|
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
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Rowan's name
means "a secret" or "to whisper" and shares it's
origin with rune.
|
|
Peace to these little broken leaves,
That strew our common ground;
That chase their tails, like silly dogs,
As they go round and round.
For though in winter boughs are bare,
Let us not once forget
Their summer glory, when these leaves
Caught the great Sun in their strong net;
And made him, in the lower air,
Tremble - no bigger than a star!
- W.H. Davies, Leaves
|
|
|
Health and healing Spell:
Use a
handful of dried Rowan berries for Rowan berry tea.
Place
them in the center of a small square of white or purple cloth. Gather
the cloth
over the berries and tie it into a bundle with white or purple ribbon.
Hang this
in your kitchen during flu season or keep it for the entire
winter.
Whispers
from the Woods, by Sandra Kynes
|
|
Tree Magick
by Gillian
Kemp
"The
Rowan Tree forecasts a
bright future for you.
Red
being the color of fire, Rowan means
"flame."
What
you need will gravitate toward you in the same way that
the Rowan's red berries give it power to attract
birds. Patience is indicated by
the life-giving properties of energy and protection that the
Rowan symbolizes.
There
is a sign that something is coming soon, because the Rowan is one
of the
first trees to bud. May Poles are made from the Rowan, so
flirtations and
romance are forecast. A merry-go-round begins, bringing
people together by
magical charm. The Rowan also brings protection, as it has
always been used to
make amulets to guard against evil and ills."
|
|
|
LESSON OF THE ROWAN
from
The
Wisdom of Trees by Jane Gifford
Rowan is able to
flourish higher up on the mountains than most other trees. Closer to
the sun and
divine inspiration in this extreme environment, it yet retains its
grace of form
and its potential for healing. Exposed to the elements on solitary
crags, it
still produces blossom and berries to delight the eye and heal the
body,
bringing vibrant color and birdsong to the hills. Rowan emphasizes the
need for
color and creative endeavor in our lives and encourages us to open our
minds to
creative inspiration. It also teaches us that we can draw on the forces
of life
to heal ourselves and those around us. We can develop the art of
turning adversity
into creative opportunity. Rowan protects and gives courage and
strength to
those walking the path of spiritual growth and enlightenment. For the
Celts, the
rowan was the Tree of Quickening, of Sacred Fire, of the Awakening
Spirit, and
the Sun.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
OGHAM The Celtic Oracle
by Peter Pracownik and Andy Baggott
This is a time to freely express yourself both emotionally and
creatively. Remember that you are ony responsible for your actions, not
other peoples' reactions to them; so don't let others close to you
down. Be aware of negative influences around you and protect yourself
by wearing a crystal or some other protective charm. Give yourself the
time and space to let new thoughts and ideas arise in you, take time
out to clear your mind so that you also have the mental space to
facilitate this. Call upon the energies of the Mother Goddess to teach
you how to best nurture your new ideas so that they can bear fruit.
The Rowan is a tree of magical protection long used to ward off
enchantment and lightning. Its flame-red berries bear the sign of the
pentagram, the protective five-pointed star and it is said that a rowan
whip or branch can break the spell of an enchanted horse. A cross made
of rowan and bound with red thread was used by our ancestors as a
protective charm above the doors of houses as celebrated in the rhyme:
"Rowan tree, red thread,
Holds the witches all in dread."
Likewise its flower, berry or wood was regarded as a protection against the wiles of elf-folk.
|
|
|
|
The Great
Goddess
Bridget
Bridget, Goddess of the Sacred Flame and of Healing
The major part of the legend of the goddess Bridget fell into oblivion
in the darkness of the Middle Ages. But even today many still claim
that Bridget is born at sunrise, a flame on her head that leaps up into
the sky. This is the sign of the sacred child and the sign of the
goddess.
In ancient times Bridget's flame was taken care of by nineteen virgin
priestesses at her sacred altar in Kildare. It was said that on
every 20th day Bridget herself poked the fire. She was the patron of
blacksmiths and helped them to forge the iron which was so important
for the development of their craft.
The tale about Bridget's powers were known all over the Celtic lands,
and everywhere people told stories of miraculous healing. The goddess
possessed the knowledge of the healing plants. They possessed the power
to heal people with the water of her sacred spring and to cure even
lepers.
