Celtic Reiki Master Level_3

8/13/2019 Celtic Reiki Master Level_3

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Master Level

Distance Course Notes (November 2003)

www.enchanted-earth.co.uk [email protected]


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Enchanted Earth Holistic Healing Courses www.enchanted-earth.co.uk

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Celtic Reiki Master/Teacher Level

Celtic Reiki Mastership

At the practitioner level of Celtic Reiki we discussed how the frequency ofReiki energy triggered by the Celtic symbols can be used for therapeutictreatments and additionally to aid in the manifestation of goals. At Master levelwe will consider ways of increasing the energy levels in order to provide morepowerful healing sessions and increase the energy involved in manifestation.The attunement process will also be covered in detail, so that you mayempower others to use Celtic Reiki.

Being a Celtic Reiki Master is a position of considerable responsibility, not justto your students and yourself, but to nature and the guides and nature spirits

that gave us these beneficial energies in the first place. You may wish toconnect more with trees, spending time enjoying their vibrations and offeringthem Celtic Reiki in return. This will not only assist in healing the trees and theplanet, but you may also receive insights into new frequencies of energy,since the Celtic Reiki system is not yet complete.

By experiencing the energies in a purer form, you can often improvesensitivity, intuition and channelling ability, and there are two possible optionsfor achieving this:

The Celtic Reiki vibrations are gradually becoming available in homeopathic

remedy form. Ioho is already available and Gort, Saille and Mor are still in theproving stages and should be ready later in the year. The Ioho remedy hasbeen potentised to 30c, which means that it is actually stronger than the Reikivibration on its own. Some people have experienced very gentle reactions,whilst others have commented on strong clearing and detoxing. Very profounddreaming is also an effect of the remedy, as is making life-changing decisions.

Alternatively, you can work with the vibrations directly, through the trees andplants whose energy this is.


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Celtic Reiki Master Degree Symbols

The final set of 5 Celtic Reiki symbols are illustrated below:


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Ruis (Rweesh) R

Ruis is the symbol of the Elder Tree and triggers the energy of Birth andDeath, the beginning and the end. This energy allows us to know the cycle oflife and can be used at any time of loss and transition in life, including the

journey beyond life.

In treatments, Ruis can also be used at the beginning of any session thatinvolves dealing with deeply embedded issues that might cause fear or deepemotional/physical pain when treated. It will help the person to cope withthese symptoms of the clearing.

The symbol is also used in the attunement procedure to empower and openthe chakras, at this time of transition between the Reiki levels.

Ioho (E-yo) I

The Celtic symbol of the Yew tree and eternal life. The Yew can live forthousands of years, continually renewing itself in an eternal cycle. Ioho couldbe seen as the Master Symbol of Celtic Reiki, since it is the strongestvibrationally of all the energies and was the first to be channelled.

Ioho works with all the symbols to increase their power and make them longerlasting. A treatment using Ioho, in conjunction with the other symbols required,will keep the vibration going long after the treatment is finished.

Ioho is also used in the attunement process to empower the student to theCeltic Reiki energy, preparing them for the other frequencies. Ioho is availablein potentised form, as a homeopathic remedy, for those who wish to work withits energy further.

Koad (Kode) Ch

Koad is of the Grove. It is the energy of sacred sanctuary, of finding a placewithin that is calm and peaceful and will allow us to cope when everything

around is falling apart. The Koad is surrounding and nurturing, and protectswhilst healing.

Koad can be used in treatment to surround and protect the client; its nature isto give peace and stillness of mind, and to laugh in the face of adversity. It canalso be used when other frequencies are not working just as they should,because of emotional patterning. It will protect the other symbol from beingbroken down by habit and allow it to work over a period of time.

Koad is used in the attunement process to isolate the student in peace andtranquillity so they are receptive to the attunement. It works best when

contained in Violet Breath.


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Treatment Techniques

Celtic Reiki Mastership is based on two specific concepts, which attribute toits uniqueness. The second is particular to Celtic Reiki alone, althoughaspects of this are apparent in all energy work.

The Celtic Reiki symbols can be combined in order to create new energies,the vibration of which can be likened to a forest of energy. Each individualforest is clearly unique, being comprised of different combinations of the treeenergies. The letters of the Celtic alphabet are used to form words that can beutilised to write a book of treatments and symptom cures. Employing CelticReiki in this manner works on a multitude of levels and can change a personmulti-dimensionally, allowing them to alter their life path and find their nichewithin the universe. The Celtic Reiki trinity is incredibly powerful: Energies,Wisdom and Life combined in an amazing synthesis.

