Nion - Nuin - Ash

Nion or Nuin (Nee-ONN) is associated with Fraxinus species – the Ash tree. I associate it with the time in the wheel between mid-February to the spring equinox, the third ogham on the ascending branch, and the letter N. You may find in your travels that other oghamic systems place Fearn – Alder, here. You may go down quite the scholarly rabbit hole trying to figure out which one is ‘true’ or ‘correct’... at the end of the day we don’t really know, and it honestly doesn’t really matter that much unless you are trying to translate ancient oghamic staves, and even then, knowing alternate systems can prove useful. I use the tree ogham primarily for divination and to help me learn the deeper mysteries of trees and nature itself, so for me it makes little difference what the book of Ballymote says. Not to discount the wisdom and information that can be found there, I just feel that it’s time we moved past all the attempts to prove and quantify and start getting out into the woods and feeling it out for ourselves. If you are looking to develop your own practice, try both, read about both, and decide what feels right to you.

Physical Properties

Ash trees are medium to large trees that are found commonly in Utah, though they are not native to this area. They have pinnately compound leaves with 7-13 narrow, elliptical leaflets that have fine toothed margins and pointed tips. Their greenish yellow clusters of flowers are the first to emerge in the spring (April – May) followed by the leaves. In this stage at first glance they can be confused with the golden rain tree, an ornamental tree common in Utah with a similar type of flower. Ash flowers mature into elongated green seed pods commonly known as “ash keys” that mature to a brown color and hang in clusters on the tree which persist well into the fall and sometimes through winter. Ash keys have traditionally been used in love or fertility charms because of their ability to ‘open’ opportunities.

Mature Ash tree with seed pods in summer

Magical Properties

In my tradition Nion is thought to carry the essence of power, the life-spark which has the power to create and destroy. There is an old saying “avoid an ash, for it courts a flash!” because these tall trees tend to regularly attract lightning strikes. A piece of an ash that has been struck by lightning would be a particularly potent magical tool as lightning is signifies the touch of divinity or divine inspiration – the ‘aha!’ moment that brings clarity, sometimes through great shock and transmutation. It is also associated with Gwydion - a master enchanter, poet, and shapeshifter in the Welsh/British mythic stories of the Mabinogion. Ash is also one of the ‘sacred trio’ of trees - oak, ash and thorn - associated with the three rays of the Awen, the bent path, the straight path, and the crooked path.

In the northern tradition Ash is a world tree known as Yggdrasil – an axis mundi – the spindle which connects upper world, middle world, and lower world – by whatever names you may know them. It is said that Woden (Odin) hung himself from an ash tree in his search for wisdom;

“Nine whole nights on a wind rocked tree, wounded with a spear. I was offered to Odin; myself to myself, on that tree that none may ever know what root beneath it runs.” Saemund Sigfusson, The Elder Eddas, Benjamin Thorpe, trans., (London: Norroena Society, 1906), 44.

Woden understood that this was not just a tree, but a means of travel. He used Yggdrasil as a steed to traverse all the realms, piercing through the chaos of creation in his quest to understand the inner workings of the universe, resulting ultimately in the creation of the runes. There are many common threads between this story and that of Llew.

In the story of Llew Llaw Gyffes, an ash spear hardened by fire and magic is used by Gronw to kill Llew which shape shifts him into an Eagle, sending him on a great and painful journey. The result of which is that he grows from a boy into a king. (Refer to the Mabinogion for the entire story). Both the scientific name (Fraxinus) and common name (ash – aesc) for this tree mean ‘spear’ and the strong and flexible wood has long been used to make spears and shield handles among many other things. The ash spear holds the power of transmutation – to change the essence of a thing. Compare this with transformation which is change in the form of something –  to change the external form of a thing. This can be as simple as changing one’s clothes – for example changing from wearing jeans and a t-shirt into ritual robes. It can also mean projecting one’s consciousness temporarily into another form such as a rock, tree, or animal. Transformation is a powerful shapeshifting ability in its own right as those who understand the magic and power inherent in self-expression as a form of art can confirm. Transmutation occurs at a deeper level. It’s the type of changes that occur when we go through difficult or profound moments in life that leave us feeling changed from the inside out. It is difficult if not impossible to return to one's original state after a transmutational event. A classic example of this would be a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

Young Ash tree sprouting new leaves in spring

So far in the wheel of the year, we have the initial spark and quickening of the year at the winter solstice with pioneering Ailm (Pine) and Beith (Birch), we then pass through the threshold of Luis (Rowan), crossing from the dreamy realm of new beginning and possibility into the physical realm of manifestation and action. We now come to Nion which ‘arms’ us with what we need in order to take the actions necessary to fulfill our desires and manifestations. This may be in the form of learning or honing a skill or ability, or it could be the lightning strike which illuminates, inspires, and destroys anything standing in our way, much like the Tower in tarot. 

