A dull, wet day…
First blossoms;
Flowers before leaves,
Blackthorn.
The Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) that grows through the hedge in my garden is flowering and on this dull wet day, the flowers shine brightly. It’s only a few days since the Spring Equinox!
Blackthorn is the fourteenth tree in the Celtic Tree Ogham, STRAIPH. It is symbolised in the balance between light and dark. Physically, the tree is challenging as it grows into an impenetrable thicket. Its thorns being very sharp, the tree is a safe haven for nesting birds.
Ashley
Spring Equinox 2024
Plish, plash,
The bird bath overflows;
Spring rain.
Spring rain,
Waters the earth;
Buds open.
Buds open,
Bright, in the dull day;
The spring equinox.
Yes! At last the Spring Equinox has arrived, the time when day and night are of equal length. So for a few months, from now until the Summer Solstice in June, the light of day will increase.
In the Pagan tradition the day is known as the Festival of Balance; inner and outer, the unconscious and the conscious worlds are in balance. What goes on in our minds is reflected in our actions, so we should try to understand this perspective and use it to bring healing between ourselves and the outer world.
~~~~~
It is a year since I began writing about and making a set of Celtic Tree Ogham sticks to sit alongside the eight festivals of the Wheel of the Year. For now, the last two trees that I shall write about, associated with the Spring Equinox, are Alder and Ash.
Alder: Alnus glutinosa. Alder is the third tree in the Celtic Tree Ogham: FEARN. F. The Alder loves to be by rivers and streams where its roots come into contact with water. Its roots are able to fix nitrogen from the air and the wood is very durable when constantly wet. It has been used in building bridges and the piles in medieval cathedrals.
Ash: Fraxinus excelsior. Ash is the fifth tree in the Celtic Tree Ogham: NION. N. Known in Norse mythology as Yggdrasil, the Tree of the World, which links all the levels of existence. With its straight growth and grain, Ash makes good walking sticks and staffs. It also makes beautifully straight arrows for traditional archery and whilst Yew (Taxus baccata) is considered the supreme wood for longbows, Ash will make a very serviceable longbow.
Here is a photo of all the Ogham sticks I’ve made over the year. You will be able to see where there are gaps in my set. Left to right, the first ten are all there but there are five missing from the next set of ten. I am reliant on friends and colleagues to keep me posted when suitable wood becomes available and I will never just cut into a tree without first asking permission and especially asking the tree for its blessing.
To finish this longer than usual post on a light-hearted note, I’m sure you will have guessed my favourite tree. Ash, of course! In Old English a ley was a meadow or grassland. Put the two together and I am a meadow with ash trees! 😉😂
Enjoy the Spring Equinox, this celebration of balance and awakening.
Ashley
I’m honoured
Occasional Furniture (1)
His Book Shelves
I climb the stairs
tip toe down the passage
into the silence of my father's music room.
The black upright Bechstein
stands rigid and dumb
as my eyes scan the titles,
so many,
but one reaches out
and catches my eye.
How strange, alien,
not of this world,
written by a god, no less.
Kon-Tiki.
Artwork & poem by Ashley March 2024
First garden flowers in February
Steady, soft rain has persisted for most of the day, and whilst the sky is overcast and grey, the increased light of this month enters my eyes to bathe and lift my spirits.
A dull day;
Rain doused, first flowers,
Open.
Ashley
1st February
Halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox in the Pagan calendar, is Imbolc. In the Christian calendar this time is known as Candlemas or if you live in Ireland St. Brigid’s Day. Whichever way we think of this period, we are surely celebrating the return of the light and as the light increases, so the earth begins to warm and plants begin to grow.
The snowdrops that appeared around the time of the winter solstice are still here in my garden. I have to turn their delicate drooping heads to see the beauty inside.
I’ve added another two letters to my Ogham Tree alphabet: L and S.
Rowan: Sorbus aucuparia. It is the second tree of the Celtic Tree Ogham: LUIS. L and is associated with connections between the inner and outer worlds.
Willow: Salix alba. The willow is the fourth tree of the Celtic Tree Ogham: SAILLE. S and is associated with healing imbalances.
Let’s celebrate what the ancients believed was the opening of the door to Spring.
Ashley
A new year’s day
Season’s Greetings
To all who read this page, Season’s Greetings.
Ashley 🎄
Winter Solstice
Photograph and hokku by Ashley
In the old Celtic world, the Cosmic wheel, the Wheel of Time, briefly stopped turning on this day. The Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year is a time to look backwards in inner reflection and to look forwards to a new season of increasing daylight, growth and activity. Whilst we might still have winter weather and winter difficulties to overcome, it is important to see this time as a rebirth within the continuous cycle of life.
Two trees associated with this time of year are birch and pine and I can now add these to my set of Tree Ogham sticks.
The first tree in the Ogham is Silver Birch, BEITH. B (Betula pendula) a tree that quickly colonises new ground. It drops so many leaves and twigs that they enrich the soil for other trees to follow. A tree of life giving properties.
The sixteenth tree in the Ogham is a fir, the Scots Pine, AILM. A (Pinus sylvestris). It has been honoured since ancient times in helping us to develop the perceptions and wisdom to see beyond the present.
Again, I give thanks to Glennie Kindred for allowing me to freely quote from her book Sacred Earth Celebrations which can be found on her website:
https://www.glenniekindred.co.uk/
Ashley
A Different View 