Tree Readings: 13 Ogham Tree Oracle
Tree Ogham 
~a method of divination through tree spirits~

 

Tree Readings ~ Dec 22 to Jan 20

Birch

Birches get their names from the color of their bark although the young bark of the White birch is reddish brown and takes roughly ten years to turn white.

Birches have many uses and varying characteristics.  The twigs of the Sweet and Black birches have a wintergreen flavor when chewed and can be used as toothbrushes.  Papery bark that falls to the forest floor is rot resistant and water proof and can be gathered for starting fires or for making birch baskets.  Grey birch has a triangular marking called a chevron which distinguishes it from other birches.

 

Birch

Beth (beh)
This is the Birch Moon of

Birth, Boundaries and Purification

 

 Birch ignites forest magic and brings new beginnings

Birch drives out the energies of the old year and offers protection in this moment of inception. Birch tells us to sweep away outworn attitudes and

to shape what is to come.

Birch asks, "Where do we see new possibilities?"

 

Tree Readings ~ Feb 18 to Mar 17

 Rowan

or Mountain Ash is a small tree that rarely grows beyond 30 feet.  Rowan is unrelated to the ash tree Fraxinus.  The rowan's specific name, aucuparia means a fowler, one who catches birds.

 Rowan
Luis (lweesh)
This is the Rowan Moon of  
Healing with Plants and Spirit Guides 

Rowan brings inner quickening.
Rowan is a bright flame that gives forewarnings of
approaching energies.
Rowan reminds us to keep focus, avoid distraction,
and to look within to our spiritual strength.
Rowan is a sign of protection from enchantments.
Rowan indicates the power of insight.
Rowan tells us to follow our inner guidance.
Rowan asks,
‘How do we apply our insights?”

  

 

Tree Readings ~ Feb 18 to Mar 17

 

                            Ash is one of the last trees to put on leaves in the spring time.  Only a few trees have opposite compound leaves, the ash the box elder (maple) and the buckeye. Ash “keys” are single-winged seeds that mature in the summer then fall to the forest floor.

 Ash
Nion (nee-un)
This is the Ash Moon of  
Agreements and Obligations

 

Ash links the inner and outer worlds and
weaves our connection to our world

Ash points to the importance of our participation and our ability to support or
affect the world around us

Ash is the power of connections and of
universal justice

Ash tells us to be the weaver of our fate

Ash asks

“How are we connected to the community?”

 

 

Tree Readings ~ Mar 18 to Apr 14

 

Alder

Both the Latin and the Germanic words for alder derive from the Proto-Indo European root el, meaning “red” or “brown.”  Three dyes are made from the alder: red from the bark, brown from the twigs and green from the flowers.  The leaves are so sticky they can catch flies on them when spread out upon a surface.  This quality gives the alder its specific name glutinosa.

 Alder
Fearn (fair-n)
This is the Alder Moon of  
Guidance and Protection

 

Alder is a good council and a source of oracular powers

Alder reminds us to build bridges of lasting support, set firm foundations for our future, and hold steadfast to what we know to be true in our heart

Alder points to emotional vulnerabilities and indicates

insight from our inner depths.

Alder brings guidance from beyond the physical realm, and the courage to take charge of this life

Alder asks 

“Where do we find shelter?”

 

Tree Readings ~ Apr 15 to May 12

 

Willow

The White willow can grow to a height of 70-80 feet although identifying willows is very difficult due to the way the tree forms.  Willows are fairly large trees that are found beside water; they are some of the earliest to flower in the spring.     Willow bark is so rich in salicin that it is used as a natural pain reliever.

Willow

Saille (sal-yuh)

This is the Willow moon of

Ancestral Messages and Cycles

 

Willow connects us with the deep unconscious parts of ourselves enabling prophetic dreams and premonitions.

Willow is a sign of intuition.

Willow tells us to let go of fixed ideas and flow with

a deeper understanding of the world around us.

Willow tells us to use our powers of

 imagination to reach our goals.

Willow asks, 

‘What are our dreams telling us?”

 

Tree Readings ~ May 13 to Jun 9

 

Hawthorns

are large shrubs that can grow to the size of small trees.  Another name for the hawthorn is Thornapple; their spikey thorn branches make a shelter for birds and other animals.  They bear small, reddish, apple-like fruits that offer support to the cardiovascular system.  A member of the rose family, they are closely related to rowan, the mountain ash. 

Hawthorn
Huath (hoo-ah)
This is the Hawthorn Moon of  
Glamours and Misfortune

 

Hawthorn is a guide and protector during times of

change and growth

Hawthorn overcomes obstacles with a cleansing energy that brings peace, 

helping us to face fears

 Hawthorn is an impassible briar, a sanctuary

from all that could disturb us

Hawthorn tells us to wait or retreat, and when it is time to

cleanse our temple

Hawthorn asks 

“What are the obstacles to our successes?”

 

Tree Readings ~ Jun 10 to Jul 7

 

 

Oak

The English word for tree comes from the Indo European word derwo (oak).

The oak is long lived with a life span well over 700 years; it is one of the largest trees.  Oak leaves can stay on the tree throughout the winter.  The bark yields a high amount of tannin, a powerful astringent.

