Celtic Meaning of Symbolic Trees by Marjabella La Fey

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

 

Sacred Symbolism and Celtic Meaning of Trees (Ogham)

Do some research on Celtic meaning of symbolic trees and odds are your journey will never end. So rich and intense is this path of knowledge that lifetimes could be devoted to the subject. Indeed, the ancient Druids committed decades of their lives in soulful contemplation of the cosmic expressions manifested in trees.

The ancient Celtic people were much like the first people of North America in that they were spiritually progressive. This advancement is born from an intense union with nature and subsequently, aided these people in aligning with energy on a cosmic level.

We see evidence of this alignment in the Ogham and this system will serve as the basis for much of the information on the Celtic meaning of symbolic trees.

At its simplest, the Ogham is an ancient Celtic alphabet consisting of twenty characters. These characters were simple and easily drawn using downward and upward strokes. It’s theorized that these characters might have been conveyed as hand signals (much like sign language on a simplified level) too.

When we get past this face-value definition of the Ogham, we discover that the Celts intertwined their communion with nature into this writing system. They did this by assigning a tree to each of the twenty symbols of the Ogham (or more accurately, vice versa). Stepping into another level of intricacy, we find each tree represents a particular characteristic within the Ogham.

To summarize,

• The Ogham consists of twenty alphabetical symbols.
• Each of these symbols represents a sacred tree.
• Each tree represents a feeling, attribute or essence.

For example, the first letter of the Ogham is “B” the symbol identified as Beithe which means Birch. Ergo, the birch tree is associated with this letter of the Ogham. The Celtic meaning here speaks of renewal, rebirth, and youth for reasons I will outline in pages to come.

Below is a list of the twenty alphabetical Ogham symbols, the tree associated with each symbol meaning, and the symbolic meaning of each tree. You may also want to view my Celtic Tree Astrology - Zodiac of the Druids page for more insight on this subject.

Note: I've written a page on general Tree Symbolism here which provides more broad symbolic perspectives on trees.

Ogham Symbol	Letter	Ogham Name	Tree Image	Tree Name	Tree Symbolic Meaning
	B	Beithe		Birch	Beginning, Renewal, Youth
	L	Luis		Rowan	Protection, Expression, Connection
	F	Fern		Alder	Endurance, Strength, Passion
	S	Sail		Willow	Imagination, Intuition, Vision
	N	Nion		Ash	Connection, Wisdom, Surrender
	H	Huath		Hawthorn	Contradiction, Consequence, Relationships
	D	Duir		Oak	Strength, Stability, Nobility
	T	Tinne		Holly	Action, Assertion, Objectivity
	C	Coll		Hazel	Creativity, Purity, Honesty
	Q	Quert		Apple	Beauty, Love, Generosity
	M	Muin		Vine	Introspection, Relaxation, Depth
	G	Gort		Ivy	Determination, Change, Patience
	NG	Ngetal		Reed	Harmony, Health, Growth
	STR	Straif		Blackthorn	Discipline, Control, Perspective
	R	Ruis		Elder	Transition, Evolution, Continuation
	A	Ailm		Fir	Clarity, Achievement, Energy
	O	Onn		Gorse	Transmutation, Resourcefulness, Exposure
	U	Ur		Heather	Dreams, Romance, Feelings
	E	Edad		Poplar/Aspen	Victory, Transformation, Vision
	I	Idad		Yew	Transference, Passage, Illusion

While you are learning more about the Celtic meaning of symbolic trees, it’s a good idea to keep an Ogham journal. Here you can play with writing the symbols, record your thoughts and experiences. This journal can also serve as a historical document of your personal progress as you apply the tree attributes to your daily life.