Monday, March 22, 2010

Celtic Tree Month - Alder and Its Relationship to the Elements

n relationship to the elements, Alder is connected to air, water, and fire. Young branches can be harvested and easily turned into whistles by cutting both ends. The inside or pith is soft and can easily be pushed out with a smaller stick.
One can even cut a series of branches to various sizes and by tying them together create what is similar to a Pan pipe. It is said that such pipes are magical and have the ability to call the four winds. The Alder is also found near water frequently. The Alder’s oily wood gives it a resistance to the water. Concerning fire, alder is not the form of wood that one would choose for a fire. It does not burn well. However it can be used to create a form of charcoal. It is said that such charcoal was once used for the burning of incense.

4 comments:

greekwitch said...

I would love to make my own natural charcoal. I am going to research this.
As always you have been a great magical well of inspiration!
Brightest blessings!

brandi said...

~always a pleasurable treat to read our tree lesson of the month...hope all is well adn your weekend was divine...brightest blessings~

mxtodis123 said...

Hope your weekend went well. Thanks for this post. I love learning more about the trees.
Mary

Not Hannah said...

I'm not sure we have alder trees in our area, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for them.