The Goddess Tree Grows *WILLOW

From Roots to Leaves, Branches to Bark

The Goddess Tree Grows

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Willow

Willows which by water stand
Ease us to the Summerland.


Salix alba

Tree of Enchantment, Tree of Witcheries
Fifth month of the Celtic Tree calendar,
April 15th - May 12th
Fifth consonant of the Ogham alphabet - Saille

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There once was a Willow, and he was very old,
And all his leaves fell off from him, and left him in the cold;
But ere the rude winter could buffet him with snow,
There grew upon his hoary head a crop of mistletoe.
All wrinkled and furrowed was this old Willow's skin,
His taper finger trembled, and his arms were very thin;
Two round eyes and hollow, that stared but did not see;
And sprawling feet that never walked, had this most ancient tree.
~Julianna Horatia Ewing, "The Willow Man"

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Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Symbolism: Resonance and Harmony
Stone: Moonstone
Birds: Hawk, Snowy Owl
Color: Silver
Deity: Persephone, Hecate, Cerridwen,
Artemis, Selene, Luna, Diana, Brigit
Sabbat: Beltane

Folk names: Osier, Pussy Willow, Saille, Salicyn Willow, Saugh Tree, White Willow, Witches Aspirin, Withe, Withy

Medicinal properties:
Willow bark contains salicin, or Salicylic acid, used to make aspirin. Infusions from the bark have long been used as a remedy for cholls, rheumatism, and fevers. Willow sap applied to the skin can remedy acne, and a strong decoction of boiling the bark and leaves in water can be rubbed into the scalp for dandruff.

Magickal properties:
New Moon magick, creativity, fertility, female rights of passage, inspiration, emotion, binding. Love, Love divination, protection, healing. Willow is also known as the tree of immortality because of its ability to re grow from a fallen branch in moist ground. A wand made from Willow wood has many uses: sleep with it and have more vivid dreams, use it to draw down the moon, protection for underworld journeying. Magickal Brooms, witch's brooms are traditionally bound with a willow's branch.

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"I am a willow of the wilderness,
Loving the wind that bent me."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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THE CELTIC TREE ORACLE
by Liz and Colin Murray
The Willow in the tree alphabet stands for the female and lunar rhythms of life. She is water-seeking, thriving from preference on the damp margins of lakes and streams or across the low-lying water meadows. Water and the tidal movements of the sea are governed by the pull of the moon. The moon in its monthly rhythms is female, contrasting with the male sun's daily and yearly turnings. In several ways, the Celts held women in higher regard than we do today. On the material level, women were property owners, and whoever controlled the property controlled the marriage. Women of all types and appeared in the Celtic pantheon, the spiritual strength and life-giving qualities given by both female and male recognized equally. There were many colleges of Druidesses - learned women and teachers - respected especially for their gifts of seer-ship, often expressed through dreams, or night visions.

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Willow Fairy

Cicely Mary Barker

The Fairy Bible
by Teresa Moorey

The willow fairy can be grumpy and tricky. The Hobbits in The Lord of the Rings were lulled to sleep and almost killed by Old Man Willow, and while fairies are rarely so ill- intentioned, the willow fairy is not always kindly.

The willow fairy may leave the tree at night and follow travelers, muttering and mumbling, which can be rather frightening to those who do not understand.

Willow has profound wisdom to offer, which humans rarely appreciate. It is deeply mystical and in tune with the music of the waters, all around the globe. Salicylic acid, which is used to make aspirin, comes from the willow, and the willow elves are associated with knowledge of medicinal herbs and healing.

Approached with respect, willow is a wonderful teacher and will whisper to us if we listen. It is important to be still, and to understand that human perceptions are shallow. Imagine the questing roots of willow, seeking the underground streams that flow to and from the earth-girdling oceans. Nighttime is best to commune with this spirit in meaningful dreams.

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Willow Knot Spell
from Herb Magic for Beginners by Ellen Dugan

To have your spell wish granted, you are to stand under the graceful branches of the willow on the night of a full moon. Blow a kiss to the moon and state your wish out loud, as you gently tie a loose knot in one of the supple branches. Then, while gazing up at the rising moon, repeat this verse:

Under the Lady's moon, shining so bright,
Willow tree, hear my request on this night.
In this willow tree, I now leave a marker,
Grant me love and happiness, and bring much laughter.

Close the spell with these standard Craft lines:
By all the power of three times three,
And as I will it, so mote it be.

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Friday April 17, 2009 - Waning Half Moon in Capricorn
Friday April 24, 2009 - New Moon in Taurus
Friday, May 1, 2009 - Waxing Half Moon in Leo
Friday May 8, 2009 - Full Moon in Scorpio

The willow seeks out water, and is often found near streams or above natural underground wells. Like no other, this tree is associated with the Moon, in all her phases - and so symbolizes the change of our feelings and "moods" as time passes.

Born under the sign of the willow, you are an instinctive creature - in fact, you often react primarily from your "gut response" rather than on intellectual information. Watch the rhythm of your moods carefully and pay attention to your dreams. Their symbolism will help you navigate throughout life.
Written by Kim Rogers-Gallagher, and Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook 2000

Weeping Willow, The Melancholy
Beautiful but full of melancholy, attractive, very empathic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner.

