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The document provides information about using Celtic Reiki symbols for manifestation. It describes the six Level 2 symbols - Nuin, Duir, Oir, Coll, Gort and Saille - and how each can be used for different types of manifestation work, such as connecting to higher energies, opening doors, manifesting emotions or prosperity. It also discusses using crystals to magnify and direct Reiki energy, and the importance of choosing a "Master crystal" to aid in healing work.
The document provides information about using Celtic Reiki symbols for manifestation. It describes the six Level 2 symbols - Nuin, Duir, Oir, Coll, Gort and Saille - and how each can be used for different types of manifestation work, such as connecting to higher energies, opening doors, manifesting emotions or prosperity. It also discusses using crystals to magnify and direct Reiki energy, and the importance of choosing a "Master crystal" to aid in healing work.
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The document provides information about using Celtic Reiki symbols for manifestation. It describes the six Level 2 symbols - Nuin, Duir, Oir, Coll, Gort and Saille - and how each can be used for different types of manifestation work, such as connecting to higher energies, opening doors, manifesting emotions or prosperity. It also discusses using crystals to magnify and direct Reiki energy, and the importance of choosing a "Master crystal" to aid in healing work.
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Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Descărcați ca PDF, TXT sau citiți online pe Scribd
www.enchanted-earth.co.uk info@enchanted-earth.co.uk Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 2 Celtic Reiki Level 2 Celtic Reiki and Manifestation As we have already seen in Level 1, Celtic Reiki can be used to heal. However, it has many additional uses, one of the most interesting being manifestation. The Celts were highly acclaimed for their energetic powers of healing, manifestation and deep connection with the natural environment. In this section of the course we will be exploring the six Level 2 symbols that you have been attuned to. They can be used both by yourself and your clients, as a means of working with goals and desires on all levels. It has been found that the best method of using these Level 2 energies, is to begin with the first two symbols Nuin and Duir, which connect you to the Reiki and open doors to higher manifestation and protection energies. Then you can simply use one symbol or a combination of symbols, in order to manifest your desired goals. Another method is to use the symbols in meditation with a fixed idea of what you are manifesting and then direct the energies towards your goal. The symbols can also be used in treatments, and in conjunction with a wish book or crystal grid. As the Celtic Reiki system is continually evolving, the techniques suggested in these manuals are not set in stone and it is recommended that you work with the symbols creatively, as guided by intuition, or higher wisdom. When manifesting, it is essential to always work for the highest good of all, remembering not to force your will on other peoples lives as it will bounce straight back at you. A good example of this is in relationships. For example, it would be wrong to use Celtic Reiki with the intent of finding love with a specific person. A much better approach is to use the desire for a wonderful and special love to fill your life. This means that if the person of your desires is the perfect partner for you, then they will come, while at the same time if there is someone special waiting in the wings, you are opening the door to allow them in. For manifestation treatments either on yourself or others, channel the first two symbols at the head area and the other symbol(s) (according to your goals) moving from the head (3-5 minutes) to the heart (3-5 minutes), and finally to the Hara (situated about 2 inches below the navel) (3-5 minutes). This serves to bring the energy from the universe (thought) to the Earth (physical). You may also work as guided. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 3 Celtic Reiki Second Degree Symbols The second set of 6 Celtic Reiki symbols are illustrated below: Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 4 Nuin (Nee-Arn) N Nuin is the Ash Tree and represents the month of March the first month of spring and new beginnings. This symbol is used for connection, as it shows us the connection between all things and removes separateness.
Use Nuin at the start of any manifestation treatment or practice to connect to the specific energy required in this form of Reiki. Nuin will connect and prepare you in readiness for the next symbol. Duir (Doo-r) D Duir is of the Oak Tree and shows us the fertility of spring as celebrated in the festival of Beltane. It represents the month of May, the last month of spring and the end of the beginning. Duir is the opener of doors and gateways. It allows those who have connected, through to great strength and knowledge of the mysteries contained in the universe. It also protects and keeps the practitioner and client safe from any negative energies during the treatment or practice. It should be used after Nuin. Duir opens the chakras in turn, starting with the crown and working down to the base, thus bringing thoughts into the physical. Oir (U-eh) Th Oir is the Spindle, of sweetness and delight and is used in Celtic Reiki to manifest an ideal situation. This could be more prosperity, a better job, or a strengthening of relationships. Having used the first two symbols, Oir will help to create a contusive energy for the highest outcome in a physical sense and therefore is best used where money, property, work or people are concerned. However, always remember to work for the highest good and to remain anonymous where people are concerned. To attempt to force another to do something will bounce the energy right back at you! Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 5 Coll (Cull) C Coll is the Hazel and refers to the heart, emotion and intuition. Use where you wish to manifest emotions and create a new feeling, or underlying feeling to daily living. If you wish to create J oy, Inner Peace, Love, or any emotion that you feel at a heart level, or if you wish to improve energy, intuition, or balance, then Coll is the symbol to use. Coll can also be used to increase the potency of Oir, and the two work very well together. Gort (Gort) G Gort is of the Ivy and refers to the mental. The ivy creates a labyrinth a tangle of paths and journeys, some leading you forward, some leading you to nowhere, some leading you round and round. The Gort energy will help you to find your way through the labyrinth, helping you to stick to the right path. Gort can help to manifest clarity, improve memory and help you connect to higher wisdom. It can calm the mind in times of anxiety and allow stillness in meditation. You can use Gort, if you wish to manifest anonymously for the higher good i.e. you know you need something, but you are not quite sure what. Saille (Sarl-Yur) S Saille is the Willow Tree and refers to the moon and lunar rhythms. It is therefore best used in manifestations of the soul: to improve your ability to connect to higher levels, to work with guides and angels, or to help you clarify your lifes work and discover your purpose. Saille is the manifestation tool for lightworkers who have been travelling on their path for a while and are ready for the next step. It will help you connect to Lemurian and Atlantean energies, to work with ley-lines and Stargate energy and connect you to the stars. You can also use Saille in healing for extreme trauma on all levels. (Symbol descriptions written by Martyn Pentecost). Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 6 Crystals and Reiki Every crystal possesses a single chemical compound, which gives it a geometric internal structure that directly influences its exterior form. It is composed of atoms that have bonded together into regular repeating patterns, and it is these patterns that create a crystals solid form with flat faces, arranged in a precise geometry known as a crystal lattice. Crystals form over millions of years within the Earths crust and factors such as temperature, pressure, cooling period and other chemical elements within contact, all determine the final structure of the crystal. While each crystal is unique in appearance, the angle between the corresponding plane faces will be identical in all crystals of the same substance and structure. Hence we are able to group them based on their type, for example: Carnelian, Malachite, Lapis Lazuli, J asper, Tourmaline, etc. In the context of crystal healing, this means that the natural vibration of crystals is fairly uniform within each crystal type, but differs substantially between one type and the next. As a result of their vibrational energies and correspondence with the bodys chakra system, crystals have been used since the earliest civilisations for healing purposes. Crystals work in a variety of ways when combined with Reiki. Not only do they magnify the potency of the Reiki energy, but they can also alter the frequency of the energy to match that of the crystal, thereby enabling the practitioner to target specific areas and conditions. As crystals are able to store large amounts of Reiki energy, which is gradually released over time, this provides a constant Reiki supply to the wearer/carrier, or the area where the crystal is displayed. In addition, Reiki can be used to cleanse crystals of negative or foreign energies. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 7 The Master Crystal The Master crystal, as its name suggests, is of great significance to the Reiki practitioner or master. It serves as a powerful aid in a multitude of ways from charging your crystal grid (network), to assisting with distance healing or in- person treatments, to directing Reiki at objects, situations, personal dreams and wishes, etc. Ideally a Reiki master crystal should be wand-shaped and can be of any type, although clear quartz is a popular choice and works exceptionally well. When using crystals they should always feel right. The best crystal for your needs will choose you (rather than the other way around), and will resonate with your deepest being. Stories abound of people who have lost expensive crystals, or found them shattered when they reached home, simply because the crystal was not right for them. You may have to be patient, but if a crystal is meant for you, it will always find its way into your hands. Once you have acquired your master crystal, it needs to be cleansed and charged with Reiki. Regular smudging with a sage stick is recommended and you should not permit others to handle your crystal, as it will absorb their energy imprint. If another person does touch it, the crystal should always be smudged as soon as possible. