Tag: Ogham

Luis (Rowan) II

“The Queen went to the Stone House and took Morag out. She asked her how she had fared and thereupon Morag put the Rowan Berry in the Queen’s hand. She hastened to her own chamber and ate it, and her youth and beauty came back to her, and the King who had grown solitary, loved the Queen again.” – Patraic Colum (The King of Ireland’s Son, 1916)

The Roots:

The Rowan tree is one of the most significant trees found in Celtic mythology.

In Ogham: the Secret Language of the Druids Robert Ellison states that the Rowan is a tree of protection, magic, and control of the senses.

Caitlin Mathews in Celtic Wisdom Sticks: an Ogham Oracle claims that the Rowan is “popularly credited with being the most magical of trees.” As well as being a protective tree, the Rowan in her divination system is also associated with staying on course and not getting lost.

In the Ogham Tract[i] the word associations given to the Rowan are “delight of the eye… flame” and “friend of cattle.”[ii] John Mathews in the Celtic Shaman interprets the first word riddle as being a reference to Love.

The instances found of Rowan’s protective nature against fairies, witches, and the evil eye are extensive in Celtic folklore. Besides being a protector, Luis is also a tree of magic.

The Trunk:

J.C. Cooper in an Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols calls the Rowan the “Gallic Tree of Life.”

The use of the Rowan for protection was very widespread. The tree was said to offer protection against fire, lightening and witches and also to protect cows and milk products. Rowan was often planted in graveyards, like Yew, to prevent the dead from rising[iii].
In Irish legend the corpse might be staked with a Rowan branch bearing berries to prevent the ghost from wandering[iv]. Rowan was also used in shapeshifting spells[v]. When the tree grew close to the home it was considered very auspicious.

The Rowan tree is said to have been brought to Ireland by accident from Tir Tairngire, the Land of Promise, by the Tuatha De Danann[vi]. Etain is turned into a pool of water by being struck by a wand of Rowan and the Salmon of Wisdom is sometimes found to be eating Rowan berries instead of hazel nuts[vii].

The unfaithful wife of Finn Mac Cool, Graine, hides in a Rowan tree with her lover Diarmaid to avoid being captured. In the pursuit of the lovers the Fianna stopped beneath the same Rowan tree to rest. They started to play games to fill the time. Diarmaid was one of Finn’s men and it was said that when he was nearby, due to his magic, Finn would win every game. While playing beneath the tree, Finn loudly proclaimed that he wished that Diarmaid was present so that he could win every game. Hearing this, Diarmaid dropped one Rowan berry from the tree down to Finn who then won. This was done four times in a row for four separate games. After the fourth game Finn realized that Diarmaid was nearby and called the lovers down from the tree. A battle was then fought[viii].

In the King of Ireland’s Son, by Padraic Colum, a giant and his fearsome black bull guard the Rowan tree from mortals. In the tree itself are also found 24 vicious angry yellow cats. The giant who guards the tree has two servants, more like slaves, named Flann and Morag. Morag has placed herself in the service of the giant because she intends to steal a Rowan berry for her queen. Flann is an unwilling captive.

Morag is described as being very unattractive in the earlier portions of this tale. When she finally manages to steal a Rowan berry for her queen she also takes one for herself. Flann and Morag manage to escape and a series of adventures begin. This is not before Morag eats one of the Rowan berries and becomes beautiful. Flann and Morag then fall in love as a direct result of her eating the Rowan berry. They will eventually be together after many hardships.

It should be noted that the 24 cats, plus the Rowan tree itself, could easily represent the 25 letters of the Ogham.

Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm in the Druid Animal Oracle link the Blackbird to the Rowan. They also speak of the protective nature of Rowan in regards to the Cow. In many ways the traditions involving the Rowan have been carried forward to modern times.   One example would be that Luis, the Rowan or Mountain Ash, can still be found on the clan badges of Malcom and McLachlan[ix].

The tree itself is not supposed to be cut down or hurt with a blade of any sort. Although the Rowan is a great protector, there is a suggestion in the stories that to harm the tree would be to court disaster.

Rowan sometimes grows from another tree like mistletoe. These branches are considered especially magical[x].

The Foliage:

Ivo Dominguez, jr. includes some interesting lore on the Rowan tree in his text Of Spirits: the Book of Rowan[xi].

“Moreover, the Rowan’s true element is probably light of which fire is one manifestation. Rowan has the power to open and to close gates, to summon and to banish, to protect and to sustain. All parts of the tree are useful for the making of incense or magical tools.

“The berries were used by the druids and the Welsh witches in brewing wines and potions that increased the power of the second sight. The blossom end of the berry is marked with a natural pentacle. If the berries are charged in a ritual they achieve special vital energy potency so that if one berry is consumed it gives the prana of nine meals. Very useful for healing, strenuous work, and fasting. Even without the ritual, 1 berry quartered and brewed as a tea greatly increases second sight.”

It should be noted here that the raw fruit does contain parasorbic acid which if eaten in quantity may cause indigestion or kidney failure. This can be neutralized through cooking or freezing[xii].

“In the Highland version of the legend of Fraoch, given in the Dean of Lismore’s book, the rowan tree is a sort of tree of Life; it bears fruit every month and every quarter, and the virtue of its red berries when tasted was such as to stave off hunger for long:

Its berries’ juice and fruit when red For a year would life prolong.

From dread disease it gave relief If what is told be our belief.

Yet though it proved a means of life Peril lay closely nigh;

Coiled by its root a dragon lay Forbidding passage by.”

– George Henderson (Survival in Belief Amongst Celts, 1911)


[i] http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/ogham.html

[ii] This line is confusing as it also mentions the Elm tree.

[iii] Fred Hageneder. The Meaning of Trees.

[iv] Jacqueline Memory Paterson. Tree Wisdom: the Definitive Guidebook.

[v] Robert Ellison. Ogham: the Secret Language of the Druids.

[vi] James MacKillop. Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology.

[vii] Ibid.

[viii] J.F. Campbell. Popular Tales of the West Highlands, 1890.

[x] Ibid.

[xi] The newer updated version of this book titled Spirit Speak does not include this information on Rowan. Both books lend understanding to “the nature of discarnate beings” and I cannot recommend them enough for anyone interested in the spirit world.