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The Leaf on the Water
by Ouan Tsi (1007-1072)

The wind tears a leaf from the willow tree;
it falls lightly upon the water,
and the waves carry it away.
Time has gradually effaced a memory from my heart,
and I watch the willow leaf drifting away on the waves.
Since I have forgotten her whom I loved,
I dream the day through in sadness,
lying at the water's edge.

But the willow leaf floated back
under the tree,
and it seemed to me
that the memory could never be effaced
from my heart.

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The Faces of WomanSpirit
A Celtic Oracle of Avalon
by Katherine Torres, Ph.D.


Trust All is here and now.
Know it.
Connect with the Hand of Goddess.
Let Divine Mother Transform you.
Be an Example in the World.


Willow asks you to bend with her into the path of retrieval.

Follow the labyrinth trail, connect with the power of wisdom and the rhythm of your soul, and return to your ordinary world strengthened. You will find that your awareness of your purpose is stronger and your intent cannot be broken by the spell of someone else's desire.








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The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow.
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow.

~William Shakespeare, Othello



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I release that which no longer serves me. I am at one with my environment.
I honor the energy of willow for the lunar rhythms within me as a woman.
I will recognize and heed my own body's cycles.
So mote it be.

Pray Peace

This letter is a labor of love, from Gwendolyn
Permission to share freely, please in its entirety, with links and credits
Feel free to contact me: gwendolyn@thegoddesstree.com

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from Moon Bee Acres

There is a branch for you to sit upon with a beautiful view.
Climb up into her arms, and stay for a spell.
Feel her roots, her bark, her branches, her leaves.
She is shade, shelter, a home, a hide-away.
She is an escape.
She rocks you to sleep in your hammock.
She holds up your birdfeeder, your wind chimes, and your decorations.
She embraces anyone who loves to climb.
In the spring she offers life, and in the fall she gives her own.
She does not judge.
She just is.

Gwendolyn
thegoddesstree.com

http://thegoddesstree.com/trees/Willow.htm

subscribe here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheGoddessTreeGrows

Shop: http://sticksandstonescircle.com


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The Goddess Tree Grows *Alder

From Roots to Leaves, Branches to Bark
The Goddess Tree Grows


Alder

Alnus Glutinosa
Tree of the God Bran
Fourth month of the Celtic Tree calendar, March 18 - April 14
Fourth consonant of the Ogham alphabet Fearn

Planet: Neptune
Element: Fire and Water
Symbolism: Release, Shield and Foundation, Determination, Discrimination and Inner Confidence, Royalty
Stone: Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli (understanding the mind)
Birds: Hawk, Seagulls, Raven
Color: Purple
Deity: Bran, Apollo, Odin, King Arthur
Folk Names: Owler

Medicinal properties:
Alder bark treated inflammations, rheumatism, and diarrhea. Bags filled with heated alder leaves helped with chronic skin diseases and burns. A gargle made from leaves and bark cured mouth ulcers and soothed tonsillitis. Alder oil and essence resonate with the Muscular System and can relieve stiffness and damp diseases, enabling us to move forward with flexibility and comfort.

Magickal properties:
Alder helps you face up to the things you've been avoiding.
It also was believed that Alder allowed access into the faery realms.
Alder tree essence is invigorating, and it also reduces nervousness and anxiety.
Spells to aid success in your business and academic ventures work well at this time of year. Sow the seeds of your success now.

Alder roots enrich the soil, and its timber resists decay.
When immersed in water it hardens to the toughness of stone.
Because it was the source of fine strongly colored dyes, it was associated with the art of fabric making and the Goddesses of spinning. Alder reminds us of the need to blend strength and courage with generosity of spirit and compassion.
Alder was sacred to the Druids. The pith is easily pushed out of green shoots to make whistles. Several shoots bound together by cordage, can be trimmed to the desired length for producing the note you want and used to entice Air elementals. The old superstition of "whistling up the wind" began with this custom.

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If you felled a sacred Alder, it was said that your house would be burned to the ground.

THE CELTIC TREE ORACLE by Liz and Colin Murray The Alder, like the Willow, is a water-loving tree. Its timber is oily and water resistant and therefore used extensively for underwater foundations: parts of Venice and many medieval cathedrals were built on Alder piling. Bran the Blessed, or Bendegeit Bran, is the god liked with this tree in the Ogham alphabet. He is reputed to have used his body to span the river Linon, forming a bridge to raise his followers above the dangerous waters, as the wood does when used as a building material. Mortally wounded in battle with the Irish, Bran prophesied the events that would follow his death, instructing his followers to cut off his head and carry it with them. They traveled to Harlech, where the head sang for seven years: then to Gwales, the head remaining uncorrupted and prophesying the while. Eventually, they came to rest in London, Caer Llyndain, and buried Bran's head at the White Mount, or Bryn Gweyn, now the site of the Tower of London. It was held that as long as the head remained concealed it would give protection against plague from across the sea. King Arthur, it is said, once dug it up: and unwise actions, since the Saxons then invaded the country.

The Fairy Bible
by Teresa Moorey

The Alder Tree is delicate in appearance, but is tremendously strong and is linked, as are many trees, with the creation of humans, for Irish legend tells how the first man was made from alder, and the first woman from rowan. Such stories indicate that our deepest essence is connected to that of trees - physically, karmically, and spiritually.

