#tree lore

[balkanradfem]

Tell me more about trees 🌳 💚

They're very warm inside, they like the wind a lot!

When trees fall, if there's a percentage of roots still in the ground, they're not dead, they can keep living. If in theory we had one giant human who just went around picking trees up and burying them back down, they would all recover and be fine. I was going to put that in my story when I wrote a continuation of Thornwood! I just think it would be very cool.

Some trees still go on living even when fallen down, they just adapt so their branches become the new trunk and they grow up form there.

The reason trees lose their leaves in the fall is related to the hours of light we have in the day, more so than the cold. Trees do a little calculation, and when there's less than ideal light in the day, they go 'well, this is not worth keeping leaves', and they let the leaves fall off, because it's not worth the effort for that little amount of light. Then in the spring, when they notice the light hours getting better, they start making new leaves, because now it's worth keeping all that greenery in order to receive nutrients! But trees are definitely not 'dead', or 'sleeping' during the winter, they're very much alive and calculating their next move. If you look at a tree in January or February, you'll be able to see them already forming lots of little buds and preparing to grow flowers, they're very much active! And I imagine they're enjoying how saturated the ground is with water, growing the roots down and taking in all they can.

If anyone can think of more tree knowledge on the spot, add to this post!

[broomsick]

Personal & collected tips regarding the maintenance of a harmonious relationship with the landvættir (land spirits)

“It is laid down in the first clause of the pagan law of Iceland, introduced about AD 930, that no one may approach the country in ships furnished with gaping heads and yawning snouts, i.e. dragon-heads. If they had them they must remove them before they came in sight of land, for otherwise the landvaættir would take fright.” - Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia (1964)

Quick note: if you follow the norse pagan path, Landdísir, Jötnar/Trolls/Thurses, Álfar, and even ancestors could be considered land spirits, depending on your personal experience and interpretation of historical sources.

“They do not typically speak in English words, or words of any human language. They speak in wind, in the crackle of fire, in images and concepts and intense emotions.” -  Earl S. Wynn.

In my experience, when compared to communication with fair folk, land spirit work is usually a lot more one-sided. Despite this, it’s important to keep in mind that spirits are conscious: they are individuals just like you and I, so we should treat them with love and respect, exactly in the way we would want to be treated. When it comes to landvættir, don’t expect a great deal of active communication, but rather watch out for little casual blessings that may start popping up once you start building a relationship with the land. By “land”, I mean both the land and the spirits that inhabit it, as they make a whole and are sustained by one another. The land you will work with is the area that you live in. Yes, even if it is a large city. Cities were all built upon age-old land, and this fact can be observed even in the most bustling and crowded ones. Is there a park you used to visit as a kid? Or a line of trees near your house? Small as they may seem, these places are the type to be inhabited by landvættir. Now, how do you start working with them?

“King Harald told a warlock to hie to Iceland in some altered shape, and to try what he could learn there to tell him: and he set out in the shape of a whale. And when he came near to the land he went to the west side of Iceland, north around the land, where he saw all the mountains and hills full of guardian-spirits, some great, some small.” -  Heimskringla: The Chronicle of The Kings of Norway, “King Olaf Trygvason's Saga”, chapter 6.

The first step to landvættir work is actually excessively simple. It is to acknowledge the soul within natural elements. Look around yourself, when in nature, and notice which trees, stones, boulders or plants catch your eye. 

The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids suggests to take note of the following landmarks in order to get to know your own area: the highest place, the nearest body of water, the nearest area of natural beauty, the busiest open space where people congregate on a daily basis, the most abused or neglected site, the oldest sacred site under continuous use, the nearest place where the dead are commemorated or buried, the nearest natural food-producing ground, the place most frequented by wild (non-domestic) animals, the nearest major crossroads, and other significant sites that occur to you or that may be particular to your location e.g. marsh-land, heavy industry sites, etc.

If there is a certain spot you feel most drawn to, why note make it into a sort of land altar? By land altar, I mean a place where you can regularly go to rest and commune with nature. It isn’t necessary to set up a whole altar, and I would even advise against adorning it with excessive decorations, especially unnatural ones. As much as possible, try to avoid wrappings and plastics! However, you can mark the spot with things you pick up in the area: a pretty flower or leaf, a fallen tree branch, a handful of acorns, an usual-looking rock and such. It’s okay to put these on your land altar as long as they are from the area. Picking these sorts of things up and giving them back to nature is a means to show that not only do you observe the gifts of the land you live on, but that you also appreciate them. That you see their beauty and their value. By choosing a specific spot to make such offerings, you also give the landvættir a place where they can reach back to you, where you can hear their voices and feel their touch. If you are interested in working with a tree spirit, or choosing one as you land altar, I suggest taking a look at this previous post of mine where I detailed how to get started with such a relationship! 