Beithe (Birch) II

“B has primacy over all other letters, we are told, because the very first use of ogam was as a warning inscribed upon a wand of Birch, sent to Lugh that his wife, was about to be carried off if he did not guard her with Birch.” – Caitlin Mathews (Celtic Wisdom Sticks)

The Roots:

We begin the cycle of the Tree Ogham once more, at the beginning, starting with the Birch tree. This cycle will promote different authors and ideas, share myths, folklores and legends not previously discussed, and have a slightly different focus during this dark, or more accurately cold, half of the year than the first run-through did.

The first cycle ran from Beltane to Samhain and covered the 25 generally accepted Ogham letters or few that we will cover once more[i]. This second cycle will also cover these same letters once more, but will do so from roughly Samhain to Beltane. It is important to note that the Ogham is not just a tree alphabet and this has been previously discussed[ii]. For the purposes of this blog, however, at least as far as this cycle goes, we will continue to view the Ogham as a type of tree alphabet.

—

The Birch is associated with beginnings.

Robert Lee Ellison, archdruid and author of Ogham: the Secret Language of the Druids, tells us that the Birch is associated with new beginnings. Beithe, the Birch is usually given this association by Ogham users regardless of their varied backgrounds and Ellison is no exception. Ellison shares that in Brittany Birch leaves were placed in cradles, or that the cradles themselves were made from Birch wood, to offer protection to the youngest and most vulnerable members of the family or clan.

Caitlin Mathews in Celtic Wisdom Sticks also promotes the idea of beginnings for Beithe. She associates the Birch with the ideas of innocence and truth in her divination system as well.

In the Ogham Tract[iii] there are various word Oghams given that describe the Birch. These include “faded trunk and fair hair” and “silvery of skin.” John Mathews in the Celtic Shaman makes the observation that these word-oghams all pertain to physical characteristics and thus associates the Birch with the concept of Age.

Beithe is one of the few Ogham letters that actually does represent a tree. Eryn Rowan Laurie in Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom reminds us that many of Ogham letters do not actually represent trees at all, but have meanings more akin to the Norse Runes. Laurie gives the meaning of Beithe as purification.

Birch represents beginnings, innocence and purification. Beithe offers strong protection in any of these areas. The association to age may be a paradox that there is wisdom, or antiquity, found within innocence itself.

The Trunk:

“This moreover is the first thing that was written by Ogham, (the birch) b was written, and to convey a warning to Lug son of Ethliu it was written respecting his wife lest she should be carried away from him into faeryland, to wit, seven b’s in one switch of birch: Thy wife will be seven times carried away from thee into faeryland or into another country, unless birch guard her. On that account, moreover, b, birch, takes precedence, for it is in birch that Ogham was first written.” –Ogham Tract

Fred Hageneder in the Meaning of Trees shares a connection between the Birch tree and the goddess Brigid. “Named after the whiteness of its bark, the Birch shares its name with the ancient Irish goddess Brigid, both names deriving from the Indo-European word bher(e)g, “shining white”. Brigid was a benevolent deity, a muse to poets and the patron of crafts, particularly spinning and weaving.”

This is an interesting observation because both Lugh and Brigid share many characteristics. Lugh (Lug) in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired (Cath Maige Tuired) lists himself as being skilled in every craft known to the Tuatha De Danaans in a bid for acceptance into their fold. He is almost turned away by the Tuatha De Danaan, however, because they are not missing any of the skills that he has listed. Before he is turned away, though, he asks if anyone else is proficient in all of the various crafts that he has listed. They finally see his value and accept him into their fold. Eventually, it is he that leads them to victory against the Fomorians and his grandfather Balor by piercing his single magical eye.

Brigid (Bridget) on the other hand is associated with fire, smithing, fertility, cattle, crops and poetry[iv]. When one considers the day to day life of the ancient Irish, this list is also fairly intensive and incorporates the bulk of the Celtic ancestor’s wealth. It should also be noted that Bridget the goddess and St. Brigid’s stories likely merged sometime after the fifth century. Many people today, especially neopagans, would consider the two female aspects one and the same.

In Alexander Carmichael’s Carmina Gadelica (Vol.I) we find some interesting lore regarding Bhride (Bridget), divination, and the Birch. I share the quote from the 1900 text in full, not only because it’s interesting, but because it provides a snapshot into a time when our ancestors viewed the world quite differently than today.

“The older women are also busy on the Eve of Bride, and great preparations are made to celebrate her Day, which is the first day of spring. They make an oblong basket in the shape of a cradle, which they call ‘leaba Bride,’ the bed of Bride. It is embellished with much care. Then they take a choice sheaf of corn, generally oats, and fashion it into the form of a woman. They deck this ikon with gay ribbons from the loom, sparkling shells from the sea, and bright stones from the hill. All the sunny sheltered valleys around are searched for primroses, daisies, and other flowers that open their eyes in the morning of the year. This lay figure is called Bride, ‘dealbh Bride,’ the ikon of Bride. When it is dressed and decorated with all the tenderness and loving care the women can lavish upon it, one woman goes to the door of the house, and standing on the step with her hands on the jambs, calls softly into the darkness, ‘Tha leaba Bride deiseal,’ Bride’s bed is ready. To this a ready woman behind replies, ‘Thigeadh Bride steach, is e beatha Bride,’ Let Bride come in, Bride is welcome. The woman at the door again addresses Bride, ‘A Bhride! Bhride thig a stench, tha do leaba deanta. Gleidh an teach dh’an Triana,’ Bride Bride, come thou in, thy bed is made. Preserve the house for the Trinity. The women then place the ikon of Bride with great ceremony in the bed they have so carefully prepared for it. They place a small straight white wand (the bark being peeled off) beside the figure. This wand is variously called ‘slatag Bride,’ the little rod of Bride, ‘slachdan Bride,’ the little wand of Bride, and ‘barrag Bride,’ the birch of Bride. The wand is generally of birch, broom, bramble, white willow, or other sacred wood, ‘crossed’ or banned wood being carefully avoided. A similar rod was given to the kings of Ireland at their coronation, and to the Lords of the Isles at their instatement. It was straight to typify justice, and white to signify peace and purity–bloodshed was not to be needlessly caused. The women then level the ashes on the hearth, smoothing and dusting them over carefully. Occasionally the ashes, surrounded by a roll of cloth, are placed on a board to safeguard them against disturbance from draughts or other contingencies. In the early morning the family closely scan the ashes. If they find the marks of the wand of Bride they rejoice, but if they find ‘long Bride,’ the footprint of Bride, their joy is very great, for this is a sign that Bride was present with them during the night, and is favourable to them, and that there is increase in family, in flock, and in field during the coming year. Should there be no marks on the ashes, and no traces of Bride’s presence, the family are dejected. It is to them a sign that she is offended, and will not hear their call. To propitiate her and gain her ear the family offer oblations and burn incense. The oblation generally is a cockerel, some say a pullet, buried alive near the junction of three streams, and the incense is burnt on the hearth when the family retire for the night.”