Alder has the gift of not decaying in water, so it is used to make bridges. Possibly because of this it is associated with the Welsh god-giant, Bran, who made his body into a bridge across the River Shannon, to invade Ireland and come to the aid of his sister, Branwen. The Welsh were victorious, but Bran was slain. His head - still living, and still possessing oracular powers - was buried in the White Hill of London, and the ravens that inhabit the Tower of London are Bran's sacred birds. It is said that England will not fall while they live there. The alder fairy may fly forth in the form of a raven. He can impart all the secrets of good defense to you, teach you how to look for omens in bird flight and develop the gift of prophecy.

The Song of the Alder Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker By the lake or river-side Where the Alders dwell, In the Autumn may be spied Baby catkins; cones beside — Old and new as well. Seasons come and seasons go; That's the tale they tell! After Autumn, Winter's cold Leads us to the Spring; And, before the leaves unfold, On the Alder you'll behold, Crimson catkins swing! They are making ready now; That's the song I sing!

Alder is a charm against malevolent fairies.

Water sprites are said to protect alder trees, so be cautious of cutting one down.

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Equal night, equal day: the Spring Equinox brings a momentary balance of light and darkness on our planet, when "yoginis" of the East and "maenads" (wild women) of the West celebrated their communal festivals. Throwing off the yoke of winter, we welcome spring with shared hearts open. Traditionally animals mate, gardeners break ground, and all the world comes alive again. But there are problems that need facing in our time, with many species losing their ability to reproduce or going extinct from too many poison chemicals in the environment. The birds and the bees are sick and dying. How can we live our lives in joy while staying awake to the larger situation?

Certainly, the problems are too big for each person to face alone. But as the light grows each day, our energies are on the rise and, like plants poking their heads up through concrete, there is an irrepressible movement in each of us toward positive action. Perhaps this is the year to form a Council of Crones or join Code Pink. Pledge yourself to healthy collective action and creative nonviolent resistance.
Vicki Noble - Mother Tongue Ink 2008, and We’Moon’09

Das Baum Tarot

Wednesday March 18, 2009 - Waning Half Moon in Sagittarius
Thursday March 26, 2009 - New Moon in Aries
Thursday April 2, 2009 - Waxing Half Moon in Cancer
Thursday April 9, 2009 - Full Moon in Libra


Celtic Moon sign - Alder Moon

The alder is amazingly resistant to water. As a result, it was often used in construction under water, from bridges to foundations to stilts for homes located close to rivers. This resistance makes the alder a powerful force in psychic battles.

If you were born under this sign, you have tremendous courage in the face of obstacles and the power to win in disputes. Watch for a tendency to create wars where there are none, and be careful not to dissipate your strength through engaging in meaningless debate.
Written by Kim Rogers-Gallagher, and Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook 2000

At the time of the Spring Equinox, or Ostara, the Alder is flourishing on riverbanks, roots in the water, bridging that magical space between both heaven and earth. The Alder month, called Fearn by the Celts, and pronounced fairin, is a time for making spiritual decisions, magic relating to prophecy and divination, and getting in touch with your own intuitive processes and abilities. Alder flowers and twigs are known as charms to be used in Faerie magic. Whistles were once made out of Alder shoots to call upon Air spirits, so it's an ideal wood for making a pipe or flute if you're muscially inclined.

Alder month is the right time to find a way of expressing our hopes and dreams for the New Year, forgiving any leftover angers and coming to terms with what's written in our own Book of Destiny. The Alder grows quickly and its energy can help us move along our Path, forgiving and accepting others and ourselves. For example, if there is a dispute with neighbors, Alder could be planted to restore harmony and turn anger into beauty.

Spells to aid success in your business and academic ventures work well at this time of year. Sow the seeds of your success now.

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Crone Stone
reading from Gwendolyn, thegoddesstree.com

DayDreamer
In this stone I see a woman resting against a tree, and dreaming of a castle.

Use the energy of grounding to help you manifest your dreams. Along with your fantasy, imagine what steps you need to take in order to make it a reality.

visit cronestones.com

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The Faces of WomanSpirit

A Celtic Oracle of Avalon
by Katherine Torres, Ph.D.

Alder brings the delight of spring into your steps. She urges you to act on your desires without worry or fret.

She empowers you with vigor.

Her delightful orange face compels excitement within you and the knowing that the wisdom you have been gathering can now be used. Share it with others or move on your own, but Go For It, no matter what you are experiencing at this time.

Alder let me see your
Brightness and readiness
Strength and Knowing
Intensity of Action
And youthful vigor
For in this exchange I can
GO FOR IT.

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I move forward with ease and grace.
I honor the energy of alder, for the protection of my inner oracle.
I will listen to the voice of the Goddess Within.
So mote it be.

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Pray Peace

This letter is a labor of love, from Gwendolyn
Permission to share freely, please in its entirety, with links and credits
Feel free to contact me: gwendolyn@thegoddesstree.com

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from Moon Bee Acres

There is a branch for you to sit upon with a beautiful view.
Climb up into her arms, and stay for a spell.
Feel her roots, her bark, her branches, her leaves.
She is shade, shelter, a home, a hide-away.
She is an escape.
She rocks you to sleep in your hammock.
She holds up your birdfeeder, your wind chimes, and your decorations.
She embraces anyone who loves to climb.
In the spring she offers life, and in the fall she gives her own.
She does not judge.
She just is.

Gwendolyn
thegoddesstree.com

http://thegoddesstree.com/trees/Alder.htm

subscribe here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheGoddessTreeGrows

Shop: http://sticksandstonescircle.com

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..)(..

