Celtic Reiki Master Level - 3

Master Level
Distance Course Notes (November 2003)

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Celtic Reiki Master/Teacher Level
Celtic Reiki Mastership
At the practitioner level of Celtic Reiki we discussed how the frequency of
Reiki energy triggered by the Celtic symbols can be used for therapeutic
treatments and additionally to aid in the manifestation of goals. At Master level
we will consider ways of increasing the energy levels in order to provide more
powerful healing sessions and increase the energy involved in manifestation.
The attunement process will also be covered in detail, so that you may
empower others to use Celtic Reiki.
Being a Celtic Reiki Master is a position of considerable responsibility, not just
to your students and yourself, but to nature and the guides and nature spirits
that gave us these beneficial energies in the first place. You may wish to
connect more with trees, spending time enjoying their vibrations and offering
them Celtic Reiki in return. This will not only assist in healing the trees and the
planet, but you may also receive insights into new frequencies of energy,
since the Celtic Reiki system is not yet complete.
By experiencing the energies in a purer form, you can often improve
sensitivity, intuition and channelling ability, and there are two possible options
for achieving this:
The Celtic Reiki vibrations are gradually becoming available in homeopathic
remedy form. Ioho is already available and Gort, Saille and Mor are still in the
proving stages and should be ready later in the year. The Ioho remedy has
been potentised to 30c, which means that it is actually stronger than the Reiki
vibration on its own. Some people have experienced very gentle reactions,
whilst others have commented on strong clearing and detoxing. Very profound
dreaming is also an effect of the remedy, as is making life-changing decisions.
Alternatively, you can work with the vibrations directly, through the trees and
plants whose energy this is.
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Celtic Reiki Master Degree Symbols
The final set of 5 Celtic Reiki symbols are illustrated below:
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Ruis (Rweesh) R
Ruis is the symbol of the Elder Tree and triggers the energy of Birth and
Death, the beginning and the end. This energy allows us to know the cycle of
life and can be used at any time of loss and transition in life, including the
journey beyond life.
In treatments, Ruis can also be used at the beginning of any session that
involves dealing with deeply embedded issues that might cause fear or deep
emotional/physical pain when treated. It will help the person to cope with
these symptoms of the clearing.
The symbol is also used in the attunement procedure to empower and open
the chakras, at this time of transition between the Reiki levels.
Ioho (E-yo) I
The Celtic symbol of the Yew tree and eternal life. The Yew can live for
thousands of years, continually renewing itself in an eternal cycle. Ioho could
be seen as the Master Symbol of Celtic Reiki, since it is the strongest
vibrationally of all the energies and was the first to be channelled.
Ioho works with all the symbols to increase their power and make them longer
lasting. A treatment using Ioho, in conjunction with the other symbols required,
will keep the vibration going long after the treatment is finished.
Ioho is also used in the attunement process to empower the student to the
Celtic Reiki energy, preparing them for the other frequencies. Ioho is available
in potentised form, as a homeopathic remedy, for those who wish to work with
its energy further.
Koad (Kode) Ch
Koad is of the Grove. It is the energy of sacred sanctuary, of finding a place
within that is calm and peaceful and will allow us to cope when everything
around is falling apart. The Koad is surrounding and nurturing, and protects
whilst healing.
Koad can be used in treatment to surround and protect the client; its nature is
to give peace and stillness of mind, and to laugh in the face of adversity. It can
also be used when other frequencies are not working just as they should,
because of emotional patterning. It will protect the other symbol from being
broken down by habit and allow it to work over a period of time.
Koad is used in the attunement process to isolate the student in peace and
tranquillity so they are receptive to the attunement. It works best when
contained in Violet Breath.
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Uilleand (Oo-lind) Pe
The sweetness of the Honeysuckle energy contained in Uilleand gives us the
ability to see the truth in any situation, thus bringing clarity and stillness. It
gives us the focus to ignore distractions and walk our path decisively without
being tempted by things that block our way. It can be used in treatments when
the client is lethargic, unmotivated and feels overwhelmed by their inertia.
This symbol is also used with other symbols, when the person is not learning
from the lessons shown to them by those other energies. As the frequencies
of energy bring things to the surface to heal, some clients will push the pain
back down, repressing and not wanting to move forward. Or they may simply
not have learnt from their past mistakes and continue to remake those
mistakes that caused the dis-ease in the first place. Uilleand will assist the
other symbols in motivating the client to learn and go forward.
Uilleand is used in attunements to motivate the other energies as they enter
the student.
Mor (Mohr) Xi
The Sea holds the truth the inner depths of knowledge and wisdom. We
spend much of our lives on the surface of a rough ocean, letting life take us on
its waves, without having any say in the direction we want to head. This
energy allows us to sink down, into the still depths of the sea where we can
travel through life with ease and calmness.
Mor is about unknown wisdom and everything that a person can know. It
allows us, with regular use, to learn more spiritually, mentally, emotionally and
physically. It guides and shows us sacred places and themes that we never
knew existed.
Mor is also about travel and can help those with a fear of new ventures or a
fear of travel, flying, water, etc.
Mor is used in the attunement process to guide students on the journey to the
next Reiki level and show them the sacred knowledge of Celtic energy and
wisdom.