The process of writing Celtic Reiki treatments is rather different from thenormal practice of using a symbol, treating, and then changing the frequency,since the Celtic Reiki technique involves using the single frequencies oneafter the other. By writing a Celtic Treatment Sentence, a refined and specificnew energy is created which is suitable for use throughout a whole treatment,resonating stronger and travelling deeper.

In order to illustrate the potential of employing a Celtic Treatment Sentence,consider the following scenario concerning someone who has lost their way inlife. They are unable to see a way forward and look only to the near future,

trying to find the benefits in a short-term answer, rather than seeing the wholelong-term picture. Eventually they reach the point where their perpetualthinking causes an inability to do anything and they become stuck. A suitablesentence would be:

Finding the way through the labyrinth: GortSeeing the bigger picture: AilimClearing mental confusion: HuatheFinding the truth: UilleandCreating a sanctuary: KoadCreating stillness: Mor

Increasing the power of the treatment: Ioho

Commencing the treatment with a request for your guides assistance, youwould then draw the sentence on your palms, over the client, or simplyvisualise it: GAHUKMI. Then you can use the hand positions, Reiji Ho, orByosen to complete the entire treatment, redrawing the symbols if you feelthis is necessary.

The more you practice the symbols, the energies behind them will becomefixed in your bodys memory and intuitive knowledge, thus enabling you tocreate more and more elaborate treatment sentences. Initially guidance will

help you, but with time the ability to use the symbols to perform powerfultreatments will become second nature. It is essential to draw the symbols in a


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word, rather than a letter here and another there throughout the treatment,since this will effectively confuse the energy and cause it to become too bitty.

The second Celtic Reiki Master technique encompasses the Celtic Calendar.It is not possible to explain this technique fully, since it is very individual and

depends on your personal astrology. Basically, the Evergreen trees are morepotent in winter, the Deciduous trees in summer and the emphasis in theenergy fluctuates throughout the year. For instance, the cycle of Ruis is morerelevant to preparation for changes in spring, along with the acceptance ofchange in autumn.

You will also note that sometimes, certain symbols are stronger overall than atother times of the year. This is due to the fact their resonance is in line withyour resonance, and it is a good idea to make notes of these shifts in a diary,as you will soon notice an emerging pattern. This can be used to ascertainyour golden symbols, for golden times. Usually there will be one or possibly

two symbols per month and these should be used at peak times as much aspossible, on both yourself and others for heightened results.

It is also interesting to note that energy phases and moon cycles play a bigpart in the Celtic energy system. If you work with the energies in the days froma New Moon to a Full Moon, it works more effectively than from a Full to aNew Moon.


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Attunement Procedures

Preparatory Work

There are many variations on attunement methods depending on the style of

Reiki in question, but two techniques that are frequently used include theMicrocosmic Orbit and the Violet Breath.

The Microcosmic Orbit employs the functional and governor channels(meridians), which run in the mid-line along the front and back of the body. Byconnecting both meridians during a treatment or while performing anattunement, you become a stronger channel for the Reiki energy. This is doneby placing your tongue to the roof of your mouth (just behind the teeth) andcontracting the Hui Yin point as described in Level 1.

The Violet Breath technique is a method of transmitting Reiki energy during anattunement using the breath. It forms an important part of the Westernattunement process, and is used to transfer Reiki energy, together with theTibetan Master Symbol, into the crown of the student being attuned. Withregular practice the Violet Breath technique will become much easier, bringingabout highly effective results in terms of energy accumulation and transfer. Itis performed as follows:

1. Contract the Hui Yin point, placing your tongue to the roof of your

mouth.

2. Draw in a breath imagining it as white light coming down through thecrown chakra, through the tongue, down the front of the body through

the Hui Yin point and back up the spine filling the centre of the head.

3. Visualise the white light turning blue and rotating clockwise, then

turning violet.

4. Picture a golden symbol within the violet light.

5. Exhale gently, imagine the symbol on your breath and mentally say the

name of the symbol three times.


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First Degree Attunement

1. Say a silent prayer, asking for the help of the Reiki guides and spirit

guides of both yourself and the attunee, the Celtic gods and

goddesses, tree spirits, animal spirits and elementals, etc.

2. Silently state that this is to be a Celtic Reiki Level 1 attunement.

3. Draw the Iohosymbol and the Ruissymbol on your palms.

4. Draw the Ruissymbol on each chakra and over your whole body, to

empower and open yourself.