Disclaimer: if you keep getting a bad feeling about the place you’ve chosen for your land altar, I would definitely advise changing spots. It could mean a particular land spirit does not want to be disturbed, and it would be rude not to respect their wish.

Once you’ve chosen this space and once you feel truly settled with it, it’s a great idea to bless it from time to time. You can do so by blessing water and pouring it around and over that spot, or by singing a certain song, or chanting, etc. Simply naming what you see around you, stating the names of these natural elements, can be considered blessing, for you are acknowledging their souls. Through meditation, you may start hearing some spirits tell you the names they want to be called. Keep them in mind!

I would deem all of these “blessing” gestures offerings, though you could also offer the aforementionned leaves, flowers, rocks, acorns, as well pinecones, collected resin, earth, food you grew in your garden, etc. No matter the shape your offerings take, it is exceedingly important to be regular with them. I don’t mean you need to have a schedule (you could pretty much gift whatever, whenever), but you cannot expect for the spirits to appreciate your presence or give back to you if you have only spent time with them once or twice. Plus, you cannot truly get to know your local spirits if you don’t take the necessary time to get to know them! 

Now, I’ve been using a woodland setting as my example, but it’s obvious the landvættir are completey different individuals depending on where you live. They are different in swamps, along beaches, high in the mountains, etc. It is possible to maintain a land altar no matter what your area looks like. After all, the most important part of land spirit work is to acknowledge and live in harmony with your local spirits— the guardians of your land. In fact, I find it a good idea to locate your land altar near a natural symbol of your nation/country/area! In order to do this in an even more personal way, I suggest looking into your ancestral practices! You may notice that previous generations gave back to the land in specific ways, which you could very well include in your own practice. 

Once you’ve gone through all of these steps, keep your mind open so as to receive whatever messages or gifts the landvættir want to give in return. They might take a lot of time to answer, but stay patient. After all, their very existence and the protection they grant land is already a gift in an of itself. Sit at your land altar and open your senses. In my experience, landvættir can show their appreciation through a range of very discreet presents such as birdsong, a feeling of absolute peace and joy, a piece of knowledge, or even a new and unexpected flower that catches your eye and which you’ve never seen before. You never know what they might send you next, so best to stay aware of your surroundings when communing with nature. It has lots and lots to give, if you stand ready to receive!

Artworks and pictures: Winter Foxes by Chuck Groenink, Yule Stag by Sebastian McKinnon, painting by Omar Rayyan II, illustration by David Wyatt, land altar photograph, illustration by Lily Seika Jones.

[lailoken]

The Rowthorn: A Very Rare and Special Tree

Not too long ago, I began working with an extremely unique tree that I have since become pacted to, and I have finally been given leave to share about it publicly. It's a tree so unusual that it technically bares no common name and, instead, only has a couple of cultivar names and an undecided scientific name. The tree in question is one I have been calling a Rowthorn, since it is a cross between a Rowan Tree (Sorbus Acuparia) and a Hawthorn Tree (Crataegus Monogyna.) The resultant Crataegosorbus (or Sorbocrataegus, depending on your source) is a hybrid developed by Russian horticulturist Ivan Michurin in the 1920s, and can be phenotypically described as a nobbled Rowan tree with berries that look like rosy Haws the size of cherries. Miraculously, these Rowthorn berries are generally considered better for eating and cooking than either Rowan berries or Hawthorn berries are.

This tree is special to me for a couple reasons. On one hand, my grandfather was a botanist who specifically worked creating fruit tree hybrids in his day, which gives me a strange sort of ancestral connection to a tree born through human efforts. On the other hand, both Hawthorns and Rowans are quite historically and personally significant to my practice. Hawthorns possess ancient ties to the Otherworld and its denizens, and can serve to mark "thin places" where the realms are less experientially distinct from one another. As such, the Fae are often said to congregate at the sites of old Whitethorn trees. On the other hand, Rowans are also beloved by the Fae, who are said to enjoy dancing beneath their holy boughs—though, harvested wood from the tree can be utilized in a protective capacity against them as well. This ability of Rowan to both delight and repell the Fae is, in turn, closley aligned with my work as a Faerie Physicker. As such, a tree like the Rowthorn—which embodies the virtues of both these magical plants—is one I couldn't pass up the opportunity to know better, and so I invested in one the instant I was lucky enough to come across it.

