Posts Tagged ‘Druids’

Trees Purify the Mind I came across a quote that started me thinking, “Trees purify the air; they also purify the mind….if you want to save your world, you must save the trees”We all know that trees purify the air; the rain forests are the lungs of the earth.However, the thought that intrigued me was the idea that they purified the mind. How do they do this? What follows are just my thoughts.Bring into your mind an image of an ancient beech. How it stands tall and proud how it has been there for generations the things it has seen does this not lift your spirit?Brian Bates in his book Sacred Trees says “Trees bridge the gap between earth and air” Trees are a symbol of our reaching out to the Divine, rooted deep in the earth and yet reaching out to the heavens this is I believe how we should live our lives.Also for trees to purify the mind, we need to regain the awe and wonder that I think our ancestors had when they looked at a tree. The mystery they saw in the cycle of a tree the apparent death each autumn when the leaves withered and died only to return each spring. To them this must have appeared a miraculous thing. Indeed, it was the miracle of life.One way to let trees purify your mind is to walk among them (something I do not do nearly enough). Ruskin Bond said, “To return to my own trees, I went among them, acknowledging their presence with a touch of my hands against their trunks”. Although I am not a newager when was the last time you hugged a tree?When was the last time you just sat with a tree, communed with, and let it impart its wisdom to you? By the way, I am asking these questions of myself as well.To look at a tree is to see the divine when you commune with a tree you are communing with the divine and with the whole of creation. Therefore, trees are sacred beings able to teach us if we are willing to learn.Trees provide us with all that we need our air, our homes, our fuel, and our books in an endless act of giving.However, this should not be a one-way transaction. We need to give in return, so, what can we do? Well one thing is plant more trees, either personally or by supporting organisations that do. Care for the ones we already have even if the only thing you do is clear the litter others have left.Another thing we can do is increase our knowledge of these great beings, I am the first to admit that my knowledge of trees and their lore is not good but I can learn. Learn which tree is which, learn the individual things each tree has to teach me, for they all have lessons to impart to us.Therefore, this is my goal to let the trees purify my mind and in return honour them.

In part one of this article we had just started to examine what ritual entailed within my order, and broke the ritual down into the opening, the rite, and the closing.

If you remember we had called peace to the quarters and recited the universal Druids prayer. Now comes something that is only found within Druid rituals and that is the chanting of the Awen. The Awen is the Druids equivalent of the Buddhists Om and in ritual is chanted three time or in multiples of three. Its pronunciation is Ahh-ooo-when. Only then is the circle cast which is what I believe to be the biggest difference in ritual between witches and Druids. The circle is cast often with the use of a sword with the caster using some appropriate words. Once the circle is cast it is then consecrated with water and fire and the quarters called. Within OBOD the quarters are associated with particular animals which are used as the quarter calls East is the hawk of dawn, South is the stag at noon,West is the salmon of wisdom, and North is the great bear. So that is the opening concluded and we move on to the rite.

The Rite.

In open ritual the rite will not normally consist of a magical working, these are reserved for more private workings. In open rituals the rite usually consists of some dramatic material. At the open ritual of the Dobunni grove which is the Grove that is led by professor Ronald Hutton we had a crowning of the May King and Queen. I was honoured to be crowned the May King. The rite within a Druid ritual is quite often a time of fun and laughter as it was this day.

The Closing.

The closing or the time of recall is done as in in most rituals as a reverse of the opening, so we would start by reciting the Druids oath three times. The oath is made up of the words “We swear by peace and love to stand, heart to heart, hand in hand. Mark O spirit and hear us now confirming this our sacred vow. The oath is recited three times followed by three chants of the Awen. At this time the quarters would be closed and the circle dismantled. That then is a Druid Ritual as I understand it to be.

Within Wicca, the Celtic Tradition is a facet of this pagan religion that honors the Celtic/Druidic pantheon of deities and the ancient Celts’ way of interacting with their world on a physical, magickal, and spiritual level. Wiccans of the Celtic Trad have a strong affinity towards Nature, the Elements, Healing, and the Fae. Today we will be taking a brief glimpse at the history of the Celts and their religion, a look at four prominent deities, and some specifics regarding Celtic magick as it relates to the Celtic calendar, the Ogham alphabet, sacred tree lore, and animal magick.