5. Draw all five Celtic Mastersymbols in the air, intending their power to

fill the room. Visualise the symbols in violet, or green as if on a great

screen in the middle of the room, and say their names three times,

mantra-style, to empower them. Use this order: Mor, Uilleand, Koad,

Ioho, and Ruis.

6. Contract the Hui Yin and place the tongue to the top of the mouth.

Remember to hold the Hui Yin throughout the entire attunement

process.

7. Move towards your first student and stand behind them. Draw the

Uilleandfrom the top of the students head, down the spine.

8. Place both hands on the shoulders and close your eyes to gain rapport

with the student.

9. Produce the Violet Breath, visualise the Koadsymbol in the violet light.

10. Place your hands on the students crown; opening your hands to

breathe the Koad symbol and violet light into the students Crown

chakra. Use your right hand as a guide and picture the symbol moving

through the head to the base of the brain, while repeating the namethree times to yourself, in mantra style.

11. Draw the Iohosymbol over the head and, using your right hand as a

guide, picture the symbol moving into the Crown chakra and through

the head to the base of the brain, while repeating the name three times

to yourself, in mantra style.

12. Squeeze the students left shoulder, which is the cue to raise their

hands to the top of their head. If they dont respond to the signal, then

reach forwards and guide their hands to the right position yourself.


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13. Hold your students hands with your left hand and draw the Level One

symbols in the air over the hands. Using your right hand as a guide,

picture each symbol moving into the hands, through the Crown chakra

to the base of the brain, while repeating the symbol names three times

to yourself in mantra style as each symbol goes in.

14. Move the students hands from the top of their head back down to the

heart.

Go on to the next person, until all your students have received this part.

15. Move to your students front and open their hands out flat, overlapping

each other, holding your left hand under the students hands.

16. Draw the Level Onesymbols in front of their Third Eye chakra, tapping

towards their Third Eye three times with your right hand, while

visualising each symbol moving into the Third Eye and saying the

symbol names to yourself three times in mantra style as each symbol

enters the Third Eye.

17. Draw the Level Onesymbols in the air above their hands. Picture the

symbols moving into the hands while repeating the symbol names to

yourself three times in mantra style as each symbols enters.

18. Place the students hands together in front of the heart. Blow from the

hands down to the Base chakra, up the body to the crown, down the

body to the base, and up to the hands again.


19. Move to your students back and place your hands on their shoulders

for a few moments, to gain rapport again. Look down through the

Crown chakra and see a ball of white light moving into the Heart

chakra. State a positive affirmation to yourself, three times. Intend the

affirmation to be accepted by the subconscious mind. Try this: You are

a successful and confident Celtic Reiki Practitioner.

20. Place your thumbs at the base of their skull and say to yourself: I now

seal this process with divine love and wisdom, while picturing a door


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with the Ruis symbol on it being closed and locked. Intend that the

process is sealed and complete and that the student is permanently

connected to the Reiki source.

21. Place your hands back on the students shoulders and say to yourself:

We are both blessed by this process.


22. Move to the front of your student and place their hands on their legs,

palms down.

23. Move back so that you are facing all your students, and thank the

guides, etc. that you invited at the start of the procedure. Hold your

hands at waist level with your palms facing your students, exhale, and

release the Hui Yin and tongue.

24. Ask the students to take a few long deep breaths and to come back

slowly and open their eyes.


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Second Degree Attunement




2. Silently state that this is to be a Celtic Reiki 2 attunement.


4. Draw the Ruissymbol on each chakra and over your whole body, to


5. Draw all five Celtic Mastersymbols in the air, intending their power to




Ioho, and Ruis.

6. Contract the Hui Yin; place the tongue to the top of the mouth.


process.




with the student.





through the head to the base of the brain, while repeating the namethree times to yourself, in mantra style.









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13. Hold your students hands with your left hand and draw the Level Two






heart.



each other, holding your left hand under the students hands.

16. Draw the Level Twosymbols in front of their Third Eye chakra, tapping





17. Draw the Level Twosymbols in the air above their hands. Picture the




hands down to the Base chakra, up the body to the crown, down the








a successful and confident Celtic Reiki Practitioner.




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with the Ruis symbol on it being closed and locked. Intend that the

process is sealed and complete and that the student is permanently

connected to the Reiki source.

21. Place your hands back on the students shoulders and say to yourself:

We are both blessed by this process.


22. Move to the front of your student and place their hands on their legs,

palms down.

