 By- Rudyard Kipling
Of all the trees that grow so fair
Old England to adorn
Fairer are none beneath the Sun
Than Oak and Ash and Thorn
Sing, Oak and Ash and Thorn good sirs
All on a Midsummer's morn
Surely wesing of no little thing
In Oak and Ash and Thorn
Oak of the clay saw many a day
Ere ever aneas began
Ash was the loom of a Lady at home
Whan brute was an outlaw man
Thorn of the dance saw New Troy town
From which dear London was born
Witness hereby the ancientry
of Oak and Ash and Thorn
Sing, Oak and Ash and Thorn good sirs
All on a Midsummer's morn
Surely wesing of no little thing
In Oak and Ash and Thorn
Yew that is old in churchyard mold
He breedeth a mighty bow
Alder for shoes do wisemen choose
And Birch for a cup also
But when you have killed and your bowl has spilled
And your shoes are clear outworn
Back you must speed for all that you need
In Oak and Ash and Thorn
Sing, Oak and Ash and Thorn good sirs
All on a Midsummer's morn
Surely wesing of no little thing
In Oak and Ash and Thorn
Ailim, she hateth mankind and waiteth
Till every gust be laid
To drop a limb on the head of him
Who leastwise trusts her shade
But whether a lad be sober or sad
Or mellow with ale from the Horn
He will take no harm if he lay ere long
Neath Oak and Ash and Thorn
Sing, Oak and Ash and Thorn good sirs
All on a Midsummer's morn
Surely wesing of no little thing
In Oak and Ash and Thorn
Oh do not tell the Priest of our art
For they would call it a sin
But we have been out in the woods all night
A conjurin' Summer in
And we bring you news by word of mouth
Good news for cattle and corn
Now is the Sun come up from the South
With Oak and Ash and Thorn
Sing, Oak and Ash and Thorn good sirs
All on a Midsummer's morn
Surely wesing of no little thing
In Oak and Ash and Thorn
All the trees that grow so fair
Old England to adorn
Fairer are none beneath the Sun
Than Oak and Ash and Thorn
Sing, Oak and Ash and Thorn good sirs
All on a Midsummer's morn
Surely wesing of no little thing
In Oak and Ash and Thorn
Tree Lore
The trees of the Ogham alphabet were divided into three
classifications, which had nothing to do with their physical form. They
merely represented their order of importance to the Druids. Chieftains
came first, followed by peasants and shrubs. Two symobls, the Grove and
the Sea, are not actually trees; their inclusion points out the Druidic
acknowledgments of the power of both the sea itself and a group of
trees. The last five letters are called the Crane Bag and were given by
the sea god Manannan.
Oak, ash, and thorn were called the faery triad of trees. Where they grow together,it is still said that faeries live.
The
ancient Celts used the Ogham alphabet in performing magick. They
also threw divination sticks engraved with the signs of the Ogham
alphabet. Runes are a form of divination of the Ogham alphabet.
Engraved on pieces of wood or other natural substance can be powerful
magickal protection and influence!
Oak, Ash, and Thorn - These three trees are called the Faerie Triad
because
groves which include all three of these trees are supposed to be
places where
you can spot faeries. The thorn tree is actually a hawthorn tree
which are very
magical (as are ash and oak trees). Wands made of hawthorn are
very potent.
Just make sure you ask the tree for permission before you take a
branch and
leave a gift. Oak and ash can also be used for wands, but they are
more often
used for staffs. Ash wood is a good choice for a besom handle
because it is
strong and light. All three are druid sacred trees and part of
the Celtic Tree
Calendar (as is Elder).
Beth - Birch
Month- November
Color- White
Class- Peasant
Letter- B
Meaning- New Beginnings; Changes; Purification.
Luis - Rowan
Month- December
Color- Grey and Red
Class- Peasant
Letter- L
Meaning- Controlling your life; Protection against control by others.
Fearn - Alder
Month- January
Color- Crimson
Class- Cheiftain
Letter- F, V
Meaning- Help in making choices; spiritual guidance and protection.
Saille - WIllow
Month- February
Color- listed only as bright
Class- Peasant
Letter- S
Meaning- Gaining balance in your life
A very magical tree, and one very much associated with the
Goddess
and the moon. There are many legends of willows being able to move
around, use
their branches like arms, and speak in whispers by rustling their
leaves.