Watching it grow from a bare and miniscule scion into a slowly flourishing sapling has been beautiful, and I can hardly wait for the day that it bares its first fruits.

[herdsworldbuilding]

Trees

I wanted to chit chat a little bit about a minor but sort of neat aspect of one of my world building projects.

in the world compass to the stars, people have a rather different relationship to the trees.

thing is that the most common kind of magic in the world is plant magic that corrupts the mind.

this means that there are many people in the world who can hear trees speak. because of this trees are well taken care of, and wood harvesting is approached in a different matter.

rarely is the entirety of a tree harvested for use, instead the practice of copping is common. that is harvesting the limbs and branches of the tree. there is an entire team of peoples who's job it is to sooth and heal the tree during the process to ensure the trees comfort. to gain the consent from the tree for what it is used for.

trees are venerated for their age, especially trees tat are over a hundred years in age, they have a similar sort of status to the three fantastic beast (dragons, phoenixes and unicorns) though the trees are seen as a more spiritual connection. in part because the three fantastic beasts are sentient creatures with their own societies.

wooden objects are given a lot of prestige.

[dutchpagan]

One of the things that I learned from the Ogham alphabet is to go outside and get to known the trees that are connected to the letters of this medieval Celtic alphabet. Several years ago I made this painting of the first tree in the Ogham, Beithe or birch. Lately I've taken up the journey again, to learn more about the ogham, the lore of the letters, the magic and myth connected to it, and of course the trees that represent the letters and the land they grow in. A natural way for me to connect with something is to make a drawing or painting of it - as I did with Beithe. This year and the next I am planning to complete this series.

[orange-lover]

i dont

[calendulacraft]

:: summer days & witchy reads ::

((Celtic Tree Magic by the Witches' Almanac))

[allengreenfield]







"The Battle of the Trees"

The tops of the beech tree have sprouted of late,

are changed and renewed from their withered state.

When the beech prospers, though spells and litanies

the oak tops entangle, there is hope for trees.

I have plundered the fern, through all secrets I spy,

Old Math ap Mathonwy knew no more than I.

For with nine sorts of faculty God has gifted me,

I am fruit of fruits gathered from nine sorts of tree —

Plum, quince, whortle, mulberry, respberry, pear,

black cherry and white, with the sorb in me share.

From my seat at Fefynedd, a city that is strong,

I watched the trees and green things hastening along.

Retreating from happiness they would fein be set

in forms of the chief letters of the alphabet.

Wayfarers wandered, warriors were dismayed

at renewal of conflicts such as Gwydion made;

Under the tongue root a fight most dread,

and another raging, behind, in the head.

The alders in the front line began the affray.

Willow and rowan-tree were tardy in array.

The holly, dark green, made a resolute stand;

he is armed with many spear-points wounding the hand.

With foot-beat of the swift oak heaven and earth rung;

"Stout Guardian of the Door", his name in every tongue.

Great was the gorse in battle, and the ivy at his prime;

the hazel was arbiter and this charmed time.

Uncouth and savage was the fir, cruel the ash tree —

turns not aside a foot-breadth, straight at the heart runs he.

The birch, though very noble, armed himself but late:

a sign not of cowardice but of high estate.

The heath gave consolation to the toil-spent folk,

the long-enduring poplars in battle much broke.

Some of them were cast away on the field of fight

because of holes torn in them by the enemy's might.

Very wrathful was the vine whose henchmen are the elms;

I exalt him mightily to rulers of realms.

Strong chieftains were the blackthorn with his ill fruit,

the unbeloved whitethorn who wears the same suit.

The swift-pursuing reed, the broom with his brood,

and the furse but ill-behaved until he is subdued.

The dower-scattering yew stood glum at the fight's fringe,

with the elder slow to burn amid fires that singe.

And the blessed wild apple laughing in pride

from the Gorchan of Maeldrew, by the rock side.

In shelter linger privet and woodbine,

inexperienced in warfare, and the courtly pine.

But I, although slighted because I was not big,

Fought, trees, in your array on the field of Goddeu Brig.

 

— Cad Goddeu, a medieval Welsh poem,

translated by Robert Graves

[movingtothefarm]

By Pandora Young, on March 9, 2015

For all of humankind’s existence we have relied on trees for food, medicine, and shelter. Trees are some of the largest and longest lived organisms on earth. So it is no surprise that ancient civilizations attributed great meaning to trees. Longwood Gardens’ own foundation is centered on Peirce’s Arboretum, a historic collection of trees started in the 1800s on the land that was to become the Gardens.

