I've been looking at some lists of the 'nine sacred trees' of the celts, and there have been some shaky crisscrosses. In most online sources I've found there have been only eight... or nine, with two being interchangable.

Here's what I've found:

Nine sacred woods

Willow of the streams
Hazel of the rocks
Alder of the marshes
Birch of the waterfalls
Rowan of the shade
Yew of resilience
Elm of the brae
Oak of the sun
Ash of the shadows

Ash is often listed as 'Ash of the Shade', and most of the eight-tree lists I've seen have either ash or rowan, but not both. Can anyone shed some light on this?

haven't delved into this yet - thanks for the koan!

don;t let me forget about it, please


uh, timeframe of reference for the 8 or 9 trees?

celtic, or druid? - trees suggest druids, and if that's the case then i would suggest Helena Patterson, but that is 13 trees, not 8 or 9

there is some correspondence with the list

(IMG:http://www.novareinna.com/constellation/celtlogo.jpg) image source: www.novareinna.com

new age worked it up into a zodiac, with ogham icing - http://www.novareinna.com/constellation/celtic.html

if it is a tree-based seasonal system, then it is either lunar or eartly - and lunar suggests the 8 of wiccan, but 9 is more greek?

interesting!




This post has been edited by esoterica: Apr 12 2009, 08:34 AM

i'm not sure but some of the confusion may come from the sources mixing up the common names of the trees. Rowan is Sorbus aucuparia, also known more commonly these days as Mountain Ash. however it is not a 'true' Ash as Ash usually refers to the genus Fraxinus.

i would guess that both are meant to be on the list as they are not interchangeable species, but have similar common names which may have been enough for some authors to mistakenly omit one, which can then be repeated by other sources (particularly online)

That does make a lot of sense. Esoterica: Although I don't know enough about it to say for sure, I've read a lot of articles and researched books that say the tree calendar was never actually based on any historical sources, but as I said I can't say for sure. A bit cautious is all.

The nine sacred woods were unrelated, however. They were supposed to be the woods used to make the sacred fires, who's magical properties worked particularly well together. I think I read something about them being a very strong protective tool when used together, but I can't remember precisely.

k - seeking

aha

the 8 parts (where wicca got the idea?) plus also the "nameless day" of the solstice{eventide?} makes 9 (if they follow the pseudo-christian nameless day, when the day of sacrifice gave up everything, even to its name - april 15th, tax day?)- broken into phases of the moon, reflecting seasons of the earth (remember the locale) - painted picts and anti-roman sentiments - a tree to each part (like the web thing did it?), also a whole lot more things to each part besides just trees and plants and even times and places - most make sense, like sun and sunny things, and misty and misty things (fog season=winter?), and 5 element things(? - unknown) - it is the woods of ygdrassil, the primordial tree, in order from root to leaf tip, that reflect personages of the parts of the individual sections of the ygdrassil woods as they are found scattered growing upon the earth during the seasons/parts

i have no personal memories in this time period, so it is difficult, but that's what i got - see if any of it makes sense to you - the fae share some of the celtic knowledge, since they are the ones that gave it to the celts (according to the fae)

Willow of the streams - willow wand - divination(to follow the flow of the stream, even underground where it cannot be seen, follow the willows)
Hazel of the rocks - hazel wand - water/dowsing
Alder of the marshes - alder wand - crafting/witchcraft
Birch of the waterfalls - birch wand - growth/biirth(a cradle of birch and alder)
Rowan of the shade - rowan wand - protection(when peeled is white like the moon?)- arrows?
Yew of resilience - yew wand - 'great bow'/ heralrdric/family line/ancestors - yams and lands
Elm of the brae - elm wand - low - the calliach/interlopers/interference
Oak of the sun - oak wand - high - power/solar sap(?)/bloodsports/war
Ash of the shadows - ash wand - day of sacrifice - omniburous (snake biting tail) - burns itself up very quickly to give up its powers to the wearer?


best i can do, sorrry

This post has been edited by esoterica: Apr 16 2009, 08:51 AM