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The Trees
"Trees arouse many feelings in sensitive people, who have fought to preserve them. They are heavy with symbolism, as the Tree of Life, as World Tree, in Ogham correspondences. They are beautiful as poised dancers over hill and valley, and they are useful for their wood, fruit, and their contribution to the atmosphere. But they are something much more, something that we cannot fully encompass. This quotation from Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic (Corgi, 1983) expresses this in part: 'Do you not know that what you belittle by the name tree is but the mere four-dimensional analogue of a whole multi-dimensional universe?' Pagans express their love and respect for trees by asking the tree if they may cut a branch, and thanking it afterwards. Of course, if you ask you must listen with your inner ear for the answer." -Teresa Moorey
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THE CELTIC TREE CALENDAR
The Celts developed a system of keeping track of time using the trees. The lunar tree calendar, though sometimes controversial, consists of thirteen different trees, each with their own energies which connected with, and showed the different stages the moon/Goddess was in, they correspond with each of the 13 full moons in the year.
"Trees physically unite the heaven and the earth making Earth Goddess and Sky God one, uniting the two halves of the whole and making them a powerful source of creative magick." - Edain McCoy
Trees attract many hosts to live in them, among them, animals and faery folk. They are particularly known for their communion with the Dryads. Gnomes too, are said to make their homes in the roots of large oak trees.
Today, counting the Celtic Tree Calendar begins with the first full moon nearest Yule. Before the influence of the Norse, Samhain was, however, the beginning of the new year, so it is theorised that it probably used to start on the full moon closest to Samhain. However, today, most pagans take it from Yule.
When you have pinpointed the first full moon closest to Yule, mark off the following 13 full moons with their corresponding Tree Calendar names. By paying attention to the tree energies associated with each full moon we can further align ourselves to their energy, and the energy of the Esbat.
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By coordinating your Moon, Deity and need energies, you can work much more powerful magick. For eg. If you want to perform a protection spell, and it's the Ivy Moon, you would go through your myths to find a Deity with protective qualities who has ties to Ivy. In this case, you might choose to work with Brian Boru. He is a warrior associated with Ivy, who can help you raise your strength and protective qualities.
TREES AND THEIR MAGICKAL QUALITIES
BIRCH - Protection of children, purification, creativity.
ROWAN - Healing, personal empowerment, divination.
ASH - Prosperity, protection, healing.
ALDER - Spirituality, teaching, weather magick, duty, mental prowess.
WILLOW - Romantic love, healing, protection, fertility, magick for women.
HAWTHORN - Fertility, peace, prosperity, binding.
OAK - All positive purposes, magick for men, fidelity.
HOLLY - Protection, prophecy, magick for animals, sex magick.
HAZEL - Manifestation, spirit contact, protection, fertility.
VINE - (Property dependent upon the type of vine)
*Blackberry - Prosperity, protection, sacred to Brid.
*Blueberry - Spirituality, dream magick.
* Grape - Fertility, inspiration, prosperity, binding.
* Thistle - Courage, protection, strength.
IVY - Healing, protection, cooperation, exorcism.
REED - Fertility, protection, love, family concerns.
ELDER - Exorcism, prosperity, banishing, healing.
TREES AND ASSOCIATED DEITIES AND ASPECTS
Although not a complete listing, this is a start :-)
OAK
Abelard - loyalty
Arawen - Friendship, loyalty.
Artio - Fertility
Cernunnos- fertility
Connla - wisdom, loyalty
Cormac- perseverence
Cuchulainn - strength, courage
Dagda - masculine power
Laeg - loyalty
Lavercam - loyalty, duty
Llewellyn - faery contact
Merlin - teaching, magick
Pryderi - loyalty, duty
Rohand - loyalty, duty
Sin - strength
VINE
Aengus- Dreams, romance
Amergin - creativity
Brid - protection
Caer - dream work
Cairbre - creativity
Credne - creativity
Cuchulainn - strength, courage
Epona - dream magick
Goibniu - creativity
Mabon - harvest festivals
O'Carolan - creativity
Ossian - courage
Ratis - courage
HAWTHORN
Aibheaog - Fire magick
Aine - Summer festivals
Arianrhod - binding spells
Lugh - fire magick
ALDER
Aife - overcoming enemies.
Ambisagrus - weather magick
Andraste - Overcoming enemies.
Arthur - self-sacrifice.
Blodeuwedd - learning lessons
Druantia - eco-magick
Evnissyen - being responsible
Figol - patience
Fionn - overcoming enemies
Lavercam - loyalty, duty
Leucetios - weather magick
Manann - Eco-magick
Nomenoe - serving others
Owen Lawgoch - self-sacrifice
Pryderi - loyalty, duty
Rohand - loyalty, duty
Robin Ddu - mental prowess
Saba - eco-magick
Scathach - teaching
Stine Bheag - weather magick
Taliesin - understanding time
ELDER
Aife - overcoming enemies.
Airmid - healing
Andraste - overcoming enemies.
Balor - Protection
Borvo -healing
Diancecht - healing
Edain - reincarnation
Fionn - overcoming enemies
Gwyddion - wisdom, magick
Meg the healer - healing
Miach - healing
ROWAN
Airmid - healing
Baile - communication
Beli - divination
Beltene - spirit contact
Borvo - healing
Bran - protection, divination
Caradoc - divination
Coll - astral work
Cormac - perseverance
Crom Cruach - spirit contact
Dhonn - past-life memory
Diancecht - healing
Feithline - divination
Grainne - Astral work
Gwendydd - divination
Gwyn Ap Nuad - spirit contact
Habetrot - healing
Miach - healing
Oghma - communication
Rosmerta - communication
Taliesin - understanding time
BIRCH
Amergin - creativity.
Blodeuwedd - learning lessons
Cairbre - creativity
Credne - creativity
Deae Matres - children's concerns
Edain - reincarnation
Evnissyen - being responsible.
Finvarra - competition
Goibniu - creativity
Grannos - purification
O'Carolan - creativity
HAZEL
Ban Naomha - wisdom
Bebhionn - spirit contact
Cailleach - wisdom
Cebhfhionn - wisdom
Connla - wisdom, loyalty
Pwyll - fairness, justice
ASH
Biddy Mamionn - healing
Habetrot - healing
Llyr - water magick
Maeve - feminine magick
Mannan - eco-magick
Meg the Healer - healing
IVY
Biddy Mamionn - healing
Brian Boru - leadership
Bres - compassion
Figol - patience
Melusine - compassion
Niamh - leadership
Veleda - leadership
WILLOW
Boann - fertility
Branwen - romantic love
Cerridwen - shapeshifting
Dana - faery contact
Diarmuid - romantic love
Fand - faery contact
Maeve - feminine power
Nantosuelta - fertility
Nessa - feminine power
Rhiannon - fertility
Shiela-Na-Gig - feminine power
Sin - strength
Taillte - fertility
REED
Bran - protection, divination
Coventina - divination
Diarmuid - romantic love
Don - family matters
Feithline - divination
Merlin - teaching, magick
HOLLY
Cernunnos - fertility
Dahud - sex magick
Fergus - sex magick
Flidais - animal concerns
Guildeluec - making choices
Isolde - making choices
Macha - strength of wisdom
THE WORLD TREE by Ken Johnson
THE TREE by Donna Leonard
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The above list of deities and their assocations with trees is not huge, do your own search for other Celtic deities and find their associations by reading the myths!
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