Oak

Duir (doo-r)

This is the Oak Moon of  

Endurance and Triumph

 

Oak is a door to success and a gateway to opportunity

Oak is a bold and enduring protector

The blazing power of the oak gives the strength to

overcome all challenges, and it ensures that we have everything

 needed to accomplish our goals

Oak tells us to find our courage

Oak asks 

“How do we use our strengths?”

 

Tree Readings ~ Jul 8 to Aug 4

 

Holly

Some hollies are deciduous although most are evergreen and shaped into decorative hedgerows.  They can withstand the most severe winters and can grow in any kind of soil.  The four- petal flowers can bloom randomly at any time of the year, although they most commonly bloom between May and August.

Holly

Tinne (chin-yuh)

This is the Holly Moon of  

Creativity and Mastery

 

Holly battles adversity

It forges protection, prosperity, and defends us on our path

Holly shines with determined resourcefulness

It is evergreen through the dark of winter with

the power of the spiritual warrior

Holly fuels our technical skill with the strength to

meet all opposition and tells us that

decisive action can change our fortune

Holly asks 

“What is worth fighting for?”

 

Tree Readings ~ Aug 5 to Sept 1

 

Hazel

can blossom as early as January although they can leaf relatively late.  They usually grow to the size of a large shrub or a small tree.  Their leaves open early in the spring and they stay on the branches late into the early winter.  The hazelnuts ripen in the fall and can be eaten right from the tree.

Hazel

Coll (cull)

This is the Hazel Moon of  

Divination and Inspiration

 

Hazel reveals truth, showing us how to

see ourselves honestly

Hazel is the source of poetic art, a sign of creative

energy expressed as beauty

Hazel invites us to drink from an ancient well and asks 

“Where do we find wisdom?”

 

 

Tree Readings ~ Sept 2 to Sept 29

 

Vine

Brambles are shrubby briars with astringent roots and edible berries including blackberry, mulberry and raspberry.  Blossoms as well as ripe and green fruit are seen on the bush at the same time, an unusual feature for a plant.

Early colonists considered wild North American grapes unsuitable for wine so purple grapes were domesticated in Turkey.  The first Old World Vitis vinifera wine grapes were cultivated in California at Spanish monasteries.

 

Vine

Muin (muhn)

This is the Vine Moon of  

Channeled Creativity and Ties

 

Vine weaves the messages of the conscious and the

 unconscious mind

Vine releases prophetic powers, dissolves the boundaries of consciousness

 and frees expression

Vine is divine inspiration that leads to

 unexpected truths

Vine tells us to free our mind for inspired solutions

Vine asks 

“Are we receiving divine messages, can we relay them?”

 

 

Tree Readings ~ Oct 1st to Oct 29th

Ivy

is an evergreen climber with small yellow-green flowers that have little or no scent and bloom late in October.  The berries ripen the following spring and provide food for birds during hard winters.

Ivy

Gort (gor-it)

This is the Ivy moon of

Spiritual Retreat and Restoration

 

Ivy leads us along the labyrinthine spiral of life to

discover hidden or mysterious things

Ivy is a source of strength and support

 It is a sign of endurance, which transforms the self and leads it to

self knowledge

Ivy tells us to use self control and tap our inner strength as we set out upon the windy path of our spiritual journey

Ivy asks 

“Where does our secret garden grow?”

 

 

Tree Readings ~ November 1st to 25^th

Reed

The genus name of the Common Reed Phragmites is derived from the Greek meaning "growing in hedges."  As with most other grasses, the vertical stems of the Reed live only for a single year, and are replaced with new green shoots in the spring.

Broom is a shrub that is native to England and abundant on sandy pastures and heaths.  The Spanish Broom is known as Genista.  The medicinal use of the astringent branches of the broom known as Genista is mentioned in the earliest printed herbals.  It had a place in the Pharmacopceia of 1618; there is a great amount of tannin in the bark.

Reed
Ngetal (nyet-al)

This is the Reed moon of

Healing and Sympathetic Magic

 

Reed represents the delicate balance between this and the Otherworld

Reed emerges from the watery depths immersing

our wounds with healing waters

Reed is the healing charm that opens old wounds so that

 health can be restored

Reed is the transformative power of healing, indicating

that we attend to our health

Reed asks 

“Where are our wounds”?

 

 

Tree Readings ~ Nov 26 to Dec 23

Elder

A small tree rarely growing more than 30 feet, it produces stems from its base and replaces dead wood with new shoots.  Elder roots easily from cut branches planted directly into the ground. Its hollow branches are filled with pith and covered with spots through which the elder breathes.  Elder berries can be made into medicinal syrup that is beneficial for the entire family; birds love them too.

Ruis

(rweesh)
This is the Elder moon of

Battle Frenzy and Ecstatic Trances

 

Elder is a guardian tree that heals with
berries and leaves

Elder is the Wishing Tree

It is a symbol of good fortune and
a sign of continual change, from

birth to death and

beginnings and endings

Elder shifts from one state to another, it is in a transitional state of being and

it tells us to see beyond surface appearances

Elder asks 

“What has ended and what is beginning?”

 

 Available at Amazon E-store: Click here