To understand the Celtic Tradition we must first understand and acknowledge its roots. While today most people think of Ireland when they think of Celts, the Celts actually were originally spread out over a large part of Europe in addition to the British Isles. They occupied vast areas of western and central Europe during the last half of the first millennium BC. Although the early Celts were comprised of a number of different races and tribes, they were all linked by common origins and language, common religious traditions, and a close similarity of laws.

Our knowledge of the religion and mythologies of the Celtic people comes from three
different areas in Europe. From Gaul, which is modern day France, Britain (most specifically Wales), and Ireland. The Celts themselves did not commit their traditions to writings, but handed them down orally. Thus our knowledge of the Celts is dependent largely on fragmentary texts transcribed during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries by Christian monks, which provide us with ancient legends and heroic tales, but not many hard facts. Archaeological evidence has provided us with clues as well, however, so we are able to piece together a fairly accurate picture of the Celtic world. It appears that the Celts of Ireland maintained their cultural integrity until close to 500 AD, and it is there that the pagan Celtic mythology has been best preserved. For this reason, what follows primarily focuses on Irish Celtic lore, with a smattering, here and there, of Welsh.

Trying to piece together the origins and details of the Celtic religion that the Wiccan Celtic Tradition is based on is no easy feat. As mentioned earlier, the Druids did not keep written records, and what information we have is pieced together and transcribed by Christian monks and colored, undoubtedly, but their viewpoints. However, we do have details of some rituals and festivals, as well as lore regarding the important Irish pantheon of the Tuatha de Danaan.

The Tuatha de Danaan was an Irish pantheon of various gods and goddesses, both specialized to specific crafts, and generalized (like the paternal Dagda). Some of these gods correspond to the continental Celtic ones, some don’t, and some Celtic gods have no counterpart in Ireland. It has been suggested that the Tuatha de Danaan may actually be an artificial composite of deities stitched together by later storytellers. However, the story of the Tuatha de Danaan is an interesting tale, regardless of its origins, and many Tuatha de Danaan deities are called upon today by Celtic Wiccans.

In brief, the Tuatha de Danaan, who originated from Greece, were a highly skilled band of faery-folk, with great knowledge and skill in the arts of magick, music, poetry, and weaponry. They came to Ireland from four cities situated on the corners of the wind, Findias (South), Gorias (East), Murias (West) and Falias (North). The Tuatha de Danaan quickly conquered the Fir Bolg, who had colonized Ireland under a treaty with the Fomorians. Soon after, the Tuatha King, Lugh, defeated Balor -the Fomorian’s greatest warrior, and the Fomorians were driven from the island.

Each city held a master of wisdom who gave a treasure (or Hallow) to ensure the Tuatha De Danaan flourished. Uscias gifted the sword, Esras gifted a spear, Semias gifted the cauldron and Morfessa gifted a stone, each representing the cities respectively. The Danaan ruled Ireland for a hundred years, when, on the First of May, the Milesians attacked the island. Despite the great magick and prowess of the Tuatha, the Milesians triumphed. One of the Danaan’s great gods, The Dagda, led them underground and found retreats for them in hollow hills encompassed by hidden walls, to live undisturbed by mortals.

Present-day Celtic pagans have brought this ancient Irish pantheon back to prominence and now once again, requests for aid and guidance are being asked of such deities as Brigid, Dana, Oghma, and Lugh, just to name a few. The enduring success of this group of deities is due, in part, to the richness of this pantheon andthese goddesses and gods give the Celtic Wiccan a wonderful foundation to base their faith upon.

The Celts honored a wealth of deities. For the most part, Ireland, Wales and Gaul worshiped different localized deities, but some gods were known across all the pantheons, even if their names differed slightly from country to country. Here we will be focusing on two prominent female deities (Brigid and Rhiannon) and two prominent male deities (The Dagda and Cernunnos).

Brigid is probably the most famous of the Irish deities, as her worship endured into Christian times. Even to this day she is worshiped as her eternal flame has been re-lit at her convent in Kildare. In earliest times, she was a member of the Tuatha de Danann (the daughter of the Dagda and Boann and the wife of Bress). Later, she was made a saint in the Catholic pantheon, and earned the nickname “Mary of the Gael”. Even within the Christian pantheon, however, Brigid kept most of her pagan attributes, chiefly her association with fire.

Today we know Brigid best as the goddess we honor during the Celtic festival of Imbolc, celebrating the birth of spring. In addition to the importance Brigid holds for us during Imbolc, she is also believed to aid healing and fertility, as well as help assist women in labor. She is the Goddess of poetry, feminine crafts, the hearth, martial arts, healing and inspiration.

