Lime trees at Bradfield Woods

In this article we will explore the Lime tree. 
For a more detailed exploration visit the Tree Folklore Course and support valuable Conservation work.

I remember my first encounter with the small- leaved lime tree ( Tilia Cordata) in the ancient woods known as Bradfield Woods in Suffolk, one of the most continually managed woods in Britain and also one of the most biodiverse.

The lime coppice characteristically spreads out whilst still young  and then somehow straightens itself up as it matures, the rings on its wood grow unevenly and some years do not form at all! Although it has soft  wood that is not durable it has an astonishing ability to survive in shade even growing under the dense canopy of oak. Often the lime tree is prone to rot and therefore is short lived and yet has a tenacious habit of suckering.  As a coppice it seems to live indefinitely with examples of huge stools over a thousand years old.

A magic seems to feel the air where this species grows, a light graceful aura permeates the wood. Its dense canopy is lightened by its blueish heart-shaped leaves which distinguish it from the more common species of Tilia x europaea. Fossilised remains of the species Ernoporus tiliae, the bast bark beetle and studies of palynology confirm this tree dominated the South of England in early times only giving way to Alder in wetter regions and yet it is one of the least recorded trees in history and is now absent from Scotland, Ireland and much of Southern England. This indicates the continued management and planting of this tree was not essential and as it rarely seeds once destroyed it sadly does not regenerate.

Lime wood is most famously used for wood carving and in piano- making and is also known in the furniture industry. Its wood is soft and not hard wearing so is only rarely used in buildings. The wood is present in Neolithic structures such as the sweet track which although brings evidence of its existence it is likely our ancestors utilised any wood available rather than because of its merits.

One of the most known areas of Lime would have been around Lyndhurst which means 'Lime Wood' and when we discover woods or references with the name 'bass' in it this is referring to the use of the lime tree's phloem layer to create rope. This material would have been used to hold medieval scaffold poles together but unlikely to have competed well against the 1500 year old cannabis industry which produced high quality material.

What then of the folklore of the mysterious lime tree? Baltic folklore connects the tree to the goddess of fate and there are several stories in Greek mythology of goddesses taken the form of the lime tree.
Throughout Europe the tree quite understandably is associated with the joys of spring and especially in Germany with love, justice and unearthing the truth. In Europe it certainly seems to be an exalted and celebrated as tree of sacred stature.

But what of its associations in British folklore? Surely its heart- shaped leaves, soft wood and useful bark speak of a goddess of love and joy? When in July bees swam to its nectar-filled flowers surely our ancestors would have associated it with delightful other-worldly places?
And yet in Celtic lore, historical records and folk stories we draw a blank, the folk song Linden lea at leasts mentions this delightful tree.

Maybe the lime tree is a secret love unfolding in the heart of a ruined wildwood landscape waiting to captivate and awaken a sweet gentle quality once more?

As I leave Bradfield woods and note the exquisite flora, the graceful lime trees and the rare oxslips growing beneath their canopy I reflect on its associations with primulas which seem to favour this tree.
Shakespeare said primulas 'die unmarried' this is due to the flowers early arrival, flowering at a time unnoticed by the pollinators. The lime also stands unnoticed, felled early in wildwood times when we as a race wanted to tame the landscape.

Maybe now the few ancient stands of the lime tree speak of a bereft mother pinning for the more peaceful times when people lived in harmony with nature?

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                         Creeping cinquefoil                                                           Tormentil

 In June the roses start to flower decorating the hedgerows. The rose family (Rosaceae) is a large family which includes many trees and shrubs and also consists of the delicate plants known as tormentils.
Amongst the short grass a beautiful yellow rose appears that lifts the spirit, sometimes upright and at other times sprawling these plants add a patch of gold to the green sward.
The three main species you are likely to see in June are:

Tormentil Potentilla erecta- This delightful species has usually less leaflets than the trailing species ( at least 3) is almost unstalked with thread-like stems which never root. Most likely to be on more acid soils.

Trailing Tormentil Potentilla anglica- This species is slightly larger with runners rooting only in late summer. More stalked leaves with 3-5 leaflets.

Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans - This species is not so delicate, coarse with far reaching runners with palmate leaves on long stalks, this species you will find in more man-made habitats and sparsely grassy places.

To this species list we can add silver weed with its distinctive silvery pinnate leaves low to the ground, the yellow flowered strawberry with dry tasteless strawberry-type fruits, specialist species of cinquefoils, the strawberry, herb bennet, argrimony and salad burnet. A wonderful array of plants adorning our grasslands.

The potentilla species are often plants which soothe our intestine, stomach and throats the most famous being the herb bennet which will be explored separately.

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Willow- Tree of Poets.

In this article we will explore the folklore the Willow tree. 
For a more detailed exploration visit the Tree Folklore Course and support valuable Conservation work.

The woodland willow stands, a lonely bush of nebulous silver,
There the spring Goddess cowers in faint attire of frightened fire.  Robert Bridges 1844-1930
 
Whilst the woodland is still stark, the wind cold and the ground hard we witness a  tree with golden yellow blossom as if it is reminding us that the sun is returning. The Sallow or Pussy Willow produces silver catkins first and then the catkins of the male tree laden with pollen turns gold, thus providing a valuable source of early pollen for the bees.

'How doth the little busy bee improve each shining hour
And harvest honey all the day from every open flower,
How skilfully she builds the cells, how neat she spreads the wax,
And labours hard to store it well with the sweet food that she makes.'
 Isaac Watts ( 1674- 1748 )
 
The rest of the year the woodland Willow is probably unnoticed by most merging back into the dense woodland as just another small tree with green leaves.
The other two tree species of Willow (the Crack and the White Willow) are huge forest trees with branches growing low and high creating a dominating bush-like structure of abundant leaves in the summer. The Crack Willow is our most common large willow growing over many a waterway with shiny green leaves on top and silvery beneath. The White Willow can grow up to 80ft covered with silvery leaves on both sides creating an impressive sight in low-lying districts.

