“In the yard there
grows a Rowan.
Thou with reverent care should'st tend it.
Holy is the tree there growing.
Holy likewise are it's branches.
On it's boughs the leaves are holy.
And it's berries yet more holy.”
Excerpt from The Kalevala
a compilation of Finnish folk lore
21st January marks the start of the
celtic tree month of the Rowan and so I wanted to share a little information
about this lovely tree with you.
Tree of Perseverance
Rowan (Sorbus
aucuparia) is also known as Mountain ash, Caerthann (Old Irish), Caorthann
(Irish), Quicken, Quickbeam, Wicken and Witchwood. They tend to thrive in poor soils and
often inhabit disturbed areas. They are able to grow on higher ground that most
other trees and can often be found on craggy mountains. The rowan's wood is tough and resilient,
making superb walking sticks, and is suitable for carving. It was often used
for tool handles, and spindles and spinning wheels were by tradition made of
rowan wood. For this reason the tree can be associated with perseverance
and tenacity.
Tree of Protection
Rowans flower in May and can grow as tall as 50 feet high. They are
members of the Rose family (Rosaceae).
They have red berries in the autumn and if you look closely you will see
that each berry has a tiny five pointed pentagram opposite its stem. As you probably know the pentagram is a symbol
of protection and so the tree, its wood and berries have been used in
protection magic for centuries. In
Scotland there was a strong taboo against cutting down a rowan. Sprigs or
pieces of rowan were used to protect especially cows and their dairy produce
from enchantment. The wood was used for stirring milk (to prevent it curdling).
In Ireland it was planted near houses to protect them against spirits,
especially of the dead. In Wales rowans were often
planted in churchyards. It
has been planted near houses for centuries to ward off evil - witches too, but
we all know that this is a corruption of an earlier tradition.
“Laidley Wood"
The spells were
vain
The hag returned
To the Queen in a sorrowful mood
Crying that witches have no power
Where there is Rowan tree wood.
Traditional Celtic
ballad
Tree of inspiration
It is
the Rowan's ability to open up communication with the spirit realms which is
the key to the Rowan energy. Its name is linked with the Norse word
"runa", meaning "a charm", and the Sanskrit
"runa", meaning “a magician. The rowan is an important tree in Norse
mythology not only was the first woman said to be made from it but is also said
to have saved the life of the god Thor by bending over a fast flowing river in
the Underworld in which Thor was being swept away, and helping him back to the
shore. Rowan was furthermore the prescribed wood on which runes were inscribed
to make rune staves. If you wanted to
make a set of Ogham staves quickly without waiting to collect a stick from each
tree or a tree isn’t available then Rowan wood would be an ideal
substitute. The leaves and berries can
be added to divination incenses. Rowan twigs are used for metal divining, just
as hazel twigs are used for water divining. Speer posts, magically protective
house timbers inscribed with runes and magically charged patterns, were
traditionally made of Rowan wood.
Imbolc
and Brigit
The month of the Rowan starts at 21st
January and lasts until 18th February and encompasses the festival
of Imbolc, the great fire festival of early February, held to mark the
quickening of the year. Imbolc is a festival association with Brigit, the young
maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess, she, like the Rowan, is associated with
divine inspiration, illumination, intuition and the binding power of poetry and
healing.
Medicinal Action and
Uses
In herbal medicine, a
decoction of the bark is given for diarrhoea and used as a vaginal injection in
leucorrhoea, etc. The ripe berries
furnish an acidulous and astringent gargle for sore throats and inflamed
tonsils. For their anti-scorbutic properties, they have been used in scurvy.
The astringent infusion is used as a remedy in haemorrhoids and strangury. The fruit is a favourite food of birds. A
delicious jelly is made from the berries, which is excellent with cold game or
wild fowl, and a wholesome kind of perry or cider can also be made from them. In Northern Europe they are dried for flour,
and when fermented yield a strong spirit. The Welsh used to brew an ale from
the berries, the secret of which is now lost.
Correspondences
Ogham name - Luis
Letter - L
Month – 21st January – 18th February
Color- Grey and Red
Animals- Unicorn, bear, duck
Planet: Uranus
Gemstone: Peridot
Flower: Snowdrop
Diety: Brigitania (Britian)or Brighid (Ireland)
Stay tuned to our facebook page for ideas on how to use the magic of the Rowan over the coming
weeks.
Sunchylde xx
Sources used
British-trees.com
Treesforlife.org.uk
Whitedragon.org.uk
A Modern Herbal
Photos by Sunchylde Dryadmoon
Thank you for this entry! I just realized we have two rowan trees in our apartment's parking lot!
ReplyDelete...we've actually been referring to them as "shitberry trees" because they've been dropping berries all over our car and leaving dried stuff on the car. So I rather resented them until now. Thank you for the new respect for those trees!