paganism and Christianity...the thorns worn by Jesus Christ being one example of this transition. The wood from the Hawthorn provides the hottest known fire. Its leaves and blossoms are often used to create a tea which aids in relieving anxiety, loss of appetite and poor circulation. The Hawthorn is a small tree that grows with a dense, many-branched and twisted habit. Due to its impenetrable growth, it is used chiefly for hedging. The origin of the word derives from the Anglo-Saxon "haegthorn," which means "hedge-thorn." It is also known as Whitehorn and May. Whitehorn originates from the contrast of the smooth, grey bark with the powdery black bark of the Blackthorn. May is derived from the month of the tree's flowering when the blossoms are used to form garlands on houses and maypoles for Mayday. The thickets of the Hawthorn bear prickles which provide it with an excellent defence system. Hawthorns have many species throughout Europe and are not always easy to differentiate. All are thorny shrubs of the Rose family which usually bear white or pink flowers. The Hawthorn is common in abandoned fields and along the edges of forests. Oak 10th June - 7th July Protection, Health, Inner Strength, Money, Healing, Potency, Luck. The Oak was the principal sacred tree of the Druids, symbolizing truth and steadfast knowledge as well as the turning of the year. During this time, Druids would carve a circle in the tree for protection against lightning. The Oak was representative of the trials that individuals experience in life while changing and becoming who they were meant to be. This tree represented the soul which, in Celtic terms, was the "Eye of God." Doors made of Oak were believed to keep out evil. The word "door" derives from the Sanskrit "duir," Ogham for Oak and a word which symbolizes solidity and protection. In the realm of the forest, the Oak is the King of Trees, standing mightily solid with great branches, matched only by even greater roots. Often struck by lightning, the force of the strike and the heat bursts the sap and stem of the Oak apart, leaving the trunk gnarled and withered...yet, the Oak still manages to survive for decades or even centuries. The growth of this tree is slow but sure and it is the forest's marker point, cornerstone and refuge. The Druids often taught lessons beneath the shade of the Oak. The Oak was long considered by the wise to be a guardian who opened doorways to self-spirituality and granted the strength to progress onward which, in time, drew the individual closer to the self. The Oak provided the courage to overcome any obstacles which had to be resolved during the travels of an individual and, in time perhaps, to learn the ways of the wise. In Celtic mythology, it is said that the first tree was an Oak, known by the name of Bile, from which two acorns fell to the ground. These seeds rooted deep within the Earth and gave birth to the God Dagda and the Goddess Brighid...both famed for their patience and goodness. Folklore suggests that if the Oak blooms before the Ash, then there will be a good harvest and its acorns were said to offer protection from lightning...thus, carvings of acorns are often found on staircases in medieval buildings. Medicinally, the Oak was believed to heal gout and cure bleeding gums. The tree has always protected Britain by providing wood for the building of ships and as boundaries between one area and another. The bark of the Oak produces tannin, once used extensively in the leather industry for tanning raw hides. Its acorns may be used to make a powerful antiseptic and the juice from crushed Oak leaves can be applied directly to wounds for the same purpose. A gargle made from the inner bark is said to be useful in relieving sore throats and a decotion of the outer bark is believed to aid in the relief of sever fever symptoms. In Christian legend, it is said that when the announcement was made of Christ's crucifixion, all the trees met and agreed that none of them wished to be a part of the event. When the time came for the wood to be selected, each piece began to split and break, making it impossible to use. Only the "Evergreen Oak" or "Ilex" did not split and allowed itself to be used...thus seen by the other trees as a traitor or another Judas. In Greece, by virtue of this legend, the tree is eternally condemned and no part of the Oak may be brought into the house. According to the Bible, when Cain murdered Abel, Cain was obliged to carry the dead body of his brother for seven hundred years before Abel could be buried. To mark the burial place, Cain stuck his staff into the ground, whereupon Seven Oaks (now known as the Seven Oaks of Palestine) immediately sprang forth in a row. The "Holy Groves of the Druids," located in Anglesey on Mona's Isle in Wales, is said to contain the ancient remnants of Oak trees. The Acorn has long been associated with couples and love divination. Dropping two Acorns into the same bowl of water is said to predict the romantic future...should the Acorns float together, then the couple will marry...the reverse being the case should the Acorns drift apart. The Ancient Druids believed that to carry an Acorn at all times would ensure prevention from ageing, a ritual said to be most successful for women. The Oak of myth and legend is the Common Oak, its name derived from the Latin robur which is the root of the English word "robust." The Oak is often found growing with Ash and Beech in lowland forests. It can reach a height of 150 feet and live for 800 years. Along with the Ash, the Oak has been heavily logged in recent millennia and remaining giant Oaks in many parts of Europe are merely remnants of past forests. The Common Oak is a deciduous tree which loses its leaves before Samhain but is fully-clothed again by Beltane. It is a member of the Beech family. Holly 8th July - 4th August Protection, Luck, Psychic Enhancement (dreams) In the Ogham, it was stated that the Holly was "best in the fight," since it helped balance both the positive and negative aspects of the self, thus revealing a new direction. It was believed to restore lost energy, bestowing the strength needed to continue toward a resolution. Despite its prickly leaves (which afford protection to the tree during winter), the Holly offered empathy and understanding within its branches and was often associated with goodwill and love...virtues of certain Gods and Goddesses. For this reason, it was frequently planted near homes for protection and to ward off evil, psychic attacks and demons. When Celtic chieftains chose a successor, that successor was crowned with a Holly wreath and branches of the tree were carried by Celtic men for good luck. The Holly was said to ease thoughts of jealousy and mistrust while providing protection from evil spirits. Also reputed to tame wild beasts, babies were bathed in water from the leaves in order to protect them from harm. The Holly (also known as "Bat's Wings" and "Christ's Thorn" among others) was thought to repel enemies and warriors would carry cudgels and fashion spear shafts made of its wood. As a symbol of good luck and good fortune, the Holly was the evergreen twin of the Oak in Celtic mythology and was often referred to by the name "Kerm-Oak." As the Oak ruled the light part of the year, thus did the Holly rule the dark. The Holly also represented the eternal, ever-green aspects of Mother Earth. With Ivy and Mistletoe, the Holly was regarded as a potent life symbol by virtue of its year-long foliage and Winter fruits. Holly wood was also formerly one of the three timbers used in the construction of chariot wheel shafts. The ancient name for the Holly was "Holm" and, with the coming of Christianity, it became known as the Holy Tree...symbolic of the Crown of Thorns. The Holly was particularly sacred to the Druids who instructed folk to take it into their homes during winter in order to provide shelter for the Elves and Faeries during cold weather. It was said that to keep even one leaf inside after Imbolc (a Midwinter celebration also known as Candlemas) would bring about misfortune. In Ancient Rome, gifts of Holly were given during the Saturnalia celebration and the use of its branches as Yule decorations was common to many cultures. The image of the Holly King is familiar to most people and has been personified as the Ghost of Christmas Present in several celluloid versions of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." By tradition, a Holly branch should never be cut from the tree but instead, must be pulled off. It is considered unlucky to cut or burn Holly, but it is thought to be lucky to hang a small branch remaini