Resources

2014 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Order. Many members are planting Groves to honour this special time. Here is one planted by James and Janet Howell at their home in Cambridge, New Zealand.

by Allen Meredith  Ancient stories come to us from many parts of the world. We may never discover the origins of some of these stories, one of which tells us that Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden and from that moment on, the human race no...

by Mara Freeman Yew – Ioho – TaxusPatriarch of Long-lasting Woods…. 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....

by Winter Cymreas Willow – Saille – Salix I am a Hawk on a Cliff Willow is a decidedly aromatic Tree found most often near waterways throughout temperate regions, having quite a history and a long-standing relationship of usefulness – medicinal, magickal and otherwise – with us humans. Within the Ogham,...

by Siusaidh NicNeill Platanus Look through your list of Holy Trees, the Tree Alphabet or the Oracle – I bet you won’t find a Sycamore there. I always considered them to be weeds. They’d grow on the Moon given half the chance and have taken extremely well to cold acid...

by Gwylim O. Davies Euonymous Europaeus(irish oir – welsh piswydden – ogham OI) The wood of the spindle tree is bright, colourful and was used to make spindles. With this in mind we can see why it came to embody creative inspiration, purification, initiation and blessings. The sister to europos...

by Winter Cymreus Rowan – Luis – Sorbus I am a Wide Flood across a Plain Rowan is the second Moon of the Celtic Year of thirteen Moons and is associated with the colours of red and grey and the letter ‘L’. It is the Moon of astral travel and vision, healing...

by Susa M. Black Rowan – Luis – Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)Botanical Name:(Sorbusaucuparia)Folk Names: Mountain Ash, Quicken Tree, Witch TreeGaelic: CaorannIrish :CaorthannCeltic Ogham: LuisOld Celtic: Kair DescriptionRowan is a small deciduous tree, found high up in the mountains; it is sometimes called ‘The Lady of the Mountain’ (Paterson). Although it prefers...

by Mara Freeman Oak – Duir – Quercus Choose the Oak of the Sun-old Scottish rhyme Of all the trees in Britain and Ireland the oak is considered king. Famed for its endurance and longevity, even today it is synonymous with strength and steadfastness in the popular mind. John Evelyn in...

by Gwylim O.Davies English Ivy(Hedera Helix LINN.) The plant is found over the greater part of Europe and Northern and Central Asia, and is said to have been particularly abundant at Nyssa, the fabled home of Bacchus in his youth. There are many varieties, but only two accepted species, i.e....

by Mara Freeman Hazel – Coll – Corylus I went out to the hazelwood,Because a fire was in my head.W. B. Yeats  The hazel might be said to be the quintessential Celtic tree because of its legendary position at the heart of the Otherworld. Here, nine magic hazel-trees hang over the...

by Mara Freeman The Hawthorn – Huathe – Crataegus A hundred years I slept beneath a thornUntil the tree was root and branches of my thought,Until white petals blossomed in my crown. From The Traveller by Kathleen Raine The hawthorn, once known simply as ‘May’, is naturally enough the tree most...

by Mara Freeman Elder – Ruis – Sambucus 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...

by Susa Morgan Black Species: Prunus spinosaFamily: Rosaceae (Rose family)Ogham: Straif (ST), a Chieftain TreeScots Gaelic: DraighionnIrish Gaelic: DraigheanWelsh: Draenen dduAstrological Rulers: Saturn and Mars The Blackthorn tree is esoterically known as both the Mother of the Woods and the Dark Crone of the Woods. Description Type: Blackthorn is a...

by Winter Cymraes Birch – Beith – Betula I am a Stag of Seven Tines The White Lady of the Woods, also known as the White Birch stands, slender and graceful, with long branches reaching toward the sky. This Tree is rarely seen singly, growing most often in Groves. She embodies...

by Hawthorn Beech – Phagos – Fagus Folk LoreBeech groves have been found in and near important places of power; Avebury and Cerne Abbas to name two. They maybe have been used for food as much as their majestic presence. They have been said to have inspired the building of Cathedrals;...

Ash – Nuin – Fraxinus Names: Nion, Nuin, Nin (pron. Nee-uhn Noo-in ) Cosdad Sida, checking of peace, that is nin, ash n: it is the maw of the weaver’s beam as applied to wood: a sign of peace is that. A checking of peace with him is that the ash...

by Susa Morgan Black AppleBotanical name: Pyrus malus or communisFamily: malus/communisOgham: QuertScots Gaelic: Crann Ubhall, ubhal-fiadhaich, CuirtIrish Gaelic: Crann Úll, AballWelsh: Afallen; pren afalau, AfalFrench: Pomme DescriptionThe Apple tree is the oldest cultivated tree in Europe. (Haganeder, pg. 177) Crab Apple (Malus spp.)The original British apple tree is a Crab...

An Introduction Aims of the Foundation One of the principle aims of the Foundation is to rediscover the spiritual relationship between mistletoe and Druidic philosophy. Here we may be able to establish an understanding of the hidden mysteries of our tradition and work with the polarities in order to create...

by Amanda Knopp Since beginning to study Druidry, I have naturally been drawn into a deeper understanding of trees. As I’m also very interested in Hinduism, I couldn’t help but start to compare and contrast the two belief systems, especially in relation to their respective attitudes to trees. I thought...

by Vivienne Manouge While studying the oghams the other day, I suddenly noticed that the names of the first twenty original oghams, beith and her five, huath and her five, muinn and her five, and ailm and her five, are suggestively like the names of different branches of ancient Celtic...