The Magick of Trees

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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