23. Move back so that you are facing all your students, and thank the

guides, etc. that you invited at the start of the procedure. Hold your

hands at waist level with your palms facing your students, exhale, and

release the Hui Yin and tongue.

24. Ask the students to take a few long deep breaths and to come back

slowly and open their eyes.


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Master Degree Attunement




2. Silently state that this is to be a Celtic Reiki Master attunement.


4. Draw the Ruis symbol on each chakra and over the whole body, to


5. Draw all five Celtic Master symbols in the air, intending their power to




Ioho, and Ruis.

6. Contract the Hui Yin; place the tongue to the top of the mouth.


process.




with the student.





through the head to the base of the brain, while repeating the name

three times to yourself, in mantra style.









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13. Hold your students hands with your left hand and draw the Master






heart.



each other, holding your left hand under the students.

16. Draw the Master symbols in front of their Third Eye chakra, tapping





17. Draw the Master symbols in the air above their hands. Picture the




hands down to the base chakra, up the body to the crown, down the








a successful and confident Celtic Reiki Master.




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Distance Attunements

If the student is not physically present for the attunement, you can send it overlong distances by using a representation for the student such as a teddy bear.Its most practical to have this sitting on a chair, so you can easily move

around and follow the instructions laid out above. Before you start, you mustclearly state your intention to attune this person by means of yourrepresentation. You must tell the Universe the name and address/location ofthe person this attunement is meant for, as well as the time (and time zone)that it should arrive at. Then you can follow the attunement procedure exactlyas outlined above for a physically present person. Or, if your visualisationskills are very good, instead of using a representation, you can imagine theperson sitting on a chair while you walk around placing the symbols in theirchakras.

Timing Between Attunements

As there are no specific time limits necessary between the Celtic Reikiattunements, theoretically it is possible to join them together and you couldtherefore combine Levels 1 and 2, or do a complete Celtic Reiki attunementcovering all levels. One thing to consider though, is that the Celtic Reikisymbols can often be hard to learn because of their similarity, so in practice itis a much better approach to stagger the attunements, allowing at least oneweek between them. This will ensure that students have a chance to learn thesymbols properly.

Celtic Reiki Lineage

For your Celtic Reiki lineage simply add your name to the end of the followinglist:

Martyn Pentecost

Pamela Jordan

Teaching Celtic Reiki

Being a Celtic Reiki Master is about much more than just receiving theattunements. It means that the various techniques of sending the energy, thesymbols and the attunement process are well known and practised by you.Thorough practice (on a daily basis if possible) will increase your confidencein the Celtic Reiki system and in yourself as a competent channel.

I would strongly recommend waiting for a couple of months before teachingothers. If, after that time, you decide to give courses then you should start with

individuals or small groups. When teaching physically present students it isbetter to keep group-size down to a maximum of six people, so as to ensure


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that everyone is given full attention. You should allow plenty of time foranswering questions and for students to practice the techniques onthemselves and each other where appropriate.

Celtic Reiki lends itself particularly well to distance learning as you can email

or post the course manuals to the student and send them the attunementslong distance. They can then work through the course at their own pace, andcontact you if they have any queries or problems.

When practising or teaching Celtic Reiki, it is most important to make sure thatyour clients or students fully understand the implications of the disclaimergiven at the end of this page.

Celtic Reiki Master Level Exercises

Please memorise all five symbols, their meanings and methods of use. Youmay also wish to meditate and work further on each individual symbol.

As before, please practice the techniques suggested above and keep a recordof all your experiences. Be creative with your treatment sentences and allowyourself to be guided by your intuition. Also, if you are planning to teach CelticReiki, practice the attunement process on friends and family first until itbecomes second nature.

Try to find as many of the Celtic Reiki Master Level trees and shrubs as

possible in your vicinity and get to know them!

Disclaimer

Please be aware that the information given in this Celtic Reiki course is foreducational purposes only.

Celtic Reiki is a wonderful hands-on method of energy balancing for thepurpose of stress reduction and relaxation, that works in conjunction with anyand all other healthcare practices you may be using. However, it is not meant

as a substitute for proper medical diagnosis and treatment provided bylicensed healthcare professionals.

Celtic Reiki practitioners do not diagnose conditions, nor do they performmedical treatments, prescribe substances, or interfere with the treatment of alicensed medical professional.

It is strongly recommended that you contact your physician or healthcarespecialist for any physical or psychological ailment you may have.