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 8 Chakras and their Corresponding Crystals Base Chakra (Red stones) Red stimulates, activates and energises. Linked to the ability to use practical skills, movement, motivation, protection and survival. Puts life-energy to positive use. Garnet: Speedy energiser, activates other stones nearby, aids depression. J asper: Grounding, gently activating, calms biliousness. Ruby: Works with circulation of subtle anatomy, energising, analgesic. Tigers Eye: Helps energy flow, grounding, calming, strengthens bones. Sacral Chakra (Orange stones) As orange is a mix of red and yellow, it combines both energy and focus. Aids with creativity in all senses. Linked to artistic skills. Assists with shock and trauma, which can block the flow of energy within the body. Carnelian: Warm, gently energising, benefits all healing, infection, fever. Topaz: Clearing, directs energy, respiratory, de-stress. Citrine: Stimulates mental focus, digestive, balancing, helps creativity. Solar Plexus Chakra (Yellow stones) Regulates functioning of nervous system. Linked to pancreas and liver. Linked to immune system. Self-esteem, stress, fear and happiness are also linked to this colour. Tigers Eye: Helps energy flow, grounding, calming, strengthens bones. Amber: Immunity, self-healing, clears negativity. Citrine: Stimulates mental focus, digestive, balancing, helps creativity. Heart Chakra (Green/Pink stones) Green: balances emotions, space, relationships. Personal growth. Pink: more gentle and subtle, bringing emotions and sensitivity together. Aventurine: Heart balancer, expression of feelings, emotional tranquillity, chance. Emerald: Helps to find personal direction, make decisions from the heart. Tourmaline: Protection, self-confidence, tranquil, calming. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 9 Rose Quartz: Calming, reassuring, assists unexpressed emotions, relationships. Rhodonite: Self-love, self-worth. Throat Chakra (Blue /Turquoise stones) Associated with communication of all types - sight, voice, and hearing - all the senses. Inner communications and self-expression. Aquamarine: Stimulates healing properties at all levels, self-confidence. Blue Agate: Cooling of emotions, calming, anti-depressing. Lapis Lazuli: Peaceful, easy expression of thought and mind. Turquoise: Supportive, protective, strengthens the subtle bodies. Third Eye Chakra (Indigo stones) Perception, understanding and intuition are linked to this colour. Also mystery, spiritual insight and connection between mind, body and spirit. Sapphire: Relaxes and improves the mind, balances all aspects of the self. Azurite: Frees difficult and longstanding communication barriers, memory. Lapis Lazuli: Peaceful, easy expression of thought and mind. Crown Chakra (Violet/White stones) Violet/purple: inspiration, imagination, empathy and sense of service to others. Helps to re-balance extremes within the systems of the body. White: clarity of mind. White contains all other colours so it symbolises the power to reflect all energies and may also suggest a coming together. Cleansing and purifying. Amethyst: Useful all-rounder, good for meditation. Sugilite: Helps resolve group misunderstandings, helps people fit-in. Azurite: Frees difficult and longstanding communication barriers, memory. Clear Quartz: Strengthens and brings coherent energy, harmony. Moonstone: Clears tension, aids digestion, balances fluids in the body. Diamond: Increases quality of stones near to it, clarity of mind, dream stone. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 10 Techniques for Using Reiki and Crystals Charging a Crystal When you have selected a crystal corresponding with the results you wish to achieve, place it in the palm of your passive hand and cover with your dominant hand, i.e. the one you write with. Concentrate on sending Reiki into the crystal, and if the energy is required for a particular purpose, keep this intention strongly in your mind. Depending on the size of the crystal and the amount of Reiki required, this needs to be done for between 5-20 minutes. The charge should last for a week or more, although if you are working intensely with a specific stone (such as the master crystal of your Reiki Grid), then its advisable to charge it every 2-3 days. Cleansing a Crystal Basically this process is identical to the technique for charging a crystal above. However, when channelling Reiki into the crystal, your intention should be one of cleansing. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 11 Creating and Using a Celtic Reiki Crystal Grid With the aid of a crystal Reiki grid you can continue to send Reiki or empower goals for long periods, provided the grid is charged on a regular basis. When in use, the grid actually becomes multidimensional and allows a link to your higher self and Reiki guides to transmit healing and knowledge. The grid requires seven crystals, plus your master crystal. While in theory any type will do, I would recommend using quartz crystal. Before setting up the grid all the crystals need to be cleansed. There are many different methods you can choose from, such as placing the crystals in a bowl with rock or sea salt and pure water, running under a cold tap, leaving outside in the sunlight or moonlight, smudging with sage or any other cleansing incense or herb, etc. When cleansing the energy of crystals other than quartz crystal, you should always check the properties of the stone first, as certain crystals will dissolve in water or fade in sunlight. Once your crystals have been cleansed, they will need to be charged with Reiki before use. The grid should be set up in a sacred space where it will not be disturbed. Draw the six manifestation symbols from Celtic Reiki on a sheet of paper in a circle around the central crystal. The other six crystals will be placed over the symbols facing inwards towards the central crystal, which should hold special significance. Crystal balls, pyramids or clusters have been noted to harness the Reiki energy well. Once you have created a configuration that feels right, its advisable to affix the crystals with a small piece of adhesive to prevent any movement. Using a picture of yourself alone, write a positive affirmation on the reverse that encompasses all the ideals you wish to attain on your Reiki journey. It is of considerable importance that this is a true statement of your own intent, and not a well known saying or phrase. In order to know their purpose as part of the grid, the crystals need to be charged with Celtic Reiki. You should Reiki the crystals for about 10 minutes each, using all six Level 2 symbols whilst tuning in to your individual guides for increased purity. Place each individual crystal on its setting within the grid, leaving the centre crystal to the very end. Then charge the master crystal in exactly the same way as the others. The master crystal will become an important part of your Reiki life and, as mentioned before, has to be special to you. It forms an integral part of the grid, being used to both charge it and keep it charged. In order to charge the grid, you should hold the master crystal in your dominant hand and point it downward at the central crystal. Start by drawing out triangular sections on the grid, beginning at the centre, moving out to one of the six crystals, and then across anti-clockwise to the next, and back to the centre again. Work your way around the grid whilst intoning a mantra-like affirmation, filling the grid with Light, Love, Peace, and Wisdom, affirming all the words three times. For example: I charge this grid with Reiki, with Reiki, Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 12 with Reiki, for for for. This should be continued until you feel that the positive affirmations have filled the grid. Initially you may find it difficult to create the rhythm and will perhaps miss a few lines. Dont worry, as speed will come with practice, and you will quickly find that the mantras assist in contributing a flowing charging motion. It is necessary to carry on charging the grid every 2-3 days, since crystals possess only a finite power. The more you work the grid, the greater the results that will be obtained. Your master crystal will rapidly become a close friend and a wonderful meditation tool, enhancing awareness and sensitivity. The results attained will be very powerful, if the crystal is charged with the Reiki meditation and then used to activate the grid. From time to time there may be situations when you are separated from the grid, but wish to continue using it for empowerment. Provided you have a photograph of the made-up grid with you, it is possible to activate it with your master crystal in exactly the same manner as if you were present. The grid can also be used for the empowering of goals or the healing of an individual. To do so, you will need to write out exactly what is required of the grid and place it in the middle, being careful not to disturb the central crystal. If youre using an absent healing book, it should be opened and stood on end inside the grid, so that energy will be sent to all within. Use of the grid requires responsibility since it is very powerful and, as always, its important to be mindful of what you ask for since you may just get it! A series of crystal grids can be set up in one go and placed around your home with the intention that they are all connected. This achieves a powerful field of energy that will protect your living environment and creates a healing, positive energy. To charge the network, it is necessary to charge the main grid (master grid) daily, with the simple intention that all the grids are charged. Celtic Reiki Level 2 Exercises As before, please memorise all six symbols, their meanings and methods of use. You may also wish to meditate and work further on each individual symbol. Do any specific colours or thoughts come to mind when you use them (and also the Level 1 symbols)? Please practice all the techniques suggested above and keep a record of your experiences with using the symbols in meditation and in manifestation treatments on both yourself and others. Try to be creative in what you do with these manifestation symbols and allow yourself to be guided by your intuition. If you already have suitable crystals (or can easily obtain some), you may wish to set up a crystal grid using Celtic Reiki for healing or manifestation purposes (either for yourself or others). You may even like to set up a crystal network around your house comprised of several grids. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 13 Try to find as many of the Celtic Reiki Level 2 trees as possible in your vicinity and get to know them! Disclaimer Please be aware that the information given in this Celtic Reiki course is for educational purposes only. Celtic Reiki is a wonderful hands-on method of energy balancing for the purpose of stress reduction and relaxation, that works in conjunction with any and all other healthcare practices you may be using. However, it is not meant as a substitute for proper medical diagnosis and treatment provided by licensed healthcare professionals. Celtic Reiki practitioners do not diagnose conditions, nor do they perform medical treatments, prescribe substances, or interfere with the treatment of a licensed medical professional. It is strongly recommended that you contact your physician or healthcare specialist for any physical or psychological ailment you may have. Celtic Reiki Level 2 Resources Recommended articles: The Oghams: One and Many http://www.faeryshaman.org/arch/es44arc2.htm The Tree Ogham as Herbal Ogham http://www.faeryshaman.org/arch/es52arc2.htm Herbal Properties of the Tree Ogham http://www.faeryshaman.org/arch/es52arc2x.htm (The following article on Using Trees as Medicine is given for information purposes only. We do not recommend it as a substitute for proper medical diagnosis and treatment provided by licensed healthcare professionals. Always contact your physician or healthcare specialist for any physical or psychological ailment you may have). Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 14 Using Trees as Medicine by Ellen Evert Hopman Many common North American trees can be used as medicine. Their advantage over medicinal herbs is that tree medicines can be used year round. In fact, trees make among the most versatile medicine you will find. In early spring and summer the leaves of trees are useful healing agents. In fall and winter, the bark and twigs or of the roots may be used to treat common ailments. Some simple rules must be learned, however, and followed for tree medicines to work. Preparing Tree Medicines for Use Here are several rules to ensure you are mindful in gathering tree medicines. First never cut the bark off of the trunk of a living tree. Especially avoid girdling the tree by removing the bark as this will kill the tree. To gather bark use that found on a twig or a root of felled tree. In these cases, it is a simple matter of striping the bark off the twig or root with a sharp knife. Medicinal agents are found in the cambium - the living green or greenish yellow layer just under the outer bark. Once you have gathered the bark of a tree you can use it immediately or dry it for later use. To dry the bark, carefully lay it to dry in the shade, making sure that the strips do not overlap. Leaves can be tied together and hung in bunches from a string or rope in a dry, shady area. To use the bark, simmer two teaspoons of bark per cup of water for twenty minutes in a non-aluminium pot with a tight lid. Strain and drink. The dose is one-quarter cup, taken four times a day with meals. This assumes a 150- pound adult. A child weighing 75-pounds should take half as much, and a child weighing 40-pounds should take half as much again. The tea may be stored in a glass jar with a tight lid, in the refrigerator, for up to a week. When using the leaves they should be picked in the early spring no later than Summer Solstice. Steep two teaspoons of fresh or dried leaves per cup of freshly boiled water for about twenty minutes, in a non-aluminium pot with a tight lid. The dose is the same as above. Add lemon and honey to the medicines as desired. If you are making a tea to use as a wound wash or to add to the bath it may be much stronger. Use more of the tree parts and less water, and simmer or steep for longer periods. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 15 To make a tree leaf poultice, use fresh leaves, or dry ones that have been soaked in enough boiling water to make them soft. Place the leaves in a blender with just enough water to make a mush. Pour into a glass or ceramic bowl and then add powdered slippery elm bark, a little at a time, until a pie dough consistency is achieved. Spread the poultice onto a cotton cloth and apply to the affected area. Leave on for one hour, and then discard the poultice material. Repeat daily. A formentation may be made of the bark or leaf tea by soaking clean cotton cloth in the tea and then applying it to an affected area. Tree leaves, bark, and nuts may also be used in healing salves. To make a salve simply place the plant material in a large non-aluminium pot, and just barely cover with cold-pressed virgin olive oil. Simmer with a lid for about twenty minutes. In a separate pot melt beeswax, and bring to a simmer. After oil mixture has simmered for twenty minutes add three tablespoons of melted beeswax for every cup of olive oil used. Stir and then strain into very clean glass jars. Allow to cool and harden before putting on the lid. Some tree parts are used to make massage oils or oils for other purposes. Take the fresh tree parts, and put them in a shallow non-aluminium baking dish. Cover with a light oil such as almond, cover, and bake in a slow oven at 110 degrees for several hours until the plant material wilts. To tincture buds, barks, or roots, place the chopped plant material in a clean glass jar. Cover with vodka or other alcohol {80 proof or higher}, cover tightly, and allow the tincture to sit for eight days. Shake occasionally. Add 10% spring water and a teaspoon of vegetable glycerine. Strain and bottle for later use. Store in cool, dark place. For leaves and flowers; pack the plant material into a clean glass jar, barely cover with alcohol, and allow the tincture to extract until the plant material begins to wilt. Add spring water and vegetable glycerine, and strain and bottle as above. The dose is about 10 drops, three times a day, taken with water. Green Etiquette It is only polite to thank a tree when you have used its parts for medicine. Make a habit of giving back to the trees. A meal of fertilizer, a drink during a hot spell, or offering of herbs such as sage or tobacco are always correct. In ancient European tradition, vervain, honey, or apple cider were often given. Or a simple prayer was spoken, that the tree and its relations always have abundant sunshine, pure water to drink, healthy winds, and the companionship of birds and other friendly spirits. In this time of global Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 16 warming it is wise to plant trees wherever possible and to nurture living ones. Trees are cooling. They prevent evaporation of rainwater, hold back water to prevent floods and erosion, purify stagnant and polluted water, and maintain the balance of oxygen and carbon in a world increasingly polluted by greenhouse gases. Ancient tress especially should be honored and protected. Some Tree Medicine Alder: Is a small tree that thrives in damp areas such as wetlands and riverbanks. It usually has several grayish trunks, and its female catkins develop into what look like tiny brown pine cones. Alder bark is simmered in water to make a healing wash for deep wounds. It is astringent and will help to pull the edges of a wound together. The leaves and bark can be made into a tea that will benefit tonsillitis and fever. The leaves are also used in poultices to dry up breast milk. Alder bark tea can be used as a douche or for haemorrhoids. Fresh alder sap can be applied to any area to relieve itching. Apple: The bark of the root of apple trees is used for fevers. Apples are rich in magnesium, iron, potassium, and Vitamins C, B and B2. When peeled, they relieve diarrhoea. Stewed unpeeled apples are a laxative. Eating apples regularly promotes restful sleep. Baked apples can be applied warm as a poultice for sore throats and fevers. Apple cider is important in this time of antibiotics, which destroy the intestinal flora. Raw, unpasteurized apple cider will restore the correct bacteria to the bowels after a course of antibiotics. Apples reduce acidity in the stomach and help to clean the liver. Add garlic and horseradish to apple cider to clear the skin. Use the mixture as a wash externally and take it internally as a drink. Ash: Ash is a tall tree whose compound leaves are composed of five to nine, or seven to eleven leaflets. Its bark is very tightly and regularly furrowed, and its winged, canoe-paddle-shaped seeds, called keys, hang in clusters until they are brown and drop off in the fall. The tender new spring growth of the twig tips and leaves can be simmered to make a laxative tea that will benefit gout, jaundice, and rheumatism. Beech: Beech trees have a distinctive, smooth gray bark that resembles the skin of an elephant. The bark is used as a tea for lung problems, including tuberculosis. It is also cleansing to the blood, though pregnant women should avoid it. Beech bark tea makes a good wash for poison ivy. Beech leaves are used in poultices for burns and for frostbite. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 17 Birch: Birch trees have thin papery bark that peels easily -- so easily that birds actually use it to build their nests. It can range in color from chalky white and reddish brown to golden gray and yellow. The sweet birch {black birch} and yellow birch both have a nice wintergreen flavor in their twigs and bark. Birch leaf or twig tea is a laxative, and healing to mouth sores, kidney and bladder sediments, and gout. The tea also helps rheumatic pains. Make a strong decoction of the twigs, bark and leaves and add it to the bath for relief of eczema, psoriasis, and other moist skin eruptions. Modern medicine has recently confirmed that betulinic acid, formed in birch sap, has anti-tumor properties that help fight cancer. Cedar: The northern white cedar is an evergreen with a branched trunk, conical shape, and flat scalelike leaves. It has reddish brown bark that hangs in hairy shreds. Another name for the tree is Arborvitae, or "tree of life," a name given to it by the French explorer Jacques Cartier after it saved his crew from scurvy. A tea is made from the leaves and twigs, and is very high in Vitamin C. Among the Algonquin it is considered a sacred tree, and they will not perform a ceremony without it. Its branches are used on the floor of sweat lodges, and it is dried and burned as an incense because it harmonizes the emotions and put one in the proper state of mind for prayer. The tea of the twigs and branches is simmered until the water in the pot begins to turn brown. It is then used for fevers, rheumatic complaints, chest colds and flu. Elder: Elder trees are quite small. They have clusters of white flowers in spring and black or deep purple berries in fall. They thrive in damp, moist areas. Elderberries are used to make preserves, pies, and wine. Taken as a tea, either fresh or dried, the berries benefit the lungs and nourish the blood. The young leaves of