Holly, Ilex aquifolium is a small evergreen tree with glossy, spiny leaves that more often is seen as a shrub than a tree as they tend to grow fairly slowly. They have small white four petaled flowers which ripen into red berries. Most people are familiar with the appearance of holly because it is associated with winter holidays, though Christians are not the only ones to bring evergreen boughs into the home during the winter season. The sun-return has been celebrated at midwinter with evergreen holly and pine boughs representing vitality, renewal, and protection since neolithic times.

Magical/Lore

I associate Holly with the letter T, the third ogham along the top branch of the dolman. Tinne is a tree of defense and protection. Its spiny leaves ward off predators. It can be used not only for protection, but for help in the fight to maintain one's boundaries – sometimes it is necessary to take action by setting hard limits to overcome disputes and obstacles. When we are being treated indecently and unfairly, we become forced to take matters into our own hands to address a situation or person. Tinne teaches us that we must face confrontations with courage and honesty, and with the knowing that we may win or lose, but above all to maintain our limits with grace. When we are pushed and become angry, we must be careful not to overcorrect when we act out of hurt and cause undue harm to others. The other side of this of course is having too little defense of your limits, resulting usually from low self-esteem or a lack of knowing oneself and one's needs. Giving someone chance after chance when they repeatedly treat you poorly, disrespect you, your space and your time erodes your own self-respect and people who treat you this way don’t deserve limitless chances. The word tinne in Irish means ingot, a piece of metal that can be melted, poured and shaped into many things, armor or a weapon, for example. Tinne can help us learn the discipline to create the defenses needed to protect oneself. 

Physical/Practical 

English Oak, Quercus robur, is known for its characteristic leaves with deep lobes, acorns, and deeply fissured bark. They are an important habitat and food source for numerous species of the forest. Its lumber is one of the hardest and most durable. In Utah we do see many species including English Oak and Bur Oak, but by far the most commonly seen species is Quercus gambelii, or scrub oak.

Magical/Lore

In Ogham, the Oak is known as Duir, a name derived from the Sanskrit word "Dwr," meaning "door." In British tradition, the Oak is revered as a world tree, a channel connecting different realms. While many spiritual practices acknowledge the Oak as the world tree, some Northern traditions identify it as the Ash, and others as the Olive. My personal journeys have revealed the world tree as a colossal Willow, reinforcing my invitation for individuals to explore Oghams firsthand. This encourages a connection with the trees that allows their ever-changing essence to be revealed, rather than strictly adhering to what is written in books.

Regardless of the specific tree, the world tree is universally depicted with intertwining roots and branches that form a circle, symbolizing the continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The branches extend into the upperworld, the roots delve into the lowerworld, and the trunk, representing the middleworld, acts as the pathway between these realms—where we reside. Trees absorb water and nutrients from the soil through their roots, connecting to the intricate mycorrhizal network. Their branches and leaves hold immense growth potential, converting sunlight into food that is then circulated back to the roots via the trunk, fostering further growth.

This intricate process mirrors the function of the world tree: the roots connect to the lowerworld, a reservoir of ancestral wisdom that provides knowledge and support to the middleworld. The branches and leaves symbolize the upperworld, representing the boundless potential of all manifestation. The trunk bridges these two realms, serving as a doorway, a conduit where the divine crown meets its roots, and where the fallen angel encounters the rising ape. Our past knowledge empowers and guides us as we navigate life, collapsing the quantum potentials of the upperworld into our physical reality. As humans, we are living, breathing participants in this process, embodying world trees ourselves, enveloped by a toroidal, donut-shaped energy field. Our feet ground us, our hands reach out, drawing inspiration to transform our surroundings. Our bodies house chakras, or energy centers, which draw latent energies from the earth and heavens to activate these centers. We are the Bifrost, the rainbow road.

Physical Properties:

Heather or Calluna vulgaris, is a member of the large Ericaceae family which also includes cranberry, blueberry, huckleberry (my favorite!), and rhododendron as well as heath plants. Heather is native to Europe, commonly known as a native plant in Scotland, but it grows throughout North America as well. The most common variety has purple flowers, though there are varieties in shades of white, red and pink and they have a sweet musky floral scent. Like Onn (Gorse/furze/broom), it is also considered to be a 'fire-plant' because it regrows readily after burning. In fact, regular controlled burning of shrubs like these keeps them healthy and vigorous. Unburned it becomes leggy, woody and ragged and doesn’t seed as well without the heat to help shock the plant into germination. It is another important source of food and shelter for many animals, birds and insects such as bees. In folk medicine heather is said to help those who have a lack of empathy or concern for others, perhaps this is a reflection of the role it serves its habitats in nature. The name calluna is derived from the Greek word “kallunein”, which means to sweep or cleanse, and indeed calluna is still used to make brooms and had been used as a medicine to “cleanse” the body and restore flow. 

