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Subscribe to this list via RSS Blog posts tagged in celtictreecalendar

Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Birch and the Turning of the Year

The magical month of the birch tree, and its ogham character Beith, began on December 24th.  Beginning just after the winter solstice, this period (from December 24 to January 20) prepares the way for renewal in the New Year. Birch is associated with new beginnings, protection, purification and the increasing sunlight.

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Elder Tree - Time of the Crone

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, November 25th begins the time of elder tree and its ogham character Ruis. While the tree calendar is a modern construct, it holds meaning because of the concepts it has come to symbolize and the significance it has for twenty-first century magic, ritual, and everyday life.

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In the Celtic Tree Calendar, it’s the Month of Reed

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, October 28th begins the time of reed and its ogham character Ngetal. This period (until November 24) can be a time of unexpected changes and challenges that require adaptability. It a time for grabbing the bull by the horns and taking control. Through focus and determination, we can restore our worlds to harmony.

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
The Magical Vine: Blackberry

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, September 2nd begins the time of vine and its ogham character Muin. While the tree calendar is a modern construct, it holds meaning because of the concepts it has come to symbolize and the significance it has for twenty-first century magic, ritual, and everyday life.

This period (from September 2 to September 29) is associated with inner growth and energy. Like a vine, our paths do not usually take a straight course, however, we can empower ourselves to adapt and make changes in our lives.

While vine has come to include the grapevine, it actually refers to the blackberry vines that populated the hedgerows in the British Isles and formed thorny thickets. The name of the ogham character Muin comes from a Gaelic word meaning “thicket.” (Niall MacCoitir, Irish Trees: Myths, Legends & Folklore, 167.)Wine has been produced from blackberries for many centuries. Warm weather at the end of September was known as a blackberry summer.

In European folk medicine, the arching canes of blackberry vines were believed to have magical properties and people crept underneath the arches or passed children through gaps in the bush for particular cures. Blackberry bushes were also believed to protect against evil. In parts of England, they were sometimes planted or placed on graves with the belief that they would keep the dead in place.

Grow a blackberry bush on your property to attract fairies or set out a small bowl of berries as a token of friendship with them. Eat a handful of blackberries before magic work or when working with the fairy realm. Burn dried leaves in spells to attract money or sprinkle them around your property to draw luck. Because of the winding nature of brambles, this is an opportune time for binding spells.

Make a wreath with several prickly canes to hang above your altar or on your front door for protective energy. Place a blackberry cane alongside your altar to aid in grounding energy after ritual. Because blackberries are associated with Brigid, gather enough to make jam or wine and use it to honor her at Imbolc.

The American blackberry (Rubus villosus) and European blackberry (R. fruticosus) are also known as bramble, brambleberry, cloudberry, and dewberry. Blackberry bushes are sprawling shrubs with woody, arching stems called canes. Canes tend to take root where their tips rest on the ground. Blackberry leaves are dark green on top and pale underneath. White, five-petaled flowers grow in clusters at the ends of the stems. The berries change from green to red to black as they ripen. They are fully ripe when dull black, not glossy.

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We Are Entering the Magical Month of Hazel

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, August 5th begins the time of the hazel tree and its ogham character Coll. While the tree calendar is a modern construct, it holds meaning because of the concepts it has come to symbolize and the significance it has for twenty-first century magic, ritual, and everyday life.

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
The Magical Month of Oak

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, June 10th begins the time of the oak tree and its ogham character Duir. While the tree calendar is a modern construct, it holds meaning because of the concepts it has come to symbolize and the significance it has for twenty-first century magic, ritual, and everyday life.

The energy of this period (from June 10 to July 7) fosters a time of wisdom with an emphasis on inner strength. With strength comes confidence, which makes this a good time to work on any self-confidence issues. Like the mighty oak, we can be strong and wise and provide security to those around us.

Oaks can live for many centuries and are bound up with human history. They were considered especially sacred to the Greeks and Romans, who associated them with their most powerful gods. In the British Isles, the Celtic god Bilé and the Druids are very closely linked with this tree. According to legend, King Arthur’s roundtable was made from oak, and Sherwood Forest with its massive Major Oak is linked with Robin Hood.

Placing oak leaves in the home helps clear away negative energy, and when used on the altar in ritual they represent the potency of the God. For healing or when seeking wisdom, hold a piece of bark between your hands and visualize your desired outcome. Also use a piece of bark to help ground energy after ritual. Dry a small twig with leaves and hang it in your kitchen to invite abundance into your home. Leaves placed under the bed aids fertility and virility. To add power to spells, make a cross by tying two bare twigs together with black thread, which will draw elemental balance along with the strength of the oak. 

Paint oak’s ogham Duir on an acorn to carry with you when you need to bolster your courage. It will also aid you in feeling secure and confident. Draw the ogham on three oak leaves or a picture of oak leaves to burn as you visualize achieving success in any of your goals.

The black oak (Quercus velutina) and white oak (Q. alba) are the most common types of oak trees in North America. Its leaves have pointed lobes tipped with tiny bristles. The white oak’s leaves are rounded and smooth. The acorns of the black oak take two years to mature; the white oak’s acorns mature in one year.

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
The Magical Month of Hawthorn

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, May 13th begins the time of the hawthorn tree and its ogham character Huath. While the tree calendar is a modern construct, it holds meaning because of the concepts it has come to symbolize and the significance it has for twenty-first century magic, ritual, and everyday life.

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Recent comment in this post - Show all comments
  • Anne Newkirk Niven
    Anne Newkirk Niven says #
    I love Hawthorn, and the one in my backyard is a good 30 feet tall. This year I harvested blossoms and leaves that I'm busy tinctu

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