The Sacred Oak In Magic

Few trees are as deeply rooted in the field of human consciousness as the mighty oak.
It has forever been a symbol of the qualities needed for success in human life
Strength, fertility, protection, longevity and the only true form of human immortality,
the family line. At the birth of a boy in a great family an oak would be planted and
this tree's health and fate were bound to that of the man and the family for whom it
was planted. This "barnstock" is immensely important and features in the opening of one
of the greatest sagas in German Folklore, Sigurd Fafnirsbani. When Odin came to the
home of Sigurd's father, Sigmund he plunged the sword Gram into the oak tree that grew
in the center of the house, the barnstock of their family. Thus the beginning of the
story of the most heroic family line in Germany has an oak tree at its center.

The strong, straight trunk stands as a pillar of the heavens for generations at a time.
The great age that the oak achieves speaks to its ability to thrive whatever may come.
There has been many an oak that has lived for several hundreds of years. Oaks, their
distinctive leaves and their acorns adorn the family crests of many a noble line,
families that carry on into our age and beyond.

Oaks were and continue to be the object of "Dendrolotry", the worship of trees. Among
the many people who worshiped in oak groves are the ancient Druids to whom the oak was
exceptionally sacred for their fertility. The fertility of the oak is of a masculine
nature rather than feminine, for its many seeds, rapid growth and general strength.
The strength of the trunk and the wood of the oak is indeed mighty and good warriors
were called Battle Oaks. Its leaves crown the green man of the forest, their sacred
foliage the skin of the fertile lord of the woods himself. Every 7-9 years its acorns
grow a bumper crop, it is then that the deer feast on the bounty of the oak and their
numbers swell giving a feast of venison to men. Squirrels are known as "Oak horns" and
they, like farmers of the forest plant the oak far and wide.

The oak is sacred to Thor because of its strength in storms it is often struck by his
lightning and is left standing. Traditionally when a field is to be plowed and an oak
stands in its midst it is left there to protect the harvest from the weather. There was
a great oak tree named Thor's Oak that Christians sought to fell to prevent the folk
from their worship and as their story is written, "when one side of the tree was notched
only a little suddenly the oaks vast bulk was driven down by a blast from above." Thor
would not suffer them to destroy his oak, felling it himself.

As a solar symbol oaks play their part in the Midsummer Solstice and its rites. Oak wood
is used in the sacred bonfires that illuminate the countryside as well as the flaming
"Sun Wheels"

Even in our age there are Sacred Oaks hung with ribbons and gifts in return for the
power of the mighty trees magic. May it ever be so!

Trees In Magic

By Fern, OCS Herbalist

Acacia : Used in Protection Spells, Promotes Psychic Powers, The
         Element of Air, The Masculine, Aids in Meditation, Increases
         Power, The Sun, Facilitates Visions, Reveals Secret Love

Almond : The Element of Air, The Planet of Mercury, Draws Money, Promotes
         Prosperity, Grants Wisdom, Fosters Fertility, Attracts Love,
         Brings Good Luck, The Masculine, Promise

Alder : Facilitates Divination, Used in Protection Spells, Useful in Music,
         Make An Alder Wand Or Stave For Use in Weather Magic, Raising the Wind

Apple : Attracts Love, Blesses Marriage, Promotes Fidelity, Facilitates
        Healing, Grants Fertility, Used in Garden Magic, Promotes
        Immortality, Sacred to Aphrodite, The Feminine, Bountiful Harvest,
        A Favorite Wood For Love Magic Wands And Staves

Apricot : Eat of the Fruit to Make One's Self Sweet then Carry the Pit
          to Attract the Love You Want

Ash : The World Tree, Used in Protection Spells, Promotes Prosperity, Used
          in Sea Rituals, Facilitates Health, Aids in Divination, The
          Element of Fire, The Masculine, The Sun, Promotes Psychic Dreams

Aspen : Grants Eloquence, Protects Against Theft, The Wind Speaks Through
        The Aspen's Leaves

Beech : Grants Wishes, Traditionally The Wood For Runes, Increases Knowledge
        Ideal Wood For Norse Wands And Staves

Birch : Used in Protection Spells, Useful in Exorcism, Purification and
        Cleansing, Saunas, Beginnings, Promotes Fertility, Rebirth, Renewal

Cedar : Facilitates Healing, Useful in Purification, Draws Money, Used in
        Protection Spells, Grounding, Earth Energy, Celtic Tree of Life,
        Make A Healing Wand Or Stave From Cedar Wood