(Symbol descriptions written by Martyn Pentecost).
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Treatment Techniques
Celtic Reiki Mastership is based on two specific concepts, which attribute to
its uniqueness. The second is particular to Celtic Reiki alone, although
aspects of this are apparent in all energy work.
The Celtic Reiki symbols can be combined in order to create new energies,
the vibration of which can be likened to a forest of energy. Each individual
forest is clearly unique, being comprised of different combinations of the tree
energies. The letters of the Celtic alphabet are used to form words that can be
utilised to write a book of treatments and symptom cures. Employing Celtic
Reiki in this manner works on a multitude of levels and can change a person
multi-dimensionally, allowing them to alter their life path and find their niche
within the universe. The Celtic Reiki trinity is incredibly powerful: Energies,
Wisdom and Life combined in an amazing synthesis.
The process of writing Celtic Reiki treatments is rather different from the
normal practice of using a symbol, treating, and then changing the frequency,
since the Celtic Reiki technique involves using the single frequencies one
after the other. By writing a Celtic Treatment Sentence, a refined and specific
new energy is created which is suitable for use throughout a whole treatment,
resonating stronger and travelling deeper.
In order to illustrate the potential of employing a Celtic Treatment Sentence,
consider the following scenario concerning someone who has lost their way in
life. They are unable to see a way forward and look only to the near future,
trying to find the benefits in a short-term answer, rather than seeing the whole
long-term picture. Eventually they reach the point where their perpetual
thinking causes an inability to do anything and they become stuck. A suitable
sentence would be:
Finding the way through the labyrinth: Gort
Seeing the bigger picture: Ailim
Clearing mental confusion: Huathe
Finding the truth: Uilleand
Creating a sanctuary: Koad
Creating stillness: Mor
Increasing the power of the treatment: Ioho
Commencing the treatment with a request for your guides assistance, you
would then draw the sentence on your palms, over the client, or simply
visualise it: GAHUKMI. Then you can use the hand positions, Reiji Ho, or
Byosen to complete the entire treatment, redrawing the symbols if you feel
this is necessary.
The more you practice the symbols, the energies behind them will become
fixed in your bodys memory and intuitive knowledge, thus enabling you to
create more and more elaborate treatment sentences. Initially guidance will
help you, but with time the ability to use the symbols to perform powerful
treatments will become second nature. It is essential to draw the symbols in a
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word, rather than a letter here and another there throughout the treatment,
since this will effectively confuse the energy and cause it to become too bitty.
The second Celtic Reiki Master technique encompasses the Celtic Calendar.
It is not possible to explain this technique fully, since it is very individual and
depends on your personal astrology. Basically, the Evergreen trees are more
potent in winter, the Deciduous trees in summer and the emphasis in the
energy fluctuates throughout the year. For instance, the cycle of Ruis is more
relevant to preparation for changes in spring, along with the acceptance of
change in autumn.
You will also note that sometimes, certain symbols are stronger overall than at
other times of the year. This is due to the fact their resonance is in line with
your resonance, and it is a good idea to make notes of these shifts in a diary,
as you will soon notice an emerging pattern. This can be used to ascertain
your golden symbols, for golden times. Usually there will be one or possibly
two symbols per month and these should be used at peak times as much as
possible, on both yourself and others for heightened results.
It is also interesting to note that energy phases and moon cycles play a big
part in the Celtic energy system. If you work with the energies in the days from
a New Moon to a Full Moon, it works more effectively than from a Full to a
New Moon.
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Attunement Procedures
Preparatory Work
There are many variations on attunement methods depending on the style of
Reiki in question, but two techniques that are frequently used include the
Microcosmic Orbit and the Violet Breath.
The Microcosmic Orbit employs the functional and governor channels
(meridians), which run in the mid-line along the front and back of the body. By
connecting both meridians during a treatment or while performing an
attunement, you become a stronger channel for the Reiki energy. This is done
by placing your tongue to the roof of your mouth (just behind the teeth) and
contracting the Hui Yin point as described in Level 1.
The Violet Breath technique is a method of transmitting Reiki energy during an
attunement using the breath. It forms an important part of the Western
attunement process, and is used to transfer Reiki energy, together with the
Tibetan Master Symbol, into the crown of the student being attuned. With
regular practice the Violet Breath technique will become much easier, bringing
about highly effective results in terms of energy accumulation and transfer. It
is performed as follows:
1. Contract the Hui Yin point, placing your tongue to the roof of your
mouth.
2. Draw in a breath imagining it as white light coming down through the
crown chakra, through the tongue, down the front of the body through
the Hui Yin point and back up the spine filling the centre of the head.
3. Visualise the white light turning blue and rotating clockwise, then
turning violet.
4. Picture a golden symbol within the violet light.
5. Exhale gently, imagine the symbol on your breath and mentally say the
name of the symbol three times.
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First Degree Attunement
1. Say a silent prayer, asking for the help of the Reiki guides and spirit
guides of both yourself and the attunee, the Celtic gods and
goddesses, tree spirits, animal spirits and elementals, etc.