(St. Brigid of Ireland)

Imbolc or Candlemas is the holiday usually associated with Bridget. I would suggest that the above holiday sounds more like Beltane to me, though, when one considers the gathering of flowers and such. Beltane is also the holiday most often associated with the Birch, as representing beginnings, as well, so would be more relevent to us here in the current context than Imbolc.

The Birch is one of the first trees to leaf in spring. For this reason the Maypole is believed to have often been made from a Birch and the Beltane fire was started with Birch wood[v]. At Samhain and Beltane Birch was burned to drive out “evil spirits” or the spirits of the old year. This practice had continued into more modern times with the practice of “Birching prisoners or the insane in an effort to expel these more modern versions of the evil spirits[vi].

In Popular Tales of the West Highlands by J.F. Campbell, 1890, we find another mention –though barely in passing- of Birch. At Beltane the Rowan berries were placed over cow doors as protection while, “Birch branches, primroses, and other flowers, were placed upon the dresser, tar was put upon the cattle, snails were put upon a table under a dish, and were expected to write the first letter of a lover’s name, holes were dug in the ground and fortunes foretold from the kind of animals which were found in them.”

Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm in the Druid Animal Oracle connect the stag to the Birch and this comparison is worth sharing here.

“According to Druid tradition, the birch is the tree of beginnings, and the stag is creature from the beginning of Time. The Gateway represents the place of transition from this world to the Otherworld, and the stag is often seen as an Otherworldly messenger.”

The Birch tree is also often associated with the Amanita mascara or Fly Agaric mushroom. Many have noted the presence of one species with the other suggesting a symbiotic relationship where Pine is often present as well. An interesting read regarding the possibility of a shamanic mushroom cult existing in the Celtic world is Peter Lamborn Wilson’s Ploughing the Clouds: the Search for Irish Soma. Wilson suggests that the destruction of one eyed gods in myth, such as that of Balor by Lugh, could be a metaphor for a type of lost mushroom ritual. This would provide another interesting connection between the Birch and the story of Lugh.

The Birch found in Celtic mythology, legend, and folklore is always benevolent.

The Foliage:

“The birch, notwithstanding his high mind, Was late before he was arrayed. Not because of his cowardice, But on account of his greatness.” – Cad Goddeu[vii] (Battle of the Trees)

There are simple rituals involving the Birch which can be performed at any time of the year.

Traditionally, Birch was used to drive out the spirits of the old year and to bring in the new. This would have been done at Samhain which was the end of the actual year, or more likely, at Beltane to bring in the beginning of the light half of the year.

According to Fred Hageneder[viii], “the birch tree’s association with renewal is manifested in the Western custom of ‘brushing out the old year’ with a birch broom on the morning of the longest night of the year.” This would have been the Winter Solstice which may also be called Alban Arthuan or Yule.

Birch can be used in any purification spell and does not have to be confined to any certain holiday. Likewise, a birch broom can be substituted by anything made of Birch. A smudge of sage (or maybe the more traditional juniper) can be waved through the air with a piece of Birch bark instead of a feather. If it is safe to do so Birch may be burned in a fire, or alternately cold Birch ashes may be scattered around the premise of your home.

Use the recent passing of Samhain as an opportunity to purify your home or work space. Place an autumn leaf of Birch somewhere special to honour the tree at this time.

“In Wales the Birch tree is much associated with love; a lovers bower usually stands beneath a birch tree or in a birch bush. The maypole is usually made of birch; wreaths of birch may be presented as love tokens. Bedwyr may mean ‘birch hero’.” – James MacKillop (Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology)

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/ogham.html

[iv] James MacKillop. Oxford Dictionaryof Celtic Mythology.

[vi] Caitlin Mathews. Celtic Wisdom Sticks.

[viii] The Meaning of Trees.

The Living Library Ogham Index (first cycle):

Ogham Index
Caledonian Forest: Photograph by Richard Webb

The following’s an Ogham Index taken from the posts of the first cycle through the letters:

First aicme:

Beithe (Birch)

This is an introduction to the Ogham and to the Journey into the sacred wilderness. I share a warning, based on a personal lesson, pertaining to the wilderness. The Birch is associated with beginnings.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=9

Luis (Rowan)

A quote from Eryn Rowan Laurie makes plain that the Ogham was never really the Tree Alphabet that most people see it as. This post then becomes a reflection upon the nature of evil, what protection actually means and what protection is actually offered by the Rowan tree. I share a story about the Rowan tree and Thor[i]. The Rowan tree, or Luis, offers us protection.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=17

Fearn (Alder)

This is a discussion on the path of the warrior, and hunter, in both Celtic and modern society. The Alder tree is a nitrogen fixer which also makes it the alchemist tree of the Ogham. Fearn is the warrior.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=42

Saille (Willow)

Willow is often seen as the representative of the goddess. The tree also has many associations to various animals. Interestingly, Willow is also said to be able to return from the dead. The tree represents the bridge to the next world.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=63

Nuin (Ash)

This post is a reflection on microcosm and macrocosm and the interconnected nature of all beings. The common misconception of Ash being the Norse world tree Yggdrasil is also discussed. Nuin is symbolic of peace.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=80

Second aicme:

Huathe (Hawthorn)

The Hawthorn is the tree of the fairies. It is one of the trees that make up the fairy triad. The tragic story of Bridget Cleary is shared as is Thomas the Rymer. I discuss the possibility that some of the fairy stories of old may have evolved into the UFO stories of modern times.  The wolf, like the fairy or the Hawthorn tree, may exist somewhere between the two extremes of good and evil. The Hawthorn represents the Otherworld.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=88

Duir (Oak)

The Oak tree is often associated with the druids and to various Celtic gods and heroes. The story of Lleu, Gwydion and Blodeuedd is discussed in terms of hidden symbols and metaphors. The Oak is a tree associated with strength, honour and male virility.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=102

Tinne (Holly)

The Holly is the brother of the Oak. We discuss both the Oak King and the Holly King in relation to the changing cycles of the year. We look at the Celts fascination with the severed head. Holly is associated to thunder and fatherhood as well as to the warrior and balance.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=114