There is a kind of nature spirit called a hamadryad that spends its
entire
existence in one tree. Willows are one of their preferred species of
tree to
inhabit,
which may account for these legends. Also a good reason
to be nice to trees
and ask for permission before you cut into them.
Nuin - Ash
Month- March
Color- Glass Green
Class- Cheiftain
Letter- N
Meaning- Locked into a chain of events; Feeling bound.
Huathe - Hawthorne
Month- April
Color- Purple
Class- Peasant
Letter- H
Meaning- Being held back for a period of time
Duir - Oak
Month- May
Color- Black and Dark Brown
Class- Chieftain
Letter- D
Meaning- Secrity; Strength
Tinne - Holly
Month- June
Color- Dark Grey
Class- Peasant
Letter- T
Meaning- Energy and guidance fro problems to come
Coll - Hazel
Month- July
Color- Brown
Class- Chieftain
Letter- C, K
Meaning- Creative energies for work or projects.
Quert - Apple
Month- None
Color- Green
Class- Shrub
Letter- Q
Meaning- A choice must be made
Muin - Vine
Month- August
Color- Variegated
Class- Chieftain
Letter- M
Meaning- Inner development occuring, but take time for relaxation
Gort - Ivy
Month- September
Color- Sky Blue
Class- Chieftain
Letter- G
Meaning- Take time to soul search or you will maake a wrong decision.
Ngetal - Reed
Month- October
Color- Grass Green
Class- Shrub
Letter- NG
Meaning- Upsets or surprises
Straif - Blackthorn
Month- None
Color- Purple
Class- Chieftain
Letter- SS, Z, ST
Meaning- Resentment; Confusion; Refusing to see the truth
Ruis - Elder
Month- Makeup days of the thirteenth Moon
Color- Red
Class- Shrub
Letter- R
Meaning- End of a cycle or problem.
Elderberry is the sacred faerie tree.
It
is very foolish to cut one down or in any way cause harm to an elder, as
you
are certain to incur the wrath of faerie for your indiscretion. There is
an
old folk tale that says if you build a baby crib out of elder wood that
the
faeries will come to steal your baby. Faeries don't really steal babies -
the
tale
is a warning not to cut down elders and use the wood for
carpentry.
It is said that if you sit under an elder tree on Midsummer's
Eve that you
may see faeries. There is one type of faerie (and not a
particularly nice one)
called Hydermolder that is associated with elders.
They are nasty
German-Scandinavian faeries that will come to get you if you
harm an elder.
Elder flowers have a very tangy taste and are an excellent
curative for colds
and flu (see the herbal section) when used in teas.
Elderberry syrup and wine
are quite tasty, although they are very sweet. I
use elderberry syrup
(homemade, of course) whenever I feel an illness coming
on. It usually stops the
sickness right in it's tracks or at least brings
dramatic improvement. It also
makes a decent cough syrup. I wove sickness
banishing spells into its making
which helps.
Elder flowers have many
magical uses as well. Keep some on your alter to use
with any spell in which
you wish to request the aid of the Faerie Folk. I
especially like to use them
when I'm doing spells for prosperity, healing,
and
binding/banishing/protection.
Ailim - Silver Fir
Month- None
Color- Light Blue
Class- Shrub
Letter- A
Meaning- Learning from past mistakes; Take care in choices.
Ohn - Furze
Month- None
Color- Yellow Gold
Class- Chieftain
Letter- O
Meaning- Information that could change your life
Ur - Heather and Mistletoe
Month- None
Color: Purple
Class- Heather is Peasant; Mistletoe is Chieftain
Letter- U
Meaning- Healing and development on the spiritual level.
Eadha - White Poplar
Month- None
Color- Silver White
Class- Shrub
Letter- E
Meaning- Problems; Doubts; Fears.
Ioho - Yew
Month- None
Color- Dark Green
Class- Chieftain
Letter- I, J, Y
Meaning- Complete change in life-direction or attitude.
Koad - Grove
Month- None
Color- Many Shades of Green
Class- None
Letter- CH, KH, EA
Meaning- Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.
Oir - Spindle
Month- None
Color- White
Class- Peasant
Letter- TH, OI
Meaning- Finish obligations and tasks or your life cannot move forward.
Uilleand - Honeysuckle
Month- None
Color- Yellow-white
Class- Peasant
Letter- P, PE, UI
Meaning- Proceed with caution.