As with the Alder in the previous article Willow is intrinsically linked with the waterways, invoking a feminine presence which breaks up the skyline and encourages wildlife where the land meets the water. The beauty of our rivers, brooks and streams is a joy to behold and one can see why our ancestors gave names to the rivers linking them to the
Goddess. The terrible pollution of our waterways is in direct contradiction to the tradition and importance of their function.

Willow is the female guardian of the waterways, the ‘Lady’, whereas the Alder explored in the previous booklet is the male guardian, the ‘Lord’. Giving names to the landscape and its features creates a more intimate and familiar relationship with it. Our relationships are key to our psychological make-up and when we are in good relationship with someone or something we wish to respect it in every possible way.

Our ancestors relationship with rivers acknowledged their life- giving properties to the otherwise barren land. This quality is reflected in the nourishing aspects of the mother archetype thus giving rise to the rivers being named as goddesses.
This is a universal concept as seen in the river Ganges in India, named after the great Mother Ganga. In Europe the Goddess takes form as Danu in the river Danube, Sequana of the river Seine, Nimue and Diana in the lakes of Brittany, in Britain as Sabrina of the Severn, Vaga of the Wye, Sulis of  the springs of Bath and in Ireland as Boann of the river Boyne.

In Celtic lore the Goddess is seen as three in the Matronae and as nine in the form of the gifting mothers or muses.Ultimately the source of inspiration in Celtic lore is seen as flowing from the cauldron of life which overpours into the waterways, offering inspiration to all who drink from its source. Geoffrey of Monmouth (author of The History of the Kings of Britain 1136AD)  recognises this concept in his writings as he notes the importance of the three main trading rivers of Britain in the Thames, the Severn and the Humber. These could be seen as the arms of the Matronae in Britain, the Triple Goddess giving life, abundance and fruition to the beauty of the landscape. Geoffrey of Monmouth (Vita Merlini 1150AD) explores this further with the nine sisters which are prevalent throughout Celtic lore.
Their function is to bestow our souls with the gifts we can offer to the web of life and guide us to fulfil our destiny.

Folklore of the Willow
 
As the white Willow stands an indomitable presence shining with silver leaves she embodies a feminine strength flowing with the waters of life. As she produces her golden catkins and attracts bees and supports more invertebrates than any other tree except Oak its not hard to see why our ancestors would have looked to her as both noble and a muse for the poets:

‘The noble willow, burn not, a tree sacred to the poets.
Within his bloom bees are a- sucking all love his little cage.’
 Iubdan the Leprachaun( Ancient Irish Tales)

Willow takes us into the creative world of the poet who in ancient times was the remembrancer of the tribe who travelled into the inner landscape.
 
 Poetry is one of the key components of the British traditions as it can be used to explore the depths of the soul, giving voice to original thought and thus awakening a deeper understanding of life.
This importance of the soul was reflected in the poets of the nineteenth century such as Keats and Claire who had tragic, painful lives which perhaps enabled them to explore such depth through their poetry.

​‘Poetry should be great and unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one’s soul....’
John Keats 1818

John Keats tragically short life was filled with loss and his choice to dedicate his life to poetry over a medical career was brave indeed, especially as he failed to experience his success and recognition in his own lifetime. However maybe the joy of following his true path transcended many of his woes as he states in his poem Sleep and Poetry:

‘O for ten years that i may overwhelm
Myself in poesy; so I may do the deed
That my own soul has to itself decreed’
 
In the Celtic tradition we discover the poet was exalted above any other profession and even Chiefs, Kings and Queens bowed to their supremacy - why?
The value of the soul was paramount and poetry was considered to be its expression taking us to the fruits of immortality in the Otherworlds.

It may seem strange in the modern world to give such importance to the arts but as the poet Leo Kermorvan reminds us in the poem The Return of Taliesin written in the 19th Century - ‘the soul remainth ever the same’ and we are indeed fundamentally the same as we have always been; and feeling conveyed through art still moves us deeply. It is probably only in the last century that material and worldly gain has taken precedence over concerns of the soul and spirit.
 
The Kennings of the Willow tree take us into the realms of death linking willow to bees, grief and loss:
 
Willow, the colour of the lifeless one
owing to the resemblance of its colour to a dead person.
Hue of the lifeless.
Beginning of loss, willow.
Strength of bees.
 
Book of Ballymote 1391
 
Bees  represented a connection to the Other-worlds and also were considered an inspiration to community life as they work together as a whole to benefit the swarm.
 The Queen bee represented the Great goddess in Classical traditions, often referred to as ‘birds of the muses’ bestowing eloquence and honeyed words. Bees as knowers of ancient lore are connected to the underworld. The female power and poetry they represent are not just about beauty and love but also take us deeper into the mysteries.

In Celtic lore the old women of wisdom, as already explored in the Rowan booklet, may be gnarled and twisted just like a Willow but command respect and bestow wisdom. In fact it is the old crones like the Cailleach and the Morrigawn who are the guardians of wisdom and the mysteries of death.
The early poet’s initiation into their arts was through a deep connection to darkness and the deep wisdom of the earth.

Willow invites us to acknowledge our grief and suffering and be aware of the destruction we unleash onto the green world. Owning  up to the part we play in harming nature need not be a depressing or guilty process but an empowering, compassionate and ultimately freeing process.

