Celtic Tree Magic: 6 Ways to Work with Sacred Trees by Danu Forest

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

What is your favorite tree? Ask anyone this question and you’ll be surprised by the answers; even the most urbane of us will have a tree we like the best, whether is a beautiful tree in a park or by the roadside, a special tree from childhood, or a favorite species. For me, it’s always an oak tree, its branches waving in the wind, its leaves dancing green and gold in dappled sunlight. Close your eyes and imagine yourself deep in a vast forest…imagine the smell of leaf mold and green life; feel the still, strong, numinous presence some trees hold; oaks, yews, and redwoods, the mysterious darkness among the pines, the bright, luminous elven shimmer of silver birches lit by spring sunshine…

All around the world, but especially in the Celtic lore of Ireland and the British Isles, trees hold a special position as totems of spiritual identity, as well as markers of our cultural heritage and qualities. The Welsh yew is a tree of national pride and has been as sign ...

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