Phagos - Beech
Month- None
Color- Orange-brown
Class- Chieftain
Letter- PH, IO
Meaning- New experiences and information coming
Mor - the Sea
Month- None
Color- Blue-green
Class- none
Letter- AE, X, XI
Meaning- Travel
Foxglove
a plant to use caution with as they are extremely poisonous.
The
heart medication Digitalis comes from foxgloves, but it is only used in
very
minute doses. Too strong a dose is fatal. So this plant can either save
your
life or take it. This is definitely a faerie trait - to have the
capacity to
help
or harm depending on the situation. The brightly colored
flowers look like
little party hats, which may be another reason they are
associated with faeries.
Mugwort
commonly used to aid divination or in flying ointments, it can
also
be used to help you see faeries. It is a common ingredient in dream
pillows
and is burned as an incense for divination. Used in a tea, it can
help develop
you second sight (the ability to see faeries and other
supernatural beings and
phenomenon).
Eyebright
same uses as mugwort, but can also be used as an eyewash. To
make
an eye wash, make an infusion (bring water to a boil, remove from heat,
put
in your herbs, and let them steep for 5 - 10 minutes). Let the infusion
cool to
room temperature, strain, and then use liquid as an eyewash to
improve second
sight or simply to soothe irritated eyes. Eyebright has
anti-inflammatory and
astringent properties which also make it useful for
sore throats.
Ginger
a favorite spice of
faeries. The root of the plant
is dried and ground to
produce this very popular seasoning. A pinch of ginger
placed on your
offering plate (along with your regular libations) is a very
effective way to
generate goodwill with the Fair Folk.
Strawberry
a favorite food of
faeries and an excellent food to leave out as
a libation for
them.
Bluebells
Not exactly a faerie plant, but certainly a witch
plant.
Bluebells planted outside your door are supposed to ring as a warning
when you
have a
visitor coming. Because of their association with witches,
people were afraid
to have them growing in their gardens during the Burning
Times.
The Ogham
Trees Of The Fae
The
Bramble Tree- fairies
love the bramble tree because it is wild and protects the penetration of
secluded sacred faerie clearings.
The
Lilac Tree- it is the fragrance of the lilac tree
that is considered magickal. The fragrance is believed to carry humans into
fairyland and the supernal world. English tradition considers the lilac to be an
unlucky flower to be brought into the house because it is associated with death.
This was perhaps fear of the power of the fragrance of the lilac. It is really
quite a beneficiary tree. It's flowers can be eaten and used as a tonic for the
nervous system.
The
Broom Tree- The properties
associated with the broom tree is that of astral travel and flight.
The
Silver Birch Tree- associated with tide on
August 1, the light of the stars, the moon and the sun. It is a symbol of summer
ever returning. It is said the birch is the mother of the oak tree because in
prehistoric times it was the birch that prepared the earth floor for the
majestic oak to be born. It is said the fairies love this tree in the
springtime.
The
Alder Tree- The
water spirits, the undines love this tree as well as the unicorn. The leaves of
an alder tree can be made into a tea to treat kidney problems.
The
Hawthorn (Whitethorn or May Tree) Tree-
this is the most sacred tree to the fairies probably because it is so wild, uncompromising
and fragrant. If you sit under the thorn tree on may day eve, Samhain eve and
midsummer eve you can commune with the fairies. Make a ball of last years
foliage tied with a white ribbon and burn it in a bonfire on new years day to
rid yourself of troubles. Start fresh in the new year then by making yourself a
ball of fresh thorn branches and leaves and keep it to be used in the next years
bonfire. It is said that when Joseph of came to Glastonbury he brought a white
hawthorn with him and planted it in Weary all Hill.
Healing beneath the Tree's:
majestic tree's of an ancient forest
whispering to me
tell me of the earths wisdom
as the elders dream
i walk within the twilight
of mankinds reign
through the ancient forest
of our lifes pain
old ones come walk with me
upon this dream plane
touch my heart, warm my soul
make me whole again
leave me with the visions
and the peace of mind
to know that walking from this forest
is not leaving it behind
whenever i need renewal
i need only look inside
to walk again with the old ones
through the forest of my mind
peace and light
running wolf
"The Fairie folk
live in the oaks,
and the acorn will
bring you good luck"
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Faerie Magick
