Celtic Tree Lore - The Magical and Medicinal Uses of Oak

s one would expect, most parts of the Oak tree can be used in some way for medicinal uses. Some examples of such remedies are as follows: Placing bruised Oak leaves externally to wounds help to reduce and ease inflammation. In older times, the thin skin from the acorn was used to cover open cuts and/or wounds. The acorn could also be ground to a powdered substance and mixed with wine and taken as a diuretic.

The bark of the Oak is the part most used when creating medicinal treatments. The bark is best collected in April or May from a young Oak. Lay the bark in the sun to dry it naturally before chopping it. Add 1 oz of bark per quart of water and boil it down til it I measures approximately one pint. One can use this mixture as a gargle for sore throats or applied to bleeding gums. It can also be applied as a hot compress for inflamed glands or in ones hot bath for frostbite. Ground down to a fine powder, the bark of the Oak can be used as a medicinal snuff that when inhaled can cease nosebleeds. A pinch of the powdered Oak bark mixed with honey and taken in the morning is said to aid in the discomfort of menstrual problems.

When it comes to the magical attributes of the oak tree, the number of uses are likewise many. One of the major qualities of the Oak is protection. Examples: Carrying a small piece of an Oak with you said to bring you a sense of security and/or luck as well as protect you from harm. Two Oak twigs tied together with a red thread to form an equal cross is considered a talisman that one can wear or hang in the home to give protection, security and also strength. Acorns placed on the window ledge will guard a home from lightning strikes. Catch a falling Oak leaf and it is said to bring you luck and prosperity and also keep you from catching a cold during the coming winter. In the old days young women would place 2 acorns in a bowl of water to find out if she had found true love. If they moved together it was yes if they drifted apart it was a no. Oak leaves burned in the home helps to clear way negative energies.

Druids used the oak tree for divination purposes and also in planning the next season’s farming. An old proverb relating to this explains:

If the Oak’s before the Ash,
Then you’ll only get a splash;
If the Ash before the Oak,
They you might expect a soak.

In some tales the wand which Merlin carried was made of the top most branch of an Oak tree.

Powers and Attributes given to the Oak are ancestry, fertility, healing, health, justice, longevity, loyalty, luck, prosperity, protection, self confidence, strength, subtlety, success, wisdom, and wit.