Spirit Writer

The ash tree is prized for building and flexibility and has been used throughout time to make weaponry and useful household items. Spiritually, it has a special association in different cultures as being a tree of creation, destruction, and rebirth.  Some variations of the ash tree used in medicine and magic include the white, native to North America; the European, native to Europe; and the flowering, native to Europe and Asia. Ash in Northern European and Celtic Mythology In Northern European lore, the famed World Tree—Yggdrasill—may have been an ash or a yew. This tree is at the heart of the nine worlds. Each world has its own inhabitants, from Asgard as the realm of the gods and Midgard as the world most familiar to humankind; to Hel as the underworld and the subconscious. The creation, destruction, and rebirth of the worlds are woven into the mythology of Yggdrasill. Yggdrasill, public domain Wikimedia Commons In Celtic lore, the ash was sacred, especially to warriors...

The walnut tree has provided food and material used for healing since the Roman times. Its long association with witchcraft once made the tree an object of suspicion and fear. Modern witches, however, hold the tree sacred and use it in folk magic and herbal remedies following in the footsteps of their ancient counterparts. In much of Europe and Asia, the common walnut, also known as the English walnut, is widely cultivated for its delicious nuts. The most prevalent walnut trees in North America are the white or butternut walnut and the black walnut tree. Black Walnut. Credit: Jami Dwyer, Wikimedia Commons . Walnut Trees in Natural Medicine Besides being a favorite nut in baking recipes, the walnut itself contains the mineral manganese. Linda Rector Page, N.D., in Healthy Healing: A Guide to Self-Healing for Everyone relates that one of the many benefits of manganese is supporting the brain and nerve centers. It also helps eliminate fatigue and nervous conditions. The le...

The willow tree has been used medicinally and magically in cultures nearly worldwide. The Salix alba or white willow bending over lakes and ponds is what is most commonly associated with this tree. However, there are approximately 300 species within this genus in the form of trees and shrubs. Willow, long considered a natural pain reliever. Photo credit Werner22brigitte, Pixabay Willow in Natural Medicine In the New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses , author Deni Bown relates that the anti-rheumatic properties of this plant are recorded on clay tablets of the Sumerian period as early as the 4th millennium BC. Bown also states willow was once a tree associated with grief in England where garlands of the leaves were worn in honor of departed loved ones. Willow is considered a natural aspirin alternative. In fact, the active ingredient in aspirin is the synthetic acetylsalicylic acid, which is a derivative of salicylic acid in willow. Its pain-relieving and fever-reducing...

Happy Midsummer, Summer Solstice or Litha.  By whatever name you call the holiday and however you celebrate may you have a beautiful summer season. I've always loved Lisa Thiel's voice.  I found this tune on YouTube in honor of Litha.  Enjoy! © Trish Deneen

*Previously published elsewhere; see note at end of article. This information is based on my understanding and research done at the time of original publication.  Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments. The birch tree has many species including short trees and shrubs, but the two most well known are the tall white and paper (a.k.a. canoe) trees. The peeling bark was used to make paper and in the construction of canoes. The wood is used for household items such as items and kitchen ware. All parts of the tree have uses in natural medicine and magic. Birch Tree in Natural Medicine Birch tree drawing - By published by Ward, Lock, & Tyler of London [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Oil extracted from birch bark is astringent and used in healing severe skin conditions such as eczema. Tea made from fresh leaves is used in breaking up small kidney stones. Tea made with either young leaves or the inner bark is used for rheumatic conditions and as a sleep...

Pentacle. Photo credit:  Wikimedia, Public Domain The Georgian tradition is a branch of the Neo-Pagan, nature-based religion of Wicca. Its roots go back to the 1970s and include influences from older Wiccan traditions.  One of the stated goals from the Georgian Wicca website is to bring about understanding between different branches of Wicca and witchcraft. The Founder of Georgian Wicca This sect of the Craft takes its name from George Patterson, a World War II veteran who founded the tradition with Zanoni Silverknife and Tanith in 1970. The group became a legally recognized church in the state of California in 1971. Influence from British Traditional Wicca British Traditional Wicca is the term for those Wiccan traditions that can trace their lineage back to the New Forest area of England. While Georgian Wicca cannot claim this lineage, it is heavily influenced by BTW in that it is an oath-bound initiatory path. Some of the sources drawn from to develop the Geo...

  Pentacle.  Photo credit:  Public domain, Wikimedia . Note: This information is based on my understanding and research done at the time of original publication which has been several years.  Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.  The closest I've come to working with a traditional Wiccan coven is a Georgian Wiccan group.  They were great people, though I decided this wasn't the path for me. ******************** British Traditional Wicca or BTW as it is commonly shortened to is a term that refers to branches of the Neo-Pagan religion Wicca that have origins in the New Forest area of England. Origins of Wicca Wicca is a nature-based, mystery religion that combines ancient and modern spiritual concepts. Gerald Gardner, a former British civil servant and folklorist, is credited with bringing Wicca to the public eye in the 1950s with publication of his book Witchcraft Today . He claimed to have been initiated into a coven of wi...