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![]() "The noble willow burn not, a tree sacred to poems; within his bloom bees are a-sucking, all love the little cage." - Ellen Evert Hopman Most willows grow and thrive close to water and because of this, the willow's theme is closely linked to the moon, sorcery, and the Underworld. The willow and water are intimately bound and affected by the moon and the moon is closely associated with feminine energies and sorcery. For example, Hecate, the powerful Greek goddess of the moon and of willow, also taught sorcery and witchcraft. The willow muse, Heliconian, was sacred to poets and the Greek poet Orpheus carried willow branches with him on his adventures in the Underworld. Willow is also closely linked to poets, bards, and musicians. In the Celtic world, social castes were similar to those of the Hindu caste system we see today. The only difference is a family could improve their standing through further knowledge and learning. The catch, however, is if you were at the bottom of the caste system, you would have to pay to make a contract with local land owners in agreement that you would work so your grandchildren could move up in the social caste, not you. Musicians and poets are the only group of people who are fluid within this caste system. A poet or a musician could travel anywhere he/she liked through their artistic abilities. This made poets and their connect to the willow incredibly special to the Celts. Lore states the poets would often take their harps and sit in the cage of the willow branches for inspiration. They would use trance to travel to the Underworld and retrieve inspiration to bring back with them through song and poems. The willow trees association with the moon, poets, and inspiration also symbolized renewal, growth, vitality, and immortality. Willow's ability to quickly regrow from cut tree branches, growing several feet in one season only supported this symbolism of regeneration. The willow did not symbolize grief until Christianity swept Europe. You are more familiar with the herbal uses of willow than you realize. Our modern day aspirin is actually synthesized from willow bark. For centuries, our indigenous peoples have been making teas, salves, and poultices with willow for pain relief, to reduce fever and inflammation, and hair growth. "Willow is above all a healer with a gentle touch." - Ellen Evert Hopman Native Americans call her "the whispering one" because of the way the breeze plays through her branches. In Celtic traditions, she is associated with the harp and the soul of a poet. Music played on the willow harp has the ability to transport our minds from seeing the mundane to otherworldly beauty in the world around us. She heals our spiritual pain and she heals our body. She inspires us with her melody and gentle touch. Today, you can find different varieties of willow all over the Northern Hemisphere, but the best willow for human consumption is the white willow. Grow Forage Cook Ferment Info has information to use when foraging willow and trying recipes for the first time. Woodward Bard has also shared his interpretation of lore and mythology through story. You can find his video, here. Resources: Trees for Life - treesforlife.org.uk Ogma Trees - ogmatrees.com A Druids Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine - Ellen Evert Hopman
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AuthorCaitlin is a full-time special education teacher with a penchant for the wyrd. When she isn't hanging out with the coolest kids, she's out in her garden tending to her herbs or frolicking with her 2 goats, 40 chickens, 6 ducks, 2 turkeys, 2 dogs, and 6 cats. She understands it's a hoarding situation at this point, but life is too short to worry about boring things like that. Archives
May 2024
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