The Magical Qualities of Trees and Wood

ALDER
The Alder is the tree of fire. In the battle of the trees, the Alder fought in the very front line. It is described as the very "battle witch" of all woods, the tree that is hottest in the fight. You can use Alder to make three different dyes, red from its bark, green from its flowers, and brown from its twigs; this symbolizes the elements of fire, water and earth. The Alder wood is the wood of the witches. Whistles may be made of this wood to summon and control the four winds. It is also the ideal wood for making the magical pipes and flutes. To prepare the wood for use, beat the bark away with a willow stick while projecting your wishes into it.

 

The Alder is a token of resurrection and a water-loving tree, but it is also highly combustible, showing an affinity to Fire. This means the alder is an unusual tree, for Fire and Water do not normally mix well. Alder is often used to symbolize one's appearance, and can be used in glamour spells. The alder tree's wood is oily and resistant to underwater decay. It can be used to contain Water elementals and many negative spirits.

ALMOND
Almond has a very sweet natural being. Aids in self protection.Almond also helfs with fruitfulness, and stands for virginity. The fairies love almond trees.*

APPLE
It is an old English custom to drink to the health of the Apple tree with a good glass of cider all in hopes of encouraging the tree to produce a good crop next year. Apple also helps with fertility.The apple tree symbolizes youth, beauty, and innocence. Apple juice can be used to infer strength and beauty. The leaves are a useful focus in spellweaving. The apple wood makes good staves.

Ash
Ash is a healing wood. It is also used for protection. The Ash is considered to be the father of trees. The Ash is the tree of sea power, or of the power resident in water. Special guardian spirits reside in the Ash; This makes it excellent for absorbing sickness.Snakes have an innate fear of the ash and avoid it. Ash is an excellent wood for purification. It is good at removing and cleansing internalized strife and conflict. Ash is good in any spell or working involving mental and emotional purification. Ash wood is a good conductor of power and thus makes good wands.

Aspen
Aspen is an excellent wood for spoken spells. It brings the wizard eloquence.

Beech
Beech is an excellent wood for charms. A Beech Wood wand will bring the wizard luck. Beech symbolizes stability and flow of energy. It is an incredible conductor of energy, but doesn't hold energy very well. It is sometimes used for Druidic groves if oak is not available, though oak is preferred.

BIRCH
With the exception of the mysterious elder, the Birch is the earliest of the forest trees. The Birch is used extensively in cleansing rituals. Throughout Europe, Birch twigs are used to expel evil spirits. Birch rods are also used in rustic rituals to drive out the spirits of the old year. Birch is used also stands for Birth, healing, Lunar workings, and protection. Birch wood is a useful tool in spells involving structures, support, shielding, warding, and cleansing.

Cedar
Cedar is a protective wood. It will protect the wizard against evil. It is also used for money and love charms. Cedar is exceptional at repulsing energies and protection. It is best used to ward or to drive off negative influences or spirits.

COCONUT
The Coconut is feminine and very fertile. The shell represents the womb, and the milk, fertility.
Coconut also helps with protection from negative psychic forces.

Cypress
The cypress tree was seen as a sad tree or tree of mourning. It was often used to build funeral pyres. Cypress wood is extremely resistant to water. Cypress containers can successfully contain water elementals, air elementals, and most spirits.

Dogwood
This tree represents charm and finesse. It can be used to enhance one's social abillities and increase one's personality. The dogwood flower is a good cleanser of wounds, and its scent is a relaxant.

Ebony
Ebony is the most powerful wood for wands. Ebony gives the user pure, unlimited power.

ELDER
A waterside tree, the Elder has white flowers that bloom to their peak in midsummer thus making the Elder an aspect of the White Goddess. The Elder is also said to be the crucifixion tree. The inner bark and the flowers have long been famous for their therapeutic qualities. The elder also stands for banishment, magical art and the waters of life.

Elm
The elm tree is a dark and brooding tree. It was often planted in tainted or uncleansable areas to warn off others in the area. Elm can be used in any spells that cause depression or darkness. It can dull the senses and works well in spells dealing with shadows.

Eucalyptus
The eucalyptus is a nurturing, protecting, life-giving tree. It can sometimes symbolize sloth due to the fact that its foliage is a narcotic. It contains quite a bit of moisture, and thus could easily have a connection to Water. Small doses of eucalyptus are highly effective. It can be used to numb or invoke sloth in others. It can protect the body from certain poisons. When mixed with certain other herbs, eucalyptus can make a high body-sustaining potion.

