Wicca Wiccan

Question:

the symbolism of trees like the Hawthorn, Yew, Willow, Ash, Birch, Oak, etc.  But I would like to have these meanings in depth.  Could any of you suggest books or websites with this kind of information?  

Not sure if this is all that relevant, but from Spenser’s _Faerie Queene_: And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward led,   Ioying to heare the birdes sweete harmony,   Which therein shrouded from the tempest dred,   Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky.   Much can they prayse the trees so straight and hy,   The sayling Pine, the Cedar proud and tall,   The vine-prop Elme, the Poplar neuer dry,   The bulider Oake, sole king of forrests all, The Aspine good for staues, the Cypresse funerall. The Laurell, meed of mightie Conquerours   And Poets sage, the Firre that weepeth still,   The Willow worne of forlorne Paramours,   The Eugh [Yew] obedient to the benders will,   The Birch for shaftes, the Sallow for the mill,   The Mirrhe sweete bleeding in the bitter wound,   The warlike Beech, the Ash for nothing ill,   The fruitfull Oliue, and the Plantane round, The caruer Holme, the Maple seldom inward sound.         – Edmund Spenser, _The Fairie Queene_,            ed. Thomas P. Roche, Jr, Penguin           Books (1978), Book I, Canto I, 8-9. Mae Tang

Response:

I think Gerina Dunwich’s book "Wicca Garden" has some tree sybolisms in it, too. — Blessed Be, Lisa:) Visit my totally useless, but none the less fun webpage! http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Lagoon/3992/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – do try Scott Cunningham’s " Encylopedia of Magical Herbs" it’s not tree spefic, but does include many as well as excellent drawings. Merry Meet! During the Yule celebration, we heard briefly about the symbolism of trees like the Hawthorn, Yew, Willow, Ash, Birch, Oak, etc.  But I would like to have these meanings in depth.  Could any of you suggest books or websites with this kind of information?  It would also be neat if the website had pictures of the trees or their leafs, so I could recognize them when strolling on a park or hiking. Thanks, Merry Yule to All! — Debora Lustgarten to reply by e-mail, write to dracodl at globalserve dot net

Response:

I recently found a copy of "Tree Medicine Tree Magic" by Ellen Evart Hopman, published by Phoenix.  (ISBN 0-919345-55-7)  It lists 19 trees, their horticultural information, medicinal uses, and magickal uses from various traditions.  It even includes corresponding trees for Europe and North America when there are similar species.  Lots of information. There is also a good overview of woods and their magickal uses on the Runesmith Homepage, run by Jennifer Smith.  I can’t find the address right now, (because my kids crashed my hard drive, and I lost all my files.  Good old chaos energy.) but it shouldn’t be hard to find.  Hope this helps. Blessed be the lurkers, for one day, they will post. Evensong

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I didn’t see the original question, here, and somebody may already have suggested Robert Graves’ "The White Goddess". Thick going, but TONS of great stuff.  A classic.

Response:

do try Scott Cunningham’s " Encylopedia of Magical Herbs" it’s not tree spefic, but does include many as well as excellent drawings. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Merry Meet! During the Yule celebration, we heard briefly about the symbolism of trees like the Hawthorn, Yew, Willow, Ash, Birch, Oak, etc.  But I would like to have these meanings in depth.  Could any of you suggest books or websites with this kind of information?  It would also be neat if the website had pictures of the trees or their leafs, so I could recognize them when strolling on a park or hiking. Thanks, Merry Yule to All! — Debora Lustgarten to reply by e-mail, write to dracodl at globalserve dot net

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I didn’t mean to imply that the book is history, so I apologise if my post gave that impression. Yes, there is a great deal that is spirited supposition, and not all of it seems credible. However, the book goes a long way toward examing the kind of thought that yielded both early poetry and myth, and I think Grave’s great contribution is the idea of Iconotropy. Does he take the idea too far at times? I think so, and that is probably the cause of the aforementioned weaknesses. But it is a wonderful thesis that explains much about the growth and mutation of myth. Mark Webber – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – There is probably no book more entertaining or erudite than Robert Graves "The White Goddess". Graves himself did not consider it to be a book of history, but rather a poetic examination of the Muse by a Poet. There is a great deal in there that is inspired interpretation, but some of it is wild guesses from the slimmest of evidence. And Graves, in the last years of his life (according to his biographer) was highly embarrassed to have this book taken as a major inspiration by the New Age religious folks of the counter culture. His tree alphabet is one of those things that subsequent legitimate scholarship has found highly questionable. As long as you realize it may be made up from the imagination of a gifted and creative poet rather than   history, then by all means study it and examine it for validity in your life.