In today’s magick and ritual, Brigid can be called upon to aid you in virtually any endeavor you wish to undertake. She may be called upon for assistance in fire magick, crafting, inspiration, animal magick, fertility, healing and childbirth. Brigid is truly a powerful and prominent goddess.

Rhiannon is a Welsh goddess. Her original name is thought to be Rigatona (Gaulish), meaning “great queen”, which indicates that she once held a much higher status in the Celtic pantheon than she enjoys today. Rhiannon is a potent symbol of fertility, yet she is also an Otherworld and death Goddess, a bringer of dreams, and a moon deity who is symbolized by a white horse. Her father was Heveydd the Old, and she was married to both Pwyll and Manann. The story of her marriage to Pwyll, and the subsequent accusation of the murder of her child, is well documented and most people are familiar with Rhiannon from this tale.

In her guise as a death Goddess, Rhiannon could sing sweetly enough to lure all those in hearing to their deaths, and therefore she may be related to Germanic stories of lake and river faeries who sing seductively to lure sailors and fishermen to their doom. Her white horse images also link her to Epona, and many scholars feel they are one and the same, or at least are derived from the same archetypal roots.

In today’s magick and ritual, Rhiannon can be called upon to aid you in overcoming enemies, exercising patience, working magick, moon rituals, and enhancing dream work. My personal affinity to this goddess is strong, which turns out not to be too surprising, as though my journey over the years I found that my love of horses, moonstones, and dream work all correspond to her. I have talked to other witches who also are drawn to her, and am reassured that Rhiannon is enjoying a resurgence in importance to the Celtic pagan.

Dagda, the Good God, is the Irish Lord of the Land and the husband of Boann, the goddess of the river Boyne. Druids see him as a God of wisdom with extreme power, abundance and the ability to restore life, a belief sacred to the Celts. Portrayed as ancient man with hair of gray, he is grounded and simple in every way. He possesses a cauldron known as “the Undry”, which came from Murias, one of the Tuatha de Danann’s four mythical cities. This cauldron gave food to all, according to the individual’s merits. No one ever left it unsatisfied.

As Lord of the Land, he was a valiant defender of it, and performed great deeds in the battle between his family, the Tuatha de Danann, and the Fomors. In peace-time the Dagda played his living harp, which has two names – “Oak of the Two Cries”, and “Hand of Fourfold Music”. As he played upon it, the music causes the seasons to change – spring to summer, summer to autumn, autumn to winter, and winter again to spring. The Dagda’s final resting place is said to be a small barrow near the river Boyne, known as the Tomb of the Dagda, which has never been excavated.

In today’s magick and ritual, you can call on Dagda’s energies for almost any purpose you might need. He may be called upon for wisdom, animal magick, warrior skills, fertility, protection, assist in faery contact, elemental magick, or to increase mental prowess. Like Brigid, he is an extremely powerful and prominent deity.

Cernunnos was known to all Celtic areas in one form or another. He was called The Horned God; God of Nature; and the Great Father. The Druids knew him as Hu Gadarn, the Horned God of Fertility. He is usually portrayed sitting in a lotus position with horns or antlers on his head, long curling hair, a beard, naked except for a neck torque, and sometimes holding a spear and shield. His symbols were the stag, ram, bull, and horned serpent. He represented virility, fertility, animals, physical love, Nature, woodlands, reincarnation, crossroads, wealth, commerce, and warriors. Born on Alban Arthuan (Yule) he is often seen holding or wearing a golden torc signifying his connection as a solar deity and the wealth he may share with others.

In today’s magick and ritual, you can call upon Cernunnos for aid in fertility, magick and animals. Cernunnos is perhaps the most prominent and well-known of all Celtic deities, and many pagans of all paths honor him as the god that shares life’s journey with the Triple Goddess.

Wiccans following the Celtic Tradition usually employ various aspects of Celtic lore when creating and performing their spells and rituals that goes beyond simply calling on the various Celtic deities. Some aspects include following the Celtic Calendar, using the Celtic Ogham alphabet in divination or writing spells, utilizing specific sacred trees for spells and healing, and calling on totemic animals for aid and guidance.

The Celts based their calendar on the cycles of the moon instead of the sun. The Celtic year consisted of 13 months, 12 of which were roughly the same as our modern months, and one extra three day ‘make up’ month leading into the new year. Each month was governed by a moon, and had a sacred Ogham tree associated with it.

