Q: How have Celtic Tree Lore come to interest you? When we first moved to where we live now, at the bottom of our yard was a small straggly oak tree. It was no more than a twig sticking out of the ground. I tended it, gave it water and pruned it each year so that as it grew a pleasant shape would take form. The first witch bottle I ever created I buried beneath the slight shade of it. The spot where I buried it remained bare for three years. After that time the grass finally grew. The tree has grown through the years and now I can no longer reach to the top of him to trim him if needed. It has become a friend to me. It is a place I go to at times of contemplation and pondering. It is this relationship with this small oak as well as with the many willows that encircle my pond that brought me to look more into Celtic Tree Lore. I developed a respect and love for trees that before I did realize was possible. I realize and acknowledged them as living beings and I look at them and behave differently with them than before.
Q: What exactly is Celtic Tree Lore? Celtic Tree Lore encompasses a wide variety of subjects. Some examples are as follows:
* Following the Celtic tree calendar which is similar to that of the zodiac yet the signs are represented by trees.
* Following or using the Ogham . It is believed that Oghan was first started by Ogma the Celtic father figure and Sun God while others think it is a making of the druids. It is an ancient Celtic alphabet that is still used by some today. Each symbol is made up of straight lines and represents a particular letter. It is written vertically and read from left to right. The Ogham can also be used as a form of divination. In this case some take a small stick from each tree represented and carve its symbol onto it. To read the Ogham in this manner one would pull sticks from a bag or toss them from the bag and then read. Much like that of reading tea leaves. I myself have a tarot deck of Ogham. It is much more intricate than the average set of oracle cards and the readings are usually over a broader spectrum of time.
* Although not necessarily connected the reading of Runes is part of Tree Lore at least for me. Runes, like the Ogham is not a spoken language but a set of symbols which represent letters and/or sounds. I create my own runes from the willows that I have on my property. It is with the working of the wood and the concentration of the creation of each rune/symbol that has brought me much insight. * Then there is the simple admiration and conservation of the tree itself. Each tree has a personality of its own. Each one is characteristic of specific attributes and abilities for various things. Such as in medicinal manners, magical manners and creative manners. Studying the many qualities that each tree has and learning how to use them to their largest benefit is probably the largest part of Tree Lore.
Q: What is your favorite? My favorite if you are speaking of Tree Lore is the study of trees in general. It has fascinated me to learn the many helpful traits that trees have. As I said earlier, technology has rendered man somewhat ignorant when it comes to sustaining himself if by chance he was found to be without his "iphone" I myself am guilty of this. Yet I also have the added ammunition of my knowledge of trees and plant life in regards to how each can assist me with various things that may befall me if I was to find myself in a situation.
Q: Has it influenced the way you think? Very much so. I have learned that being still can lend itself to teaching one a great amount of things. A simple slow walk around my yard can bring me so much knowledge. I have learned to read the weather, the seasons as they are coming or going and more. It has influenced me to respect myself and not necessarily feel that I have to rely on the synthetics that man makes to replace the natural things we already have.
Q: Has Celtic Lore in general inspired you? There was a time when I was fearful of allowing the questions and thoughts that circled my head to be spoken or known by those around me. I felt as if I would be shunned or laughed at. Although that outcome is still possible today I do not fear it as I did. I have learned through example where the truth really lies and it is not necessarily where some may think. People of older times took heed to the signs that nature and those leading it attempted to show them. They were blessed for doing so. Man today attempts to manipulate the world around him. He attempts to do as he feels that it should be, forgetting that it was here long before he was. So yes, I think Celtic Lore has greatly inspired me or at least made me realize my place.
Join me tomorrow for the conclusion of my interview. Blessings