elder are used in salves and poultices for skin healing. A root bark tea clears congestion, eases headaches, and is used in poultices for mastitis. A tincture of the flowers lowers fever by promoting perspiration. Elderflowers water is a traditional remedy for skin blemishes and sunburn. Cold elderflower tea is placed on the eyes as a soothing compress for inflammation. Elderflower oil makes a soothing balm for sore nipples of nursing mothers. Elm: Slippery elm is a medium-sized tree with grayish bark, usually found near streams. Unlike the American elm its crown does not droop. It leaves are also larger than the American elm's with coarsely toothed margins. The inner bark of the slippery elm, which is sticky and fragrant when fresh, is used medicinally. Slippery Elm bark is available in dried and powdered forms from herbalists. It is made into paste with water and then applied as a poultice to injuries of flesh and bone, on gunshot wounds, ulcers, tumors, swellings, chilblains, and on the abdomen to draw fever out. Slippery elm is very high in calcium, and a pudding or tea of the bark can be ingested to Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 18 help speed bone healing. The powdered bark in water makes a jelly that soothes bowel and urinary problems, sore throats, and diarrhoea. It makes a perfect substitute milk for babies who are allergic to cow's milk. Try adding a little lemon and honey for flavor. Hawthorn: Hawthorn is a small, broad, round, and dense tree with thorns and edible red fruits. The fall berries and spring new leaves and flowers make a cardiac tonic that benefits virtually all heart conditions. Be aware, however: prolonged used does cause the blood pressure to drop. Use it for a few weeks and then take a week off to prevent a precipitous decrease in blood pressure. Use caution when combining this herb with other heart medications to prevent a sudden drop in blood pressure. For maximum benefit eat fresh raw garlic as you undergo a hawthorn regime. {Garlic provides extra cleansing of plaque in the blood vessels}. Hazel: Is a small tree with small rounded nuts that grow two to four in a cluster. Hazel twigs are traditionally used by dowsers to find hidden sources of water. Hazel nuts are said to benefit the kidneys. Huron herbalists used the bark in poultices for tumors and ulcers. The Iroquois mixed the nut oil with bear's grease to make mosquito repellent. The Chippewa used a decoction of hazel root, white oak root, chokecherry bark, and the heartwood of ironwood for bleeding from the lungs. Holly: Mountain Holly is a small tree with fine saw-toothed leaves and large orange berries. The buds were twigs that were used by Native Amercian herbalists in decoctions and as an external wash for ulcers, herpetic eruptions, jaundice, fever and diarrhoea. The leaves alone were used as beverage tea. English holly or European holly is a familiar evergreen usually seen as decoration at Yuletide. It has spiny, elliptical leaves and shiny red berries. The leaves can be used as a tea substitute and in infusions for coughs, colds and flu. Be aware: the berries of all holly varieties are strongly purgative. Linden and Basswood: Linden is a large tree found in moist, rich soils near other hardwoods. It has heart-shaped leaves with toothed margins. The bark is dark gray, and its fruit is nutlike, downy, and pea-sized. It has clusters of yellowish-white fragrant flowers in the spring. Basswood, or American linden, is a close relative. Linden flower tea is a popular beverage in Europe for nervous headaches and upset digestion, hysteria, nervous vomiting, and heart palpitations. Linden flower tea can also be added to baths to calm the nerves. Linden flower honey is prized for medicinal use. Native American herbalists used the roots and bark of basswood for burns and the flower tea for epilepsy, headache, spasm, spasmodic cough, and general pain. The buds were eaten as famine food, and the bark was pounded and added to soups. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 19 Maple: Maples are large trees with deeply lobed, toothed leaves. The bark of the younger tress is gray and smooth, on older trees it breaks into ridges and fissures. Maples have winged seeds that hang in clusters of two. The Ojibwa and the Cherokee made a decoction of the inner bark or red maple to use as a wash for sore eyes. The leaves of striped maple, or moosehead, were used to poultice sore breasts. A decoction of inner bark of sugar maple was used for diarrhoea. The Penobscot used striped maple bark in poultices for swollen limbs, and as a tea for kidney infections, coughs, colds, and bronchitis. Young maple leaves can be made into massage oil that will be soothing to sore muscles. Oak: Oaks are large trees with lobed leaves and acorns topped by bowl- shaped caps. The best oak for internal use is white oak, though all oaks are valuable as external washes. The tannins in oak bark and leaves are helpful in pulling the edges of a wound together and are antiseptic and antiviral. White oak bark tea is used for chronic diarrhoea, chronic mucus discharges, and piles. It makes a nice gargle for sore throats and wash for skin problems such as poison ivy, burn and wounds. The tea of the leaf of the bark may be used by women as a douche for vaginitis. Use caution: prolonged ingestion of oak is potentially harmful. Pine: All pines are evergreens, with needles that grow in soft, flexible clusters. Pine trees are revered worldwide as healing agents. Any pine, or other evergreen such as spruce, larch, and cedar, will have antiseptic properties useful as a wound wash. The most palatable pine for internal use is the white pine. Its needles and twigs are simmered into a tea that is rich in Vitamin C. The tea is used for sore throats, coughs, and colds. Chinese herbalists boil the knot of the wood because of the concentrated resins found there. Pine baths aid kidney ailments, improve circulation, and are relaxing to sore muscles. The aroma of pine is soothing to the nerves and lungs. Pine tea makes a wonderful footbath. Poplar: Poplars are distinguished by their drooping catkins and rounded leaves with pointed tips. Balsam poplar was used by Native American herbalists who scored the bark and applied the resinous gum to toothaches and swellings. The sticky spring buds were gathered in May and used in salves for skin problems, sprains, sore muscles, wounds, headaches, tumors, eczema, bruises, gout, and on the chest for lung ailments and coughs. The buds were decocted and used internally for phlegm, kidney and bladder ailments, coughs, scurvy, and rheumatic pains. The root was combined with the root of white poplar in a decoction to stop premature bleeding in pregnancy. The warmed juice of white poplar was dropped into sore ears. Poplar barks are high in salicin, making them useful in treating deep wounds, gangrene, eczema, cancer, burns, and strong body odor. The inner bark of Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 20 a young poplar tree is edible in the spring and can be simmered into a tea for liver and kidney ailments. Rowan, or Mountain Ash: The American mountain ash and the European mountain ash have identical uses. The former has bunches of orange berries that look like tiny apples, and the latter one has red ones. Both are small, sturdy trees with compound leaves of nine to seventeen leaflets. Their clusters of white flowers, composed of five petals each, appear in spring. Rowan berries are bitter, astringent, and very high in Vitaman C. They should be picked just after the first frost when their color has deepened. The fresh juice of the berries is added to sore throat gargles, and jelly is made from the berries will treat diarrhoea in adults and children. Rowan berries are added to ales and cordials. In ancient Scotland, a syrup for coughs and colds was made from rowan berries, apples, and honey. Walnut: Walnut trees are tall and have compound, alternative leaflets. Their spring flowers are drooping green catkins that mature into large, round nuts covered in green, spongy husks that stain the hands brown when cut open with a knife. Walnut husks are medicinally active. They are antifungal and rich in manganese, a skin-healing agent. Gather them when fresh, and rub directly onto ringworm. The tea of the hull may be used as a douche for vaginitis. For stubborn old ulcers apply the dried, powdered leaf, and then poultice with fresh green leaves. Do this for about twenty days, daily. The leaf tea increases circulation, digestion, and energy. The fresh bark may be applied to the temples for headache or to teeth to relieve pain. The dried and powdered bark, or pounded fresh bark, can be applied to wounds to stop swelling and to hasten healing. Willow: There are more than forty varieties of willow growing in the US. They are water-loving trees, a good indicator species if youre looking for a regular water source, either above or below ground. Willows have slender flexible twigs and long, narrow, simple leaves. In early spring, willows bloom with golden catkins that mature into small seed capsules in late summer. All willow barks have salicylic acid, which is a natural form of aspirin. Willow bark tea treats muscle pain and inflammation, diarrhoea, fever, arthritic pain, and headache. Used externally it makes a wash for cuts, ulcers, and poison ivy. Willow bark in teas and capsules is a sedative and eases insomnia. It reduces the risk of heart disease and may delay cataract formation. Reference: 2002 Magickal Almanac http://groups.msn.com/FullMoonParadise/articles.msnw?action=get_message& mview=0&ID_Message=56167&LastModified=4675396343487139651 Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 21 Oak - Duir Quercus "Choose the Oak of the Sun" -old Scottish rhyme Mara Freeman 1996 Of all the trees in Britain and Ireland, the oak is considered king. Famed for its endurance and longevity, even today it is synonymous with strength and steadfastness in the popular mind. John Evelyn in his 'Sylva. Or a Discourse of Forest-Trees", calls it the "pride and glory of the forest", and in "The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries", Evans-Wenze proclaims that "the oak is pre-eminently the holy tree of Europe. In the Classical world it was regarded as the Tree of Life as its deep roots penetrate as deep into the Underworld as its branches soar to the sky, and it was held sacred to Zeus and Jupiter. In Scandinavia the oak was the tree of the Thunder- God, Thor, as it was to his Finnish counterpart, Jumala. Its name derives from the Anglo-Saxon word, ac, but in Irish the word is 'daur', and in Welsh 'dar' or 'derw', probably cognate with the Greek, 'drus'. Same scholars consider this the origin of the term 'Druid", since Druids have always been associated with sacred groves, and particularly oak forests. Dense forests of