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Celtic Reiki Master Level Resources

As Celtic Reiki is a continually evolving system, the manuals will beperiodically updated when new information becomes available. If you wouldlike to be added to a mailing list to receive the revised manuals, please send

an email with the heading Celtic Reiki Updates to:[email protected]

Recommended reading:

Celtic Tree Month Information

http://www.crystalforest1.homestead.com/CrystalForestCelticTreeMonths.

html

(This is a fascinating series of pages detailing the phases of Celtic TreeAstrology. Right click on the tree name beneath each symbol to open a new

page for each lunar month).

Elder - Ruis

Sambucus

Mara Freeman, May 1997

The elder is a small but bountiful tree, covered with edible fragrant

blossoms in summer and juicy purple berries in autumn which country people

have used for centuries in jams, jellies, medicinal syrups and wine. Its

hollow branches have proved useful for all manner of pipes and bellows; in

fact, its name probably originates with the Anglo-Saxon _eller, meaning a

kindler of fire. In Ireland elder was a sacred tree, and it was forbidden to

break even one twig.

Like the willow, it seems to have strong feminine associations. In Denmark,

peasants would not cut down an elder for fear of Hyldemor, the Elder-

mother, who dwelt in its trunk. This belief is also found in Eastern England.

In Lincolnshire until quite recently, it was important to ask permission of

the "Old Lady" or "Old Girl." The correct way to approach the tree was to

say: "Old Woman, give me some of thy wood and I will give thee some of

mine when I grow into a tree." If this Procedure was not adopted. ill-luck

could befall. Earlier this century, a writer visited the mother of a sick

baby. The mother explained: "It were all along of my maisters thick ead.

It were in this ow: trocker comed off t'cradle, and he hadnt no more

gumption than to mak a new un out on illerwood (elder wood) without axingthe Old Ladys leave, and in course she didnt like that, and she came and


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Elder has been prescribed throughout the ages for healing ailments from

blindness to epilepsy. The leaves gathered on May Eve had the power to

cure wounds, and warts could be removed by rubbing them on a green elder

stick and burning it: as it rotted away, so did the warts. In Denmark a

cure for toothache consisted of placing an elder twig in the mouth and thensticking it in a wall, saying: "Depart thou evil spirit!" The herbalist John

Evelyn declared: "If the medicinal properties of the leaves, bark, berries,

etc. were thoroughly known, I cannot tell what our countryman could ail for

which he might not fetch a remedy from every (elder) hedge either for

sickness or wound."

In Ireland, it was one of the magical trees carried in procession at Beltane.

If you celebrate this merry month, let the Elder-Mother once more take

her place in summers bouquet as this ancient Beltane song declares:

Holly and hazelElder and Rowen

and bright ash

from beside the ford

http://druidry.org/obod/trees/elder.html


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Yew - Ioho

Taxus

"Patriarch of Long-lasting Woods.... "

Mara Freeman, 1996

In early times, the darkly glorious yew-tree was probably the only

evergreen tree in Britain. Both Druids with their belief in reincarnation, and

later Christians with their teaching of the resurrection, regarded it as a

natural emblem of everlasting life. Its capacity for great age enriched its

symbolic value. The early Irish regarded it as one of the most ancient

beings on earth. Yew is the last on a list of oldest things in a passage from

the fourteenth century Book of Lismore: "Three lifetimes of the yew for

the world from its beginning to its end."

The yew's reputation for long life is due to the unique way in which the

tree grows. Its branches grow down into the ground to form new stems,

which then rise up around the old central growth as separate but linked

trunks. After a time, they cannot be distinguished from the original tree.

So the yew has always been a symbol of death and rebirth, the new that

springs out of the old, and a fitting tree for us to study at the beginning of

this new year. As the days now grow longer with the beginning of a new

solar cycle, we move into the future on the achievements of the past, new

creativity springs forth grounded in the accomplishments of the year gone

by.

In Irish mythology, the yew is one of the five sacred trees brought from

the Otherworld at the division of the land into five parts. Known as the

Tree of Ross, it was said to be the "offspring of the tree that is in

Paradise", and it brought lasting plenty to Ireland. In the Brehon Laws, it

is named as one of the Seven Chieftain Trees, with heavy penalties for

felling one. Ownership of a yew-tree is the cause of a great battle in the

twelfth century tale, "Yew Tree of the Disputing Sons". The tree's high

status is also shown in an Irish tale from the Historical Cycle in which a

swine herd dreamed he saw a yew tree upon a rock, with an oratory in

front of it. Angels ascended and descended from a flagstone at the

threshold. He told a druid who interpreted the dream to mean that the

rock would be the seat of kings of Munster from that day forth, and the

first king would be he who kindled a fire beneath the yew.