The Celtic Calendar included two primary fire festivals; Samhain (the beginning of winter,) and Beltane (the beginning of summer,) marking the movement from the dark into the light time of the year. Two other seasonal fire festivals were also celebrated: Imbolc (February 1), and Lughnasadh (August 1). Dates and seasonal associations noted here are that of the Northern hemisphere. For those who reside in the Southern hemisphere, the exact opposite dates and seasonal associations apply.

The onset of each season was observed at the Albans (Solstices and Equinoxes,) although the central point of each season was celebrated and recognized by a Fire Festival. These four Albans were Alban Arthuan (winter solstice or Yule), Alban Eiler (vernal equinox or Ostara), Alban Heruin (summer solstice or Litha), and Alban Elved (autumnal equinox or Mabon).

This Wheel of the Year is widely used among Traditions and pagans worldwide; not just Celtic Wiccans. This celebration of the turning of the seasons is an important part of how we view the world and is a cornerstone for our faith.

Ogham is a form of writing originally used by the Celtic people of the British Isles prior to the introduction of the Roman alphabet and Christianity. Each letter of the Ogham alphabet has the name of a tree or other plant, and each of these trees had a meaning in the Celtic religion.

The alphabet consists of twenty letters. Each letter consists of one to five strokes extending from or crossing a horizontal line. Ancient Ogham inscriptions are generally found cut into the edge of hewn stone, with the edge representing the horizontal line. When the edge is actually horizontal, the letters read from left to right. Vertical edges
were usually written from top to bottom, and in the case of a three-edge structure, such as a dolmen arch, the writing began at the lower left, ran up the left side, across the top, and down the right side.

Today, modern Celtic witches use Ogham for divination and spell work. For divination, the letters can either be carved on sticks and cast, or painted on cards and read like tarot. In other uses, the letters can be carved into candles to assist in spells or used to write out requests that are presented to the gods during rituals.

The culture of the ancient Celts was influenced by a great unity with nature, which we continue today. Reverence is given to all aspects of nature, but perhaps nothing was as sacred to the ancient Celts as the tree. The Druids actually created a calendar from the trees to personify the spirit of the Esbat, and today many people wonder why the tree played such a significant role in the Celtic life. Perhaps one reason is so many cultures modeled the universe and spiritual progression after a “Tree of Life” or a “World Tree”. Trees were a physical representation of unity with all things because of their visible upper parts which reached into the heavens, and the unseen bottom parts, or roots, which reached far into the ground. These bottom parts were virtually identical to the upper parts and perhaps reflected to many the ancient adage “As above, So below”. Trees physically unite the heaven and earth making the Earth Goddess and the Sky God one, united two halves of the whole and making them a powerful source of creative magick

Today the counting of the Celtic tree calendar begins with the full moon nearest Yule.
Once this is pinpointed, count off the thirteen moons of the lunar year and mark them
with their Tree. The Trees’ order is as follows: Birch, Rowan, Ash, Alder, Willow, Hawthorn, Oak, Holly, Hazel, Vine, Ivy, Reed and Elder. Each Tree has its own power, polarity, and magickal significance which we can call upon to strengthen our spells. The Trees also can be used for herbal magick spells, as various parts of these Trees have healing properties. Trees can be an invaluable aid in many of our magickal endeavors, and should be honored with the same respect given them by our Celtic ancestors.

Everywhere one looks in the ancient Celtic myths there are animals. They are the allies of heroes, the helpers of those who travel in search of wisdom, and the companions of shamans and witches. Animal symbolism found in Celtic myths include boars, birds, serpents, fish, horse and cattle, just to name a few. Boars symbolize courage and strong warriors. Fish, especially salmon, are associated with knowledge and secrets. Snakes and dragons are portents of trouble, strife and infertility. Birds also may presage bad luck or bloodshed. Horse and cattle represent fertility, as do many occurrences of animals in Celtic legend.

These legends have helped shape how we, today, relate to these animals in our own mediations and magick. Many following the Celtic path have strong relationships with their animal familiars, both physical and astral, and feel comfortable calling upon the strengths of other animals that are not their familiars. Animals hold a wealth of
knowledge and wisdom (as the ancient Celts well knew) and following the Celtic path allows us to reap the benefits of these close ties with our animal brethren.