Lore for Ash, Oak, Holly, Linden at the link.

[starlling-writes]

Why the Alder Roots are Wet

In the depths of the alder grove Where the morning fog lingers Hides the runaway fae princess Slowly bleeding to death The trees wept as the princess died –with nothing they could do Taking her blood into themselves The first dryad was born

[mythic-register]

Tree lore

Those versed in tree lore speak loudly of the four trees that ring Outland. They speak of the Tree of Knowledge, to which the angels tend, in the Gardens of Peace. The Tree of Truth, which was named by the fiends of The Crevasse in their nigh-infinite pettiness, and feeds off the darkness that is rarely found outside that place. The Clockwork Tree, always frail, protected by great iron fortifications and legions of penal soldiers who learned too late that the crime of gazing upon the tree was to be drafted into it's defense. And the Tree of Names, upon who's branches many now nameless things have hung their names to allow themselves some measure of freedom. The most famous of those being Themself, though also most of the second generation of antitheon gods have used the tree to cloak themselves in namelessness.

Those best versed in tree lore whisper quietly about two other trees, one being the world tree itself, whose branches pierce high into the lands of the gentry and whose roots dig deep into the lands of twilight. The final tree, they say, is still a seed, yet to finish falling to the ground to take root. They dare not even whisper of what will happen then.

[balkanradfem]

Your story about trees makes my soul happy, because I used to hug trees all the time as a child. Not so much now, but you have inspired me to keep doing it💜

They must have loved you :)!

[broomsick]

Hi, I hope it's okay to ask this question because I am honestly not sure who to turn to right now. I'm still in the process of discovering both my pagan path as well as my witch path and nature is something that comes easy for me to love and want to work with. Trees, flowers, ferns, and moss are my favorite and I often think of the trees in my area as guardians as well as my friends. We recently had a really bad windstorm take down many trees, including my favorite cottonwoods that I pretty much grew up with here. Fortunately no one was harmed and a house was tagged so I felt bad asking the city that was cutting down the last remaining cottonwood if I could have a small piece. I am trying to put together an altar for trees as well as Baldr and Freyr, but I have no idea how to actually go about using said piece of wood for my altar. I've considered writing in Ogham on it but I'm still learning and I'm afraid of messing up. Have you or anyone you know ever done something to memorialize a tree? Everything that I look up is either dog or human related. I also feel a bit bad that I feel sad about the trees because many homes and vehicles were squashed by falling trees and branches, and I do very much feel for them.

Hi! I'll start by saying that I very much share your love of trees. A similar event happened year and one of the woods near my home has had a lot of its trees fall due to heavy winds and such. I'm glad you were allowed to keep a piece of the cottonwood you so liked. Now, an altar doesn't need to be particularly sophisticated, which means the way in which you use this branch won't negatively affect the space. You could put it simply, as it is, under the representation of the deity. It doesn't have to be crafted in any way, because it's the intent that counts most. For this reason, just displaying it as it is goes to show your appreciation of the tree it came from and your willingness to share it with a deity you also love. Still, I do have a few ideas of crafts, for you. For example, you could simply tie it's wider end with a string and hang it above the altar space— against a wall for example. It could also be pinned above the space. You could also adorn it with ribons, on which you could write prayers/words of praise or any other words directed to the deity's altar. The same idea could apply to an altar to trees, simply by writing the same things for trees. If you have a deity/tree depiction that's a framed picture, you could stick the branch along the upper part of the frame, to decorate it; if the depiction is a sort of statue, or three-dimensional art piece, you can slightly bend the branch and put it around the statue's neck (or elsewhere), like an adornment. These two ideas make it so every time you gaze up at the deity's image, you will also be reminded of the tree. Since you view the trees as the guardians of your area, then the cottonwood branch could act as a protector of your deity depiction. You could also leave the branch on the altar as is, and use it to move incense smoke around, so as to purify the altar and/or deity depiction. These were just a few ideas, but feel free to look up online for other crafts! Don't hesitate to come to me with any other question.

[asurrogateblog]

my favorite part of beach boys lore is that the beatles are the villains

[campbellzc]

Embrace the Wisdom of the Hazel Tree and Let it Guide You Through Life's Challenges

The hazel tree has been associated with wisdom and inspiration in many cultures throughout history. Here are some reasons why you should embrace the wisdom of the hazel tree and let it guide you through life’s challenges:1. **Celtic Lore**: In Celtic lore, the hazel tree is associated with wisdom and inspiration. The story goes that the hazel tree grew beside the Well of Wisdom, and its nuts…

[drenched-in-sunlight]

i love the DLC man