Staves of yew were kept in pagan graveyards in Ireland where they were

used for measuring corpses and graves. In the tragic love story of Baile and

Ailinn from the Historical Cycle, Baile dies of grief for the beautiful Ailinn.

When he is buried, a yew-tree grew out of his grave, and "the likeness of


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his head was in the branches." After seven years, poets cut down the yew

and made writing tablets out of it.

Another use of yew-wood by poets is recounted in a tale of Conn of the

Hundred Battles, who with his druids and poets, lost his way in a mist andcame to a supernatural world where a druid was recording names of every

prince from Conn's time onwards on staves of yew. In the bardic schools,

poets used staves of yew to help them memorize long incantations. We hear

tell how the poet Cesarn cut (the words) in Ogam into 4 rods of yew. Each

was 24' long and had 8 sides.

Staves of yew were also used for carving Ogam letters for magical use,

according to the evidence of early literature. In The Wooing of Etaine, the

beautiful heroine was abducted from her husband, Eochaid, who searched

for her for a year and a day to no avail. Finally, he sought the help of hisdruid, Dalla/n 'who made four rods of yew and inscribed them with Ogam.

Through this means he discovered that Etaine was on the side of Bri Leith,

with the faery king, Midir.

Veneration of the yew continued into Christian times where they have

always been associated with churchyards. An early medieval Irish poem

fragment refers to a yew outside an early Celtic Christian cell:

There is here above the brotherhood

A bright tall glossy yew;The melodious bell sends out a

clear keen note

In St. Columba's church.

Although from Ireland, this verse may refer to the Isle of Iona, the

sacred island of St. Columba off western Mull, Scotland, which is said to

derive its name from the Gaelic word for 'yew-tree', Ioho or Ioha. The

island was once a powerful Druid centre, planted with sacred groves of yew,

and the traditions of Iona traditionally involve rebirth and reincarnation. On

mainland Scotland, St. Ninian, a priest in Roman Britain, planted numerous

yews in the churchyards, including the famous Fortingale Yew in Perthshire

where Beltane fires were lit each year in a cleft of the trunk. A rhyme

about this tree states:

"Here Druid priests their altars placed,

And sun and moon adored."

For yew was one of the nine sacred trees for kindling Beltane fires, and the

old Scottish rhyme about the need-fire calls it 'the tree of resilience.Another famous Scottish yew stood at the Tobar an luthair, the Yew Tree


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Well in Easter Ross. Its presence lent healing qualities to the water, until

someone cut the tree down. Whoever did the deed must have regretted it,

for an old curse stated:

Well of the Yew Tree, Well of the Yew Tree,

To thee should honour be given;

In Hell a bed is ready for him

Who cuts the tree about thine ears.

A similar fate awaited an individual at the church of St. Kevin of

Glendalough, in County Wicklow, Ireland, who was cursed because, as a

rhyme states:

He cut down the Sacred Yew

That holy Kevin planted.

After the Norman Conquest a spate of church building led to the planting of

many churchyard yews. Some still thrive today, although over 900 years

old. Fortunately their function as icons of everlasting life had been

forgotten by the 17th century, or they would have probably not survived

destruction by the Puritans. The yew trees were usually planted in a

deliberate manner: one beside the path leading from the funeral gateway of

the churchyard to the main door of the church, and the other beside the

path leading to the lesser doorway. In early times, the priest and clerks

would gather under the first yew to await the corpse-bearers. The remainsof Anglo-Saxon churches suggest that the early English planted yews in a

circle around the church, which were usually built upon a central mound.

There is also a tradition that the Cross was a yew tree, perhaps because of

its symbolism of immortality. A verse from a traditional carol from

Herefordshire, The Seven Virgins, runs:

Go you down, go you down to yonder town,

And sit in the gallery:

And there you'll find sweet Jesus Christ,

Nailed to a big yew-tree.

The famous yew-trees of Nevern in Dyfed, Wales, are said to bleed a red

substance every year in sympathy with Christ. Branches of yew were borne

in Palm Sunday processions instead of palm or olive and the altars of many

churches were traditionally decked with branches of yew on Easter Day.

The yew is also associated with another time of resurrection - New Year's

Day, where in some parishes, villagers would gather beneath the churchyard

yew to see in the New Year.