The poet’s art was learned in the dark side of the year once the harvest was gathered in. The arduous training was conducted in dark cells sometimes likened to imprisonment. This enabled the poet to awaken the inner light which is spoken about in Shamanic traditions all across the world.
It is only by entering the darkness, feeling grief and truly acknowledging the darker aspects of ourselves that we can discover the strength of bees which is the entrance to the ‘Delightful land of honey and wine.’
This land is the perfection of your own inner light within you that the Irish call the Glefiosa, the bright knowledge, the dawning of which can be helped through Willow and a tranquil mind.

Celtic traditions encouraged Willow trees to be planted at burial sites so that the spirit of the corpse can rise into the sapling above, Willow probably being a preferred choice as it is said to ease the passage of the soul at death, a psychopomp- a guide for the soul to find their place after death.
To wear Willow is to grieve openly and the tree I suspect encourages us to be open to our deeper emotions.
 
Witches brooms may be bound with Willow to dedicate the broom to the goddess and the moon. Its leaves, bark and wood may be be burnt as incense for similar reasons.
 
Celtic lore speaks of Willow connected to in-between states and otherworld experiences. Her connection with water (as already discussed) enhances that as water represents that more fluid otherworldly state, the cycle of life and death and our returning to the source. Gypsies cut Willow on Green George day (23rd April) to propitiate water spirits, bless the crops, herds, and pregnant women, and to heal the young and old.
The Sumerian goddess Belili rules over the moon, love and the underworld and therefore is connected to Willow as are other powerful goddess archetypes such as Hecate and Cerridwen. Women were warriors and leaders in Celtic Society and often trained the young men in battle. The old adage of the Willow bending in the wind rather than resisting it comes to mind as we recognise the power of the feminine source.

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                             Smooth sow-thistle                                                     Prickly sow-thistle

In this article we explore the bewildering array of  dandelion-type plants which come into flower in May.
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As May progresses more and more of the complex plants of the Daisy (Asteraceae) family reveal themselves often known as composites as the flowers are made up of many tiny flowers packed into one compound head. The earliest of these flowers is the dandelion itself followed by many of its close relatives.
​In early May the sow-thistles both prickly and smooth are the next to flower after the dandelion. The sow-thistles are unnoticed by most as they are considered just another weed.

‘O the prickly sow-thistle that grew in the hollow of the near field, I used it as a high jump coming home in the evenings...’     -Patrick Kavanagh.

They have large fleshy foliage with milky juice, are extremely common and flower earlier than the wild lettuces which we shall explore later in the year.

       Smooth hawksbeard             Rough hawksbeard              Beaked hawksbeard           Bristly ox-tongue

                   Cat's-ear                                      Rough hawkbit                                        Nipplewort

Alder- Tree of the Wetlands

​In this article we will explore the folklore, history and ecology of the Alder tree. 
For a more detailed exploration visit the Tree Folklore Course and support valuable Conservation work.

Over damp cool meadows fall decaying rotting branches from aged trees with burrs and bosses, crooks and crannies, elbows and knees.
Biting insects circle stagnant pools, meandering rivers flood the landscape of coarse grass, sedges and rushes. An abundance of green, prolific flowering plants grow, some of which are now rare like bog- asphodel, cranberry and sundew.
Ospreys glide overhead hunting for fish. Plovers, sandpipers and mallards winter in the warmer climes of Britain.
Such a landscape not tamed by man has always been under attack for the human need for food. It may be that these vast challenging places invoke a primitive fear of the unknown. To lose that element of the unknown as we have done in this country is to remove a creative wonder of life.
We hear of the terrible plight of indigenous tribes across the globe but as we explore the Alder and the wild untamed wetlands of Britain we can also uncover the misuse of land, the destruction of the commons and the taming of the countryside here in Britain.
Naturally about a quarter of Britain has been some kind of wetland, be it a bog, meadow, fen or marsh. These areas rather like the original wild wood, were large areas of wild countryside supporting many species.
Starting with early land clearances in Mesolithic times our quest to cultivate the soil and tame the landscape has been indomitably pursued destroying valuable habitats without question.

‘Alder carr’ is the name given to the habitats Alder creates along the waterways. Alder doesn’t like stagnant anaerobic water or severe prolonged flooding but prefers moving oxygenated water and is associated with plants of fertile soil due its nitrogen-fixing properties. In a mixed wood it associates itself with Lime, Birch, Chestnut and Hornbeam growing in soils varying from 3.3ph- 7.3ph.

There are three main woodland types of Alder:
Fen- low level ground on floodplains of rivers and streams.
Valley- Growing along narrow fringes to streams or climbing flushed slopes especially in Western Britain.
Plateau- level uplands often on a watershed. Alder generally will colonise new sites, its seeds dispersed by water and to a lesser extent wind.

As land has been drained for farming the Alder tree has suffered and although it can grow in drier soils its seed needs a prolonged period in water to germinate.
Our wetlands and ancient woodlands suffered immensely in the enclosure acts of 1750- 1850, the wild uncultivated areas seen as an affront to progressive civilisation. The huge commons and wetlands such as the fens were affected and the landless poor suffered. The rural workers of our countryside that understood the land intimately are no different from the indigenous tribes across the world who were removed or denied access to their way of life.
A poet whose life was intricately linked with the time of the enclosure acts was John Clare, whose poetry implores us to care and love nature:

'And long, my dear valleys, long, long may ye flourish, Though rush-beds and thistles, make most of your pride; May showers never fail the green’ s daisies to nourish, Nor suns dry the fountain that rills by its side.
Your flat swampy valleys unwholesome may be; Still, refuse of nature, without her adornings
Ye are as dear as this heart in my bosom to me. '
John Clare (1793- 1864) 

Folklore of Alder

Alder, the van of warrior bands for thereof are the shields. Shield of warrior bands.
Protector of the heart, the shield.
Guardian of milk.
Book of Ballymote 1391