With the advent of Christianity the ancient goddess Bridget was made a
Christian saint. This was the only way people could keep her goddess,
whom they trusted since thousands of years, and continue to worship
her. People loved Bridget so much that she was canonized, some even say
by St. Patrick himself, and her fire was kept alive in Kildare by nuns
up to the 13th century.
Like hardly any other goddess the Celtic goddess Bridget was accepted
as canonized into the new religion of Christianity. That way she didn't
pose a threat to the new spiritual rule any longer, since people were
allowed to worship her in her new form.
Today more and more people remember Bridget's work and begin again to
follow the hidden paths of mystic mediation. Bridget's flame is still
lit at many altars and still shining bright for those who have eyes to
see.
The flame of insight and wisdom is your link to heaven and your true
home. It is a link to the invisible world where you, too, came from.
Allow the flame of healing to touch your head. Don't be afraid! It has
the power to enlighten your mind and to give you a new understanding.
Direct your attention to this inner flame. You, too, possess healing
powers. All you have to do is remember them.
All inner knowledge falls into human oblivion if you don't care for
your own sacred inner flame. So surrender to your own inner divine fire
of wisdom with confidence. The flame you realize through your existence
and your earthly body lives for all eternity. It is guarding and
protecting and guiding you. It is real as soon as you accept it as your
own. It helps you to understand yourself and conceive yourself as part
of the great miracle. Your life will enfold to its true beauty and show
you the way out of fear and darkness.
excerpts from my Oracle of the Goddess deck by Gayan
Sylvie Winder and Jo Dose.
|
The Green Man Tree Oracle
by John Matthews and Will Worthington
SAFE IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF PROTECTION
Protection means that we are looked after by a power stronger than
ourselves. Whether we look to a god or gods, to angels or spirits, for
our help we should acknowledge the need for protection in every aspect
of life. Just as we would be foolish to attempt to climb a mountain
without strong ropes and proper equipment, we should not consider
entering into any other activity without ensuring we have the proper
protection. Rowan's ability to sheild us from harm makes its presence a
powerful ally, and it is still invoked in parts of Europe as a guardian
against evil spririts or other negative forces. It can also ofer
insight into danger throught the invocation of higher wisdom.
It is thought that the Rowan got its name from the Norse word runa,
meanding 'charm.' It has had an association with protection from
ancient times, and is often found growing close to houses and
churchyards to ward off evil presences. Traditions speak of the rowan
as an especially powerful protector against witchcraft, and that to
bind a piece of red thread around a twig of rowan can turn aside the
strongest spell.
|
|
|
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.
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.
|
|
|
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.'
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
|
Oh
rowan tree, oh rowan tree,
Thoul't aye be dear to me,
Entwin'd thou art wi' mony ties,
O' hame and infancy.
Thy leaves were aye the first o' spring,
Thy flowr's the simmer's pride
There was nae sic a bonnie tree,
In all the country side.
Oh rowan tree.
How
fair wert thou in simmer time,
Wi' all thy clusters white.
Now rich and gay thy autumn dress,
Wi' berries red and bright
On thy fair stem were mony names
Which now nae mair I see.
But there engraven on my heart,
Forgot they ne'er can be.
Oh rowan tree.
We
sat aneath thy spreading shade,
The bairnies round thee ran
They pu'd thy bonnie berries red
And necklaces they strang.
My mither, oh, I see her still,
She smil'd our sports to see,
Wi' little Jeannie on her lap,
Wi' Jamie at her knee.
Oh rowan tree.
Oh,
there arose my father's pray'r
In holy evening's calm,
How sweet was then my mither's voice
In the martyr's psalm
Now a' are gane! we met nae mair
Aneathe the rowan tree,
But hallowed thoughts around thee twine
O' hame and infancy,
Oh rowan tree.
Lady
Carolina Nairn, 1766-1845
|
|
Celtic
Moon sign - Rowan Moon
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
glamour.
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.
Written
by Kim Rogers-Gallagher, and Llewellyn's Witches' Datebook 2000
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
Pray Peace
[ Home ]
[ Up ] [ Alder ] [ Apple ] [ Ash ] [ Aspen ] [ Beech ] [ Birch ] [ Blackthorn ] [ Elder ] [ Elm ] [ Hawthorn ] [ Hazel ] [ Holly ] [ Oak ] [ Pine ] [ Redwood ] [ Rowan ]
[ Willow ]
[ Yew ]
|