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In later times, only the death side of the Yew's symbolism remained in the

popular mind. Shakespeare wrote of "the dismal yew" and his witches bore

"slips of yew slivered in the moon's eclipse." 19th century naturalist Gilbert

White described the trees as "an emblem of mortality by their funereal

appearance." A dark-canopied grove of yews was often regarded as a placeto be shunned, and a bough brought into the house portended a death in the

family. The cemetery is nowadays looked upon as a place of fear rather

than a sacred place of return to the ancestral realm.

So let us return to the wisdom of the Druids and remember at the turning

of the year the teachings of the sacred yew: that darkness is the matrix

from which light springs forth, and that out of death, life arises.

Mara Freeman, 1996

http://druidry.org/obod/trees/yew.html


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Celtic Tree Calendar

The Moon is humanity's oldest calendar. Evidence of ancient peoples keeping

time by the phases of the moon have been found carved into rocks and cave

walls the world over. The famous tree calendar of the Celts was such atime-keeping device, and, like other tribal cultures, the Celts found names

and associations for their moon, which were developed and codified over

many years of ritual and experimentation. Each moon phase was assigned a

corresponding tree, each tree being sacred to either feminine energy and to

the Goddess, or to masculine energy and to the God.

The lunar tree calendar of the Celts has long been a source of controversy

amongst Celtic scholars. Some even claim it was never a part of the old

Celtic world, but was an invention of author/researcher Robert Graves. The

Druids are generally given credit by other researchers for creating thissystem. There seems to be no scholarly evidence to prove otherwise, yet

many Celtic Pagans feel that the system pre-dates the time of Druidic

influence over Celtic religious matters. It is probably reasonable to believe

that the truth lies somewhere in between these three extremes. It is most

likely that the tree system was in place, with minor regional variations

before the time of the Druids who experimented with it, discovered the

magickal properties of each tree, and codified all the information into the

system we have today.

The trees the Druids selected for the thirteen months were already trees

which were sources of magick and myth in Celtic folklore. Several of the

trees are said to be attractive to faery folk, and others were sources of

magick herbs or medicines.

Today the counting of the Celtic tree calendar begins with the full moon

nearest Yule. Perhaps it once began with the full moon nearest Samhain

since, until the influence of the Norse, Samhain marked the beginning of

the Celtic New Year. When you have pinpointed the full moon closest to

Yule, count off the thirteen moons of the lunar year and mark them withtheir Tree Calendar names.*

MOON NAME POLARITY NICKNAMESMAGICKAL

PROPERTIES

Birch Moon FeminineMoon of Inception;

Moon of Beginning

Protection of children;

purification; creativity

Rowan Moon Masculine

Moon of Vision;

Spirit Moon;Astral Travel Moon

Healing; Personal

Empowerment;Divination


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Ash Moon Feminine Moon of WatersProsperity; Protection;

Healing

Alder Moon Masculine

Moon of Utility;

Moon of Efficacy;

Moon of Self-

Guidance

Spirituality; Teaching;

Weather magick;

Duty; Mental Prowess;

Willow Moon Feminine

The Witches'

Moon;

Moon of Balance

Romantic Love;

Healing; Protection;

Fertility; Magick for

Women

Hawthorn Moon Masculine

Moon of Restraint;

Moon of Hindrance;

Summer Moon

Fertility; Peace;

Prosperity; Binding

Oak Moon Masculine

Moon of Strength;

Moon of Security;

Bear Moon

All positive purposes;

Magick for Men;

Fidelity

Holly Moon Feminine

Moon of

Encirclement;

Moon of Polarity

Protection; Prophecy;

Magick for Animals;

Sex Magick

Hazel Moon FeminineMoon of the Wise;

Crone Moon

Manifestation; Spirit

Contact; Protection;

Fertility

Vine Moon AndrogynousMoon of Celebration

(Property dependent on

the type of vine)

Blackberry -

Prosperity; Protection;Sacred to Brid

Blueberry -

Spirituality; Dream

Magick

Grape - Fertility;

Inspiration;

Prosperity; Binding

Thistle - Courage;

Protection; Strength

Ivy Moon MasculineMoon of Buoyancy;

Moon of Resilience

Healing; Protection;

Cooperation; Exorcism

Reed Moon Feminine

Moon of the Home;

Hearth Moon;

Winter Moon;

Moon which

Manifests Truth

Fertility; Protection;

Love; Family Concerns

Elder Moon MasculineMoon of

Completeness

Exorcism; Prosperity;

Banishing; Healing


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"The Ogham (pronounced owam), or sacred Druidic alphabet, contained

hidden secrets for magic and divination. Only the initiated could understand

these occult meanings. The ancient Celts had a kinship with trees which is

shown in this magical alphabet and in their tree calendar. Further proof oftheir respect for trees is in the old Celtic word for oak (Duir); the word

Derwydd or Duirwydd (oak-seer) was probably the origin of the word Druid.