The Goddess Tree Grows *Ash

From Roots to Leaves, Branches to Bark
The Goddess Tree Grows

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ASH


Fraxinus americana

The World Tree; Tree of Life

Third month of the Celtic Tree calendar, February 18th - March 17th
Third consonant of the Ogham alphabet - Nion

Planet: The Sun and Neptune
Element: Water, Fire
Symbolism: Mastership and Power
Stone: Turquoise, Lepidolite (Increase psychic awareness)
Birds: Common Snipe
Color: White, pale Blue
Deity: Eostre, Frigg, Hel/Holle, Minerva, Nemesis, Odin, Nemesis, Poseidon, Neptune
Folk Name: Hoop Ash, Nion - (a rune name from the Irish Gaelic word Nionon which means heaven.)

Medicinal properties:
Ash bark can make an infusion that is a mild laxative and diuretic. The rood bark is the most potent with astringent properties, and was used to treat liver diseases and arthritic rheumatism. Other uses include reduce fever, treat kidney and urinary infections, expel intestinal parasites, and treating malaria.

Magickal properties:
The leaves attract love and prosperity. Burn Ash wood at Yule to receive prosperity. Sleep with them under your pillow and you will have psychic/prophetic dreams. Sleep with them in a bowl of water next to your bed to prevent illness. Wearing garters of green ash bark protects against the powers of magicians. Ash can heal children just by passing the child through a split in the tree's trunk. It promotes strength, harmony, and a sense of being in tune with your surroundings.
In an ancient Greek creation story, humans were formed from Ash and Oak trees.
Ash, Oak and Hawthorn make up the triad of powerful faery trees. If you stand in the shadow of an Ash, the fae will leave you alone. Put Ash berries in a baby's crib and the fae will not steal it and leave a changeling in its place.
Ash wood was used for the traditional handle of the besom broom. Druid wands were often made of ash because of its straight grain. Ash wands are good for healing, general and solar magic.
Ash Tree attracts lightening, so don't stand under one during an electric storm.
Ash is the key to healing the loneliness of the human spirit, forming a link between the gods, humans, and the dead in the spirit world. Ash holds the key to Universal Truth and Cosmic Wisdom, and it takes on the important role as a Tree of Initiation.

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Ash, seeker of Spirit
teach me to make holy my journey.
Help me move past Illusion.
Lead me to my heart -
The place of Magic.

This Moon Mother Ash calls you to awaken hidden realities and find the Divine Mother. In a measureless expanse of consciousness you will find the tomb of the Great Goddess. You are beckoned to discover it and your own goddess reflection as you ride the mysteries of this Moon Mother.

From the light of Ash the path of return opens to the memory of your divine feminine self. Ancient wisdom is revealed. Ritual is enacted. Re-membering your goddess self occurs. Service to the Great Goddess is lived and magic returns to your life.

The Faces of WomanSpirit
A Celtic Oracle of Avalon
by Katherine Torres, Ph.D.

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HERB MAGIC FOR BEGINNERS
by Ellen Dugan

Ash is a healing tree, so two ash twigs may be fashioned into a solar amulet, and the solar energies used to help fight off the wintertime blues. Create this amulet on a nice, sunny day. Take two small ash twigs about six inches in length, and tie them together into an equal-armed cross (also known as the solar cross.) Fasten a gold ribbon at the center of the twigs, and knot the ribbon three times, saying:

By the powers of the ash tree, herb magic, and the sun,
Do as I will, bringing harm to none.

Then hold the amulet up to the sunshine, and bless it with the following charm to ward off the winter blues and to encourage healing:

I take two ash twigs, and tie a ribbon round,
A simple solar amulet I have bound.
Bring sunshine to my life and guard me, I pray.
Keeping those wintertime blues far, far away.

You can Hang this amulet in a prominent location in your home, or tuck it into your locker or desk at work. This amulet would also be easy to adapt to a pocket charm, if you keep the twigs about two inches in length. Now, you have yourself a little portable solar amulet.

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THE CELTIC TREE ORACLE
by Liz and Colin Murray

The Ash tree has deeply penetrating roots and sours the soil, making it difficult for other vegetation to grow beneath it. Its twigs are thick and strong. In Norse mythology, this tree spans the universe - its roots in hell, its branches supporting the heavens and with Earth at its centre. In Celtic cosmology in particular it connects the three circles of existence - past, present and future, or as confusion, balance, and creative force; there being no fell, but only continual rebirth as passage is made from circle to circle until the Land of the Blessed is finally reached.
Also, the Ash can be seen as spanning both microcosm and macrocosm, the little world and the great world. In this interpretation, man and Earthly things are reflections in miniature of the universe, the cosmos being reflected in us, and thus expressing the meaning of the old expression: as above, so below.


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Re-membering

Through stories and through my shamanic work, I began thinking about ancestral memory and what if? What if the wounds I carry are not solely from my lifetime, but also from my mother's, my father's and grandparents' passed genetically and psychically? What if the multiple abuses I have processed in therapy are from ancestral wounds as well as current, and what if the connections extend beyond even ancestral lineage to some kind of interspecies link?
I feel lighter when I entertain these thoughts and constantly renew my commitment to my path of healing, not only for my family and myself but also for all beings. I am beginning to see that the web of life weaves connections between all of time, space and place. And how each small healing benefits the whole cosmos.
Janice Young 2006, and We’Moon’09

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The Fairy Bible
by Teresa Moorey

The Ash Fairy is androgynous and ambiguous, carrying great mysticism and power and making many connections: between this world and the Otherworld, between masculine and feminine, and between differing ideas. The ash fairy understands that problems are rarely solved on the level at which they were created.