Coll (Hazel)

We take a look at the search for “all knowledge” or poetic wisdom in the old tales. We explore Taliesin, Fionn Mac Cumhail and the salmon who eats of the poetic nuts of wisdom. I share a personal lesson, and a warning, pertaining to Celtic books published by Llewellyn. The Hazel is the tree of wisdom or knowledge.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=126

Quert (Apple)

Apple, the tenth letter, brings with it an association to the legends that speak of things, like the waves in the ocean, which are beyond the number nine. The apple is connected to many myths. Some interesting facts on the cultivation of the apple are also shared. The apple is associated with sweetness, romantic love and to the Otherworld itself.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=136

Third Aicme:

Muin (Grape)

The grape was not a local plant but was likely associated with wine; a substance relatively unavailable to the commoner. Wine then became associated with clergy, the rich, wealth and the mystical. The story of the Holy Grail is discussed as well as the story prototypes, which were the cauldron legends. I talk a little more about the domestication of plants and my time in Afghanistan. The grape offers intoxication and insight.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=149

Gort (Ivy)

Some folk tales of Ivy are shared. There are many mentions in these stories of the fairy. I once more question the modern bastardization of the Celtic beliefs and the Ogham by some of the more whimsical pagans today. I question whether or not I should see this misinformation as a continuation of the attempted ethnocide of the Irish that was begun by the English centuries ago, or see it merely as naivety. The Ivy can represent the search for self and it is a plant of the threshold.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=166

Ngetal (Reed)

The Reed, as Ngetal, seems to have been a Robert Graves invention. I bring up again that the Ogham is not literally a “tree alphabet” at all. We talk a bit about the Cluiricaune, an Irish fairy being. I discuss the importance of Reed grass in organic sewage management.  Ngetal, the reed, is associated with higher learning, advancement, music, healing, action and art.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=180

Straif (Blackthorn)

The Blackthorn is often associated with misfortune. We talk about the Leanan Sidhe, the Ban Sidhe (Banshee) and the fairy queen Aine. The tree is often connected to the black arts and to witches. A discussion on the Blackberry as a possible stand-in is engaged as it may have also had some of the same magical associations in myth. The Blackthorn is a tree of ill omens, transformation, and power.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=192

Ruis (Elder)

The Elder is a tree of the fairies and witches. It is often associated with the darker aspects
of the goddess. The tree is also associated to the Cauldron of Rebirth. The Elder has grand status in legend, contemporary culture, and is considered to be one of the great herbs of healing by many. It is another tree that can protect or harm. The Elder is a tree of power that can both heal and wound.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=200

Ogham Index

Fourth aicme:

Ailm (Fir or Pine)

The Scotch Fir, also known as the Scots Pine, is the tree for this few. Many try to ascribe the Silver Fir to this letter but this is incorrect. The Silver Fir did not exit in Ireland, or even anywhere nearby. I also question the New Age belief in Druantia a Celtic fir goddess first mentioned by Graves in the White Goddess. I then talk briefly about his proposed Tree Calendar, as well. I also wonder if the coniferous forest may be associated with the hag goddess Cailleach. Though mysterious and illusive, Ailm, the Scotch Fir or Pine, is the tree of primordial beginnings and deep understandings.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=208

Ohn (Gorse or Broom)

Various lists differ as to whether the tree of this few is in fact the Gorse or the Broom. The plants are actually closely related. As I listed Ngetal as Reed, I decide to try to cover both of these trees in this post. Stories involving these plants lead us to Blodeuwedd, the Cailleach, fairies, witches and to protection. Ohn is the few of journeys and of the preparation for the mission at hand. The Gorse speaks of darker tools and attitudes needed to succeed upon the path, while the Broom reminds us that we must be ready to heal and create if we are called upon to do so.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=221

Ur (Heather)

Heather is often considered to be one of the national plants of Scotland. It is from Scotland that most of the mentioning of this plant in folklore has survived. Heather is a magical herb that can be found in its various forms in many places. Ur, or Heather, is the plant of death and the dead, luck, family and community. It can also help us to connect with the inner worlds.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=231

Eadha (Aspen)

We discuss how Aspen is the tree of overcoming and resistance; both to persecution and to death itself. Besides being closely related to the apparitions of the dead and to the Sidhe, Aspen is also associated to the Irish mythological hero Cuchulainn, the Fairy Queen of Scotland and to the character Gaul found in the Poems of Ossian. Later Christians saw this tree as evil. Aspen is the one tree most often associated with direct communication with the forest itself through listening to its quivering leaves.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=240

Ioho (Yew)

The Yew is one of the most important trees found in Celtic legend. It is also the tree most often thought to be the world tree, Yggdrasil, by serious students of Norse mythology. I share some of the legends pertaining to the Yew. I discuss the softening of the term ‘death’ in new age pagan-speak to having adopted instead the meaning of ‘rebirth’. I relate this to our disassociation with physical death in the West and our ultimately to our separation with nature itself. Ioho, the Yew, represents old age, the ancestors, divination, death and reincarnation or rebirth.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=253

The Forfeda (Fifth aicme):

An Introduction to the Forfeda (extra letters)

I explain what the Forfeda are and what my intentions will be for the following five posts. I share the crane-bag found in myth and its importance to the Ogham. I also express my personal belief that mystical encounters, either spiritually, evolutionary or psychologically, are part of the human experience. I admit that the meanings of the final five letters, the diphthongs, are shrouded in mystery.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=264

Koad (Salmon or the Grove)

In this post I discuss where the association of the Grove for this letter came from. We also take a look at the King of Scotland’s Shears. I then share, in some depth, the story of Culwch and Olwen . I then mention one of my favorite sites and non profit organizations, Trees for Life, which actually offers an opportunity for anyone to plant a sacred Grove. The Grove can represent a meeting point of intention, a magical encounter, or even a holy place.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=281

Oir (Gold or Spindle)

Oir, the Spindle tree or Gold itself, is a very mysterious few. It is not mentioned often in myth directly but is associated with the spindle used in the making of garments. We then explore the legends of the King of Lochlainn as well as his helmet found in the crane-bag. The Spindle tree has come to represent a sudden positive change in one’s life. It has also come to represent wealth or inspired knowledge in modern times.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=291

Uillend (Elbow or Honeysuckle)