2. Silently state that this is to be a Celtic Reiki Level 1 attunement.
3. Draw the Ioho symbol and the Ruis symbol on your palms.
4. Draw the Ruis symbol on each chakra and over your whole body, to
empower and open yourself.
5. Draw all five Celtic Master symbols in the air, intending their power to
fill the room. Visualise the symbols in violet, or green as if on a great
screen in the middle of the room, and say their names three times,
mantra-style, to empower them. Use this order: Mor, Uilleand, Koad,
Ioho, and Ruis.
6. Contract the Hui Yin and place the tongue to the top of the mouth.
Remember to hold the Hui Yin throughout the entire attunement
process.
7. Move towards your first student and stand behind them. Draw the
Uilleand from the top of the students head, down the spine.
8. Place both hands on the shoulders and close your eyes to gain rapport
with the student.
9. Produce the Violet Breath, visualise the Koad symbol in the violet light.
10. Place your hands on the students crown; opening your hands to
breathe the Koad symbol and violet light into the students Crown
chakra. Use your right hand as a guide and picture the symbol moving
through the head to the base of the brain, while repeating the name
three times to yourself, in mantra style.
11. Draw the Ioho symbol over the head and, using your right hand as a
guide, picture the symbol moving into the Crown chakra and through
the head to the base of the brain, while repeating the name three times
to yourself, in mantra style.
12. Squeeze the students left shoulder, which is the cue to raise their
hands to the top of their head. If they dont respond to the signal, then
reach forwards and guide their hands to the right position yourself.
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13. Hold your students hands with your left hand and draw the Level One
symbols in the air over the hands. Using your right hand as a guide,
picture each symbol moving into the hands, through the Crown chakra
to the base of the brain, while repeating the symbol names three times
to yourself in mantra style as each symbol goes in.
14. Move the students hands from the top of their head back down to the
heart.
Go on to the next person, until all your students have received this part.
15. Move to your students front and open their hands out flat, overlapping
each other, holding your left hand under the students hands.
16. Draw the Level One symbols in front of their Third Eye chakra, tapping
towards their Third Eye three times with your right hand, while
visualising each symbol moving into the Third Eye and saying the
symbol names to yourself three times in mantra style as each symbol
enters the Third Eye.
17. Draw the Level One symbols in the air above their hands. Picture the
symbols moving into the hands while repeating the symbol names to
yourself three times in mantra style as each symbols enters.
18. Place the students hands together in front of the heart. Blow from the
hands down to the Base chakra, up the body to the crown, down the
body to the base, and up to the hands again.
19. Move to your students back and place your hands on their shoulders
for a few moments, to gain rapport again. Look down through the
Crown chakra and see a ball of white light moving into the Heart
chakra. State a positive affirmation to yourself, three times. Intend the
affirmation to be accepted by the subconscious mind. Try this: You are
a successful and confident Celtic Reiki Practitioner.
20. Place your thumbs at the base of their skull and say to yourself: I now
seal this process with divine love and wisdom, while picturing a door
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with the Ruis symbol on it being closed and locked. Intend that the
process is sealed and complete and that the student is permanently
connected to the Reiki source.
21. Place your hands back on the students shoulders and say to yourself:
We are both blessed by this process.
22. Move to the front of your student and place their hands on their legs,
palms down.
23. Move back so that you are facing all your students, and thank the
guides, etc. that you invited at the start of the procedure. Hold your
hands at waist level with your palms facing your students, exhale, and
release the Hui Yin and tongue.
24. Ask the students to take a few long deep breaths and to come back
slowly and open their eyes.
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Second Degree Attunement
2. Silently state that this is to be a Celtic Reiki 2 attunement.
4. Draw the Ruis symbol on each chakra and over your whole body, to
Ioho, and Ruis.
6. Contract the Hui Yin; place the tongue to the top of the mouth.
process.
with the student.
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13. Hold your students hands with your left hand and draw the Level Two
heart.
each other, holding your left hand under the students hands.
16. Draw the Level Two symbols in front of their Third Eye chakra, tapping
17. Draw the Level Two symbols in the air above their hands. Picture the
hands down to the Base chakra, up the body to the crown, down the
a successful and confident Celtic Reiki Practitioner.
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palms down.
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Master Degree Attunement
2. Silently state that this is to be a Celtic Reiki Master attunement.
4. Draw the Ruis symbol on each chakra and over the whole body, to
Ioho, and Ruis.
6. Contract the Hui Yin; place the tongue to the top of the mouth.
process.
with the student.
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13. Hold your students hands with your left hand and draw the Master
heart.
each other, holding your left hand under the students.
16. Draw the Master symbols in front of their Third Eye chakra, tapping
17. Draw the Master symbols in the air above their hands. Picture the
hands down to the base chakra, up the body to the crown, down the
a successful and confident Celtic Reiki Master.
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palms down.
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Distance Attunements
If the student is not physically present for the attunement, you can send it over
long distances by using a representation for the student such as a teddy bear.
Its most practical to have this sitting on a chair, so you can easily move
around and follow the instructions laid out above. Before you start, you must
clearly state your intention to attune this person by means of your
representation. You must tell the Universe the name and address/location of
the person this attunement is meant for, as well as the time (and time zone)
that it should arrive at. Then you can follow the attunement procedure exactly
as outlined above for a physically present person. Or, if your visualisation
skills are very good, instead of using a representation, you can imagine the
person sitting on a chair while you walk around placing the symbols in their
chakras.