The Alder is a beautiful tree which can develop into a large canopy tree up to 70ft high. In the spring the tree is striking producing reddish brown catkins and at the same time is laden with last year’s tiny black cones.
Fringing wetland habitats it stands as Spring goddess of fertility and hope which is perhaps why the Norsemen called March ‘Lenct’ ( to become Lent) which means ‘the lengthening month of the Alder’.
The Alder is often thought of as a Faery or Elemental tree, an axis from which the elements flow and form. Here are the ways it connects to the four elements:
Water- forms a valuable habitat known as ‘carr’ supporting much wildlife on wetlands or beside rivers and lakes.
Fire- Alder wood does not burn especially well but produces hot charcoal and gunpowder
Earth- The tree roots into the ground fixing nitrogen salts therefore enriching the soil around it.
Air- It has ‘Royal’ purple buds, the colour of the raven and therefore connects the tree to the raven-headed giant Bran or the Irish Goddess known as the Morrigawn who also takes the form of the raven. Both deities have oracular powers of prophecy and protect the land from invaders. The wood has also been used to make whistles and pipes.
The kennings above instantly connect Alder to the shield which is made from Alder and the Willow, both trees of the water ways. The Lime tree was also used for making shields. This is due to the wood needing to be light, strong and flexible.

Alder at the front line that foraged first....
Cad Goddeu (Battle of the Trees) Book of Taliesin 14 Century

The quote above puts Alder at the front line in battle and in Celtic times it was the warrior’s shield that went first into the battle. The courage needed to walk forward into a horde of armoured warriors must have been immense. That same courage can be used to face difficult times and emotions. The courage to sit with your feelings rather than fill your time with exciting pursuits is as difficult as any expedition to the North Pole!
This courage and the quality of not shrinking from a fight is further enhanced by Iubdan the leprachaun from the Ancient Irish Tales (T.P. Cross & C.Slover 1936) mentioned in previous articles:

Alder, very battle witch of all woods, tree that is hottest in the fight...

Although the two key deities associated with Alder (Bran and Morrigawn) are ferocious in battle they are ultimately guardians of the land. It is not therefore about shrinking from a fight but more about standing up for what you believe in and doing righteous action. This is explored in many Mythological texts as doing what is right is sometimes contradicting what you may feel is ethical.

Bran went into battle because his beloved daughter was being mistreated and his severed head ended up being buried at White Hill in London to protect the land from invasion.
The ravens are there to do his bidding and if ever they are to leave Britain will fall. The ravens currently reside at the Tower of London which brings this story into current times.
Bran is considered to be a formidable giant in Welsh mythology and as discussed in the Rowan booklet therefore puts him in that role of protecting our sacred land. In the stories he is depicted as a moving landscape of wood, mountain and lake bringing alive that incredible power recognised by the Celts of the land itself.
The female counterpart in Irish mythology is the Morrigawn who in the First Battle of Moytura guards the land with unstoppable malice:

‘We will put an enchantment on the trees, and the stones and sods of the earth, and they will rise up and be an armed host against the fomor and put them to rout’

This image of the very earth itself coming alive and swallowing an army reaches into a primal memory of the earth’s power in the form of volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis.
In the stories we can see how these battles are connected to the very sanctity of the land. When invaders actions work in harmony with the land, new plains and rivers form and when the land is not considered, chaos is ensured!
This is maybe why the Roman armies confounded the Celts over a long period of time for their warfare cared not for the landscape or for acts of valour as heroic deeds were second to mechanical warfare and the land was utilised in whatever way the battle could be won.
This again brings us back to the guardians of the earth in Celtic stories for although they are formidable and take the form of terrifying beasts at times, their loyalty is to safeguard the land and test the heart’s strength and purity.

In the Rowan article I mention the Morrigawn’s prophesy of what is to come and it is she that proclaims in the second battle of Moytura:

Green growth after Spring, Autumn increase of horses,
A company for the land, land with trade to its furthest shore; May it be mighty forested, perpetually sovereign.
Peace high as heaven, life eternally.

The Alder is considered to be the male counterpart to the Willow as they both preside over our waterways nourishing and supporting this vital system. The male aspect is further enforced in the trees’ association with warriors.

The wood, as already discussed, was used to make a shield, and a fiery red dye obtained from the bark called ‘roeim’ (that which reddens the face) may have been used like woad to strike fear into the enemy. In the Welsh triads they speak of crimson-stained Warriors of the Alder Cult. Dyes can also be obtained from the flowers (green) and the twigs (brown).

O Alder, thou art not hostile delightful is thy hue, thou art not rending and prickling
in the gap wherein thou art.
Frenzy of Mad Sweeney 1200 Irish texts society.

However let us also acknowledge the more gentle aspect to Alder and the waterways as the Morrigawn calls for peace in the Battle of Moytura, and Sweeney (above) sings the Alder’s praises.
The third Kenning from the book of Ballymote refers to Alder as the ‘protector of the heart’. The shield after all is first and foremost for protection (of the heart) encouraging us to go forth and is not a weapon as such.
The earth energy does indeed erupt and remind us how insignificant we all are but also reminds us of the small acts of courage and compassion that change the world. It is in the humble plants of natural regeneration explored in the Birch booklet we must put our trust. Nature’s answers may seem ridiculously simple but are most effective.
I was overjoyed to witness an osprey flying over the wetlands of Arundel, West Sussex last year and this year the explosion of blossom,
flocks of song birds and larger birds of prey has cheered my heart. There is much room for improvement but the conservation movement is now more effective than it has ever been.
Wetlands are prized by a nation of birdwatchers. Britain is a major refuge for winter migrating birds as they especially flock here in extreme winters. One of our largest inland wetlands, the Somerset levels, sheltered up to 50,000 widgeon and 70,000 lapwings in the winters of 2010/11. Some species are rising whilst others are in decline due to wider issues but most certainly we are learning to care for these important habitats. 

