| The Celtic people once existed across the width | | | | explored...death, rebirth, renewal. It was all a cycle, |
| and breadth of the European continent. Form the | | | | and each tree represented a step in that cycle, |
| shores of Ireland to the hills of Northern Italy, the | | | | traveling through the seasons. |
| Celts were a presence and a power for centuries. | | | | After the winter, came the Birch, which |
| Now though, we have only a few scattered | | | | symbolized renewal and rebirth. |
| remnants of their culture, their language, and their | | | | The Ash tree was the tree of power...the power |
| history to remember them by. The Celts have | | | | of chieftains and the druids themselves. |
| become one of history's greatest mysteries, a | | | | The Willow symbolized the power embodied in the |
| people maligned and honored in equal measure by | | | | female form, a power that spoke to the rhythms |
| those who came after. | | | | of the universe. |
| The strongest concentration of Celtic influence | | | | The Oak symbolized the turning of the year, |
| remaining in the modern world exists in the British | | | | from the Spring trees of the Birch, the Ash and |
| Isles, fittingly enough. It was there, in Scotland | | | | the Willow, to the Summer months. |
| and Ireland, that many believe the Celts to have | | | | The Hazel tree was the tree of wisdom, and sat |
| made their last stand against the tide of history | | | | at the crux between Summer and Fall, when |
| that swept over them and it is there that the | | | | power gives way to knowledge. |
| remnants of Celtic culture and belief still cling to | | | | The Ivy came next, representing the |
| relevancy in a world awash in modern thought | | | | determination of man and the oncoming Winter. |
| and theory. | | | | The Rowan tree guarded the home during the |
| The concept of Celtic Tree Astrology is one such | | | | long dark of the Winter months, and represented |
| belief. The Celtic astrology signs were devised by | | | | the unrestrained spirituality of that time of year. |
| the Druids, who were the - for the lack of a | | | | The Alder tree linked both male and female in the |
| better term - the priest class of the Celts. | | | | blooming of the Spring months. |
| Like many elements of the inclusive Celtic | | | | The Hawthorn, much like the Rowan, was a |
| cosmology, the tree astrology was based on | | | | protective member of the Zodiac, in this case |
| natural symbolism, in this case, a tree. The Celtic | | | | protecting man during the turning of the seasons |
| astrology tree was made of all trees through | | | | from Spring to Summer. |
| time and space, with roots burrowed in the earth | | | | The Holly symbolized a return of energy, as the |
| and whose branches scratched the heavens and | | | | Summer prepared to turn. |
| curled through time to touch each phase of the | | | | The Grape Vine represented intuition and the |
| moon. Mankind descended from the branches of | | | | Reed represented knowledge gained. |
| this tree to live upon the Earth, but they always | | | | Each tree commanded a view of a different facet |
| returned to the tree for the important things. Or | | | | of human existence, filtered through the changing |
| so the druids said. For the druids, each tree was a | | | | of the seasons and the phases of the moon |
| different part of THE tree, and, as such | | | | overhead. |
| represented a different facet of life to be | | | | |