FIG
The Fig is androgynous. The fruit representing the feminine and the triple lobed leaves suggest the masculine force. The fig also stands for balance.

Fir
Fir symbolizes malleability, cleverness, and the ability to change. It is a good wood for magic involving physical structures, forms, and shapeshifting or other changing magics.

Hawthorn (Thorn) Witchthorn or May Witch.

It is a generally unlucky tree and its name, translated from the Irish Brehon Laws, had the meaning "harm". The Goddess, under the name Cardea, cast spells with the Hawthorn. In many cultures, the month of the Hawthorn (May) is a month of bad luck for marriages. The Hawthorn blossom, for many men, has the strong scent of female sexuality and was used by the Turks as an erotic symbol.


This tree stands for purification, enforced chastity, male potency and cleansing.Thorn symbolizes strife and harshness. It is an excellent tool for protection as its energies work well for defense. Thorn is used to dispell energies, especially negative energies or curses, and excells at banishing strife.

Hazel
Hazel is favored as one of the best woods for an all-purpose magical wand. Carrying hazel will make wishes come true.The Hazel is a tree of wisdom. In England, all the knowledge of the arts and sciences were bound to the eating of Hazel nuts. Hazel wood can be used for divining for water also. It stands for
Wisdom, intelligence, inspiration, wrath.


Hazelnut
This tree symbolizes attraction (the nut can be used to make an aphrodisiac), loss of inhibition or willpower, and drowsiness. It is used to make sleep potions, aphrodisiacs, and potions to inhibit the will or remove inhibitions.

Holly
Holly is the strongest of the protective woods. It is used to guard against evil. Holly means "holy". The Holly has many uses from making a dye from its berries to being used as an aphrodisiac. It stands for Holiness, consecration, material gain, beauty. Holly symbolizes combat, defense, and a "look but don't touch" beauty. It is also used as a life symbol. Holly is good at holding and storing energy, but does not work well with energy flow. It is also useful in glamours and warding.

Hornbeam
Hornbeam is a lucky wood. It brings good fortune to the Wizard. It is very good for spells.

IVY / VINE
The Ivy was sacred to Osiris as well as to Dionysus. Vine and Ivy come next to each other at the turn of the year, and are jointly dedicated to resurrection. Presumably, this is because they are the only two trees that grow spirally. The Vine also symbolizes resurrection because its strength is preserved in the wine. The Faeries love Ivey and it stands for Joy, Exhilaration, Wrath, Rebirth, Fidelity, Constancy, Love and Intoxication.

Mahogany
Mahogany is known for its ability to withstand lightening strikes. It has strong protective qualities.


Maple
Maple is a favorite wood for magical wands. It is the wood of longevity. Maple is a happy tree. It often symbolizes attraction, luring, drawing in, or bringing things together. It has very positive energy, and is used to attract attention or lure positive spirits in magic.

MISTLETOE
The mistletoe was sacred to the Druids and to the Norse. It was considered to be the great healer and has both male and female qualities. It was so well regarded by the Norse (because it was sacred to Freya) that they refused to fight in the vicinity of Mistletoe. The custom of hanging Mistletoe in the house to promote peace comes from this. Generally regarded today as a symbol of love and purity. It also stands fertility and sexual potency.

Oak
Oak is a potent magical wood. It adds potency to all charms, particularly health and money charms.The Oak is the tree of endurance and triumph, and like the Ash, is said to count the lightings'flash. The Oak is a male wood which is ideal for the construction of any tool that needs the male influence such as Athames, certain wands and staffs. The midsummer fire is always Oak and the need fire is always kindled in an Oak log.Oaks also stands for endurance, triumph, strength, power, dominion, prosperity, sacrifice, guardian and liberator. Oak symbolizes wisdom, strength, and endurance. Oak is extremely versatile and can be used in many areas of magic. The wood is good at both storing power and conducting it, thus making good staffs and wands. Oak can be used in spells involving authority, majesty, power, strength, wisdom, or endurance.

PALM

Is regarded as particularly powerful because of its incredible durability and because it is self renewing, never changing its leaves. Aids in rejuvenation.
The Palm stands for resurrection, and the cycle and matrix of life.