The Uses of Alder

The Latin ‘Alnus’ may have been derived from the phrase ‘Alor Amne’- I am nourished by the stream.
The leaves can help relieve weary feet and put into duvets and cushions etc., to give rheumatic relief. The leaves can also be used to tan leather and the bark can be placed on burns and inflammations including the neck if inflamed.
Alder wood is not durable unless immersed in water so is an ideal wood for water pipes, troughs, canal lock gates etc. Much of Venice is built on Alder piles and the wood in Britain would have been used as foundations for ‘Crannogs’- villages built on waterways in ancient times.
The further exploration of waterways, and the history of woods will continue as we explore the beauty of willow and the role she plays in the landscape in the next booklet.
May nature continue to inspire you. 

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In this article we will explore the meaning of the Celtic Festival of Beltaine. 
For a more detailed exploration of British traditions and Celtic Spirituality you may which to explore the Woodland Bard Course and support valuable Conservation work.

It is the hawthorn tree ( pictured above) which is the traditional marker of May, a guardian tree associated with the Sidhe/faerie folk and the fertility of the land. Beltaine is a time of great celebration, our ancestors who lived so much of their lives outdoors would have taken great delight in this time.
 
At one time all fires would be allowed to go out and one central fire would be lit in the spiritual centre of the land ( Tara in Ireland for instance) then all other fires would be lit from it, the soul of the land awakening across the tribes. The main fire would become two and the cattle would be driven between them for purification. The great celebration would begin in earnest, the maypole erected as a phallic symbol of the fertility of the land. May Queens would weave garlands decorated with hawthorn blossom expecting to be courted by the men.
Large fires, parades, dancing and singing would celebrate Beltaine which is the beginning of the summer and the fruition of the green world. This was the natural time  for couples to be hand-fasted ( the marriage of two souls bound together by 5 cords of love representing the 5 elements, the essence of all life).
This would be further consecrated as the two newlyweds would go into the woods and share their love. The idea of there being a special time for love-making which the green world supported and rejoiced in, meant an excitement filled the air and couples could let go. This almost allowed it to have an air of innocence, a youthfulness unfolding of the twinning of souls as the High King of the green world symbolically mated with the sovereignty of the land. This union of souls never need be restricted by gender as men join with men and women with women expressing their male and female  aspects in ways that feels right for the individual.
 
Beltaine Fire Ritual.
 
Taine means fire and Bel is either the name of a great Celtic God or a name meaning shining or brilliant. The core of its meaning therefore is a fire for the Otherworld, the bright realms and this is a time where you can enter heightened states of knowledge of the inner worlds.
 
An altar of flowers, herbs, leaves and barks can be a focal point. Light the fire or candle and invite the joy of summer to enter your life, the adventurous teenager exploring their new awakenings of soul. If practical you can jump over the fire or candle individually or as a couple for purification and good intentions. An alternative is to jump over a broom stick laid on the ground or held low by two people. As the person or couple jumps they can feel a sense of going through an exciting threshold in their life and invite new growth to transform them. Whilst jumping the rest of the group can chant:
 
“Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the broomstick”

Although you can celebrate Beltaine at home and on your own as you can with all the other festivals, it is a good time to be with others and out in the countryside around you.
 Celebrate, be merry and enjoy this threshold of the year, though remember the door to the Bright Realms is wide open at this time just as it is in Samhain, so do not allow your merriment to run too far away with you. Surround yourself with good caring people and warm friendly souls.

Rowan-  Tree of wild magic

In this article we will explore the folklore, history and ecology of the Rowan tree. 
For a more detailed exploration visit the Tree Folklore Course and support valuable Conservation work.

A bird flies over a steep mountainside and drops a Rowan seed that lands in a rock crevice which sprouts and gives life to a tree with creamy white clusters of flowers and bright red berries. Aptly named mountain ash the rowan is the  tree that grows higher up a mountainside than any other native tree. It is not related to ash but shares the same feather-like leaves created by numerous leaflets on the same stalk.
 
Various insects feed on its flowers and song birds including thrushes, redwings and fieldfares flock to feast on its berries. The Rowan truly is a delight of the eye and a tree worth exploring.
 The native Rowan is a tree of the wild uninhabited cold places of Britain. It grows on the windswept cliffs of the river Wye and Scotland producing scarlet red berries which birds gorge upon, and beautiful white flowers which insects feed from.
 
In old stories it is guarded by giants and offers a bridge to the land of promise and eternal youth to one who dares approach it. For the Rowan stands as a threshold guardian, afeared by those with a tainted heart, the paramount tree of the Druids, Witches and Magicians, a protector of the green world whose use can bring joy or sorrow depending on who implements its magic!

The Sorbus family to which rowan belongs is both fascinating and beautiful just like its stories of magic. You can see how it stands as a guardian, almost like a beacon of hope out on those unforgiving landscapes offering flower, fruit and shelter where there is little on offer. A very different species from the cultivated tree often seen in parks, roundabouts or roadsides.

Its family include Britain’s rarest tree, the True Service Tree or Whitty Pear ( S.domestica) and the Wild Service (S.torminalis) which has more maple-like leaves and small pear-like fruits. In addition to these species there up to 18 rare or endemic species of Whitebeam (S.aria) specific to a range of places from Devon to the Wye valley and the Isle of Arran to Wales and Ireland.

Folklore of the Rowan

Delight of the eye is Mountain Ash, owing to the beauty of its berries.
Delight of the eye.
Strength or friend of cattle, the Elm.
Strength of cattle.
Book of Ballymote 1391
 
Rowan is a natural progression from the study of Birch, both dominating trees in Scotland and both abundantly praised by the poets. 