The most famous ash was the Norse World Tree, Yggdrasil, on which Odin hung, to receive the wisdom of the runes. Thus ash possesses indescribable knowledge - things we cannot really know in our heads and can only reach through expansion of consciousness. Ash fairy may bring the gift of poetry, which has the power to evoke ideas and associations that elude the conscious mind. Ash is associated with communications of all sorts. Witches were believed to fly on ash-handled broomsticks, while Viking ships were made of ash. Many ancient cultures believed that humans originated within the ash - for instance, souls were born in the branches of Yggdrasil. The goddess Nemesis carried an ash branch. And so ash fairy teaches balance and unity in diversity. It takes an open mind and breadth of soul to travel in the Otherworld!

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Tuesday February 24, 2009 - New Moon in Pisces
Wednesday March 4, 2009 - Waxing Half Moon in Gemini
Tuesday March 10, 2009 - Full Moon in Virgo
Wednesday March 18, 2009 - Waning Half Moon in Sagittarius

Celtic Moon sign - Ash Moon

The ash tree is famous, although anonymous, since it's the tree from which the Hanged Man is suspended in tarot decks. The roots of the ash penetrate deeply into the earth, and the tree itself is known for its speed of growth. Its energy, then, also builds quickly, but is dispersed just as fast. Born under this sign, you have a "knowing" of the connection between ourselves, our planet, and our universe. You feel the pain and joy of all other creatures, from trees to animals to those humans less fortunate than yourself. This lends a compassion to your personality that's incomparable.
Written by Kim Rogers-Gallagher, and Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook 2000

This is a good month to do magic that focuses on the inner self. Associated with ocean rituals, magical potency, prophetic dreams and spiritual journeys, the Ash can be used for making magical (and mundane) tools -- these are said to be more productive than tools made from other wood. Love spells and loved ones should be foremost in our minds in early spring.
Born under this sign are those who have a knowing of the connection between ourselves, our planet, and our universe. You feel the pain and joys of all living creatures, which makes you most compassionate. Other traits: Uncommonly attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be egoistic, very reliable and trustworthy, faithful and prudent lover, sometimes brains rule over heart, but takes partnership very serious.

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I breathe Life easily. I speak my truth. I am protected. I am at one with the Universe.

I honor the energy of ash, the magician's staff.
I will recognize that "as above, so below," I play a part in the larger scheme of things.
I will link my inner and outer worlds.
So mote it be

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Pray Peace

This letter is a labor of love, from Gwendolyn
Permission to share freely, please in its entirety, with links and credits
Feel free to contact me: gwendolyn@thegoddesstree.com

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from Moon Bee Acres

There is a branch for you to sit upon with a beautiful view.
Climb up into her arms, and stay for a spell.
Feel her roots, her bark, her branches, her leaves.
She is shade, shelter, a home, a hide-away.
She is an escape.
She rocks you to sleep in your hammock.
She holds up your birdfeeder, your wind chimes, and your decorations.
She embraces anyone who loves to climb.
In the spring she offers life, and in the fall she gives her own.
She does not judge.
She just is.

Gwendolyn
thegoddesstree.com

http://thegoddesstree.com/trees/Ash.htm

subscribe here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheGoddessTreeGrows

Shop: http://sticksandstonescircle.com

The Goddess Tree Grows *Rowan

From Roots to Leaves, Branches to Bark
The Goddess Tree Grows

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Rowan

"Rowan is the tree of power, causing life and magic to flower."

Sorbus Aucuparia
The Lady of the Mountains
Second month of the Celtic Tree calendar, January 21st - February 17th
Second consonant of the Ogham alphabet - Luis

Planet: The Sun, Mercury
Element: Fire
Symbolism: Protection and Inspiration
Stone: Tourmaline
Birds: Duck, Quail
Color: Green
Deity: Brigantia, Brigid, Virgin Mary, Thor
Sabbat: Imbolc, Candlemas
Folk Names: Delight of the Eye, Mountain Ash, Quickbane, Ran Tree, Roden-Quicken, Roden-Quicken-Royan, Roynetree, Sorb Apple, Thor's Helper, Whitty, Wicken-Tree, Wiggin, Wiggy, Wiky, Wild Ash, Witchbane, Witchen, Witchwood
Rowan's name means "a secret" or "to whisper" and shares it's origin with rune.

Medicinal properties:
The berries contain a high concentration of Vitamin C, a good preventative and treatment for scurvy. They also contain organic acids, tannins, sugars. The berries have been used to make general tonics for the body since the ripe berries are mildly purgative and diuretic.

Magickal properties:
Using meditation, Rowan is helpful with clearing the mind and opening our inspiration. The Essence of Rowan is used in vibrational medicine to assist in attuning us to nature, broadening perspectives, and making room for a deeper understanding of our place here in the universe. It also has a significant role in protection. Rowan wood was traditionally used to make spindles and spinning wheels, tool handles, stakes and pegs, dowsing and divining rods. A rowan wand or walking stick will protect you from being harmed on a journey and bring spiritual enlightenment along your path.
To the Celts the Rowan was a symbol of the hidden mysteries of nature and the quickening of the life force.
Scottish tradition did not allow for the use of Rowan wood for any other purpose than ritual.