I cover the various interpretations of this letter and go on a short rant, again, about the supposed associations listed by many Ogham writers to various other cultural deities, the zodiac, etc. We take a look at the Hook of Goibne and what this tool could actually have been. I then challenge the reader to look for knowledge hidden in plain sight within the Celtic tales of old. Uillend, or Honeysuckle, is a few of protection, binding, flexibility and sweetness.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=302

Iphin (Honey or Gooseberry)

We discuss the elusive nature of the Gooseberry and the various other interpretations for this few. We then take a look at the Bones of Assail’s 7 Pigs that are found in the mystical crane-bag of Mannanan Mac Lir. I also share why these posts may seem to be getting shorter. Iphin, the Gooseberry, has associations with sympathetic magic. It represents that which is tasteful and the divine influences that surround us in the sweetest of ways.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=323

Mor (Twin of Hazel or the sea)

While the actual name of this few was Emancholl, later interpretations have often left us with the meaning of ‘the Sea’ or Mor. This 25th letter has come to represent Manannan the Sea god or even the Sea itself. We finally take a look at the very shirt of Manannan found in the crane-bag. I then try to interpret what the symbols in this bag might actually mean!Finally, we reflect upon the ancestors that recorded our myths and honour some of them as Samhain approaches. Mor, the sea, represents that which is other. It can represent the Sea itself or the Otherworld.

https://livinglibraryblog.com/?p=343

[i] Researching the Ogham I came to realize that the Celtic stories (in relation to the trees) are often not mentioned in various books relating to the Ogham. Shortly after this post I began to focus on Celtic myth and folklore almost exclusively.  Many writers speak of what the trees listed in the Ogham meant to other cultures despite the Ogham being a Celtic(irish) alphabet. I believe that with the use of the internet, and the ability to search through various books and documents in today’s day and age, that I can offer something a little bit different, and in some ways more authentic.

Mor (Twin of Hazel or the Sea)

(Black Rock, County Kerry, Ireland. Photograph by K. Glavin)

“In the midst of the Irish Sea, almost equidistant from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and concentrating in itself the psychical and magnetic influences from these three Celtic  lands, and from Celto-Saxon England too, lies the beautiful kingdom of the great Tuatha De Danann god, Manannan Mac Lir, or, as his loyal Manx subjects prefer to call him, Mannanan-Beg-Mac-y-Leir. In no other land of the Celt does Nature show so many moods and contrasts, such perfect repose at one time and at another time the mightiness of its unloosed powers, when the baffled sea throws itself angrily against a high rock bound coast, as wild and almost as weatherworn as the western coasts of Ireland and the Hebrides.” – W.Y. Evans-Wentz (The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, 1911)

The Roots:

The twenty fifth, and final, letter of the Ogham is usually referred to as Mor, the sea.

There is much debate regarding this letter, however. The Ogham tract associates the final letter to the witch hazel[i] and lists the letter as Emancholl which apparently means “the twin” or “twin of Hazel.”[ii] This has usually been interpreted as the witch hazel or Beech; the Beech being the second choice because of the many similarities that are shared between the two trees.

Nigel Pennick in Magical Alphabets reminds us that the Witch Hazel was not indigenous to Europe and was likely not the original tree ascribed. He believes the letter should be attributed to the Scots Pine.

It was Robert Graves in the Crane Bag and Other Disputed Subjects that originally put forward the idea that this few represented the shirt of Manannan, which was found in the mythical crane-bag. Liz and Colin Murray in the Celtic Tree Oracle would later interpreted the meaning of this few as Mor, the Sea, as a result.

Most users of the Ogham – especially those who view the Ogham as a Tree Alphabet – do see this final letter as representing Mor, the Sea. Despite being a Tree Alphabet to most users of the Ogham, however, this is the one letter that deviates from the woodland theme.  It is almost always listed as representing the Sea.

Reconstructionists, on the other hand, tend to list this letter as Emancholl. These individuals do not view the Ogham as being a tree alphabet yet interpret the meaning of the few as being the twin of Hazel. As I have already mentioned, this would be the witch hazel or the Beech.

The Witch Hazel does not appear very often in the old tales. This is likely, as Pennick had already stated, due to the plant’s late arrival into this land of the Celts.

In Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland by Lady Wilde, there is a story of a healer using three witch-hazel rods in a from of divination. He does this to reveal a sick person’s ailments. In Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend by Donald Alexander Mackenzie the plant is used as protection against the fairies, alongside Rowan, and in conjunction with a Blackthorn staff and a bible.

The Beech is just as uncommon in these stories if not more so. Robert Graves in the White Goddess links the Beech tree to language, learning, literature and books. This is easy to verify due to the double meaning of Beech and Book in many languages including Old English and Old Norse[iii]. The tree is absent from the folktales, however, because the Beech is not native to Ireland and was only found in South England. Beech is not likely to have been the original tree associated with this letter either.

This leaves us looking backwards, towards that elusive “twin of Hazel” once more, looking for any clues. Perhaps we need to re-examine Coll, the Hazel, once more.

The most famous story of the Hazel in Irish Mythology is as an Otherworldly tree, or trees rather. These live on the other side of the veil. These trees provide the nuts of wisdom eaten by the salmon who in turn is eaten by Finn Mac Cool. The trees exist beneath the Sea and are said to be purple.

It is perhaps this reasoning, alongside Graves’ interpretation of Manannan’s shirt, which prompted Liz and Colin Murray to list this few as being Mor.

In the Celtic Tree Oracle Liz and Colin Murray link this few to the physical ocean itself, with travel, and to maternal links. They also claim that the letter represents “hidden knowledge that is only available when the moon and sea are full.”

John Michael Greer in the Druid Magic Handbook says that this few represents “beginnings, endings, and the influence of outside forces, symbolized by the sea; the arrival of a new factor, the workings of destiny.”

Nigel Pennick adds that this letter “goes beyond the conventional 24-fold divisions of things customary in the Northern Tradition (as, for example, the 24 hours in the day, the 24 half-months of the year, the 24 characters of the Welsh bardic alphabet, and the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark). Because of this, it [the 25th letter] is considered to be outside the conventions of the other 24 characters.”

Eryn Rowan Laurie in Ogam:Weaving Word Wisdom says that this few is an “intensification of the other fiodh” She also believes, however, that the few can represent illness. She takes this second meaning from the word-Oghams found in the Ogham Tract[iv].

John Mathews in the Celtic Shaman interprets the word-Ogham “sign of a weary one” as representing “exhaustion.” Caitlin Mathews does not mention this letter in her book Celtic Wisdom Sticks.”