Timing Between Attunements
As there are no specific time limits necessary between the Celtic Reiki
attunements, theoretically it is possible to join them together and you could
therefore combine Levels 1 and 2, or do a complete Celtic Reiki attunement
covering all levels. One thing to consider though, is that the Celtic Reiki
symbols can often be hard to learn because of their similarity, so in practice it
is a much better approach to stagger the attunements, allowing at least one
week between them. This will ensure that students have a chance to learn the
symbols properly.
Celtic Reiki Lineage
For your Celtic Reiki lineage simply add your name to the end of the following
list:
Martyn Pentecost
Pamela Jordan
Teaching Celtic Reiki
Being a Celtic Reiki Master is about much more than just receiving the
attunements. It means that the various techniques of sending the energy, the
symbols and the attunement process are well known and practised by you.
Thorough practice (on a daily basis if possible) will increase your confidence
in the Celtic Reiki system and in yourself as a competent channel.
I would strongly recommend waiting for a couple of months before teaching
others. If, after that time, you decide to give courses then you should start with
individuals or small groups. When teaching physically present students it is
better to keep group-size down to a maximum of six people, so as to ensure
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that everyone is given full attention. You should allow plenty of time for
answering questions and for students to practice the techniques on
themselves and each other where appropriate.
Celtic Reiki lends itself particularly well to distance learning as you can email
or post the course manuals to the student and send them the attunements
long distance. They can then work through the course at their own pace, and
contact you if they have any queries or problems.
When practising or teaching Celtic Reiki, it is most important to make sure that
your clients or students fully understand the implications of the disclaimer
given at the end of this page.
Celtic Reiki Master Level Exercises
Please memorise all five symbols, their meanings and methods of use. You
may also wish to meditate and work further on each individual symbol.
As before, please practice the techniques suggested above and keep a record
of all your experiences. Be creative with your treatment sentences and allow
yourself to be guided by your intuition. Also, if you are planning to teach Celtic
Reiki, practice the attunement process on friends and family first until it
becomes second nature.
Try to find as many of the Celtic Reiki Master Level trees and shrubs as
possible in your vicinity and get to know them!
Disclaimer
Please be aware that the information given in this Celtic Reiki course is for
educational purposes only.
Celtic Reiki is a wonderful hands-on method of energy balancing for the
purpose of stress reduction and relaxation, that works in conjunction with any
and all other healthcare practices you may be using. However, it is not meant
as a substitute for proper medical diagnosis and treatment provided by
licensed healthcare professionals.
Celtic Reiki practitioners do not diagnose conditions, nor do they perform
medical treatments, prescribe substances, or interfere with the treatment of a
licensed medical professional.
It is strongly recommended that you contact your physician or healthcare
specialist for any physical or psychological ailment you may have.
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Celtic Reiki Master Level Resources
As Celtic Reiki is a continually evolving system, the manuals will be
periodically updated when new information becomes available. If you would
like to be added to a mailing list to receive the revised manuals, please send
an email with the heading Celtic Reiki Updates to:
info@enchanted-earth.co.uk
Recommended reading:
Celtic Tree Month Information
http://www.crystalforest1.homestead.com/CrystalForestCelticTreeMonths.
html
(This is a fascinating series of pages detailing the phases of Celtic Tree
Astrology. Right click on the tree name beneath each symbol to open a new
page for each lunar month).
Elder - Ruis
Sambucus
Mara Freeman, May 1997
The elder is a small but bountiful tree, covered with edible fragrant
blossoms in summer and juicy purple berries in autumn which country people
have used for centuries in jams, jellies, medicinal syrups and wine. Its
hollow branches have proved useful for all manner of pipes and bellows; in
fact, its name probably originates with the Anglo-Saxon _eller, meaning a
kindler of fire. In Ireland elder was a sacred tree, and it was forbidden to
break even one twig.
Like the willow, it seems to have strong feminine associations. In Denmark,
peasants would not cut down an elder for fear of Hyldemor, the Elder-
mother, who dwelt in its trunk. This belief is also found in Eastern England.
In Lincolnshire until quite recently, it was important to ask permission of
the "Old Lady" or "Old Girl." The correct way to approach the tree was to
say: "Old Woman, give me some of thy wood and I will give thee some of
mine when I grow into a tree." If this Procedure was not adopted. ill-luck
could befall. Earlier this century, a writer visited the mother of a sick
baby. The mother explained: "It were all along of my maisters thick ead.
It were in this ow: trocker comed off t'cradle, and he hadnt no more
gumption than to mak a new un out on illerwood (elder wood) without axing
the Old Ladys leave, and in course she didnt like that, and she came and
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pinched the wean (baby) that outrageous he were amost black in t face;
but I bashed un off, and putten an eshen (ashen) on, and the wean is gallus
(well?) as owt agin."