Oisin, old and blind, and compelled to fast, asked a swine-herd , to guide him to a certain rowan tree, that he may feast on its berries.
Irish texts society translation David Nutt 1908
 
 A common theme explored in Celtic folklore is retiring to the woods at a certain stage in life. This seems to be a universal theme as Hindus recognise in their old age a period of time also to retire to the Forest which is representative of a time to contemplate and enjoy the fruits of the inner worlds now the body is ageing.
Maybe this is why in the stories Rowan berries bestow youth to old age. Old age can be celebrated  as a re-birth into the realms of the inner landscape, the soul or Tir na nOg, the land of youth.
 
Traditionally this knowledge of the soul is guarded well and to continue with the story of Diarmaid and Grainne (mentioned in the Birch article) the tree of Dubhros that they encounter is guarded by Searbhan Lochlannach, a baleful giant who can only be killed by his own club!
 
This theme of protection continues in the story of the Faery Rowan- tree:
 
‘No mortal may take a berry that grows on it... Fergus will have to guard this tree until he gets one who will guard it for him’
 
Interestingly enough it is a giant, Crom Duv, whom Fergus finds to continue the guardianship. He has a herd of goats and while guarding the tree obtains a herd of cattle. When Crom Duv takes his cattle to new pastures the faery Rowan is guarded by the Bull of the Mound and twenty- four fierce yellow cats!
 
These common themes link us back to the opening kennings of this section which may be the essence of the tree in Celtic folklore. The kennings connect us to its beauty, and the use of  the word ‘eye’ probably is referring to an inner beauty or inner gaze. The kennings also connect us to the land through their mention of cattle.
 
Cattle were a status symbol, a currency as well as a symbol of the fecundity of the land. Beef would have been a luxurious meat for feasts as the herd were of such value both for milk and blood. Farming was a key to a more stable, richer way of life as each person knew their dependency upon it, creating a sacredness of farm animals.
 
It is the swineherd that guides the great hero Oisin in his old age, the bull that protects the tree and the cattle and pigs which are featured in so many Celtic stories.
 
Today domestic livestock still have a positive effect on the land maintaining old meadows, moors and downs as well as providing meat. This relationship between people, the land and animals was paramount to our ancestors.
 
This means that the Rowan in folklore has a key status in the health and well-being of the land. This is further enhanced in the ritual of Tarbh Feis, which is sometimes used to divine the future King. The seer/poet spends the night on a platform made of rowan wrapped in a bull skin.
Again this connection of the Rowan and cattle.
 
The Elm is also mentioned in the kennings and it is a tree that would have been used for fodder, providing food for cattle. The Elm’s presence in the landscape  can be seen in paintings like the Hay Wain by Constable, or in Brighton, East Sussex where its majesty continues in the living landscape shining like a guardian of the countryside.
 
The third element coming into play is the King who played a key role as a caretaker of the ancient land, for a good reign would bring good health to crops and animals.
 
The giants guarding the tree represent the oldest inhabitants of the land, the raw energy of the green world and its protection above all else; a world where we protect the wealth of the land passionately, where our heroes look to the farmers, crops and animals with loyal passion; where our kings wish to adhere to Nature’s laws above all else and show respect to the wise female elders; and where the sacred trees are honoured as guardians. This is the message of Rowan and is needed now more than ever!
 
 Delightful and Sinister.
 
Rowan, as already discussed, is said to be a guardian of the land and therefore should be respected. The faery Rowan tree had to be protected, for Fergus had unwittingly dropped the berry that created it instead of eating it rather like birds do as they pass over. Natural trees belong in the landscape and most definitely should be protected. This is a common theme in Celtic stories but maybe has a practical concept of preserving that which is important.
 
Nature has two sides to it which balances the web of life. The contrast of prey and predator, new life and death etc... It is only a human concept that labels certain things as good or bad. The Rowan therefore has both a reputation of being both delightful and sinister.
 
Suibhne Geilt the legendary File (vision poet),speaks of Rowan with affection as does the leprachaun Iubdhan also from Irish tales:
 
O quicken, little berried one, delightful is thy bloom..
Frenzy of Mad Sweeney 1200 Irish texts society.
 
The graceful tree with the berries, the wizards’ tree, the rowan burn...
Iubdhan the leprachaun
 
This tree is a delight to those who have a love of nature and magic, and its wood and berries are considered to be protective and lucky charms. However we do hear of witches fearing the rowan and of malevolent spells but is this a later idea of labelling magic and wise old women as sinister?
 
In older stories however we also have these references such as when the great Ultonian hero Cu Chulainn meets his death:
 
Then he saw three crones blind of the left eye, before him on the road.
They had cooked on spits of Rowan tree a dog with poisons and spells.
 
In the tales of Fionn McCuaill he also faces phantoms who cook on spits of Rowan. However the concept of ugly crones in Celtic stories can be seen as the power of older age and the wisdom that is not apparent in the modern world of  more shallow glamour.
This theme continues in both old tales and in more modern children’s stories as heroes, princes and kings are tested by more sinister looking women who when revealing their true heart radiate an inner beauty undimmed by time.
 
This takes us back again to the responsibilities of those in power acknowledging the more feminine and wiser aspects of nature and what happens when she is not honoured.
It is the same crones that bring doom to Cu Chulainn known as the Morrigawn that prophesies:
 
I shall not see a world that will be dear to me.
Summer without flowers,
Kine will be without milk,
Women without modesty,
Men without valour,
Captures without a king,
Woods without mast,
Sea without produce.
 
Irish Texts Society
 
 The Uses of Rowan
 
Rowan wood has a yellow tinge and is strong and flexible.
Traditionally it was used to make tool handles and for smaller carved items. It is possible that like Whitebeam it was also used to make bows.
 