Response:

There is probably no book more entertaining or erudite than Robert Graves "The White Goddess".

Graves himself did not consider it to be a book of history, but rather a poetic examination of the Muse by a Poet. There is a great deal in there that is inspired interpretation, but some of it is wild guesses from the slimmest of evidence. And Graves, in the last years of his life (according to his biographer) was highly embarrassed to have this book taken as a major inspiration by the New Age religious folks of the counter culture. His tree alphabet is one of those things that subsequent legitimate scholarship has found highly questionable. As long as you realize it may be made up from the imagination of a gifted and creative poet rather than   history, then by all means study it and examine it for validity in your life.

Response:

Merry Meet! During the Yule celebration, we heard briefly about the symbolism of trees like the Hawthorn, Yew, Willow, Ash, Birch, Oak, etc.  But I would like to have these meanings in depth.  Could any of you suggest books or websites with this kind of information?  It would also be neat if the website had pictures of the trees or their leafs, so I could recognize them when strolling on a park or hiking.

I like the idea of "A Field Guide to Sacred/Magical Trees". I could use one. I’m still trying to *correctly * ID a thorn tree species. For Attributes: "The Celtic Tree Oralce" by Liz and Colin Murray (based on the Ogham) ISBN 0-312-02032-5 "The Celtic Lunar Zodiac" by Helena Paterson ISBN 0-8048-1821-5 "A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year" by Ellen Evert Hopman ISBN 0-89281-501-9 "Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs" by Scott Cunningham ISBN 0-87542-122-9 "Trees of the British Isles in History and Legend" by Muller, London 1972 "Tree Medicine, Tree Magic" by Custer, Phoenix Pub 1991 ISBN 0-9193445-55-7 Websites: Celtic Sacred Trees and Woods http://www.wicca.com/celtic/cc1102.htm The Birch Tree – Beth (From "The Celtic Lunar Zodiac" by Helena Paterson) http://diogenes.baylor.edu/WWWproviders/Larry_Ridener/personal/birch…. The Holly Tree Tinne (From "The Celtic Lunar Zodiac" by Helena Paterson) http://diogenes.baylor.edu/WWWproviders/Larry_Ridener/personal/holly…. The Hand and The Trees http://www.eoe-magical.org/tree3.html from "Tree Medicine, Tree Magic" http://www.obod.co.uk/obod/archive/eeh-treemed.html The Hawthorn http://www.obod.co.uk/obod/archive/mara-magtrees-hawth.html on Yggdrasil http://members.aol.com/jebco1st/Paraphysics/tree.htm On References: The Treeman’s Bookstore http://www.arborists.com/BOOKSHOP/list2.htm Which offers: A Modern Herbal: The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk Lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs and Trees Author: Grieve M. ISBN: 0486227987 Famous Trees of Texas Author: Haislet John A. ISBN: 0890961743 One Hundred Tree Myths Author: Shigo Alex ISBN: 0943563119 The Sacred Yew Author: Chetan Anand ISBN: 0140194762 The Tree Book : The Indispensable Guide to Tree Facts, Crafts and Lore Author: Milner J. Edward ISBN: 1855851326 The Tree Indentification Book Author: Symonds George ISBN: 0688050395 — Life, Love, Laughter, Merry PODS: Pagan First Home/Safe Haven

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There is probably no book more entertaining or erudite than Robert Graves "The White Goddess". It deals in detail with the tree alphabet of the pagans from Ireland to Israel, explaining the tree representation of Bran, Beli, etc. and their corresponding Roman, Greek (and other) representations. Very thorough and fascinating.  On Mon, 22 Dec 1997, – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Merry Meet! During the Yule celebration, we heard briefly about the symbolism of trees like the Hawthorn, Yew, Willow, Ash, Birch, Oak, etc.  But I would like to have these meanings in depth.  Could any of you suggest books or websites with this kind of information?  It would also be neat if the website had pictures of the trees or their leafs, so I could recognize them when strolling on a park or hiking. Thanks, Merry Yule to All! — Debora Lustgarten to reply by e-mail, write to dracodl at globalserve dot net

Response:

Merry Meet! During the Yule celebration, we heard briefly about the symbolism of trees like the Hawthorn, Yew, Willow, Ash, Birch, Oak, etc.  But I would like to have these meanings in depth.  Could any of you suggest books or websites with this kind of information?  It would also be neat if the website had pictures of the trees or their leafs, so I could recognize them when strolling on a park or hiking. Thanks, Merry Yule to All! — Debora Lustgarten to reply by e-mail, write to dracodl at globalserve dot net

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