Unfortunately, the Elder-Mother, who had probably once been a powerful
female figure venerated for the healing properties of her tree, became
feared as a witch in Christian times. In Ireland, witches were thought to
use elder boughs as magic horses, while in England the crooked-branched
tree was thought to be the form of a bent old witch, who would bleed if
she were cut.
An elder-tree witch features in the legend of the famous Rollright Stones
in Oxfordshire. A king and his army were marching across the land, when a
witch approached him and called out a challenge:
"Seven long strides shalt thou take,
If Long Compton thou can see,
King of England thou shalt be. "
Now, the village of Long Compton is just hidden behind a low mound known
as the archdruids barrow. After the king had taken seven strides, the
witch called out:
"As Long Compton thou canst not see,
King of England thou shalt not be.
Rise up stick and rise up stone,
For King of England thou shalt be none.
Thou and thy men hoar stones shall be
And myself an eldern-tree. "
The king became the lone stone known as the King Stone, while his men
huddle together as "The Whispering Knights", a group of five stones to the
east. The stone circle itself is known as the Kings Men.
The elder's reputation went from bad to worse with a Christian legend that
claimed that the crucifix was made from its wood and Judas Iscariot was
said to have hanged himself on the elder. An old carol called, The Twelve
Apostles" tells the story, and in the last verse denounces the elder, which
stands as an outcast from the other trees. (Any group of trees was known
colloquially as the "Twelve Apostles".)
The twelve apostles they were standing by,
Their roots in the river, and their leaves in the sky,
The beasts all thrive wherever they be.
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But Judas was a-hunged on an elder tree
And in Scotland, where the elder is known as the "bour-tree", an old rhyme
points to the trees small stature and crooked branches as punishment for
its part in Jesus death:
Bour-tree, bour-tree, crookit rung,
Never straight and never strong,
Eer bush, and never tree, Since our Lord was nailed t'ye
Soon the much-maligned tree became synonymous with the Devil himself.
Many feared to burn elder-logs for fear they would "bring the Devil into
the house." Aubrey tells an amusing story about this, concerning a "good old
gentleman called Mr. Allen, who was reputed to be a sorcerer. This
gentleman acquired a watch in the days when such instruments were rare.
When a couple of maids entered his room and heard the watch ticking in its
case, they thought it must be his familiar or even the Devil himself. They
took it by the chain and threw it out the window into the moat, hoping to
drown him. But by chance, the chain caught on an elder tree that was
growing out of the bank, which confirmed their opinion that it was indeed an
instrument of the Devil! Fortunately, this meant Mr. Allen got his watch
back again.
In other parts of the British Isles the elder was less feared, but still
retained its magical associations. If the eyes are bathed in the green juice
of the wood, you might see fairies and witches. If you stand under an
elder-tree at Samhain in Scotland, you can see the faery host riding by.
Elderberries plucked on Midsummers Eve confer magic powers. In the Isle
of Man, elders are the main dwelling-place for elves.
Also in the Isle of Man, an elder tree outside the cottage door actually
kept witches away, according to a Manx folk-tale called, "Old Nance and
the Buggane." In other places too it was viewed favourably as a benevolent,
protective tree. A 17th century manuscript gives a recipe for a protective
amulet made from plucking an elder twig in October just before the full
moon. The wood between the knots must be cut into nine pieces, which are
bound in a piece of linen and hung around the neck so that they touch the
heart. They hang there until the thread breaks, at which point the amulet
has to be buried where it may not be found.
In some parts of Scotland it ranked only second to rowan in its ability to
ward off evil spells and witchcraft. Crosses made of elder twigs hung over
stables and barns to protect the livestock. Drivers of hearses carried whip-
handles made of elder to ward off evil influences.
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Elder has been prescribed throughout the ages for healing ailments from
blindness to epilepsy. The leaves gathered on May Eve had the power to
cure wounds, and warts could be removed by rubbing them on a green elder
stick and burning it: as it rotted away, so did the warts. In Denmark a
cure for toothache consisted of placing an elder twig in the mouth and then
sticking it in a wall, saying: "Depart thou evil spirit!" The herbalist John
Evelyn declared: "If the medicinal properties of the leaves, bark, berries,
etc. were thoroughly known, I cannot tell what our countryman could ail for
which he might not fetch a remedy from every (elder) hedge either for
sickness or wound."
In Ireland, it was one of the magical trees carried in procession at Beltane.
If you celebrate this merry month, let the Elder-Mother once more take
her place in summers bouquet as this ancient Beltane song declares:
Holly and hazel
Elder and Rowen
and bright ash
from beside the ford
http://druidry.org/obod/trees/elder.html
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Yew - Ioho
Taxus
"Patriarch of Long-lasting Woods.... "
Mara Freeman, 1996
In early times, the darkly glorious yew-tree was probably the only
evergreen tree in Britain. Both Druids with their belief in reincarnation, and
later Christians with their teaching of the resurrection, regarded it as a
natural emblem of everlasting life. Its capacity for great age enriched its
symbolic value. The early Irish regarded it as one of the most ancient
beings on earth. Yew is the last on a list of oldest things in a passage from
the fourteenth century Book of Lismore: "Three lifetimes of the yew for
the world from its beginning to its end."