PEACH
The Peach is an emblem of marriage, abundance, fruitfulness and happiness.

PINE
External symbol of life, strength and immortality. It is one of the few trees that are androgynous. It was also worshiped by the ancients as a symbol of fire because of its resemblance to a spiral of flame. It is regarded as a very soothing tree to be near. Being an evergreen, standing for long life and prosperity.Pine is everlasting (from its evergreen properties). It induces clearness of thought with its scent and often symbolizes survival as it can grow even in sub-zero temperatures. Pine wood is useful in spells of preservation. Pine incense is helpful in divining/scrying rituals and rituals to clear the mind.

Poplar
Poplar is favored for flying charms. Carrying poplar will also aid in attracting wealth.

Redwood
Redwood is a protective wood. It is also good for love and success charms.
Rosewood
The Wood of Rose has many magical qualities. It is used for divination and love charms.

ROWAN
The Rowan is seen as the tree of life. It is also known as Mountain Ash, Quickbeam, The Witch or Witch Wand. In the British Isles, Rowan is used as a protection against lightning and magical charms of all sorts. In ancient Ireland, the Druids of opposing forces would kindle a fire of rowan and say an incantation over it to summon spirits to take part in the battle. The Rowan is also used for many healing purposes. The "Quickbeam" is the tree of quickening. Another use was in metal divining. In Ireland, a Rowan stake was hammered through a corpse to immobilize the spirit.Rowan is also known for divination, healing, astral work, protection.

Sequoia
The sequoia is a majestic tree symbolizing eternity, longevity, and vast wisdom. It can also symbolize endurance and strength. Sequoia wood makes excellent Druidic staffs, as it is very good at both holding and conducting energy. It can be used in spells of fire resistance, and the sequoia seeds are an aphrodisiac.

Spruce
The spruce is a versatile tree which grows quickly and is dominant over its environment. It is an aloof tree and can symbolize the North and coldness. The wood is good for bargaining with Earth elementals as they especially like spruce wood. Spruce holds and stores a large amount of energy. A living spruce tree is an excellent ground.

Sycamore
The sycamore symbolizes growth, persistance, strength and endurance. It is water resistant (though not as much as cypress) and often grows where other trees cannot. To some Native American cultures, the sycamore is a holy tree equivalent to the oak in Europe. In magic, it is useful for spells involving growth, and can be used in healing potions (especially those with regenerative properties). It is also a good gift to give a Fire elemental.

WHITE POPLAR
The tree of the Autumn Equinox and of old age, is the shifting leaved White Poplar, or Aspen, The shield makers tree. Heracles bound his head in triumph with poplar after killing the giant Cacus (the evil one). The Black popular was a funeral tree sacred to the Mother Earth.
Silver Fir as an aid in divination. The Silver Fir standing for hope assured and the Black Poplar for loss of hope. In ancient Ireland, the coffin makers measuring rod was made of Aspen, apparently to remind the dead that this was not the end.
White poplar stands for Hope, rebirth, divinations.

Willow
Willow is a feminine tree. It is favored for its general magical uses. It has strong protective qualities and is good for healing and love charms.The Willow was sacred to Hecate, Circe, Hera, and Persephone, all death aspects of the Triple Moon Goddess, and was often used by the Witches in Greece. The moon owns it. It is a female symbol. It is the tree that loves water most and is sacred to the Moon Goddess who is the giver of dew and moisture, generally. It is a water-loving tree and is linked to lunar rhythms. It is often a melancholy tree and can represent sadness and quick growth leading to a quick end (some trees only live for 20 years). In magical areas, willow has a great influence over water and water elementals. It has the ability to banish depression and sadness.
The Willow is the tree of enchantment. Can be made into a tool to make wishes come true.
Willow stands for Moon magic, psychic energy, healing, inspiration and fertility.


Yew
Yew is the Wood of Death. Used for its strength for bows in Greek times.The yew tree is held sacred by the Druids because of its symbolism of death and rebirth. The yew tree's branches grow into the ground. Thus when the central trunk dies, the tree lives on as the branches become trees. It symbolizes transformation, great age, and reincarnation. Yew wood is good in any rituals that use the preceding symbolism. Yew holds and conducts energy very well, and yew is a good shield for magical energies that directly hit the wood is reflected.

 


 

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