DasBaum tarot
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The Rowan, Mountain Ash or Witchwood is a tree of protection and vision and is sacred to the Crone aspect of the Goddess. Take with you a small offering, such as a little wine or a small biscuit, and seek out a Rowan.... Once you find the tree, first make your offering to its spirit, saying: "Graceful Rowan, if it pleases you, let me find some of your wood, that I might protect my home and all who live within it. I give this offering freely as I give my love to the land. Blessed Be." Search carefully around the tree for fallen wood and take on piece for each of the doors which lead into your home. If you find a piece straight and long enough for a wand, you may also take this. A wand's length is the distance from your elbow to the centre of the palm of your strong hand. Thank the tree and take your wood home with you.
Tie a small length of red thread around each piece of wood you have found, hang them over the doors which enter your home to protect against people bringing negative thoughts and feelings into the house.
adapted from The Real Witches' Year ~by Kate West

You can also bind the rowan twigs together with red thread into a solar cross or pentagram to make a mighty protective talisman for your home, car, or your desk or locker at work.

"Rowan twigs and strings of red,
Deflect all harm, gossip, and dread."

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Rowan is not to be forgotten, set aside, or ignored. She is the power within you to call forth your elegance and mastery of your logical mind as it intermingles with your intuitive powers. She calls you into the path of future planning, use of symbology, and talismans to form order to your designs.

Let this time be the time you put your dreams into a sequence of architectural designs. Perform an act of accomplishment for each step of your unfolding plan. Use your act as a building block to bring your dreams to fruition. Trusting your intuition and logical intelligence will give you insights for more planning. Let prophetic insights assist you.

The Faces of WomanSpirit
A Celtic Oracle of Avalon
by Katherine Torres, Ph.D.

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The Fairy Bible
by Teresa Moorey

The Rowan Fairy is strong and protective, yet feminine and very magical. Norse myth tells that the first woman was formed from a rowan, while the ash formed the first man. Rowan is reported to have saved the life of the god Thor by bending over a swift river where he was drowning and enabling him to pull himself out.
The Druids used incense made from rowan wood to conjure spirits, yet the rowan fairy has such a grounding influence that she can connect you with the Otherworld while keeping you firmly in this world. Rowan protects against superstition and fosters a positive attitude. The rowan is planted near homes, for protection and insight.
The rowan fairy is one of the most helpful of all, for she values the matters of this world and seeks to establish a connection with the subtle realms. She repels intruders firmly, yet invites interchange between the realms of being. Rowan is very powerful near stone circles and barrow-mounds, for her abilities are enhanced in these places. Her power will come with you if you carry rowan berries in your pocket, to where the water meets the land - and this can inspire you to write poetry.

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The presence of a rowan tree in the yard or garden is said to provide the home and family with fairy blessings, and the protection of the fae. Rowan is also believed to provide protection from fairy spells. Rowan was once used as a charm to prevent fairies from spoiling butter as it was churned. In Scotland, the smoke from fires kindled of rowan wood was used to protect cattle from malicious fairies.

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The Rowan is worth growing in your yard, as it had four-season interest: flowers in the spring, green leaves in the summer, and reddish foliage in the fall. It bears small orange-red berries that are prized by birds throughout the late fall and winter months.


Traditionally the Rowan is thought to be a witch tree. It is a tree of the Goddess and is sacred to the faeries. A rowan growing near a stone circle is considered to be the most powerful. The rowan protects from all sources of evil. Two rowan twigs tied into an equal-armed cross with red thread is a powerful protective amulet. The berries are used in charm bags for power, healing, and protection.
from Garden Witchery, by Ellen Dugan

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Monday January 26, 2009 - New Moon in Aquarius
Monday February 2, 2009 - Waxing Half Moon in Taurus
Monday February 9, 2009 - Full Moon in Leo
Monday February 16, 2009 - Waning Half Moon in Scorpio

Celtic Moon Sign for Rowan
Sometimes referred to as "the whispering tree", the rowan tree's magic was well known among the Celts. Its berry is shaped like a five-pointed star, first of all, the symbol of magical protection against spells, enchantments, and glamoures. You, too, are a magical creature, able to use you intuition and higher understanding to both enchant and protect. Trust your insights, and act upon them - even if you're seen as "unusual" or "unpredictable" by others. Your ability to envision the future is priceless.
by Kim Rogers-Gallagher

Focus on how to go about getting your goals. Spells involving communication and physic connects work well at this time of the year. Born under this Magickal sign, you use your intuition and higher understanding to enchant and protect. Quite often you are seen as unusual by others, mainly due to your ability to envision the future.