Personal Experience

In my own life, the death of my father served as a transmutational moment that profoundly and irrevocably changed me and in turn, my life. I experienced a great deal of loss beginning in 2018 with my stepmother’s unexpected passing, followed by my uncle two months later, then my grandmother two months after that...then my marriage came to an end in the winter of 2018. I had just moved into a new apartment of my own in spring of 2019 when June rolled around, and it was time for my annual Father’s Day trip to Lava Hot Springs with my dad.

We spent the drive talking about past stories, some I had heard many times and was happy to hear again. Since my partner happened to be with us this year, I heard more stories about the people and moments they both remembered from productions they'd on worked together. Looking back on it now, I see that some outside force knew this was his last chance to recant the tales of all the people whose lives he touched, and I am grateful I was present for all of it. After dinner and a soak in the hot springs, we decided that it would also be a great night to walk the labyrinth since it was the day before summer solstice. In the mosquito-ridden darkness we slowly tread the path of the labyrinth, sensing the world fade away the closer we drew to the center. I had a vague sense that my stepmother Val was there with us, watching. In the morning, we got coffee and prepared to hit the springs for our favorite thing; an early morning soak. We sat in the hot misty water in the cool of the morning and talked about future plans, hopes, and dreams. Looking back now...it’s like he knew. We knew. As my partner was not familiar with the town, we decided to take him around town after breakfast. We took the scenic route, crossing over the Portneuf river and taking the nature trail that runs alongside the river paralleling main street. We could see the labyrinth across the river in the bright light of the day, such a contrast from the dark of the night before. We crossed the lower footbridge and headed back to Main Street. We were not 5 steps from the door of the first shop when mid-conversation, my dad put his hand to his chest and said "Oh, Oh My."

It was like the candle of his soul had been simply and unceremoniously snuffed out as his body collapsed neatly against the wall like a folding chair. The next two hours of my life passed in what seemed like 15 minutes. At 1:10 pm on June 23rd the paramedics finally called his time of death. My ears were ringing, and I could barely breathe. Grief shook through me as I realized that I had just watched my dad die literally before my eyes. Events like this can seem at the time to be unfair, horrific and terrible things... but are they? As I grieved and felt through this experience I realized how grateful I was that his last moments on Earth were spent with me in his favorite place, not home and alone grieving his late wife and mother. I realized then that death is the final gift a soul has to give. If my dad had not died, many events that brought me to where I am today would not have happened. I needed that push to ultimately bring my life back in alignment with my soul’s true will.

It was a painful transmutation, but I am endlessly grateful for it, and I would do it all again, even knowing the pain it entailed. This is after all why we as souls take a body – to undergo the trials and tribulations of a human lifetime that serve as grist for the mill for our soul's transmutation. This is the concept or energy that Nion holds, and I have seen it’s influence on the greater collective level as the scales drop from our eyes and we see the transmutation that must occur in our country and in the world. This may seem immense and insurmountable but remember that it all starts within you – we must each of us become the change we wish to see in the world.

In both cases of transmutation and transformation, trickster energy is at play. Gwydion is just one of many trickster gods, and these deity forces serve to push us toward paths that are unseen from our more zoomed-in human perspective. Sometimes the energy of the ash spear, the lightning strike, is needed to shake things up and bring us to the lessons and growth – the wisdom – needed to achieve one’s destiny. Imagine being a seed in the soil, unable to conceptualize the towering tree it will one day become. Sometimes life will push us beyond what we thought our limits were and in turn help us to realize how powerful and capable we truly are. These moments can be amazing experiences which help to bring our life into alignment through the powers of transmutation and transformation – shapeshifting – if we invite this energy into our life to work with the changes that come with it.

Divinatory Meanings

A coming shift or transmutation; the lightning strike of divine insight. A call to focus on the heart of the matter; the straight path through in the pursuit of wisdom in the midst of potentially difficult circumstances. A time to develop the skills needed to achieve ones destiny.