Robert Ellison in Ogham: the Secret Language of the Druids says that this few represents magic and hidden knowledge.” Ellison uses the Witch Hazel to represent this letter and says that the plant can be used in binding spells.

Mor, the sea, represents that which is other. It can represent the Sea itself or the Otherworld. The Sea and Manannan are one and the same. The Sea does not represent the god. The Sea is the god.

The Trunk:

“As for the other miscellaneous objects found in the Crane Bag: if one thinks poetically, not scientifically, their meaning leaps to the eye.” – Robert Graves (the Crane Bag and other Disputed Subjects)

As previously stated the forfeda, or the items found in the crane-bag by poets, are listed as ‘the King of Scotland’s Shears’(the X), ‘the king of Lochlainn’s helmet’ (with his face underneath, the four sided diamond), ‘the bones of Assail’s swine’ (the double lined X out to the side of the line), ‘Goibne’s smith-hook’ (the P or hook symbol), and Manannan’s own shirt’, which “is a map of the sea showing lines of longitude and latitude.”

The shirt of Manannan is the final item found in the crane-bag. The stories involving Manannan Mac Lir in Irish, Manx and Scottish mythology are many. He is usually associated with the Tuatha De Danaan, but is in fact from the older race of gods the Fomorians. Here are some excerpts from James MacKillop’s Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. I have placed them together as a single entry even though this is an extremely condensed version of the complete entry:

“Manannan Mac Lir: Principal sea-deity and also otherworldly ruler of Irish and Goidelic traditions. He is sometimes, but not usually, numbered as a lord of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Through many texts over several centuries, some aspects of Manannán’s person remain constant. Although a shape-shifter, he is usually portrayed as a handsome and noble warrior, evocative of the classical gods Poseidon and Neptune, with whom he is often compared. He possesses a magical currach (‘the wave-sweeper’), but most often he travels over the waves with a horse, Énbarr or Aonbárr, usually in a chariot but sometimes on horseback. Nor can the armour of any enemy withstand his enchanted sword Frecraid [the answerer]. Among his supernatural powers is the ability to cast spells, féth fiada, which he teaches to the druids, and the ability to envelop himself in a mist that makes him invisible to his enemies, a facility shared by the Olympians in the Iliad. He often wears a great cloak that catches the light and can assume many colours, like the sea itself; with one sweep of it, Manannán can change destinies. An even more important possession is the crane bag that holds all his possessions, including language. He also owns birds, hounds, and magical pigs that can be eaten on one day but will be alive the next so that they can be slaughtered and eaten again. Among his wives are Fand [tears], herself a deity of water, and Aife, transformed into a crane by luchra, and from whose skin the crane bag was made. Although Manannán is not the central figure in any single narrative, his appearances dominate the action of many stories. No story tells of Manannán’s death, but allusions are made to his decline when he refuses to accept the succession of Bodb Derg. He is thought to have again assisted the Tuatha Dé Danann after their defeat by the Milesians when they dwindled into the small creatures who live under the earth. Prayers directed to him were thought to bring fishermen a bountiful catch.”

What seems most interesting to me is the succession of the items, or order, found in the crane-bag and the importance of the owners themselves. If we look at the King of Scotland, the King of Lochlain, Goibne, Asail and Manannan we see a procession of increasing power. The King of Scotland is, perhaps, the most mundane of the five males, while Manannan is the most Otherworldly and powerful. The items could also possibly be listed from semi ordinary (shears) to extremely powerful (the shirt of Manannan himself).

If we look at the symbols listed for each letter and their meanings we are perhaps given yet another clue. We begin with the Salmon, then we step into the Gold, then we use the Elbow, this is followed by the the food, Honey, and completed with the twin of hazel.

If the Salmon is the Grove, the Gold is the Fire, the Elbow is the work done transforming substances at the Forge and the Honey is the food of the gods, then we can only assume that the Twin of Hazel represents the ability to be in the Otherworld (by wearing Manannan’s shirt), as a result of having stepped through the previous symbols or states of being. Speaking more plainly, this procession of metaphors could perhaps be seen as a symbolic series of steps which were utilized in order to enter into the Otherworld. This could’ve even been, as unlikely as it may seem, a type of poet grading system – like the modern and generally accepted Bard, Ovate and Druid.

One must go into the Grove seeking wisdom like the Salmon. This is the step of intention and the tool seems to be the shears. Secondly, one must create a sacred space and build a there a fire. From here divination may also be engaged, as one’s sight is altered upon wearing the helmet. Next, one must do transforming work like that of Goibne the smith. Goibne works with the fire and alters the metals into powerful items with the aid of the hook. This is the state of magic making. Then, there is the eating of the honey, or sweet food, of the gods (like the regenerating pigs that are ready to be eaten at full tide). Once the food has been fully prepared, it is eaten and the transformation into a new being – or more powerful version of oneself – begins. Finally, one path taker can open their eyes to find that they are wearing the shirt of Manannan Mac Lir. They are then beneath the ocean in the Underworld, before the purple Twins of Hazel which had offered the wisdom to the Salmon that began the journey in the first place. It is at this place where we have finally realized our full journey and have stepped into the world of the others.

While my symbolic journey through the Forfeda is likely nothing more than my own musings or imagination, it brings me some sort of satisfaction to find that a thread does exists within these extra letters. I can then look back across the last half-year and see a continuous pathway through the forest that started at the very beginning, where Birch’s were swaying and whispering at the edge of the forest, beside the throne room of Manannan.

Eating the nuts of wisdom, I then discover that the journey never ends, it only begins anew and fresh.

There before me is the Birch once more.

The Foliage:

Samhain is a time to honour those who have passed before us, and those other ancestors long dead who we have never known on any conscious level. It’s a time to give thanks for all those things that we have, and a time to be thankful for all of those things that we are about to receive during the coming year. It is also a time to thank the spirits that have aided us over the past year and to make petitions against tricksters who may wish to bring chaos into our lives during the days ahead. In short, it is a time where the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, and a place where messages of any kind may be more easily heard from either side of this Celtic twilight.

Most of the sources that I referenced in this blog are writers that are no longer amongst the living. Colin Murray (no image attached) passed away in the eighties as did Robert Graves and Joseph Campbell. W.Y Evans Wentz who wrote the Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries passed on in 1965, as did Sir James Frazer in 1941. Lady Gregory, author of Gods and Fighting Men, died in 1932. Alexander Carmichael (no image attached) who brought us the Carmina Gadelica passed away in 1912. Lady Wilde, mother of Oscar Wilde and author of Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland, died in relative poverty in 1896. Lady Charlotte Guest who is famous for her translation of the Mabinogion passed away in 1895.