oak once covered most of Northern Europe in those days, so it is not surprising to find this tree held most sacred by people who "live in oak forests, used oak timber for building, oak sticks for fuel, and oak acorns for food and fodder." (1) Combined with the Indo- European root "wid": to know, "Druid" may have referred to those with "knowledge of the oak," the "Wise Ones of the Oakwood". The Sanskrit word, "Duir", gave rise both to the word for oak and the English word "door", which suggests that this tree stands as an opening into greater wisdom, perhaps an entryway into the otherworld itself. We first learn about the oak as sacred to the Druids in the well-known passage from the writings of Pliny, who lived in Gaul during the 1st century CE. He writes that the Druids performed all their religious rites in oak- groves, where they gathered mistletoe from the trees with a golden sickle. Strabo also describes three Galatian tribes (Celts living in Asia Minor) as holding their councils at a place called, "Drunemeton", the "oak grove sanctuary". The 2nd century Maximus of Tyre, describes the Celts as worshipping Zeus-- probably referring to the Romano-Celtic god of thunder, Taranis- as a tall oak tree. Elsewhere we learn that the Druids of Gaul ate acorns as a way of divining the future. Another Roman writer referred to them as "Dryads" whom he defined as "those who delight in the oaks". (2) Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 22 We can never know for sure whether the Druids of the British Isles and Ireland practiced their religion in oak-groves like their continental cousins, but it seems likely. We know that the insular Celts worshipped in groves, or "nematon", and the evidence from Ireland in particular makes it likely that these were oaks. Ireland was covered with oak trees, whose presence still echoes down the centuries in place names such as Derry, Derrylanan, Derrybawn (whiteoak), Derrykeighan and, or course, Londonderry, once Derry Calgagh, the oakwood of a fierce warrior of the name. Many early Christian churches were situated in oak-groves, probably because they were once pagan places of worship. Kildare, where St. Brigid founded her abbey, derives from "Cill-dara", the Church of the Oak. Legend says she loved and blessed a great oak and held it so sacred that no-one dare harm a leaf of it. Under its shade she built her cell. (This ties in neatly with pre-Christian tradition, as the pagan goddess Brigid was daughter to the Sun-God Dagda to whom the oak was sacred.) St. Columcille, also known as Columba, whom many believe to have been a Druid before he embraced the new faith, likewise founded churches in an oak-grove at Derry (Doire), the monastery at Durrow (Dairmag, 'the Plain of the Oaks') and a monastery at Kells where he lived under an oak tree. According to the Irish "Life of St. Columcille" a man took some of the bark of his tree to tan his shoes and contracted leprosy as a consequence. When he was founding the church at Derry, St. Columcille burned down the town and the king's fort in order to eradicate the works of worldly men and sanctify the site for his church. But the fire blazed out of control and he had to pronounce an invocation to save the grove of trees. He loved these trees so much that he built his oratory facing north-south instead of by the usual Christian orientation of east-west so none would be disturbed. He ordered his successors not to touch any tree that might fall, but to let it lie for nine days (the sacred Celtic number) before cutting it up and distributing the wood among the poor. When later in life he lived at the abbey he founded on the Isle of Iona in Scotland, he declared that although he feared death and hell, the sound of an axe in Derry frightened him more. There were also some places that show traces of pre-Christian groves, however faint. We hear of an oak-grove near Loch Siant in the Isle of Skye that was once held so sacred that no person would dare cut the smallest twig from the trees. Also in Scotland is the sacred oak on the island in Lock Maree. The local story goes that it was once "Eilean-a-Mhor- Righ (the island of the Great King) who was in fact a pagan god. And in England, the remains of ancient oaks were discovered near the Romano- British temple at Lydney, dedicated to the god Nodons. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 23 Early literature gives more evidence of the importance of the oak to pagan Celts. A great oak was one of the five sacred trees brought to Ireland by the strange being called Trefuilngid Tre-ochair who appeared suddenly at Tara on the day Christ was crucified. An emissary from the otherworld, he bore a branch on which were acorns, apples, nuts and berries which he shook onto the ground. These wondrous fruits were planted into five different parts of Ireland, and from them grew five great trees that oversaw each province until they were blown down-- by the disapproving winds of the Church?-- in the 7th century. Among these was the great Oak of Mugna which stood in southern Kildare. This 'bile' or sacred tree was celebrated in the Edinburgh Dinnsenchas as: "Mughna's oak-tree without blemish Whereon were mast and fruit, Its top was as broad precisely As the great plain without" (3) It was said to bear nine hundred bushels of acorns 3 times a year and red apples besides, making its Otherworldly origins clear. The moment the last acorn fell, the first blossom of the year appeared, reminding us of the perpetual cycle of death and rebirth. Another godlike personage bearing the insignia of the oak us described in "The Feast of Bricrui" where three famous warriors including Cuchullain take turns in guarding the dun of Curoi while he is away. Two of then fail, then during Cuchullain's watch, a gigantic warrior attacks the settlement who hurls great branches of oak at Cuchullain. After a tremendous battle, Cuchullain defeats him. Later, it becomes apparent that the assailant was Curoi himself, whose other name is Mac Daire - Son of Oaktree. In the course of the story, he also challenges Cuchullain to behead him and to be beheaded himself in return. It is clear that this tale is a forerunner of the mediaeval poem, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", and the symbolic beheading of the Oak King links these tales with the well-known ritual sacrifice of the old king in the oak-grove of the Nemi which forms the argument of Frazier's "the Golden Bough". The sacrifice at Nemi took place at Summer Solstice, which brings us to the battle between the Oak King personifying the waxing year, and the Holly King, who ruled the waning year. At Midsummer, as the year began its turn towards the dark again, the Holly was victorious, but at Midwinter, the Oak King defeated the forces of darkness once again, revealing himself as a Vegetation God who must die each year so that Life can be renewed. It is not surprising, then, that images of the Green Man carved in wood and stone in mediaeval churches most frequently show oak leaves growing out of his ears and mouth. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 24 The Oaks connection with sacrifice is again echoed in the Welsh story, "Math, son of Mathonwy". The hero Lleu is betrayed and killed, but after his "death" he turns into an eagle and perches atop a magical oak tree on a plain (the place where most sacred trees where situated), where he suffered "nine-score hardships". Lleu's fate reminds us of the famous sacrifice by Odin of "himself to himself" on the great ash-tree, Yggdrasil. With this new facet of the oaks symbolism revealed, it is clear that the oak's reputation as a tree of strength, abundance and endurance depends on its yearly death and rebirth: unless we align ourselves with the great cycle of Life "and" Death, there can be no true renewal in Springtime. The oak held its place of honour in the British landscape long after its veneration by the early Celts. John Evelyn told how one great oak was held in such high esteem, that if a bastard was born within its ample shade, neither mother nor child would incur the usual heavy censure of the church or magistrate. Country-people frequented the oak for its curative powers, which in some places was considered so great that healing could occur simply by walking around the tree and wishing the ailment to be carried off by the first bird alighting on its branches. In Cornwall, a nail driven into an oak cured toothache, while in Wales, rubbing the oak with the palm of your left hand on Midsummer's Day kept you healthy all year. It gave a special virtue to other plants that grew upon its trunk or branches, such as the mistletoe and polypody fern. The herbalist Gerard said, "that which growth on the bodies of olde Okes is preferred before the rest: in steede of this most do use that which is found under the Okes...." (4). As we noted above, the oak is especially the tree of thunder gods in other Northern cultures, and this tradition holds true in Britain also. In Anglo- Saxon times, Thor was known as Thunor and groves of oak-trees were dedicated to him in the south and east of England, the village of Thundersley in Essex originally being one. Like the ash, it is said to "court the lightning flash": lightning is popularly supposed to strike the oak more than any other tree. Such trees often survived the blow and flourished remarkably well, henceforth being known as "lightning oaks." People often took pieces of these trees to put on their houses for good luck. In shamanistic cultures, a person who survived being struck by lightning often became a shaman, for the lightning bolt is seen worldwide as the sudden spiritual illumination that rends the darkness with a terrifying and irrevocable transforming force. Under Christianity, large oaks often became designated as "Holy Oaks", giving rise to place-names such as Holy Oakes in Leicestershire and Cressage in Shropshire, originally Cristesache, or Christ's Oak. Many Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 25 English towns today have areas called "Gospel Oak", harking back to the time when an oak marked a parish boundary. Every spring at Rogation-tide, parishioners would circle the boundaries in the ceremony known as 'bearing the bounds" and assemble to hear the gospel read beneath the tree. Oak-trees have always been regarded as great protectors and guardians of the virtuous. When King Charles II was fleeing from Roundheads after the battle at Worcester, he took refuge in the branches of a great oak, and after his Restoration on May 29th, 1660, this day -also his birthday - was henceforth celebrated as "Royal Oak Day", when loyal subjects wore oak- apples, twigs and leaves in their buttonholes and caps, and decorated their horses with garlands of oak. The immense popularity of this day points very clearly to a pagan origin of this custom, probably