Celtic Tree Calendar - Lynne

[Guest guest]

First off, Lynne, I hope your chest cold is over... I'm feeling an

icky illness coming on right now and it started in my throat and is

moving up to the sinuses... yuck...

 

Our current tree: Alder

 

Fourth Moon

Glyph - I am a shining tear of the sun

Bird - Crown, Gull

Day - Saturday

Color - Crimson, green, brown, royal purpose

Healing -

Mysteries - The Need Of Women's Rule (TNOWR), Whistle Away Doubts,

Divination of Hope, A New Beginning

 

Substitute: Dogwood

 

 

Alder is the time of birthing, of rebirth, after the inception in

Birch, the quickening in Rowan, and the premature urgings of Ash.

Alder occurs near the Spring Equinox, a time of balance. In Alder, we

also have the balance of yin and yang, male and female, fire and

water. Alder grows in and around water, yet is known for its ability

to make charcoal and gunpowder. Alder pilings lift buildings out of

the water, and in the same way, Alder acts to lift our spirits out of

the waters of the first three moons, and onto the dry land of the

spring and summer months ahead. Alder also acts as a bridge between

the two halves of the year, connecting and balancing the fire and

water aspects, and the male and female sides of ourselves.

 

Easter, which is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the

Spring Equinox, is derived from Ishtar/Ostara/Eostara. Our word

estrogren may be derived from this. Ishtar is the goddess of

conception and birth; the hare, a symbol of regeneration and feminine

energy, is sacred to her. Eggs are also symbols of regeneration, and

a red egg is a symbol of rebirth. Alder is sacred to Bran the Blessed

and to Cronos (Saturn). Saturn represents the clearing of old ways,

habits and thinking. This is a time for letting go of such things,

clearing out the confusion, a time for re-birth. Alder is also sacred

to Fairie kings and elf kings. Alder has four colors associated with

it: purple (Crown chakra), red (life, mana, blood, rebirth), brown

(earth), and green (faeries, little people). These four colors speak

of emotion, respect, reverence, harmony; an understanding of the

natural order of life; awe, respect and reverence for life. From the

word Alder comes elder (not the tree); elder kings.

 

You can use the energies of this moon to reconnect with the earth,

and bring your inner natures into balance. Now that the storms of Ash

have passed, we can quit trying to attack each other, and learn to

work together in harmony, especially with the opposite sex. A

leftover effect of Ash is that the men are pretty fed up with the

women. Be sensitive to each other now, act responsibly, and

understand how your actions can affect others. This must be done now,

when the balanced energies of nature are all around us, or things

will get really out of kilter by Holly moon.

 

Alder is also known as the crying moon. A worthy birth is always

attended by tears. Alder is the antidote for doubt and confusion. The

hardest thing to overcome in this moon is self- doubt and doubts

about others, but these are a natural consequence of new beginnings

and birthings, when we look toward the year ahead. This is a good

time to honestly examine these doubts, so you will know what you have

to deal with in the future moons. The Alder can help you through

this, and give you joy and hope for the future.

 

Negative Alder energies: Doubt, both about yourself and about others.

Confusion, uncertainty, hopelessness, depression, a feeling of being

bogged down. You may also tend to be insensitive to others, and be

unintentionally cruel.

 

Overcoming these negative energies: take a wand from the tree.

Possible Bach Flowers for Alder: Gentian, Larch, and Cerato.

 

 

 

Let me know what you think. If you would like further discussion on

this, please email me. So much can be learned about ourselves

through the energies and the mysteries of the trees )

 

Heidi

 

(Copyright 1999 by Linda Kerr. Brief synopsis on the energies for

each of the lunar trees, Beth-Luis-Nuin, as we have learned it.)