I would like to take this time to honour some of these men and women who have preserved our past and allowed me to research the Ogham and the forest lore of the Celts. All of the images below are taken from Wikipedia except for the drawing of Lady Wilde which was taken from sacredtexts.com.

(Joseph Campbell)

(Robert Graves)

(W.Y. Evans-Wentz)

(Sir James Frazer)

(Lady Gregory)

(Lady Wilde)

(Lady Charlotte Guest)

“There was always an element of fear and trepidation about this night – the eve before Samhain- and also one of expectancy. When the dead were abroad, certain kinds of divination could be practiced, which asked questions of the ancestors.” – Caitlin Mathews(The Celtic Spirit)

[i] http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/ogham.html

[ii] Eryn Rowan Laurie. Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom.

[iv] http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/ogham.html

Koad (Salmon or the Grove)

(Bluebells in Portglenone Forest in spring. David Iliff[i])

“Nemeton. A Gaulish word apparently meaning ‘sacred grove’ or ‘sanctuary’ appears whole or in part in several place names. Nemetona, Nemontana [goddess of the sacred grove; see NEMETON] Gaulish and British goddess whose name appears in many ancient inscriptions.” – James MacKillop (Dictionary of Celtic Mythology)

The Roots:

The twenty first letter of the Ogham, and the first letter of the forfeda, is Koad, the Grove.

Koad can also be Ebad, representing the Aspen or Woodbine instead. Reconstructionists usually do not refer to this letter as “the Grove.”

As discussed during the last entry, the Grove seems to have been an introduction by Colin and Liz Murray in an attempt to solve the riddle of the crane-bag presented by Robert Graves in the Crane Bag and other disputed subjects. This choice may have also served a duel purpose, however, as the Aspen tree had already been listed within the Ogham in its tree form.

Whatever their intention, Grove as a separate meaning, and letter, for magical users of the Ogham has seemed to hold fast since its initial introduction.

According to Liz and Colin Murray in the Celtic Tree Oracle, the Grove is linked to all “sacred places, traditionally near springs.” It is described as the “all knowledge” or the gathering together of that which one already knows.

Nigel Pennick in Magical Alphabets adds that the Grove represents the unity of all 8 festivals[ii]. He also says that “the Grove represents the colours of the forty shades of green.” The Grove is the point of total clarity.

Eryn Rowan Laurie in Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom calls the Ogham letter Ebad and equates it not with a tree, but with the Salmon. She says that the meanings of the letter are, “carrier of wisdom, vehicle of inspiration and spiritual nourishment.” The association to salmon and to the Aspen is common amongst reconstructionists in regards to this few. The few is described in the Tract as being “the best swimming letter.” Aspen is buoyant and the Salmon is mentioned again later in the document[iii].

John Michael Greer, like the Murrays, also associates Koad to the Grove. He says of the letter that it is, “a few of central balance and infinite possibility, symbolized by a grove of many trees; the presence of many factors, the possibility of freedom.[iv]”

Robert Graves lists Koad as “the King of Scotland’s Shears” in the Crane Bag and other disputed subjects. He does not list any of these extra letters, the forfeda, as having any part whatsoever to do with the tree calendar theory that he had first presented in the White Goddess. It was during this philosophical shift between Graves and the Murrays that various interpretations of the Ogham outside of academic areas became mainstream.

In the Celtic Shaman by John Mathews, the work kenning “most buoyant of wood” is interpreted as representing “ability.” Caitlin Mathews in Celtic Wisdom Sticks does not use the forfeda in the same way, but uses this letter to represent the direction of South.

Robert Ellison in Ogham: the Secret Language of the Druids, uses White Poplar for the letter Ebad. He says that this letter represents, “buoyancy and floating above problems.”

As the Grove, Koad can be linked to all of the other trees and to any of the stories found within the forests of Celtic myth. The Grove can also represent a meeting point of intention, a magical encounter, or even a holy place.

The Trunk:

“As for the other miscellaneous objects found in the Crane Bag: if one thinks poetically, not scientifically, their meaning leaps to the eye.” Robert Graves (the Crane Bag and other Disputed Subjects)

As previously stated the forfeda[v], or the items found in the crane bag by poets, are  listed as ‘the King of Scotland’s Shears’(the X), ‘the King of Lochlainn’s helmet’ (with his face underneath, the four sided diamond), ‘the bones of Assail’s swine’ (the double lined X out to the side of the line), ‘Goibne’s smith-hook’ (the P or hook symbol), and Manannan’s own shirt’, which “is a map of the sea showing lines of longitude and latitude.[vi]”

Thus the forfeda becomes a riddle of magical and mythological contemplation.

So who is the king of Scotland and why are his shears important? Why does Manannan possess these items in the first place? Has he vanquished the owners of these objects in battle, or does he hold the items for safekeeping? Could these artifacts be being saved for ritualistic purposes, having been set aside for their owners within the sanctity of the crane bag? Or can they, the items, be being held hostage themselves?

There may not be a good answer to any of these questions. One can only study and contemplate as to what these items may have meant to the Celts of old. The old texts leave us with riddles that may or may not really mean anything.

Interestingly enough, though, the most famous story of shears found in Celtic mythology may also have ties to Scotland as well.

Twrch Trwyth was a king who had been transferred into a mighty boar because of his previous sins. In Jeffery Gantz’s version of the Mabinogion , Arthur himself says that “he was once a king but because of his sins god turned him into a pig.”

In the tale How Culhwch won Olwen, found in the Mabinogion, the story is revealed in its entirety- at least the portions that have survived down into our present era.

Culwch is described as the son of the ruler of Kelyddon in the Gantz version, but in others he is seen as the son of Prince Kelyddon. Could Kelyddon, the place, be Caledonia or Scotland? It may be a stretch, but the frequent mention of other countries in the old tales shows a great deal of contact between the Celtic ancestors including even the transfer of these stories and legends.

Culwch is the ultimate owner of the shears by the end of the story, but it is Caw of Scotland who uses the tool. Could Caw have been a prince or a king? In other versions of the story he is Kaw of North Britain. It may even be suggested that he is one of Culwch’s own men by his lack of mention in comparison to all of the other heroes found in the story.