Magical Properties & Lore: 

I associate Ura with the letter U, the third Ogham along the bottom branch, and the time of Midsummer, which occurs around June 21st - 24th, the longest day of the year. It is a time of celebrating the sun and all the ways which it affects and supports life on our planet. Midsummer is also another one of the five feasts of the goddess, and the watchwords for this festival are "I am the Queen of every hive" - this is a reference to bees and to the goddess, both of which are associated with Ura. In late spring and early summer, bees swarm when a new queen is born to the colony. The queen leaves the hive in search of a mate to ultimately propagate a new hive. She tests her potential mates, ducking and weaving and dancing, and those that successfully engage in this dance qualify for the honor of mating to produce a new brood. Throughout nature females are often the ones who choose the individuals they wish to mate with – and males are the ones brightly colored and adorned – as it is they who must impress the females and prove their value as a potential mate. After all, the male is involved but it is the female that is committed to the gestation, birthing and rearing of the offspring, so should it not be her choice when and with whom she mates? Mating practices differ widely from species to species, but in any case it is the female - or rather the divine feminine within us, regardless of gender - that is the representative of the goddess who chooses. The underlying concept here is choice and sovereignty (which we also learned from Hawthorn) – and from that choice, the decision to consummate the bond between two (or more) partners. In Celtic tradition the goddess represents divine sovereignty which teaches us not only to become sovereign in and of ourselves, but also to recognize and allow it in others. This is the mystery, the energy that Ura holds for us.

Willow, also called Sallows (broad leaf variants) and Osiers (narrow leaf shrub variant), are members of the Salix genus, Family: Salicaceae. The root of the Celtic name Sallie means "near water" and indeed this is where the willow tree is generally found. It has long, slender branches, tough but pliant wood, and large fibrous roots which readily regrow, making it an excellent candidate for coppicing/pollarding. Their leaves range in color from yellow-green, to red and even bluish tones. They are dioecious – male and female catkins occur on different plants. These catkins also serve as another important source of pollen early in the season for bees. 

Willow contains watery bark-sap rich in salicin, which is converted to salicylic acid in the body – a precursor molecule to the active ingredient in aspirin. Willow bark has long been used as a remedy for aches and fevers. Willow has also been used since neolithic times for building and crafting things – most notably the wattle and daub technique to build walls and fences, as well as in baskets, fish traps, and coracles. All techniques that use willow’s pliant but strong features to its advantage. Willow also has uses in bio-filtration – they can filter heavy metals and other impurities from water as well as helping to stabilize stream/river banks, slopes and other areas where soil erosion occurs thanks to their robust and tenacious root systems. 

The tree itself from afar looks like a fountain, its multiple trunks, branches and leaves rising up out of the ground, pulling energy up from the earth to spring up and flow outward and back down to the ground, providing a canopy of shade cover, protection, and to sit under one of these beautiful and strong trees confers a feeling of safety and calm. I have found the base of a willow to be the perfect safe space to process my grief and receive messages from my deep inner intuition. 

Straiff is associated with the Prunus species – Prunus spinosa or blackthorn. I associate it with the time in the wheel between mid-April and mid-May alongside Saille, the fourth ogham on the descending branch, and the letters St/Z because a wreath of blackthorn and its sister hawthorn (discussed next) are traditionally used to top a Beltane maypole. For this among other reasons, I place blackthorn here in the wheel. Blackthorn gets its name from its characteristic long thorns that protrude from dense, spiny branches with nearly black scaled bark. It grows more as a dense sprawling shrub than a tree, creating a thicket that serves as a home to many birds and other animals. Its creamy white five-petaled flowers become fruits known as ‘sloes’ which resemble small black plums. These are commonly used in jams, pies, and alcoholic beverages, the most well-known being sloe-gin. The wood itself is often used for making walking sticks and is the traditional choice for Irish shillelaghs. It does not grow naturally here in Utah but is closely related to more common species such as cherry plum, Prunus cerasifera and wild american plum, Prunus americana.