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Candlemas/Imbolc
At Candlemas, awakening begins and the return of the light seems assured. Energies within the earth, as well as the physical body, begin to gently pulsate as the days lengthen and our hopes turn to spring. Traditionally a time of transformation and initiation, Candlemas brings "big dreams" and a raised vibration. Sap rises, trees bud and agricultural people everywhere look to nature for the omens that might tell them whether to plant their crops early or late this year. ...We look forward now to momentous planetary and personal change.
excerpted from Vicki Noble, Mother Tongue Ink 08

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THE CELTIC TREE ORACLE
by Liz and Colin Murray

The Rowan has long enjoyed its reputation to protect against enchantment. Its name is linked with the Norse "runa" a charm, and the Sanskrit "runa" meaning a magician. Rune staves, sticks upon which runes were inscribed, were cut from the Rowan tree. Another use for this wood was for metal divining, as Hazel twigs are used for water. Along with certain other trees, Rowan played a ventral role in Druid ceremonies. Even in more recent times, these beliefs have been upheld in practives from different parts of Britain. In the North, for example, sprays of Rowan were fixed to cattle sheds to protect the animals from harm, and in Strathspey farmers drove their goats through hoops framed from branches of Rowan. Sprigs were placed over the main door of the house and also worn on the person to ward off false enchantment - the "evil eye." In Wales, or Cymru, Rowans used to be planted in churchyards to watch over the spirits of the dead, as Yew is elsewhere.
Examine a red Rowan berry and you will discover that unlike many other fruits that bear just a round hollow or dimple opposite their stalks, it carries a tiny, five-pointed star, or pentagram - the ancient magical symbol of protection. Undoubtedly if you are in danger of "enchantment," being swayed or mesmerized by harmful or vindictive powers, you need your wits about you.

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I am protected and indestructible.
Come what may, I am loved.
I accept the sweetness and abundance of Life and acknowledge my gifts.

I honor the energy of Rowan for protection against evil enchantment.
I will not hobble myself with the chains of past failures.

So mote it be.

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Pray Peace

This letter is a labor of love, from Gwendolyn
Permission to share freely, please in its entirety, with links and credits
Feel free to contact me: gwendolyn@thegoddesstree.com

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from Moon Bee Acres
There is a branch for you to sit upon with a beautiful view.
Climb up into her arms, and stay for a spell.
Feel her roots, her bark, her branches, her leaves.
She is shade, shelter, a home, a hide-away.
She is an escape.
She rocks you to sleep in your hammock.
She holds up your birdfeeder, your wind chimes, and your decorations.
She embraces anyone who loves to climb.
In the spring she offers life, and in the fall she gives her own.
She does not judge.
She just is.

Gwendolyn
thegoddesstree.com

http://thegoddesstree.com/trees/Rowan.htm

subscribe here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheGoddessTreeGrows

Shop: http://sticksandstonescircle.com

Elder

From Roots to Leaves, Branches to Bark
The Goddess Tree Grows

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ELDER

Sambucus canadensis
The Elder Mother; The Queen of Herbs
13th month of Celtic Tree calendar, November 25 - December 21
13th consonant of the Ogham alphabet - Ruis

Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Symbolism: Judgment, Transformation, Death & Regeneration, Fate, The Inevitable
Sacred numbers:
Five - each elderflower has 5 petals, 5 yellow stamens, and 5 sepals which form a tiny green star.
Thirteen - Elder is associated with all superstition surrounding the number 13.
Stone: Olivine, Jet (Black Amber)
Flower: Dandelion
Birds: Pheasant, Raven, Rook
Color: Black, Dark Green
Deity: Hel, Hela, Holda, Hilde, The White Lady
Folk Names: Alhuren, Battree, Boure Tree, Eldrum, Elhorn, Hylder, Lady Ellhorn, Old Gal, Old, Lady, Pipe Tree, Rob Elder, Sweet Elder, Tree of Doom

Medicinal properties:
Traditionally all parts of Elder are useful medicinally. The berries and the leaves are both rich in vitamin C. The leaves can be made into ear drops to treat pain and inflammation. The flowers make a tea that is good for treating coughs and irritable throats, as well as being made into a skin cleanser and lotion. The bark of the new small twigs can be made into a laxative. The bark, roots, berries and leaves can all be used as a dye. And the berries are good for making jam, wine, vinegar, and syrups.

Magickal properties:
Exorcism, Prosperity, Banishment and Healing

The leaves and berries are used for protection and in breaking spells that were cast against you or to undo spells of evil intent. Growing an elder in your garden will protect your property from misfortune and harm. In Europe they planted elder in cemeteries to keep away the evil spirits.

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The Elder Fairy

The elder is a tree of beginnings and endings, of birth and death, so the elder fairy is a spirit of transformation and the crossing of thresholds. Generally seen as an old woman, the elder fairy advises on what to cast away and what to take up.

She may provide a potent link with the Mother Goddess and facilitates contact with spirits of other trees. In a sense she acts as a mother figure within the woodland. She carries the wisdom of the Crone, and is mistress of the deepest magic.

Witches were said to be able to turn themselves into elder trees. Gypsies believe that it is very bad luck to cut down and burn elder wood and that the Elder Mother will take revenge. This superstition arises from an instinctive realization that a lack of respect for Nature is dangerous, ultimately, to the human race. Elder's unruly growth hints at the untamable aspect of Nature, the black heart of the earth to which we owe our being.
Elder fairy has an aged, feminine wisdom, too long mispriced in our culture, but with a little respect she will act as teacher.

The Fairy Bible, Teresa Moorey

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Poem of Elder

Deep within a silent place
the birth of life is stirred.

"Secrets held within the dark,"
speaks the magic bird.

Death to Life the soul is told
to "feel the womb so pure."

Oracles reveal the Truth
New Life will surely birth.

The Faces of WomanSpirit
A Celtic Oracle of Avalon
by Katherine Torres, Ph.D.

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The Elder Mother was believed to dwell in the elder tree. She worked a strong earth magick and punished those who used her tree selfishly.

Elder wands can be used to drive out evil spirits or thought forms, and music on panpipes or flutes of elder have the same power as the wand.