The yew's reputation for long life is due to the unique way in which the
tree grows. Its branches grow down into the ground to form new stems,
which then rise up around the old central growth as separate but linked
trunks. After a time, they cannot be distinguished from the original tree.
So the yew has always been a symbol of death and rebirth, the new that
springs out of the old, and a fitting tree for us to study at the beginning of
this new year. As the days now grow longer with the beginning of a new
solar cycle, we move into the future on the achievements of the past, new
creativity springs forth grounded in the accomplishments of the year gone
by.
In Irish mythology, the yew is one of the five sacred trees brought from
the Otherworld at the division of the land into five parts. Known as the
Tree of Ross, it was said to be the "offspring of the tree that is in
Paradise", and it brought lasting plenty to Ireland. In the Brehon Laws, it
is named as one of the Seven Chieftain Trees, with heavy penalties for
felling one. Ownership of a yew-tree is the cause of a great battle in the
twelfth century tale, "Yew Tree of the Disputing Sons". The tree's high
status is also shown in an Irish tale from the Historical Cycle in which a
swine herd dreamed he saw a yew tree upon a rock, with an oratory in
front of it. Angels ascended and descended from a flagstone at the
threshold. He told a druid who interpreted the dream to mean that the
rock would be the seat of kings of Munster from that day forth, and the
first king would be he who kindled a fire beneath the yew.
Staves of yew were kept in pagan graveyards in Ireland where they were
used for measuring corpses and graves. In the tragic love story of Baile and
Ailinn from the Historical Cycle, Baile dies of grief for the beautiful Ailinn.
When he is buried, a yew-tree grew out of his grave, and "the likeness of
25
his head was in the branches." After seven years, poets cut down the yew
and made writing tablets out of it.
Another use of yew-wood by poets is recounted in a tale of Conn of the
Hundred Battles, who with his druids and poets, lost his way in a mist and
came to a supernatural world where a druid was recording names of every
prince from Conn's time onwards on staves of yew. In the bardic schools,
poets used staves of yew to help them memorize long incantations. We hear
tell how the poet Cesarn cut (the words) in Ogam into 4 rods of yew. Each
was 24' long and had 8 sides.
Staves of yew were also used for carving Ogam letters for magical use,
according to the evidence of early literature. In The Wooing of Etaine, the
beautiful heroine was abducted from her husband, Eochaid, who searched
for her for a year and a day to no avail. Finally, he sought the help of his
druid, Dalla/n 'who made four rods of yew and inscribed them with Ogam.
Through this means he discovered that Etaine was on the side of Bri Leith,
with the faery king, Midir.
Veneration of the yew continued into Christian times where they have
always been associated with churchyards. An early medieval Irish poem
fragment refers to a yew outside an early Celtic Christian cell:
There is here above the brotherhood
A bright tall glossy yew;
The melodious bell sends out a
clear keen note
In St. Columba's church.
Although from Ireland, this verse may refer to the Isle of Iona, the
sacred island of St. Columba off western Mull, Scotland, which is said to
derive its name from the Gaelic word for 'yew-tree', Ioho or Ioha. The
island was once a powerful Druid centre, planted with sacred groves of yew,
and the traditions of Iona traditionally involve rebirth and reincarnation. On
mainland Scotland, St. Ninian, a priest in Roman Britain, planted numerous
yews in the churchyards, including the famous Fortingale Yew in Perthshire
where Beltane fires were lit each year in a cleft of the trunk. A rhyme
about this tree states:
"Here Druid priests their altars placed,
And sun and moon adored."
For yew was one of the nine sacred trees for kindling Beltane fires, and the
old Scottish rhyme about the need-fire calls it 'the tree of resilience.
Another famous Scottish yew stood at the Tobar an luthair, the Yew Tree
26
Well in Easter Ross. Its presence lent healing qualities to the water, until
someone cut the tree down. Whoever did the deed must have regretted it,
for an old curse stated:
Well of the Yew Tree, Well of the Yew Tree,
To thee should honour be given;
In Hell a bed is ready for him
Who cuts the tree about thine ears.
A similar fate awaited an individual at the church of St. Kevin of
Glendalough, in County Wicklow, Ireland, who was cursed because, as a
rhyme states:
He cut down the Sacred Yew
That holy Kevin planted.
After the Norman Conquest a spate of church building led to the planting of
many churchyard yews. Some still thrive today, although over 900 years
old. Fortunately their function as icons of everlasting life had been
forgotten by the 17th century, or they would have probably not survived
destruction by the Puritans. The yew trees were usually planted in a
deliberate manner: one beside the path leading from the funeral gateway of
the churchyard to the main door of the church, and the other beside the
path leading to the lesser doorway. In early times, the priest and clerks
would gather under the first yew to await the corpse-bearers. The remains
of Anglo-Saxon churches suggest that the early English planted yews in a
circle around the church, which were usually built upon a central mound.
There is also a tradition that the Cross was a yew tree, perhaps because of
its symbolism of immortality. A verse from a traditional carol from
Herefordshire, The Seven Virgins, runs:
Go you down, go you down to yonder town,
And sit in the gallery:
And there you'll find sweet Jesus Christ,
Nailed to a big yew-tree.