As you can see, there is an incredible amount of knowledge a Wiccan of the Celtic Tradition should learn in order to honor their chosen Trad properly. Entire books have been written on Celtic lore and magick alone, and this essay has only been able to touch the tip of the iceberg. However, it is important to remember that following a Celtic Path requires not only knowledge of deities, plants, trees, animals, seasons, rituals, healing, history, etc., but also the appropriate attitude of reverence and celebration of spirit that ties us with Nature and our past. Celtic Wiccans should have both a strong sense of personal responsibility and a code of personal and social ethics that binds us all “in perfect love and perfect trust”.

References:

Conway, D.J. Celtic Magic. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1990
Conway, D.J. By Oak, Ash, & Thorn – Modern Celtic Shamanism. St. Paul, MN:
Llewellyn Publications, 1995
Cotterell, Arthur and Storm, Rachel. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology. New
York; Hermes House, 1999
Hutton, Ronald. The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles – Their Nature and
Legacy. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1991
McCoy, Edain. Celtic Myth & Magic. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1995
Matthews, John. Celtic Totem Animals. London, England: Red Wheel, 2002.

For those who follow the Celtic traditions, working with the energies of trees is a common part of magickal work.  Many Wiccans are familiar with references to at least nine of these trees, called the Nine Sacred Woods, from the Wiccan Rede.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.
Bird in the fire goes to represent when the Lady knows.
Oak in the forest towers with might, in the first it beings the God’s insight.
Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.
Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.
Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.
Hazle, the tree of wisdom and learning, adds its strength to the bright fire burning.
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.
Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.
Elder is the Lady’s tree, burn it not or cursed you’ll be.

Oak was a very important tree and wood source for many of the Indo-European people.  Being a very dense wood it was a main source for fires and was also used for fashioning everything from shelters to boats to weapons such as bows and spears.  An ancient 8th century Irish text called “Bretha Comaithchesa”, meaning “judgments of neighborhood”, was a legal document that dealt with issues of farming, animal care, and overall laws between neighbors, lists seven “noble woods”, oak, hazel, holly, yew and ash, detailing their economic value to the community.  Oak was listed because the acorns were useful for many common tasks such as woodwork, tanning, and feeding pigs.   The document listed that the fine for damaging any of these noble trees was five séta, roughly two and a half cows.  If the bark was stripped of an oak tree, which was used for tanning, other fines were imposed ranging from a single cowhide to a single oxhide depending on how much oak bark was taken.  The individual would then have to treat the wounds of the tree with a salve until new growth of approximately the width of two fingers could be seen.

For many of us, when we think of the mighty oak trees, one of the first images that may be called to mind is that of the white robed Druids, images that we may be familiar with from history books and documentaries on the Celts and the Craft.  The connection between Druids and the oak tree reach all the way back to the word Druid.  The old Celtic word druwis is thought to have Indo-European roots and means “oak” and “knowledge”.  Old Irish sees the word druí meaning “oak”.  However it’s the work of the Romans and Greeks that most modern scholars look at in regards to the etymology of the word Druid, breaking it down as being derived from their word drus meaning “oak tree” (though some will point toward the pre-Indo-European deru meaning “firm or solid”) and weid meaning “to see”.  Together these root words the word Druid holds the meaning “Strong Seer”, something that the Druids were certainly seen as.  Still others see Druid as being derived from druí and wid to give it the meaning “knowledge of the oak”.

One of the other places of importance where we see the oak in relation to Celtic and Druid practices, beliefs and history is it’s placement and importance in the Ogham (pronounced “oh-am”) tree alphabet.  In the alphabet the oak is given the name Duir and is attributed to the letter “D” and holds the representation of strength and security.  The oak was seen as being such a tall and mighty tree that in translations the Ogham association to oak was often something to the effect of “highest or most exalted of bushes” since it was taller than all bushes and most other trees.  The oak was also associated with the month of May since this is when it would bear fruit, flowers and leaves.  In working through the Ogham, the oak is seen as a tree that provides growth and strength, especially in relation to the trees that precede it and the lessons that they can bring.  Many Wiccans today may be familiar with the Ogham as a divination system and may find that working with the trees in this form can bring many lessons.

In modern Pagan and Wiccan practice, whether you are specifically working with the practices of the Druid tradition or not, the power of the oak tree can be harnessed and used for many different purposes.  We’ll look briefly at two specific uses, herbal and magickal in the form of charms.

