Today we have the Rowan tree, one that is frequently seen in lore but often connected to protection. A good way to start the week, don’t you think? Blessings!
Rowan – Safe in the Knowledge of Protection
Meaning: Protection means that we are looked after by a power stronger than ourselves. Whether we look to a go or gods, to angels or spirits, for our help, we should acknowledge the need for protection in every aspect of life. Just as we would be foolish to attempt to climb a mountain without strong ropes and proper climbing equipment, we should not consider entering into any other activity without ensuring we have the proper protection.
Rowan’s ability to shield us from harm makes its presence a powerful ally, and it is still invoked in parts of Europe as a guardian against evil spirit or other negative forces. It can also offer insight into danger through the invocation of higher wisdom. The Druid shamans of the Celts were said to use it in this way, breathing in the smoke from rowan fires to initiate a trance state in which their heightened perception enabled them to forward against the onset of danger. Its presence in a reading indicates that you are protected from harm.
Rowan Lore: It is thought that the rowan got its name from the Norse word runa, meaning charm. It has had an association with protection from ancient times and is often found growing close to houses and churchyards to ward off evil presences. Traditions speak of the rowan as an especially powerful protector against witchcraft, and that to bind a piece of red thread around a twig of rowan can turn aside the strongest spell.
Blood of the gods – The sheer brilliance of the rowan’s colors – deep green and scarlet – announces it present like a trumpet all wherever it grows. Its red berries meant that it was associated with both life and death, and since the color red was believed to represent the blood of the gods so the berries were seen as their natural food. The gods and goddesses associated with the rowan are among the most powerful deities. In Greek mythology, the rowan strand from the blood of an eagle, sent by Zeus to recover the Cup of the Gods, which had been stolen by demons, whereas in Scandinavian myth the first woman was created from a rowan tree. The tree was especially honored by the Norse people because it was said to have saved the god Thor from drowning when it reached forth its branches to catch him as he was swept away by a furious river.
Goddesses of the Sun – Rowan is ruled by the sun, so it is not exactly surprising that several of the deities connected with it are also solar. In Ireland, therefore, the goddess Brigid is often represented by the rowan, while in Britain it is Brigantia, an ancient tutelary deity of the land, is also invoked under its sign. Both these goddesses had strong associations with the sun, with its protective energy and with the first stirrings of spring. Brigid was also the goddess of poetry and inspiration, and in later Christian myth was said to have nursed the infant Jesus. Both Brigid and Brigantia are said to have possessed arrows made of rowan, which could catch fire when necessary.
The Druid’s Tree – The rowan is especially sacred among the Celts. It was given great honor by the Druids, and in Ireland is still known as fid na ndruad, or “the Druid’s tree.” The Druids planted rowan trees – along wit oaks and has – in the sacred groves where they gathered to worship. Throughout Ireland it was protected from harm so long as the tree was healthy and well cared for. This tradition is still kept alive in parts of Europe, where rowan trees are found growing close to houses or churchyards and where sprigs of rowan pinned above a door frame are said to keep away those from evil intent.
The Spirit of Nature Oracle by author John Matthews and artist Will Worthington
Parting the Mists 