The Celts believed that many trees where inhabited by spirits or had spirits

of their own. This idea most notably applied to any tree with a strong aura

around it. They also believed that certain trees had a healing influence on

humans. From this ancient respect for the power of trees came the

expressions 'touch wood' and 'knock on wood'.

Oak, ash, and thorn were called the faery triad of trees. Where they grow

together,it is still said that faeries live.

The ancient Celts used the Ogham alphabet in performing magick. They also

threw divination sticks engraved with the signs of the Ogham alphabet.

For divination, paint or engrave the symbols on one side of some flat sticks.

Ice cream sticks or tongue depressors work well for this purpose. The

symbols can also be drawn on cards and read as you do tarot. Choose seven

sticks without looking. Concentrate on your question while holding them inboth hands. Then gently toss them on the ground or floor in front of you.


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Nuin Ash

Month: March

Color: Glass Green

Class: Chieftain

Letter: NMeaning: Locked into a chain of events; Feeling bound.

Huathe Hawthorne

Month: April

Color: Purple

Class: Peasant

Letter: H

Meaning: Being held back for a period of time.

Duir OakMonth: May

Color: Black and Dark Brown

Class: Chieftain

Letter: D

Meaning: Security; Strength.

Tinne Holly

Month: June

Color: Dark Grey

Class: PeasantLetter: T

Meaning: Energy and guidance for problems to come.

Coll Hazel

Month: July

Color: Brown

Class: Chieftain

Letter: C, K

Meaning: Creative energies for work or projects.

Quert Apple

Month: None

Color: Green

Class: Shrub

Letter: Q

Meaning: A choice must be made.


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Muin Vine

Month: August

Color: Variegated

Class: Chieftain

Letter: MMeaning: Inner development occurring, but take time for relaxation.

Gort Ivy

Month: September

Color: Sky Blue

Class: Chieftain

Letter: G

Meaning: Take time to soul search or you will make a wrong decision.

Ngetal ReedMonth: October

Color: Grass Green

Class: Shrub

Letter: NG

Meaning: Upsets or surprises.

Straif Blackthorn

Month: None

Color: Purple

Class: ChieftainLetter: SS, Z, ST

Meaning: Resentment; Confusion; Refusing to see the truth.

Ruis Elder

Month: Makeup days of the thirteenth Moon

Color: Red

Class: Shrub

Letter: R

Meaning: End of a cycle or problem.

Ailim - Silver Fir

Month: None

Color: Light Blue

Class: Shrub

Letter: A

Meaning: Learning from past mistakes; Take care in choices.


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Ohn Furze

Month: None

Color: Yellow Gold

Class: Chieftain

Letter: OMeaning: Information that could change your life.

Ur - Heather and Mistletoe

Month: None

Color: Purple

Class: Heather is Peasant; Mistletoe is Chieftain

Letter: U

Meaning: Healing and development on the spiritual level.

Eadha - White Poplar or AspenMonth: None

Color: Silver White

Class: Shrub

Letter: E

Meaning: Problems; Doubts; Fears.

Ioho Yew

Month: None

Color: Dark Green

Class: ChieftainLetter: I, J, Y

Meaning: Complete change in life-direction or attitude.

Koad Grove

Month: None

Color: Many Shades of Green

Class: None

Letter: CH, KH, EA

Meaning: Wisdom gained by seeing past illusions.

Oir Spindle

Month: None

Color: White

Class: Peasant

Letter: TH, OI

Meaning: Finish obligations and tasks or your life cannot move forward.


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Uilleand Honeysuckle

Month: None

Color: Yellow-whiteClass: Peasant

Letter: P, PE, UI

Meaning: Proceed with caution.

Phagos Beech

Month: None

Color: Orange-brown

Class: Chieftain

Letter: PH, IO

Meaning: New experiences and information coming.

Mor - the Sea

Month: None

Color: Blue-green

Class: none

Letter: AE, X, XI

Meaning: Travel.

*From "Celtic Myth and Magick" by Edain McCoy

** From "Celtic Magic" by DJ Conway

http://www.joellessacredgrove.com/Celtic/tree.html

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