Medicinally rowan bark is used for treating diarrhoea and its berries for sore throats.

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Folklore of Birch  

In this article we will explore the folklore, history and ecology of the birch tree. 
For a more detailed exploration visit the Tree Folklore Course and help support valuable Conservation work.

​Our ancestors were probably more interested in the uses of trees and what their natural roles reflected and added to their world rather than their classification. The way in which folklore informs the more scientific and practical research of more modern times continues to fascinate me.
 
As late as the 1950s our scientific identification books were punctuated with poems, and the romanticism of plants was not yet admonished by the scrutiny of cold mechanical conservation movements or science.
 It seemed after the ‘hippy’ era of the 60s and 70s the conservation movement wished to divorce itself from the veneration of nature in order  to take itself more seriously when challenged by economic reasoning.
 
However, when the planting of conifers in ancient woodland destroyed valuable habitats as well as making little financial contribution to the economy, it became apparent that science, conservation and the veneration of nature can all grow hand in hand and even make financial sense.
 
 Often the considerations of tradition and the welfare of individual species and habitats go hand in hand with a more viable and effective land use. The Forestry Commission has long-since reviewed its mission to create home-grown timber at the detriment of the very woodlands that provide it.
 
 So let us explore the Birch now through the eyes of our ancestors and see what we can learn.
 Originally knowledge was remembered orally as we have already explored in the form of story and poetry. It is likely these poems and stories were remembered and re-remembered at seasonal gatherings throughout the year. Skills were learnt from generation to generation and transmitted by word of mouth as the most effective way of practice.
Probably every child knew the properties of Birch for instance from rhymes, songs or stories.
 
In a log-burning rhyme it is stated:
 
‘Birch logs will burn too fast, chestnut scarce at all.’
 
 In an old Irish story a deeper meaning is given to the burning of Birch as we enter the world of metaphor, poetry and more subtle understandings:
 
‘The birch as well if he be layed low, promises abiding fortune.
Burn up most surely and certainly the stalks that bear the constant pods.’
 
The above verse is from an old Irish tale and is uttered from the leprachaun Iubdan who speaks of the importance of knowing which trees to burn. These snippets of lore demonstrate both an intimate and respectful relationship with trees based on an understanding that we are dependent on each individual species for different reasons.
 
 Characteristics of Birch
 
‘O Birch small and blessed thou melodious proud one,
Delightful each intertwining branch on the top of thee crown.’
 
Frenzy of Mad Sweeney 1200 Irish texts society.
 
‘The birch in its great beauty was delayed donning his armour,
Thou not out of cowardice but rather from its greatness...’
 
Cad Goddeu (Battle of the Trees) Book of Taliesin 14th-century
 
We now enter the world where the trees are wise old sages that can guide us through life. Their language is the deep silence and their form and movement are the expression of who they are and what they represent to us, whether it is the beauty of the spring Birch grove, the Willow bending and flowing with the waters of life or the solid old Oak giving life and protection to all that shelter under it.
 
The first extract above is from a poem which conveys a love of these sacred forms, in this case attributed to Suibhne Geilt, a ‘file’, an Irish vision poet who has immersed himself in the lore of the forest. The second extract is from a fourteenth century Welsh manuscript attributed to the famous Welsh bard Taliesin.
 
We hear in many stories of archetypal heroes and shamanic figures who finish life under the boughs of the trees obtaining the fruition of great knowledge from a well-lived life .
 
Gentle strength and fond love.
 
The Birch in folklore represents a fond love as well as being the tree of birth, initiation and gentle strength. Imagine yourself in the Birch grove allowing the flow of feelings and creative thought to arise. You see trees of silver bark and black branches, with dainty catkins and slender branches, and yet they grow in the harshest conditions and are the first to colonise. *n.b. It is important to acknowledge a tree like the Oak may well colonise a given area first but is slower growing and therefore not noticed in the early stages.
 
In the spring the leaves unfurl in a delicate bright green and its sap when tapped is refreshing and healing. It is discovered the cylindrical trunks of what we now call ‘silver’ birch ( Tennyson was the first to describe her thus) are ideal to make cots for new- born babies and the stiffer branches of the downy birch ideal for brooms. The tiny twigs and its bark both contain volatile oil which is perfect to light a new fire. The bark can also water proof roofs and make containers. All of these practical qualities paint a picture of a gentle tree of new beginnings, strong and dynamic and yet graceful and short-lived like the sting of young love.
 
The Ogham name Beithe means being, or a Being, and the Birch grove in ancient stories and traditions is a place to connect with Other-worldly visitors. This connection is further enhanced as it is said to be the first Ogham inscription that was written to warn Lugh Lamfada that his wife was being taken to faerie land.


Birch being the first letter inscription also makes sense when we also realise that the first books may have been created and written on Birch bark. An example of this is preserved in the Bodleian library in the form of the Bakhshali manuscript dating from the 3rd or 4th century inscribed on 70 pieces of Birch bark.
 
The Birch is the tree of the North where the landscape is dramatic, windswept and icy cold. It decorates the great lochs of Scotland and its graceful gentle presence belies its hardy tenacious manner.
This quality may have helped our ancestors to reflect on the power of gentleness, the ability to have courage in a gentle yet persistent way. To start afresh or to begin a new venture or even a new way of being takes an unyielding strength, the strength of gentleness. For gentleness allows us the freedom to go forth at our own pace forgiving any mistakes we make.
 
This ‘gentle persistence’ is reflected in Birch due to the fact it was the first tree to appear after the last Ice Age, and still today has a continuous presence in the Scottish Lochs that has lasted over 9000 years.
Further south in England is a wood called ‘Birkland’ in Sherwood forest whose name implies the Vikings recognised it as a Birch wood over a thousand years ago. 
 