connected with the rites of May Day that in many places had been prohibited in the Puritan years because of its sexual associations. As late as the beginning of the 20th century, a Herefordshire resident explained, "The 29th of May was our real May Day in Bromyard. You'd see maypoles all the way down Sheep Street decorated with oak boughs and flowers, and people dancing round them, all wearing oak leaves." (5) An oak was often the guardian tree of a family, as in the case of the famous Oak of Errol in Scotland, which was bound up with the good fortune of the Hay family. A nineteenth century descendant of the family described how "It was believed that a sprig of the Mistletoe cut by a Hay on Allhallowmas eve, with a new dirk, and after surrounding the tree three times sunwise and pronouncing a certain spell, was a sure charm against the glamour or witchery, and an infallible guard in the day of battle. A spray, gathered in the same manner, was placed in the cradle of infants, and thought to defend them from being changed for elf-bairns by the Fairies.". (6) When the root of the oak decayed, then the Hay family would likewise perish, as the old prophecy attributed to Thomas the Rhymer states: When the mistletoe bats on Errol's aik, And that aik stands best, The Hays shall flourish, and their good grey hawk Shall not flinch before the blast. But when the root of the aik decays And the mistletoe dwines on its withered breast The grass shall grow on Errol's hearthstone, And the corbie roup (croak) in the falcon's nest. (7) Folklorist Ruth L. Tongue tells the Somerset folktale of an oak that helps a girl escape a cruel king, by sending a bough crashing onto his head. The king's men come to fell the tree, but meet with a sorry fate: Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 26 Oh they rode in the wood, where the oaken tree stood To cut down the tree, the oaken tree Then the tree gave a groan and summoned his own, For the trees closed about and they never got out Of the wood, the wonderful wood. (8) In another tale from the same source, "The Vixen and the Oakmen", the oak-tree spirits hide a pursued vixen from hunters and hounds, for "they guard all forest beasts." When the pursuers are gone, the "Oakmen" invite the vixen to "Wipe your sore paws in our oaktree rainpool", which makes her pads heal and her torn fur grow again. In death, too, the powerful presence of the oak as a living being could be felt: John Aubrey, writing in the 17th century reports: "When an oake is falling, before it falls it gives a kind of shriekes or groanes that may be heard a mile off, as it were the genus of the oake lamenting. E. Wyld, Esq. hath heard it severall times. " (9) A famous mistletoe-bearing oak in Derbyshire had the reputation of being semi-human as late as the 19th century. If its branches were severed, it screamed and bled, and spoke with the voice of prophetic doom. Aubrey also tells of an oak whose mistletoe was cut and sold to some London apothecaries, all of whom met with horrible misfortunes thereafter: "One fell Iamb shortly thereafter; soon after each of the others lost an eye, and he that felled the tree though warned of these misfortunes of the other men, would, notwithstanding, adventure to do it, and shortly afterwards broke his leg; as if the Hamadryads had resolved to take an ample revenge for the injury done to their venerable and sacred oak. (10) The avenging power of the oak was famous, particularly in Somerset where until recently the oak was regarded with much respect as a tree of formidable power. It was well-known that oaks resented being cut down, so people studiously avoided going near a coppice which sprang from the stumps of the felled trees. Ruth Tongue writes that in 1945 her chauffeur refused to drive past a grove that had been felled in the Second World War. A local story also told of Carming family that came to grief because of disregarding the power of Oak: the Carmer and his oldest son were greedy and cut down oaks in a nearby coppice, although they had plenty of wood of their own. The story continues: "Trees didn't say nothing - which was bad. If they do talk a bit you do get a warning, but if they'm dead still there's summat bad a-brewing. And zo t'was. Be danged if gurt oak didn 't drop a limb on can and timber and farmer and eldest son. Killed they two stark dead outright, but when the youngest came to rescue the dead the tree rustled fit to deafen he." Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 27 The youngest son was spared because he was always respectful to trees, being sure to ask the 'great oak by the gate' if he might go past when he entered the forest, and after he inherited the farm, "trees never followed 'n nor closed about 'n, nor let drop branches." (11) These days road protesters fight desperately to save these venerable Old Ones from the bulldozers and other weapons of the war against the Living Earth. I have a fantasy that, just as in C.S. Lewis's second Narnia Chronicle, "Prince Caspian", one day the trees themselves will rise up and march like a summer storm to put an end to those who would replace their beauty and grandeur with concrete and tarmac. In which case, Oak will no doubt be the formidable general leading the onslaught. Foot notes: 1. Sir James Frazer. The Golden Bough 1911-16 2. Nora K. Chadwick, The Druids 1966 3. Whitley Stokes. The Edinburgh Dinnsenchas. Folk-Lore Col 4. Quoted in Grigson, Geoffrey. The Englishman's Flora. London: Phoenix House, 1960. 5. Leather, Ella Mary. The Folk-lore of Herefordshire. Hereford: )akeman & Carver, 1912 6. Porteous, Alexander. Forest Folk-lore, Mythology and Romance. New York: Gordon Press, 1978 7. lbid. 8. Tongue, Ruth L. Forgotten Folk-tales of the English Counties. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul,1970 9. Quoted in Grigson, ibid. 10. Ibid. 11. Tongue, Ruth L. Somerset Folklore. London: The Folk-lore Society,1965 Mara Freeman 1996 http://druidry.org/obod/trees/oak.html Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 28 Hazel - Coll Corylus "I went out to the hazelwood, Because a fire was in my head," W. B. Yeats Mara Freeman June 1996 The hazel might be said to be the quintessential Celtic tree because of its legendary position at the heart of the Otherworld. Here, nine magic hazel- trees hang over the well of Wisdom and drop their purple nuts into the water. In some accounts, the hazel-nuts cause bubbles of "mystic inspiration" to form on the surface of the streams that flow down from the well; in others, the Salmon of Knowledge and Inspiration eat the nuts and send the husks floating downstream. Those that eat the nuts (or the salmon) gain poetic and mantic powers. Many early Irish tales describe poets and seers as "gaining nuts of Wisdom", which is most likely a metaphor for such heightened states of consciousness, although the more literally-minded have argued that this expression could refer to a potent brew made from hazels that hod psychotropic effects. As to this theory, there are numerous references to drinking "hazelmead" in early Irish literature, and many references to Scottish druids eating hazel-nuts to gain prophetic powers. The hazel's association with wisdom extends to other cultures of the ancient world. In Norse mythology it was known as the Tree of Knowledge and was sacred to Thor, and the Romans held it sacred to Mercury, who, especially in his Greek form, Hermes, was the personification of intelligence. Hermes' magic rod may have been made from hazel. The English word derives from the AngloSaxon haesl which originally signified a baton of authority. Hazel woods frequently figure in the sacred landscape. In Ireland, hazel is coll, and the early triad of gods of the Tuatha D Danaan, MacCuill, (son of Hazel), MacCecht (Son of the Plough) and MacGrine (Son of the Sun) supposedly divided the island into three so that the country was said to be under the plough, the Sun or the hazel, for "these were the things they put above all other". Tara, the chief seat of the kingship in Ireland was built near a hazel wood, and the great monastery of Clonord was established in what must once have been a sacred pagan place known as The Wood of the White Hazel: Ross-Finnchuill . In Scotland, a hazel grove was calltuin, (modern Scots Gaelic calltainn) and various places called Calton are associated with entrances to the Otherworld, one being the famous Calton Hill between Leith and Edinburgh, which was probably still being used for Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 29 magical gatherings in the 17th century. There is even a legend that St. Joseph of Arimathea built the original abbey of Glastonbury from hurdles of hazel branches. The hazel's connection with the Well of Wisdom is visibly recalled by the tree's frequent presence at holy wells throughout Britain and Ireland, where pilgrims still continue to festoon its branches with votive offerings in the form of pieces of cloth. Moreover archeologists have found an early Celtic shaft-well in Norfolk, England which contains offerings of alms, placed in layers and embedded in hazel leaves and nuts. In legend and folklore, the hazel, along with the apple and hawthorn, is a tree often found at the border between the worlds where magical things may happen. In the Scots ballad, Hind Etin, the title is the name of a spirit who guards the hazels of a sacred tree. The May Margret goes to the wood for nuts, and unwisely gathers his nuts: She had na p'ud a nut, a nut, A nut but barely ane, Till up started the Hynde Etin, Says Lady, let thae alone In the north of England, the hazel-tree guardian was called "Melsh Dick" and in Yorkshire "Chum-milk Peg". Ancient protectors of the unripe nuts. As might be expected from their legendary reputation for bestowing prophetic powers, hazels have been used for divination throughout the centuries. Druidic wands were made from the wood, and it has always been the preferred wood 6r water divining and dowsing. Until quite recently young lovers roasted hazel-nuts over fires at Hallowe'en, which was also known as "Nut-crack Night." The way they burnt steadily together or flying apart - foretold course of their relationship in the coming year. This custom is an example of the connection between hazels and love, which is very ancient. An old Fenian story tells how Maer, the wife of one Bersa of Berramain, fell in love with Finn and tried to seduce him with hazel-nuts from the Well of Segais bound with love charms. Finn refused to eat them, pronounced them "nuts of ignorance" rather than nuts of knowledge and buried them a foot deep in the earth. Country folklore has always linked the nuts with fertility. An old saw proclaims that a girl who goes nutting on Sunday will meet the Devil and have a baby before she can wed. This recalls the ballad of Hind Etin, in which May Margret goes on to become the