The Magick of Trees |
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Trees have been considered to be magickal for many
centuries. They have been the homes of wood spirits and the
keepers of sacred circles. Many tales of the part trees
have played in witchcraft and the occult were told to young
children, such as the admonition to avoid old oak trees or
groves of oaks. These were places witches met and were
filled with much power. Even today some of the old tales
live on in superstitions such as 'knock on wood'. So you
may ask if there is any truth to these tales, for all
legends have some basis in truth. Well for the Wiccan or
Neo-Pagan trees are a source of power because they are
rooted in the Mother Earth and they reach to the heavens.
This is the essential posture we humans seek in trying to
reach a state of balance during meditation. We visualize a
stream of energy from the Earth flowing up into us, as a
stream of energy flows into us from above. Trees are in this
state all the time and are therefore a very natural source
of power for magick. Most any tree can be used for magickal
purposes, though certain trees seem better suited to certain
forms of Magick.
There are lists called tables of correspondences,
which contain specific colors, smells, tastes, plants, and
sounds associated with certain emotions and concepts. There
are also trees listed in some of these. Examples of trees
used in certain situations include the following:
- APPLE...Healing, Prosperity, Love, Youth
- BIRCH...Protection, Fertility New Beginnings
- CYPRESS...Past Lives
- MAPLE...Divination, Love
- OAK...Healing, Strength, Money
- PINE...Purification, Health, Prosperity
- WILLOW...Enchantments, Wishing
As you can see, for those of us who live on the
Eastern Shore of Maryland, there are many trees which we can
use in magickal work. So how does one tap into this wealth
of power. One way is to let the tree help in 'recharging'
you after a long day or after an extremely emotional event.
A simple procedure for doing this follows. Pick a tall,
straight tree such as a pine. Generally you should try to
feel the tree's spirit to see if it seems welcoming to you.
Once you've found a tree you feel comfortable with, walk
once around it clockwise saying 'Great tree, Ancient of the
Earth, Will you grant and give my strength rebirth?' Now
sit on the ground with your back straight and pressed
against the tree. As you sit, feel the power running
between the Earth and sky through the tree. See your body
surrounded by the aura of the tree and feel this power
filling you with renewed strength. You may at this point
even begin to actually 'hear' the tree speaking to you. A
wise person will listen to it's wisdom. Once you feel
rested and renewed, rise slowly and thank the tree for
helping you regain your balance and strength. A gift to the
tree is not inappropriate. One way of doing this would be to
bury a coin or something of value at the base of the tree.
Care should be taken not to injure the tree in the process
of burying the item. This is but one way of having trees
aid you in your daily life. There are many others to be
found in various books on Earth/Nature magick. I hope you
will explore the many possibilities further. The only advice
I can offer is to remember you are dealing with a living
spirit and that you should avoid harming the tree. Have fun
with your experiments and enjoy the new friendships to be
found in trees.
Blessed Be...
Starrider References:
Earth Power by Scott Cunningham
Llewellyn Publishing
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aHa
E=±mc²=Thé
Ðëòxÿríßøñµçlëìç
HÿÞêrdïmèñsîøñ
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