Blessings of Rowan
My arms were a little sore from some water therapy that Sandy, a teacher of mine, was having her apprentices try out that day. Apparently, holding someone up in a pool intermittently for an hour while trying to connect to water spirits is a great workout. I shook my arms out as I headed up the hill to meet with the other apprentices under the Rowan tree by the roadside. Our next task was to connect with the tree.
Rowan has a LOT of history and mythology. European cultures seemed to love it! It was a tree that saved the Norse god of thunder, Thor, from an untimely demise. It was reputed to dispel evil witchcraft. It has been said that it was the wood best used when carving runes. It has a creation story in Greek mythology, reputed to grow from the blood of an eagle battling demons. Scottish tradition did not allow Rowans to be cut for anything other than ritual purpose. It was used in magical fires, walking sticks, wands, and shields.
Perhaps it was its indomitable nature that caught their attention. There are Rowan relatives strewn across the globe. We even have a few growing here in the States. Perhaps it was the wine and jelly made from the berries (I hear they are delicious, but they need to be cooked before eaten). Perhaps it was the strong energy of the tree, which I have had the pleasure of recently being introduced to.
As we sat under the Rowan (or, as it’s called around here, American Mountain Ash), we talked about the protective nature of the tree, and it’s place in the Celtic Ogham. Oghams are an ancient Celtic alphabet that has risen to the place of a magical tool and system, much like the Runes. Each of the 20-25 Oghams (depends on the set you use) has a tree associated with them. The second Ogham, Luis, represents the Rowan tree, and its protective and magical nature.
At first, as we crowded around this tree, I didn’t get much besides how much the tree liked another one of the apprentices. Sandy asked us to sit with a Rowan, or a piece of one during the coming New Moon. Okay, I think. So, during the time of the New Moon, I grab a branch of the Rowan.
I was expecting to sit with it that night, but the Rowan decided to get my attention on the drive back, as its branch lay there on my lap. It seemed to ask me “So, how about all those insecurities.”
Well, I thought, that’s an interesting ice breaker.
As I followed this sudden, rather personal interaction with the spirit of this tree, she began to show me how her energies were that of creating a sort of safe space within oneself. She felt strong and safe as we explored different fears that I have that hold me back. Grow into your own path, she seemed to say, don’t worry about feeling competitive with anyone else’s.
I have a lot of these insecurities, but I’m excited that I’ve connected to the energy of this plant. I think that this is going to be a tree that I work with for a while. It’s a power that I am going to call on in my work to help me acknowledge where I am, and to help create a stronger inner world. An interesting exploration, to be sure.
And on that shorter than usual note, I leave you all to your Fridays. I hope you get a chance to get out. Maybe connect to the world out there. It’s a wild place.
Until next week…
-The Green Mountain Mage