Huath (or Uath – either way the H is silent), is associated with the Crataegus species, the hawthorn tree, also known as thorn apple, quickthorn, whitethorn, may-flower and may-tree. I associate it with the time in the wheel between mid-May and early-June, the first ogham on the top branch, and the letter H. The white or pink flowers bear bright red berries which are useful sources of food and nectar for birds, butterflies, moths, etc. and are good for jams, jellies, liqueurs, juices, and teas. It is associated with Beltane, the beginning of Summer, and the month of May, which is when it blooms. In folklore it is considered unlucky to cut the tree when it is not in bloom, and it represents an entrance to the other-worlds and is associated with the Fae. They are sometimes found near wells and are used to tie clooties to – intentions or prayers written on strips of cloth and tied to a branch of the tree.

Fearn is associated with the Alnus species - the Alder tree. I associate it with the time in the wheel between the spring equinox and mid-April, the fourth ogham on the ascending branch, and the letter F or V. It is a member of the Betulaceae family along with Birch and is indeed another pioneer species that grows readily in bare ground, particularly in damp, cool areas such as marshes and wet woodland, and along streams and riverbanks - the liminal spaces between water and earth – where its roots help stop soil erosion. Its wood is fairly water resistant, so it does not burn well but is of use for smoking or charcoal. It is a great candidate for construction of bridge foundations due to is resistance to rotting in water.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Here in Utah we commonly see Alnus glutinosa or black alder, and Alnus tenuifolia also known as mountain alder or thin-leaf alder, and occasionally Alnus rubra, red alder in cool wet canyon areas. Its leaves are serrated similarly to its relative the birch, but the leaf itself is a wider, more rounded shape where birch is narrow. In the spring it produces male catkins - elongated flower clusters bearing pollen. Later in the year its shorter, smaller female catkins form which eventually become tiny woody seed-bearing cones called strobiles. These adorable tiny cones persist on the tree through the winter into the next growing season and can be very useful for winter identification. Its younger shoots are a beautiful red color which matures into gray and develops fissures as it ages.  

Alder holds the concepts of service, guidance, mentorship, connection and preservation. We see this as Alder’s moisture resistant wood helps mediate the effects of soil erosion and it works with the nitrogen fixing bacteria Frankia alni to make the ground more fertile for other plants to grow, and its bark contains medicinal compounds. It shows us that true service is about having the wisdom and ability to shift your perspective to see where it is appropriate put your own personal wants and needs aside... to contribute to the needs of the whole, the earth, the goddess, and the community. The magic of true service is that we can enable ourselves to receive the help we need through helping others. The energetic exchange of giving creates space and opens us up to receiving. This is divine service – the understanding that we are all smaller parts of a larger whole with something unique to contribute, and recognizing that service to the whole ultimately is service to the self.  

Onn, a vowel ogham, is associated with Ulex species, also known as gorse, furze, or whin. I associate it with the time of the spring equinox, the second ogham on the bottom branch or ‘mound’ of the dolman, and the letter O. Here in Utah with its high elevation, we see another member of the pea family more commonly, Cytisus spp. or broom – both genera flower in late summer/autumn, and again in the spring around the equinox. The spring equinox, also called the vernal equinox, Ostara, Eostre, or Alban Eilir is one of two points on the wheel of the year where night and day are of equal length. It is also the second of the five feasts of the goddess, the first being at Yule with Ailm (Pine). The phrase (from the Song of Amergin) that goes along with this feast of the goddess is "I am the blaze on every hill."

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Gorse and broom herald the coming of spring with their bright yellow blooms lighting up hillsides where they grow, an important source of fodder for bees early in the season. The blooms and the bees are a representation of the goddess – all the abundance and prosperity promised with the coming of spring as the days get longer and the light from the sun gets hotter as we approach summer. As members of the genus fabaceae, they are also nitrogen-fixing plants that help to enrich the soil with nitrogen which in turn helps other plants to grow. These dense shrubs also offer cover, protection and food to birds and other animals. Its flowers are edible and have been used in salads, teas, and wine making. It is also highly flammable – often known as a 'fire plant' - a plant that readily re-establishes after a brush fire. Its seed pods are opened by fire and its burned wood readily re-sprouts, allowing rapid regeneration after a fire. I also draw connections between broom and the spring equinox with 'spring cleaning' – a time to sweep out and burn down the old to make way for the new. Gorse, with its spiny thorns is a more intense version of this cleaning energy which can help to clear and maintain boundaries both around your physical home and energetically in your life and relationships.