tree-guardian's wife and eventually has seven children by him. In 19th century Devon, an old woman traditionally greeted a new bride with a gift of hazels for fertility in the same wary that rice or confetti is used today. ln English villages country- Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 30 dwellers associate a prolific show of hazel catkins with the advent of lots of babies, and as late as the 1950s, the saying, "Plenty of catkins, plenty of prams" was taken quite seriously. Hazel was also used widely throughout the centuries for protection against evil. Finn bore a hazelwood shield that made him invincible in battle. No harm could penetrate a hurdle fence of hazel around a house or a breastband of the wood on a horse. A shipmaster wearing a cap into which hazel had been woven was guaranteed to weather any storm. Cattle driven through Beltaine and Midsummer bonfires had their backs singed with hazel rods for protection against disease and the evil eye, and the scorched rods were used to drive them the rest of the year. In the East of England, cottagers gathered hazel boughs on Palm Sunday, and placed them in pots of water around their windows as protection against thunder and lightening - possibly a sign of Norse influence in that area, the hazels being used homeopathically against the bolts of the Thunder-god. A famous legend tells how the seventh century Saint Mungo was unable to light monastery lamps on a day when it was his duty to do so at cockcrow, because some malevolent boys had put out the fire. He walked out of the monastery in despair, but thought to pluck a hazel switch and when he returned to the church with it, praying for heavenly aid, a fire sprang forth from the branch When evil became synonymous with witchcraft in the public mind, hazel was widely used for protection against Witches. The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584) recommends a hazel wand cut "upon the Sabbath daie before rising" to use as a charm against witches and thieves. The 17th century writer Thomas Pennant in his "Tours of Wales" described how in Merionethshire, corpses were buried with hazel-rods to avert the power of witchcraft. Hazel protected against disease and was a potent magical remedy besides. ln Ireland, a hazel-nut in a pocket worded off rheumatism or lumbago which was thought to be caused by "elfshot," and a double-nut prevented toothache. In the legend of the early Celtic St. Melor, an abbot gathers hazel-nuts and offers them to the saint. On receiving them, his artificial hand becomes flesh and blood. An old charm for curing an adder bite requires a piece of hazelwood in the shape of a cross to be placed upon the wound, and the following lines repeated: "Underneath this hazelin mote, There's a braggoty worm with a speckled throat, Nine double is he, Now from eight double to seven double And from seven double to six double Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 31 and so on until: And from one double to no double, No double hath he" The magical power of the hazel still lives today whenever a water-diviner uses hazel-rods to dowse for water. As the rod bends to reveal the water within the earth, it may be that it is also straining to reconnect with ancestors, the nine sacred trees at the Well of Wisdom deep within the memory of the land. Mara Freeman June 1996 http://druidry.org/obod/trees/hazel.html Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 32 Willow - Saille Salix "I am a Hawk on a Cliff" Winter Cymreas 1994 Willow is a decidedly aromatic Tree found most often near waterways throughout temperate regions, having quite a history and a long-standing relationship of usefulness - medicinal, magickal and otherwise - with us humans. Within the Ogham, Saille is the fifth lunar month, a Peasant, representing the letter S. Numerologically, it relates to the number 5. It is often the symbol for the Ovate Grade of Druidry, although other Trees are also used for this Grade. Willow relates to Monday, the activity of bees and is often used as a honey Tree. The birds associated with Saille are the Hawk and the Thrush, the animals are the Hare and the Cat. Herbs most commonly associated are Moonwort, Primrose and Mistletoe. She is one of the Seven Sacred Irish Trees and is also a sacred Druid Tree. Although the most commonly accepted concept of the Willow Tree is that which is known as the Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica), this is not the Willow utilized within the Celtic Ogham. There are over three-hundred- and-fifty species in the genera, Willow, which is a close cousin to the Poplar. In North America alone there are approximately thirty-five native and five naturalized tree species and sixty native shrubs. There is tremendous range, some subtle and some obvious, within this genera. We will speak on some of the different species in the areas of medicinal properties but, for the most part, the Willow that concerns us here is the White Willow, salix alba. Ready for the botany lesson? The White Willow is a naturalized Tree, having one-to-four trunks and an open crown of spreading branches. A tall Tree, She grows to an average height of fifty-to-eighty feet with a diameter of two feet or more. The leaves are 2-to-4 inches long, -to-1 inches wide. They are lance-shaped to elliptical, finely saw-toothed and firm, shiny dark green above, whitish and silky beneath. These leaves turn yellow in the Autumn. The bark is grey, rough and furrowed into narrow ridges. The twigs are yellow to brown, silky when young and, as with all the Trees within this Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 33 genera, flexible and droopy, although not quite as sweeping as the Weeping variety. Her flowers are in the form of catkins 1-to-2 inches in length with yellow, hairy scales at the end of short, leafy twigs. They appear in the early Spring and all Willows are the vanguards of that season. The fruit matures in late Spring to early Summer and is a half-inch long, hairless capsule, light brown in color. Being known as the first to arrive and the last to leave, seasonly-speaking, the hazy yellow appearance is, along with the arrival of the Robin, the first indication that Spring has arrived. The golden brilliance of the Willow in the Autumn remains long after Her fellows have shed all their finery. The notorious habitat of Willows, including the shrub varieties, is the wet soil of stream banks and valleys near cities. Willow can be and is often introduced in flat areas prone to flooding as a preventative measure and has often been utilized to protect river banks from erosion. It is prized as a shade Tree and for ornamentation due to its eloquent beauty and peaceful appearance. Her range is extensive over Europe and North Africa to Central Asia, naturalized in Southeastern Canada and the Eastern United States. Its wood, known as osier, and branches have had many historical uses and Willow has been a useful friend to us for centuries. Willow has a long and rich history and Her uses are many, however, let us first examine Her history in religious practices and Her relationship to the various deities throughout time. In Jerusalem, the worship of Jehovah, the Feast of Tabernacles, was called the Day of the Willows. Willow branches were carried in processionals, used to roof the small temporary shelters during the festivities, the branches were later burned in the Temples. In Sumer, 4000 BCE, Ishtars predecessor, Belili, was known as the Willow Mother. In the ancient Greek mythos, Willow is sacred to several Underworldly Goddesses - Persephone, Circe, Hera and Hecate. Also in relation to this Tree are the Gods and Goddesses Artemis, Ceres, Mercury and Belenos. Again in Greek history, the Great Bear, Callisto, was also called Helice, meaning both that which turns and Willow branch. Helicon was the mountain home of the Nine Muses who inspire the arts and sciences. [It may be interesting to note here the connection between the word, Willow, and the terms Wicce, Witchcraft, and wicker. Willow has long been Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 34 associated with Witches and there is also the association of wicker with Druidry. Since Wicce actually means to bend it is not a far jump to make the connection between the two.] Orpheus, the poet, was said to have received his Gift by touching the Willows in a grove sacred to Persephone. Groves have been used by many types of artisans to gain eloquence, inspiration, skills and the gift of prophecy. This Tree is held sacred, also, to Minerva and the ancient Great Goddess whose bird, the Wryneck, nests only in the Willow. Cranes are also known to nest here and a grove of Willows with nesting cranes is a symbol of extremely happy domesticity. The connotation of the letter S corresponds to the God, Semias, the master of wisdom and the original keeper of the Cauldron of Knowledge kept in Murias to the West. This Cauldron was then given to Dagda. The S is a reference, too, to Setanta, the childhood, or pre-initiate name of Cu Chulainn. According to Druidic mysteries, two scarlet snake eggs were hidden within the Willow. The Universe was hatched from these two eggs, one containing the Sun, the other the Earth, relating to both cosmic birth and the birth of mankind. Traditionally, in Spring rituals, these were replaced by hens eggs, colored scarlet for the Sun and eaten at Beltane. This act transferred later to the Christian celebration of Easter. Primrose and Mistletoe are associated with Saille in connection to Druidic practice. The Primrose was used in the initiation of the Bard; a draught of Vervain and Primrose imbibed in order to confer inspiration. Oil of Primrose was also used to cleanse and purify prior to ritual. Willow is also the more common host for Mistletoe, with this plant found growing on Willow and Poplar (a cousin) more often than on the traditional Oak. The Celtic word Saille itself became the word sally, meaning a sudden outburst of action, expression or emotion. This word may also suggest an excursion or a jaunt as well as a retort but it can be used to describe a more violent action by troops. It is also derived from the Old French word, saille, meaning to rush out suddenly. These words all reflect the spirit of undefined potential symbolized by the Willow. Brigid has Her Fire festival, Imbolc, or Brigantia, during the Willow month. Even the Seneca of North America seem to have had a lengthy relationship with this Tree, calling Her, The Whispering One. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 35 Saille has further connection to the Death Goddesses for the Celts. Morgan le Fay, Cailleach and the Morrighan are symbolized by Willow. These Goddesses represent the darker and misunderstood components of the psyche that require our greater understanding and recognition. The fearful aspects of the Death Goddesses challenge wisdom and strength, helping to overcome weaknesses brought about by fear. The transformational and magickal aspects of the darker aspect of the triplicity - Maiden, Mother, Crone - provide intuitive wisdom and insight into nature and its workings. Funerary flints, shaped as Willow leaves, have been found in graves from the Old Stone Age, demonstrating clearly that Willow has been a part of our lives for a very, very long time. This Tree has been associated with death, grief and cemeteries, the leaves themselves symbolizing unrequited love or the loss of a lover. The leaf has also been worn as a charm to protect against jealousy. The uses of osier, are numerous. Willow has long been the predominant Tree used in basketry, with many varieties being cultivated for the color of the branches allowing for variety in the baskets themselves. In fact, this Tree symbolizes handicrafters in general, due in part to its extensive use in many fine pieces of furniture and baskets. Many a wattle-and-daub wall contains Willow so it is functional as well as beautiful. The wood has been used for cabinets, all types of furniture, barrels and prized for cricket bats. (I knew I could fit in an allusion to baseball if I tried hard enough!) Due to Her straight limbs, osier is favored for fence posts. The popularity of wicker furniture has once again increased and is found in the home as well as in its traditional capacity as outdoor furniture. Outdoors it resists water and weather damage as well, due to its watery origins. Among its many other uses are ornamental boxes, brooms, charcoal, doors, fodder and fuel. Willow wood in the home is said to guard against evil and grown outside will offer protection. The Seneca, a North American indigenous tribe, has a loving bond with all Trees, calling them The Standing People. They consider the Willow to be a source of gentle humility, charm and grace adding elegance as She touches Her fronds to the Mother Earth, sweeping away fear to nurture peace. The long-standing uses of Willow in treatment are extensive and myriad. When scraped, the inner bark - which peels away easily - contains salicylic acid, the active ingredient of aspirin. These scrapings were traditionally Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 36 used to alleviate pain, lower fevers and as an astringent tonic. Throughout the Isles, Willow was used to relieve rheumatic conditions and gout since these conditions were widespread and common. Its powers were also used as a diuretic, a gargle for sore throats and gums, an external wash for sores, skin problems, wounds and burns. White Willow was commonly used. Purple Willow has the same general properties as White and may even be more effective in lowering fevers. Black Willow has these same properties and can also be used as a sexual sedative. The Black Willow has also been used to treat gonorrhea, to relieve ovarian pain and to curb those old nagging nocturnal emissions. Goat, or Sallow, Willow eases indigestion, whooping cough and catarrh and is used as an antiseptic for disinfecting bandages. All varieties of this Tree can be utilized as an eyewash, to clear skin and a decoction of leaves and bark, simmered, can be used to treat dandruff. All can also be utilized to prevent recurring fevers and as a digestive tonic, especially for dyspepsia. If you are interested in using Willow in your herbal practice, the bark is collected in the Spring. Soak one-to-three teaspoons in one cup of cold water for two-to-five hours; then simmer lightly for twenty minutes. For indigestion and as a tonic, take one cup per day, taken by teaspoonfuls. For skin eruptions and similar complaints, such as bleeding gums and sore throats, use a stronger solution. A poultice for gangrene and ulcers is made by simmering the powdered bark in cream. You can also use many mediums such as olive oil, almond oil and other natural bases in order to utilize this as an astringent salve. Willow can additionally be useful in cases of hysteria and nervousness and as a Quinine substitute (although this is used only when Quinine is unavailable). Willow can be used to loosen tightness in the chest produced by pneumonia, whooping cough and other respiratory infections. In the Bach Flower Remedies, Willow Flower Essence is used as a remedy for bitterness and resentment. People who are stuck in a position of blaming others (or circumstances) for their problems, who have an experience of being a victim or being treated unfairly by life, would benefit from this essence. (There are many books available on Bach Flower Remedies.) Magickal uses are extensive. The Besom, the Witches Broom, is traditionally made from three Trees. The stave is made from Ash, for protection; Birch twigs are used for the broom itself to expel evil spirits. The Besom is bound with Willow to honor Hecate. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 37 Willow branches are said to be the best for divining Water, channelling Earth energy and to find lost objects. Saille should be used whenever you wish to strengthen your dreaming Gifts and to boost your ability to intuit your dreams and confer lucidity when in the Dreamtime. Willow can confer seer-ship, often through night visions, scrying ability (especially when using water for viewing) and to restore balance to an individuals female/male energies. Shavings of the wood, pieces of bark and whole leaves can be placed in a Dream Pillow or placed in a small bag, either under your pillow or under the bed itself. This same package can be used to assuage feelings of powerlessness, an unreasoned fear of death and panic attacks, and to assist you in nurturing yourself emotionally. It is suggested that Willow be used in the same way when experiencing grief and to aid in this healing process. Willow has been used in the Sacred Pipes and the tobacco blends of many Native Americans because it is thought that it is most effective in carrying messages to the Great Spirit. Willow is also planted by Sacred Wells so that She can help to pull Earth energies into the Water and hold them there for magickal draughts. The leaves, bark and wood add energy to any healing magick. Willow bark, when used in conjunction with sandalwood and during the Waning Moon, can be most effective in contacting the spirits of ancestors and loved ones. Although prayer cloths can be tied to any Tree, when asking for a nurturing love or a release of grief, Willow will serve this purpose best. By the same token, for a wish to be granted, ask permission of Willow, explaining your desired goal. Select a pliable shoot or branch and tie it into a loose knot while expressing your wish, leaving the branchlet on the Tree! When the wish is fulfilled, return and untie the knot, remembering to thank your Friend and leaving a Gift of gratitude. A circlet can be woven of Willow to wear during any of the Spring celebrations and Lunar rituals. Fresh flowers, or silk if you prefer, can be inserted in this crown, ribbons be woven throughout the circlet. Wands made from osier are very effective. First you must, as always, ask the Tree for permission to cut! Often it is best to visit after a recent storm to see if there are any fresh falls about. Even when picking up falls, ask permission and leave a Gift. When cutting, tie the branch as close to the body of the Tree as possible, massaging the life-force in the branch back into the trunk. Tighten the tourniquet and then cut. Use wax or tar to cauterize the cut. Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 38 Peel the bark off of the branch. When fresh this is very easy. Save the bark for future use in magick or healing or for decorating the wand. Carve, cut or draw desired symbols while the wood is still fresh and moist. You can attach stones or crystals to the tip or along the shaft and it is suggested you use natural materials, such as leather, cotton, silk, linen or jewelry- quality silver or gold wire. To prevent drying or cracking thoroughly oil the wand during its curing period; use natural oils - cottonseed, linseed or virgin olive oil. Dedicate to your use according to your purposes or desires. Roll and store the wand in a natural fiber cloth - silk, cotton, linen - when not in use. In divination, when Saille comes up in a throw (or if you dream of Willow), it reveals your feminine side which, when combined equally with male energy, gives balance to life. There may be an indication to pay attention to your feminine nature, showing a spiritual imbalance or conflict. This may be the beginning of a period of unfoldment and growth of psychic or clairvoyant powers and includes the gift of cunning which is, in actuality, the skillful use of mental powers. There is an indication toward intuition, imagination and, occasionally, self-deception. Usually the appearance of Willow means the awakening of dormant abilities and heralds a time of enchantment. New currents are flowing under the surface; you need the flexibility to adapt to the coming changes. Remember that the loss of intuition can create rigidity. When She comes to you there may be unforeseen dangers to yourself or loved ones, coming in the form of lessons from a yet-unknown person, probably a woman. The lesson might be difficult or unpleasant but will be of great benefit and is typical of the Crone aspects of Saille. It may be time to seek out the hidden forces in your life and the challenge is the tendency to ignore the unconscious, the anima, forces and feelings that may remain hidden. You may be asked to use your intuition, your hunches, instead of logic in order to get a clear view of events. Yes, Willow seems to be a favored Tree. Her appearance, Her graceful elegance has always beckoned to us. She gives Her wood for our uses, contributes medicine for our healing, sends us the Gifts of intuition and knowledge and assists in the inner workings of magick. It is true that a sense of friendship, love and joy can be experienced when standing beneath the canopy of Saille. She speaks to us of a graceful love with Her branches that sweep away our tears of grief. The entire structure of this Tree is symbolic of a wellspring. The branches and leaves rise up like a fountain, pulling up energy from deep within the Earth, bubbling up and over the sides. A casual and effortless peace spreads out from the Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk 39 limbs, confers calm, with the canopy providing a feeling of safety and cover, a wall of protection. The sweeping fronds return the energy to the Earth, replenishing it. It might serve us best to go to Her for serenity and comfort, for the gentle nurturance of solitude. Imagine spending the day up in the branches of a Willow, listening to the gentle and whispering voice of Saille saying, Rest, dear one. Winter Cymraes 1994 http://druidry.org/obod/trees/willow.html