Elder should not be cut without first making a prayer, and don't burn Elder in fear of bringing about ill-luck. "Elder is the Lady's Tree, burn it not or cursed ye be"

People's perceptions of you in this life will reflect how you are perceived in the Underworld or Afterlife...therefore "Don't speak ill of the dead" is still today a strong belief and practice. Elder reminded ancient peoples of the need for honor and dignity in life as well as death.

Elder meditation focuses on the review of your life. The "bad" points of your life seem to be most prominent now, only because it is time to overcome them and forgive yourself for what has already been done. You cannot go back and change the past, but you can learn from your mistakes and not repeat the errors, moving forward. Acknowledge, admit, and amend if necessary. This challenge is most rewarding for each of us. Now you can recognize the "good" things you have done.

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THE CELTIC TREE ORACLE
by Liz and Colin Murray

Folklore holds that it is unlucky to use Elder wood for a child's cradle, which should always be made out of Birch for a new start and inception. In the Ogham calendar, the Elder rules the thirteenth month. The Elder, with its distinctive, easily hollowed, pithy stems, is a tree of regeneration. It re-grows damaged branches readily and it will root and grow rapidly from any part.

This Ogham card is linked to the eternal turnings of life and death, birth and rebirth. It represents the end in the beginning and the beginning in the end; life in death and death in life; the casting out of the devils of the old year and the renewal and creativity of the new; the timelessness of the cycle by which the fading of old age is always balanced by the new start of birth.

The circle will always turn afresh, change and creativity arising from the old and brining about the new. All is continuously linked as phases of life and experience repeat themselves in subtly different forms, leading always to renewal.

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The Great Goddess
HOLDA

Dressed all in white, Holda is a Goddess of Wisdom, Winter, and Protector of the housewife and mother.
She rides the winter skies in her wagon. She watches over women while they are spinning flax.
When she shakes out her featherbed it snows.
She has two faces: To the good daughter she shows her grandmotherly beauty,
but the bad lazy daughter sees only a frightful ugly old hag.
She brought the souls of unborn children through her sacred pool,
delivering them to their expected mothers,
and later she would rock the baby cradles after the nursemaid fell asleep.
During the winter's Yule time, leave a bowl of milk on the table for Holda
when you leave the house to go for ritual and worship.
Offer the unused milk to your garden or livestock to enhance fertility.

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We are the ones who stand at the pivotal point of the human evolution. We are the light-bringers, the retrievers and integrators of the fertile darkness. We are the weavers of peace in a frayed world of fear, greed and violence, the visionaries who have come to see the whole in themidst of the scattered fragments. We are the ones who have come to call ourselves home.
~excerpt...Vajra Ma 2006, and We’Moon’08

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Thursday November 27, 2008 - New Moon in Sagittarius
Friday December 5, 2008 - Waxing Half Moon in Pisces
Friday December 12, 2008 - Full Moon in Gemini
Friday December 19, 2008 - Waning Half Moon in Virgo

The last full moon of the year represents completeness, so think of spells that will help with closure, and take stock of what you have achieved.

If the Elder is your Moon Tree your imagination is fertile. You can make something beautiful out of anything, and you always feel wealthy no matter how little you have. Most importantly, you know that love is free. You are likely to be happiest in a profession that allows you to care for others.

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The Herbal Tarot

Death is a symbol of rebirth, transformation, change, and initiation. The sun is rising; a new day is being born. The blooms symbolize the rejuvenation that we will experience by shedding our old skin, our worn-out ways, for the rebirth of self.
Death of the old is necessary for the new to emerge. The old is like the compost heap, full of rich experiences from which new forms emerge. If we resist the changes we may experience emotional and/or physical pain. But if we exercise our creative imagination and visualize a new, more peaceful, at-ease self, a self the is in a better position than before, then we can move more easily through the unknown fathoms of death and let it take us from constrictive patterns of the past to emerge like the phoenix soaring upward. Death is getting down to the bare bones. It asks us to look at our true inner yearnings for emotional and spiritual peace. It asks us to be reborn through our union with a Greater Power.

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I honor the energy of Elder, which sees the end from the beginning.
Throughout many lifetimes I have been here.
I have the knowledge that I have changed myself again and again.
I will start from where I am now, and continue to persist in my path.
I will succeed.
So mote it be

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Be grateful for everything and everyone.
To look at life with gratitude is to clearly see opportunities.
Even at those times of the greatest challenges, with gratitude, any difficulty can be transformed into a blessing, into a meaningful lesson of growth.

Pray Peace

This letter is a labor of love, from Gwendolyn
Permission to share freely, please in its entirety, with links and credits
Feel free to contact me: gwendolyn@thegoddesstree.com
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from Moon Bee Acres

There is a branch for you to sit upon with a beautiful view.
Climb up into her arms, and stay for a spell.
Feel her roots, her bark, her branches, her leaves.
She is shade, shelter, a home, a hide-away.
She is an escape.
She rocks you to sleep in your hammock.
She holds up your birdfeeder, your wind chimes, and your decorations.
She embraces anyone who loves to climb.
In the spring she offers life, and in the fall she gives her own.
She does not judge.
She just is.

Gwendolyn
http://thegoddesstree.com/trees/Elder.htm

subscribe here - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheGoddessTreeGrows

Join our online community: http://thegoddesstree.ning.com

Shop: http://sticksandstonescircle.com

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