The World Tree, Tree of Life ~ February 18th - March 17th. The Ash is central to the beliefs of many ancient world cultures and is thought to be the tree from which the essence of humankind originated.

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The World Tree, Tree of Life ~ February 18th - March 17th

The Ash is native to Northern Europe and the British Isles. It thrives in damp, lime-rich soil and is one of the main trees to be found in lowland woods.  It is a graceful tree, with pale gey bark and feathery green leaves.

The Ash has strong mystical associations and is central to the beliefs of many world cultures, and is thought to be the tree from which the essence of humankind originated. It was of great magical importance to the ancient Irish.  In their early history it is said that five magical trees guarded the land, three of these were Ash, the others were Yew and Oak.  Saint Patrick is said to have driven all the serpents out of Ireland with the aid of an Ash stick.  To the Celtic people the serpent represented female earth energy and so to them this act of Saint Patrick's symbolized the banishment of the goddess from involvement in the affairs of humankind.

In Northern European legend the Ash is seen as the Great World Tree.  Yggdrasill, the Enchanted Ash, marked the centre of the universe around which everything flowed.  In Scandinavia the goddesses, the Three Norns, dispensed justice from beneath the sacred Ash, and the Greek goddess Nemesis also carried an Ash branch as an instrument of divine justice on behalf of the gods.

The Vikings believed that the first man was born of Ash and it was a strong influence on their travels, the Ash being connected with water and the sea.  Both the Welsh and the Irish used Ash for oars, and sailors carried an equal-armed cross of ash to protect them at sea.  It is sacred to Poseidon whose palace is beneath the ocean.

Ash is considered one of the best woods for making spears and a staff of Ash was said to protect against malign influences.  It eventually replaced the birch as the Maypole, becoming the symbol of the creative life-giving energy of the sun god, instead of a celebration of the virgin goddess, as it once was.

To the Druids the Ash held the key to universal truth. It is the Tree of Balance and the marriage of opposites, and links our inner and outer worlds.  Ruled by the male energy of the sun, it has a special relationship with the female element of water.  The Druids represented these different levels of existence as "Three Circles of Being" - Abred, Gwynedd and Ceugant, translated into trinities such as Past, Present and Future; Physical, Mental and Spiritual; Chaos, Balance and Creative Force.

Through their understanding of Universal Order the Celts discovered a deep sense of belonging and a purpose for their existence.  Our modern and hectic daily life is usually far removed from the cycles and forces of the natural world and can often seem empty of any real purpose.  We should be encouraged to consider the role of the past in creating the present so that we can appreciate the many ways of positive thought, and the action can help create a better future.  Through a process of balancing and marrying opposites we, like the Ash, can achieve harmony within ourselves.

Colour White  Planets The Sun & Neptune  Stone Turquoise  Polarity Feminine  Elements Air & Water

Deities Odin, Nemesis, Poseidon, Neptune

Balance + Harmony  Universal Order  Power of Positive Thought  Sea Power