The famous yew-trees of Nevern in Dyfed, Wales, are said to bleed a red
substance every year in sympathy with Christ. Branches of yew were borne
in Palm Sunday processions instead of palm or olive and the altars of many
churches were traditionally decked with branches of yew on Easter Day.
The yew is also associated with another time of resurrection - New Year's
Day, where in some parishes, villagers would gather beneath the churchyard
yew to see in the New Year.
27
In later times, only the death side of the Yew's symbolism remained in the
popular mind. Shakespeare wrote of "the dismal yew" and his witches bore
"slips of yew slivered in the moon's eclipse." 19th century naturalist Gilbert
White described the trees as "an emblem of mortality by their funereal
appearance." A dark-canopied grove of yews was often regarded as a place
to be shunned, and a bough brought into the house portended a death in the
family. The cemetery is nowadays looked upon as a place of fear rather
than a sacred place of return to the ancestral realm.
So let us return to the wisdom of the Druids and remember at the turning
of the year the teachings of the sacred yew: that darkness is the matrix
from which light springs forth, and that out of death, life arises.
Mara Freeman, 1996
http://druidry.org/obod/trees/yew.html
28
Celtic Tree Calendar
The Moon is humanity's oldest calendar. Evidence of ancient peoples keeping
time by the phases of the moon have been found carved into rocks and cave
walls the world over. The famous tree calendar of the Celts was such a
time-keeping device, and, like other tribal cultures, the Celts found names
and associations for their moon, which were developed and codified over
many years of ritual and experimentation. Each moon phase was assigned a
corresponding tree, each tree being sacred to either feminine energy and to
the Goddess, or to masculine energy and to the God.
The lunar tree calendar of the Celts has long been a source of controversy
amongst Celtic scholars. Some even claim it was never a part of the old
Celtic world, but was an invention of author/researcher Robert Graves. The
Druids are generally given credit by other researchers for creating this
system. There seems to be no scholarly evidence to prove otherwise, yet
many Celtic Pagans feel that the system pre-dates the time of Druidic
influence over Celtic religious matters. It is probably reasonable to believe
that the truth lies somewhere in between these three extremes. It is most
likely that the tree system was in place, with minor regional variations
before the time of the Druids who experimented with it, discovered the
magickal properties of each tree, and codified all the information into the
system we have today.
The trees the Druids selected for the thirteen months were already trees
which were sources of magick and myth in Celtic folklore. Several of the
trees are said to be attractive to faery folk, and others were sources of
magick herbs or medicines.
Today the counting of the Celtic tree calendar begins with the full moon
nearest Yule. Perhaps it once began with the full moon nearest Samhain
since, until the influence of the Norse, Samhain marked the beginning of
the Celtic New Year. When you have pinpointed the full moon closest to
Yule, count off the thirteen moons of the lunar year and mark them with
their Tree Calendar names.*
MOON NAME POLARITY NICKNAMES
MAGICKAL
PROPERTIES
Birch Moon Feminine
Moon of Inception;
Moon of Beginning
Protection of children;
purification; creativity
Rowan Moon Masculine
Moon of Vision;
Spirit Moon;
Astral Travel Moon
Healing; Personal
Empowerment;
Divination
29
Ash Moon Feminine Moon of Waters
Prosperity; Protection;
Healing
Alder Moon Masculine
Moon of Utility;
Moon of Efficacy;
Moon of Self-
Guidance
Spirituality; Teaching;
Weather magick;
Duty; Mental Prowess;
Willow Moon Feminine
The Witches'
Moon;
Moon of Balance
Romantic Love;
Healing; Protection;
Fertility; Magick for
Women
Hawthorn Moon Masculine
Moon of Restraint;
Moon of Hindrance;
Summer Moon
Fertility; Peace;
Prosperity; Binding
Oak Moon Masculine
Moon of Strength;
Moon of Security;
Bear Moon
All positive purposes;
Magick for Men;
Fidelity
Holly Moon Feminine
Moon of
Encirclement;
Moon of Polarity
Protection; Prophecy;
Magick for Animals;
Sex Magick
Hazel Moon Feminine
Moon of the Wise;
Crone Moon
Manifestation; Spirit
Contact; Protection;
Fertility
Vine Moon Androgynous
Moon of Celebration
(Property dependent on
the type of vine)
Blackberry -
Prosperity; Protection;
Sacred to Brid
Blueberry -
Spirituality; Dream
Magick
Grape - Fertility;
Inspiration;
Prosperity; Binding
Thistle - Courage;
Protection; Strength
Ivy Moon Masculine
Moon of Buoyancy;
Moon of Resilience
Healing; Protection;
Cooperation; Exorcism
Reed Moon Feminine
Moon of the Home;
Hearth Moon;
Winter Moon;
Moon which
Manifests Truth
Fertility; Protection;
Love; Family Concerns
Elder Moon Masculine
Moon of
Completeness
Exorcism; Prosperity;
Banishing; Healing
30
"The Ogham (pronounced owam), or sacred Druidic alphabet, contained
hidden secrets for magic and divination. Only the initiated could understand
these occult meanings. The ancient Celts had a kinship with trees which is
shown in this magical alphabet and in their tree calendar. Further proof of
their respect for trees is in the old Celtic word for oak (Duir); the word
Derwydd or Duirwydd (oak-seer) was probably the origin of the word Druid.