Regardless, Culwch falls in love with the maiden Olwen who is the daughter of the giant Ysbaddaden. Culwch seeks out the giant with the help of Arthur and his men. Culwch is revealed to be the first cousin of Arthur, who gives him a haircut at the beginning of the tale[vii]. Culwch recruits Arthur and his men and they set off to find Ysbaddaden. When the giant is found, Culwch asks for the price of his daughter. Ysbaddaden then gives to Olwen a long series of impossible tasks that he must accomplish in order to win her hand. These trials need to be completed in order to win the giant’s daughter and in order to “cut off his head.”

(Clan Carter-Campbell family crest badge. Craigenputtock[viii])

The greatest task of all of them, and the only one told in detail, is the hunting of Twrch Trwyth. The great boar holds between his ears the comb and shears[ix] (and a razor) needed to give Ysbaddaden his final hair cut before the giant is executed.

To accomplish this task an army of men, led by Arthur, must first find the Mabon[x] whose help they need to get the boar’s treasures. Only he, with the magical devices, can handle the hound needed to catch Twrch Trwyth. To find the Mabon, however, they must first locate the oldest animal in the world who should know of the Mabon’s whereabouts. The heroes interview several of the oldest of animals, eventually talking to the oldest of them all, the salmon. The Salmon of Llyn Llyw then carries some of Arthur’s men up a stream, on his shoulders, to a prisoner’s quarters where the Mabon is being held. A battle then helps them to release the Mabon from captivity.

Eventually the party is ready to go after the boar himself having procured the proper hunting dogs, magic leash, collar, chains and men with extraordinary abilities.

When the men first turn their attention on Twrch Trwyth he has already destroyed “a third” of Ireland. When they later return to engage him more directly, he has destroyed “a fifth” of Ireland. The local Irish then help the men of Arthur fight the great boar and his seven sons. Many are slain. The Boar and his offspring flee Ireland and go to Wales where they began to kill the people and attack the countryside. In a battle for each of the shaving treasures many men are lost. Eventually, however, Twrch Trwyth is dead along with all of his sons.

The time finally comes for Ysbaddaden’s haircut. As mentioned, though, in the story this is done by Caw of Scotland and not by Culwch at all.

“Caw of Scotland came to shave the giant’s beard, flesh and skin right to the bone and both ears completely. ‘Have you been shaved?’ Asked Culhwch. ‘I have,’ said Ysbaddaden. ‘Is your daughter mine now?’  ‘She is. And you need not thank me, rather Arthur, who won her for you; of my own will you would have never got her. Now it is time for you to kill me.’ Goreu son of Custenhin seized Ysbaddaden by the hair and dragged him along to the dunghill, where he cut off his head and set it on a stake on the wall. They seized the fortress and the land, and that night Culhwch slept with Olwen, and as long as he lived she was his only wife. Then Arthur’s men dispersed to their own lands.” –Jeffery Gantz translation.

In the Crane bag and other Disputed Subjects Robert Graves explains how the shirt of Manannan is really the latitude and longitude lines of a sea map. In this light Colin and Liz Murray took a closer look at the King of Scotland’s Shears.

First of all what does the letter look like? An X on a map if we’re still thinking along those lines. Perhaps we’re looking at another map key; that of a significant destination? An X certainly meant treasure by the time of the Ogham Tract or the recording of Celtic legends.

In a Celtic forest there can be only one place of treasure, and that would have been the place of the nemeton or Grove. The idea that the shears could actually create such a place, by the hands of Manannan or some other god, seems to give the idea further credence. The Grove is a holy place usually not created by the hand of man. It exists in the forest but in a sense it is separate. It unifies everything and yet seems somehow apart or above. It is where the Salmon of wisdom feasts on the nuts of the hazel.

There may be deeper mysteries here, however. This line of thinking seems to have been the path that was taken by Liz and Colin Murray as they sought the answers to the final riddles of the forfeda. If this is true, then why didn’t they also solve the riddle for the other three letters left?  Manannan’s shirt was the Sea and the King of Scotland’s Shears was the Grove. What about Oir, Uilleand and Phagos?

Other questions still need to be answered as well. What can these symbols really mean? Who are these men and why does Manannan hold these items within the crane bag at all?

There is much to be pondered.

The Foliage:

For some time I have been meaning to acknowledge the Trees For Life: Restoring the Caledonian Forest website and organization properly for the enormity of the work that they do. Their website describes this work below as follows:

“Trees for Life is the only organisation specifically dedicated to restoring the Caledonian Forest to a target area of 600 sq miles in the Scottish Highlands. We work in partnership with the Forestry Commission, RSPB and private landowners, and own and manage the 10,000 acre Dundreggan Estate.

“Each year we run over 45 Conservation Holidays. Hundreds of volunteers join us annually in planting over 100,000 trees in protected areas, and carry out other restoration work such as seed collection and propagation of young trees and rare woodland plants. We have planted over 923,000 trees since 1989.”

I have enjoyed and sourced Paul Kendall’s articles on mythology within livinglibraryblog several times[xi]. Kendall’s writing brings a certain magic to the reality of the project that the Trees for Life organization has undertaken. The website is a beautiful resource of knowledge and a testament to the times of our ancestors… and even before. The goal to reforest portions of the highlands, seemingly unachievable, has been taking place one step at a time.

The organization offers several ways to donate or help out. A person can plant a tree or even just become a member for a small fee. What is most interesting to me, however, is the option of planting a Grove.

A person can make a donation by planting a Grove in someone’s memory, or for an important landmark like a wedding or a birth. It’s an excellent way to honour someone or some event while still being able to give back something long-lasting and meaningful. It is a way in which to reconnect with the past and to offer healing to an old friend.

To check out the sight, or to consider making a donation, please visit:

http://www.treesforlife.org.uk

“In view of the fact that don Juan was acquainting me with a live world, the processes of change in such a live world never cease. Conclusions, therefore, are only mnemonic devices, or operational structures, which serve the function of springboards into new horizons of cognition.” – Carlos Castaneda (the Teaching of Don Juan: a Yaqui Way of Knowledge)


[ii] The eight turning times of the year that neopagans tend to recognize in ritual and respect.

[iii] http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/ogham.html

[iv] The Druid Magic Handbook.

[v] See blog post: An Introduction to the Forfeda.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Thus the story begins and ends with the same ritualistic act.

[ix] Sometimes scissors.

[x] The Mabon is often described as a mysterious Celtic Christ.

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