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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.

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.

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, April 15th begins the time of the willow tree and its ogham character Saille. 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. 

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, March 18th begins the time of the alder tree and its ogham character Fearn. 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.

Following the wheel of the year through the Celtic tree calendar, February 18th begins the time of the ash tree and its ogham character Nion. 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.

While many plants have faded or died, evergreens live up to their name and this is their time of year to shine. With sacred trees, mistletoe, and other plants taken into the home, it is no accident that this is such a magical time of year. When working with evergreen trees, it’s important to use branches, cones, and needles from the right tree, so you need to know the difference between a pine and a fir and a spruce. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a botanist to tell them apart; the cones and needles give us clues.

As the earth begins her winter’s rest in the Northern Hemisphere, there are quiet reminders of ongoing life as heather and heath begin to bloom. Although heath and heather are nearly identical and the names are often used interchangeably, there is a simple way to tell them apart. Heath has needle-like foliage (think spruce tree) while heather has tiny, scale-like foliage (think cedar tree).