 Falling in love speaks of this gentleness, for it takes such courage to be tender and exposed, to trust, and allow another soul to touch your own. Diarmaid and Grainne shelter in the birch grove for protection from the jealous rage of Fionn McCuail; this is a beautiful tale of unconquerable love. As Diarmaid and Grainne fled across Ireland they built Dolmens at each place they spent the night. Dolmens are two massive lime stones parallel to each other over which is placed a third stone, the cap stone, creating a crude kind of shelter. Still today you can see the Dolmens all across Ireland which the locals still call the “bed of Diarmaid and Grainne”, bringing the passion of love into the landscape for eternity just like Birch.
These qualities are put into words in the poem below:
 
While leaves were green, I gave
Veneration to my sweetheart’s leafy bower.
Sweet it was awhile my love,
To live under the birch grove,
Sweeter still to clasp fondly
Hidden together in our woodland hide,
Strolling together by the sea shore,
Lingering together by the wood shore,
Planting birches together, goodly task!
Weaving the branches together,
Love-talking to my slender girl.
 
An innocent occupation for a girl-
To stroll the forest with her lover,
To mirror expressions, to smile together,
To live together kindly, drinking mead,
To repose together, to celebrate love,
To keep love’s secret cordon, covertly:
Truly, I have no need to tell you more.
 
Anon 14th Century. (Featured in The Book of Celtic Verse by John Matthews)
 
It is in the Birch grove Diarmaid and Grainne consolidate their love and begin their adventure together.
 
Ecology of Birch.
 
Mature Birch wood is often a light airy place supporting a myriad of many types of fungi (Beech wood is also great for fungus). It casts little shade and one can often observe redpolls and tits flitting and feeding amongst the canopy. These birds will use the seed as a food source and the leaves are a food source for the mottled umber caterpillar.

There are two classes of flora for Birch wood:
 1. Blaeberry (Vaccinium mrytillus) rich Birchwood
 2. Herb-rich Birchwoods with a grassy floor.
 
There are also two main species of Birch in Britain and a third species specialist to  the Scottish Highlands:

1/ Betula pendula, Silver Birch  
2/ Betula pubescens, Downy Birch.
3 / Betula nana, Dwarf Birch (specialist species of the Scottish Highlands).
 
The main two Birches were formally recognised in 1791 as mentioned in the introduction.
The Downy Birch is more associated with ancient woodlands, has stiffer twigs which do not droop (better for brooms) and leaves which have less ragged teeth and are hairy on the underside with a triangular base.

The Silver Birch is more associated with wood pasture and is more useful for timber due to a more cylindrical trunk. Its branches droop and its leaves have a straight base and are not hairy.

In Scotland and in other parts of Britain, Birch has many uses. Commercially it was used for reels and bobbins as well as the commonest fuel used for the ironworks in the weald. Locally its bark was used for roofing and making shampoo.
  
Herbal remedies.
 
Birch sap collected in March can be used for kidney/bladder stones and rheumatic diseases as well as for a cleansing mouthwash and is excellent for the skin.
Birch bark can be used as diuretic, antiseptic and anaesthetic enabling nerve endings to lose sensations and relieve muscle pain.
Birch leaves help cystitis and are an excellent diuretic, mouthwash and can help dissolve kidney and bladder stones. They can also offer relief from rheumatism and gout.
 
Simply dry the leaves in brown paper bags and add a heaped teaspoon to a cup of boiled water to make an infusion. Please consult a qualified herbalist before using any herbal concoction as you may have an adverse reaction to plants you are not used to.
 
Our journey with Birch has come to an end or should I say a new beginning for us to explore even further. The next tree is the Rowan who will take us further into the Greenwood and teach us more about woodland history, ecology and folklore.
 
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Spring Time 20th march- 30th April ( extract from the Woodland Bard Course )
 
Spring has arrived, the light is balancing the darkness and the green world is truly awakening from its deep slumber. This is a time of activity, putting into action the dreams of winter. However this is also a time when we move forward with caution, the innocent infancy of Imbolc is now entering a world of infinite possibility and the decisions we make will affect the path we will take for the year.
 
However fear does not need to freeze us, as each journey is always a valuable experience.
 
Raw and chill is icy spring ,Cold sits on every wind.
On the sodden pool, ducks cry out, Eager is the harsh-shrieking crane.
From the wilderness Wolves scent morning prey, Birds rise from meadowed nest,
Many are the wild things of the wood, That they flee from out of the greening earth.
Anon. Irish poem, 11th Century, trans C.matthews.
 
The above verse conveys this darker side of spring, the loss of innocence as all awakens and the cold days still remind us of harsher times.
 
This is also captured in the Christian concept of Lent, for Spring can be a lean time as the winter stocks dwindle and early crops have not quite reached fruition indicating it is the natural time to fast and abstain.
Lent is from the Norse word 'Lenct'  which means the lengthening time of the Alder, a tree whose catkins are borne at this time of year along with the striking silver turning to gold willow catkins.

The woodland willow stands, a lonely bush of nebulous silver,
There the spring Goddess cowers in faint attire of frightened fire.  Robert Bridges 1844-1930
 
Both these trees are of the waterways as the Spring Goddess reveals herself in the ebb and flow of the rivers and in the waxing moon, coaxing new life into abundant growth. Water has a feminine quality and is a giver of new growth just like the young Goddess.
 
A spring celebration could include a Wicca basket (or any receptacle of your choice) of daffodils and other spring flowers as a focal point to celebrate the awakening of nature.
 
Now we can experience the awakening of nature representing the soul’s journey into adolescence allowing us to explore, create and enjoy the fecundity of the land and life.
 
Enjoy the beauty of spring through the eyes of a young soul in expectation of an adventurous and fruitful year.

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