The Celts believed that many trees where inhabited by spirits or had spirits
of their own. This idea most notably applied to any tree with a strong aura
around it. They also believed that certain trees had a healing influence on
humans. From this ancient respect for the power of trees came the
expressions 'touch wood' and 'knock on wood'.
Oak, ash, and thorn were called the faery triad of trees. Where they grow
together,it is still said that faeries live.
The ancient Celts used the Ogham alphabet in performing magick. They also
threw divination sticks engraved with the signs of the Ogham alphabet.
For divination, paint or engrave the symbols on one side of some flat sticks.
Ice cream sticks or tongue depressors work well for this purpose. The
symbols can also be drawn on cards and read as you do tarot. Choose seven
sticks without looking. Concentrate on your question while holding them in
both hands. Then gently toss them on the ground or floor in front of you.
31
The closest sticks represent the present; the farthest represent the
future. Any sticks that touch or overlap have a direct and enhanced
influence on each other.
The Ogham signs may also be carved into candles or used in writing out
requests to be presented to the gods during rituals."**
The trees of the Ogham alphabet were divided into three classifications,
which had nothing to do with their physical form. They merely represented
their order of importance to the Druids. Chieftains came first, followed by
peasants and shrubs. Two symbols, the Grove and the Sea, are not actually
trees; their inclusion points out the Druidic acknowledgments of the power
of both the sea itself and a group of trees. The last five letters are called
the Crane Bag and were given by the sea god Manannan.**
Beth Birch
Month: November
Color: White
Class: Peasant
Letter: B
Meaning: New Beginnings; Changes; Purification.
Luis Rowan
Month: December
Color: Grey and Red
Class: Peasant
Letter: L
Meaning: Controlling your life; Protection against control by others.
Fearn Alder
Month: January
Color: Crimson
Class: Chieftain
Letter: F, V
Meaning: Help in making choices; spiritual guidance and protection.
Saille Willow
Month: February
Color: Listed only as bright
Class: Peasant
Letter: S
Meaning: Gaining balance in your life.
32
Nuin Ash
Month: March
Color: Glass Green
Class: Chieftain
Letter: N
Meaning: Locked into a chain of events; Feeling bound.
Huathe Hawthorne
Month: April
Color: Purple
Class: Peasant
Letter: H
Meaning: Being held back for a period of time.
Duir Oak
Month: May
Color: Black and Dark Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: D
Meaning: Security; Strength.
Tinne Holly
Month: June
Color: Dark Grey
Class: Peasant
Letter: T
Meaning: Energy and guidance for problems to come.
Coll Hazel
Month: July
Color: Brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: C, K
Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.
Quert Apple
Month: None
Color: Green
Class: Shrub
Letter: Q
Meaning: A choice must be made.
33
Muin Vine
Month: August
Color: Variegated
Class: Chieftain
Letter: M
Meaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation.
Gort Ivy
Month: September
Color: Sky Blue
Class: Chieftain
Letter: G
Meaning: Take time to soul search or you will make a wrong decision.
Ngetal Reed
Month: October
Color: Grass Green
Class: Shrub
Letter: NG
Meaning: Upsets or surprises.
Straif Blackthorn
Month: None
Color: Purple
Class: Chieftain
Letter: SS, Z, ST
Meaning: Resentment; Confusion; Refusing to see the truth.
Ruis Elder
Month: Makeup days of the thirteenth Moon
Color: Red
Class: Shrub
Letter: R
Meaning: End of a cycle or problem.
Ailim - Silver Fir
Month: None
Color: Light Blue
Class: Shrub
Letter: A
Meaning: Learning from past mistakes; Take care in choices.
34
Ohn Furze
Month: None
Color: Yellow Gold
Class: Chieftain
Letter: O
Meaning: Information that could change your life.
Ur - Heather and Mistletoe
Month: None
Color: Purple
Class: Heather is Peasant; Mistletoe is Chieftain
Letter: U
Meaning: Healing and development on the spiritual level.
Eadha - White Poplar or Aspen
Month: None
Color: Silver White
Class: Shrub
Letter: E
Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.
Ioho Yew
Month: None
Color: Dark Green
Class: Chieftain
Letter: I, J, Y
Meaning: Complete change in life-direction or attitude.
Koad Grove
Month: None
Color: Many Shades of Green
Class: None
Letter: CH, KH, EA
Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.
Oir Spindle
Month: None
Color: White
Class: Peasant
Letter: TH, OI
Meaning: Finish obligations and tasks or your life cannot move forward.
35
Uilleand Honeysuckle
Month: None
Color: Yellow-white
Class: Peasant
Letter: P, PE, UI
Meaning: Proceed with caution.
Phagos Beech
Month: None
Color: Orange-brown
Class: Chieftain
Letter: PH, IO
Meaning: New experiences and information coming.
Mor - the Sea
Month: None
Color: Blue-green
Class: none
Letter: AE, X, XI
Meaning: Travel.
*From "Celtic Myth and Magick" by Edain McCoy
** From "Celtic Magic" by DJ Conway
http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/Celtic/tree.html

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