Herbal Uses

The leaves and bark from the oak tree can be used to make an astringent which can help to tone the skin as well as heal skin tissue from scraps and cuts.  Oak can also help heal sore throats, fever and chest congestion.  It’s also been suggested that a tea made of oak and used externally as a rub on the skin can help to reduce varicose veins.   Boiled water infused with oak can also be used as a rinse on hair that is dandruff prone to reduce a dry or irritated scalp.  A poultice made of oak leaves and bark can be used to reduce redness, swelling and pain resulting from a burn on the skin.  Overall oak can be a very useful tree to be familiar with, especially if you find yourself camping or hiking in the woods, and you find that you need a remedy for a common injury or illness.

A Word Of Caution

The bark used for oak remedies needs to be taken from the branches of the tree and not the trunk as this could kill the tree.  It should also be done in the early part of the spring and it can then be dried and stored for use throughout the year.  The leaves need to be gathered before Summer Solstice because after this time the leaves will contain too many plant alkaloids which can make some people very ill and cause hallucinations.

Oak bark, leaves and powder are often available through apothecaries, markets that sell natural healing aids and through many online herbal sources.  If you’re not sure of the specifics of a tree and you wish to use oak for medicinal reasons, please check with a retail provider and purchase from them to ensure you are getting something safe for internal or external healing use.

When it comes to internal use white oak is the most preferred as it has the least harsh taste.  English oak can be used internally as well however most other oaks, including black and red oak, should only be used for external purposes.

Oak Bark Tea:  To make a tea that can be used for internal healing, use a tablespoon of dried White or English oak bark and simmer in a pint of water, in a nonmetallic pot, covered tightly,  for ten minutes.  Drink up to three cups a day to help with sore throat, fever, stomach problems, or diarrhea.

Oak Leaf Tea: To make a leaf tea which can be used for external healing, such as to dress cuts, scrapes and burns, steep two teaspoons of shredded White or English oak leaves in one cup of boiled water for about twenty minutes.  You can then take strips of clean cloth, soak them in the water, and then wrap them around the area to be treated.

Healing Salve using Oak: This salve uses oak as one of its ingredients and can be used to help soothe irritation on the skin as well as help to heal small cuts.   Melt 1 ounce of beeswax in 8 ounces of warm olive oil.   Mix in 1 teaspoon each of the following in a powdered form: White oak bark, Myrrh, Comfrey.  Store in a canning jar, bottling while still warm, and keep in a dark place.  This makes about 10 ounces and will last a good long while and can be simply smoothed on the irritated or injured area when needed.
Oak as a Charm

Oak, having many different magickal and spiritual properties, can be used for a number of different charms.  Here are a few simple ones that can be used for protection and prosperity.

Oak Charm for Prosperity: For this charm to help protect either yourself or your personal property, such as a home or car, you will need 2 oak twigs and some red thread.

1. Gather two oak twigs from any oak tree.  If you cannot find fallen branches and you decide to take live ones, ask permission first, take small pieces, only the two that you need, and leave an offering of blessed water on the roots of the tree.
2. Form a cross with the twigs by laying one across the other.
3. Tie them together at the center with the red string using a chant such as: “Oak tree tall, oak tree strong, guard me and mine against all wrong.”
4. You can then either place the oak charm in your home near your main entry way, such as the front door, in your car or carry it with you in a red charm bag.

Oak Charm for Prosperity: If you are looking to use the oak to draw a little financial fortune your way, the acorns from an oak tree can help.  For this one you’ll need one acorn, a green charm bag or green piece of cloth, and three oak leaves.

1. On the evening of a full moon, either go out and gather your acorn, or take an acorn you already have outside, and while standing under the moon and stars, hold the acorn and say: “Seed of the stars, I plant my wish, blessed with the power of the forest.”
2. Plant the acorn in soil either at the based of the oak tree, in a small pot, or in another sacred place on your property.  Do this while visualizing your finances growing and improving.
3. Take three oak leaves from the tree and leave an offering of of blessed water on the roots.
4. Place the leaves inside your charm bag and either carry it with you to help increase your financial situation or you can keep it at your home office or desk where you work on your bank statements or pay bills.

If you’d like to learn more about working with trees, check out some of these books in the Sacred Mists Shoppe:

Whispering From the Woods: The Lore and Magic of Trees by Sandra Kynes
Druid’s Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine by Ellen Every Hopman
Celtic Tree Mysteries: Practical Druid Magic & Divination by Steve Blamires