Cherry : Attracts Love, Facilitates Divination, Love Wands

Chestnut : Attracts Love, Grants Justice

Cypress : Promotes Longevity, Facilitates Healing, Brings Comfort, Used in
          Protection Spells, Greiving, Use Cypress For Funerary Staves

Dogwood : Grants Wishes, Used in Protection Spells, Increases Endurance,
          The Moon, The Planet of Pluto, Pisces, The Petals are used in
          Drawers or Boxes to Keep Things Secret

Ebony : Used in Protection Spells, Increases Power, Zelousness

Elder : Aids in Exorcism, Used in Protection Spells, Facilitates Healing,
        Promotes Prosperity, Fosters Sleep, Midsummer Solstice, Never Cut
        Without Asking

Elm : Attracts Love, Dinity, Propriety, Increases Stability, Used in Grounding,
          Grants The Blessings of The Earth Gooddess, Earth Magic Wands And Staves

Fir : Aids in Child Birth, Bless and Protect Mother and Child, Grants
          Far Sight, A Fir Candel carried around a mother about to give birth
          Blesses and protects both mother and child

Hawthorn : Grants Fertility, Promotes Chastity, Used in Fishing Magic,
           Fosters Happiness, Attracts The Faeries, Facilitates Health,
           Protects Against lightening, Attracts Love, Blesses Marriage,
           The Masculine, Used in Protection Spells, Attracts Spirits,
           Spring Time

Hazel : Brings Good Luck, Grants Fertility, Anti-Lightning, Used in
        Protection Spells, Grants Wishes, Brings Dreams,
        The Masculine, The Planet of Mercury, Fosters Wisdom

Hickory : Useful in the Fair Settlement of all Legal Matters

Holly : Used in Protection Spells and as a Protective Wood, Anti-Lightning,
        Brings Good Luck, Dream Magic, Brings Balance, The Element of Fire,
        The Planet of Mars, The Masculine, Revenge, Grants Wealth, Male Blessing Tree,
        Used at indoors during Yule the Winter Solstice for Luck in the comming Year
        and Protection through the longest Night

Horse Chestnut : Money, Healing

Juniper : Used in Protection Spells, Anti-Theft, Attracts Love, Used in
       Exorcism, Facilitates Health

Larch : Protection, Anti-Theft

Lemon : Longevity, Purification, Love, Friendship

Lime : Healing, Love, Protection

Linden : Used In Protection Magic, Promotes Immortality, Brings Good Luck,
        Attracts Love, Grants Sleep

Maple : Love, Longevity, Money, Change, Decisions, Feminine, Healing,
        Learning, Moon, Spirit travel, Water

Nuts and Acorns : Fertility, Prosperity, Love, Luck

Oak : Used In Protection Magic, Promotes Health, Draws Money, Healing Magic,
      Increases Potency, Grants Fertility, Brings Good Luck, The Element of Fire,
      Leadership, The Masculine, Midsummer, Stability, Strength, Success, The Sun,
      Oak Wands And Staves Are Used By The High Priest Or Leader Of A Magical
      Order

Olive : Facilitates Health, Promotes Peace, Grants Fertility, Increases
        Potency, Used in Protection Spells, Sparks Lust, Blessing,
        The Element of Fire, Harmony, The Masculine, Assures Victory

Orange : Attracts Love, Facilitates Divination, Brings Good Luck, Draws Money

Peach : Attracts Love, Aids in Exorcism, Promotes Longevity, Brings
        Fertility, Grants Wishes

Pear : Sparks Lust, Attracts Love, Provides Comfort, Affection

Pecan : Draws Money, Secures Employment

Pine : Facilitates Healing, Promotes Fertility, Used in Protection Spells,
        Useful in Exorcism, Draws Money

Poplar : Draws Money, Flying, Increases Courage, Time

Prickly Ash : Attracts Love, Satire

Rowan : Inhances Psychic Powers, Facilitates Healing, Used in Protection
         Spells, Increases Power, Assures Success, Rowand Wands And Staves
         Provide Excellent Protection Tie A Red String Upon Them

Walnut : Facilitates Health, Increases Mental Powers, Infertility, Grants Wishes

Willow : Attracts Love, Promotes Divination, Used in Protection Spells,
         Facilitates Healing, The Element of Water, The Feminine, The Moon,
         Willow Wands And Staves Are Used For Lunar Magic

Yew : Raising the Dead, Protection at Yule, Astral Communication, Death, Rebirth
      Facilitates Divination, Funerals, The Planets of Jupiter and Saturn, Aids in
      Scrying, Protection against Evil Spirits