The dryad is the spirit of the tree, its essential pattern. It is a living being linked to the tree and growing with it, but at the same time it is a trans-temporal and trans-spacial creature, living in the Astral dimension as much as in the mundane world. When a branch falls off a tree or is pruned, the dryad spirit is still in the wood. It is not really correct to speak of "parts" of a spirit, but one might consider the spirit of the wand to be part of the tree's consciousness. Some writers suggest that trees withdraw their life from a branch when they sense it is going to be cut and there is doubtless something to such observations. Nevertheless, in my experience, the spirit always remains in some degree and can be awoken by enchantment when the branch is crafted into a wand.

Now, of course, orthodox mundane botany does not usually accord consciousness to trees. In the Alferic tradition and in most schools of Druidry, trees are considered to have spirit, mind, and consciousness, as well as will and emotions. Indeed, in my experience, trees have a larger proportion of emotion than intellect in their souls. They do not ratiocinate the way we do, but they do ponder and brood. As Tolkien so rightly observed in Lord of the Rings, many trees today are sleepy. If the druid touches them and makes contact with their dryad spirit, they sometimes at first seem sluggish and hard to reach. Other trees respond immediately to such attention with the same kind of reaction many of us would have if suddenly touched by the mind of another being.

Still, it is misleading to anthropomorphize dryads. They share many of the spiritual qualities with us, but they do not think or live like human beings. In their present incarnation, trees are fixed and immobile.

A great deal of their attention is directed into the ground through their roots and outward into the air through their branches and leaves. They do move, of course, in the process of growth and in harmony with the winds, rain, and sunlight. Deciduous trees drop their leaves and grow new ones, many drop seeds or flowers. So there is a great deal of activity in trees but it is the sort that, in humans, remains largely unconscious. We too produce seeds and eggs, grow hair and nails and new skin, and throughout childhood our whole body is growing.

Even in adulthood the body changes shape. But trees have very different bodies and their spirits are diffused throughout their bodies without the distracting narrow focus of a brain steeped in language. Thus trees, unlike humans, have never suffered from the dichotomy of mind and body. If their consciousness dwells on different parts of their being, it is on the roots, the trunk, and the branches. The leaves are the most sensitive organs of trees, but the bark is also very sensitive, flowing with tree-blood underneath, just like skin.

Although many of the woods are traditionally associated with one of the four classical elements (Air,Fire,Water,Earth), dryads are spirits that do not fall simply into one of these elements. Rather, they embody the fifth element recognized in the Taoist system: Wood. They are representative of all of the four elements combined into a fifth that is a living organism. Trees are the pinnacle of the plant kingdom, as humans are often imagined to be the pinnacle of the animal kingdom, filled with nobility, grandeur, often great age, and wisdom that comes from a long life in one place. We are indebted to them in ways that are often incompletely realized; in the gift of oxygen, wood, and paper trees have made human civilization possible. They are, thus, mystically speaking, the midwives of all intelligent life and human creativity.

The Quintessence is often described as Spirit, but it is enlightening to consider this "Fifth Element" as Wood for the trees point upwards to the sun, stars, and heavens, to the invisible Spirit, which is not an "element" at all, but the essence that underlies all manifestation.

The Magical Properties of Woods 

The Celtic Ogham And Druid Tradition;

Identify certain properties with certain sacred trees. The oghams of old are rather enigmatic, to say the least. "Ogham" is pronounced oh-um and signifies correspondences, that is, the use of runes to symbolize a complex of associations and archetypes, but it might also be translated as "mysteries."

The ogham reconstructed by the poet Robert Graves in his book 'The White Goddess', has been adopted by many modern druid orders.

While some of these properties or characters accord with the Alferic Ogham, there are also differences.

In the latter, each wood is linked to a rune which symbolizes the complex of magical correspondences embracing not only wood, but also stone, bird, animal, color, and time.

I have included here only those types of wood that are currently available for wandmaking. Some are more plentiful than others.

I have here indicated their primary Elemental association and connections to the Mellarin (the Mighty Ones) and to the solar calendar and principal festivals.

Some magical applications are listed for each wood, but it should not be thought that any wand is limited to particular types of magick.

Rather, I intend to indicate those powers that are especially suited for each respective wood and best fit the common character of a species.

SACRED WOODS

*ALDER*(Alnus spp.) This tree is a water lover. The oily water resistant wood has been used extensively for underwater foundations and pilings in Venice and elsewhere. It is used in dairy vessels and the branches in making whistles. It is associated with Bran, as He used His body as a bridge to span dangerous waters. It is used in the construction of bridges. Bran's Head was oracular. Alder indicates protection and oracular powers.

 *APPLE*(Malus spp.) A dense, fine-grained, rosy-colored wood with a slightly sweet smell. The Apple is the earliest cultivated tree. It is associated with choice. At Somerset, an auction was held for single acre plots on two pieces of common land. Plots were marked and matching marks made on the fruit. The apples were then placed in a bag and commoners were allocated land by the distribution of the fruit. All the acres of land were similar, as many times today choices must be made between similar and equally attractive things. Regardless, the choice must be made. In Norse myth, Idunna was the keeper of the 'apples of immortality' which kept the Gods young. The 'fruit-bearing tree' referred to by Tacitus in his description of Norse runic divination may have been the apple. Apple indicates choice, and is useful for love and healing magic.

*BEECH*(Fagus spp.) Beech wood is closely grained, very easy to work giving a smooth even surface. At one time Beech tablets were used as writing surfaces because of the above mentioned qualities. Beech and book have the same word origins. Beech is concerned with ancient knowledge as revealed in old objects, places and writings. Beech indicates guidance from the past to gain insight which protects and provides a solid base upon which all relies.

*BLACKTHORN*(Prunus spinosa) Blackthorn is a winter tree. The sloe, its fruits ripen and sweeten only after the nip of the frost. White flowers are seen even before the leaves in the spring. It is black barked with vicious thorns and grows in dense thickets. The wood is used in the cudgel shillelagh and Blasting Stick. Its thorns are used to pierce waxen images. Blackthorn indicates strong action of fate or outside influences that must be obeyed.

*ELDER*(Sambucus spp.) The Latin name sambucus is derived from a Greek word for a wind instrument made from elder. The pith can easily be removed from the small branches to make a flute. Elder regrows damaged branches with ease and can root rapidly from any part. A tea for purifying the blood can be made from the flowers and wine from the fruit, but in general the tree is poisonous. In Norse mythology, the Goddess Freya chose the black elder as her home. In medieval times it was the abode of witches and it was considered dangerous to sleep under its branches or to cut it down. Sticks of Elder were used as magical horses by Witches. Elder indicates the end in the beginning and the beginning in the end. Life in Death and Death in Life.

*FIR*(Abies spp.) Fir is a very tall slender tree that grows in mountainous regions on the upper slopes. Fir cones respond to rain by closing and the sun by opening. Fir can see over great distance to the far horizon beyond and below. Fir indicates high views and long sights with clear vision of what is beyond and yet to come.

*HAWTHORN*(Crataegus oxyacantha) A light, hard, apple-like wood. Hawthorn usually doesn't grow much bigger than a shrub, and is popular in England as a hedge plant. The wood from the Hawthorn provides the hottest fire known. Its leaves and blossoms are used to create a tea to aid with anxiety, appetite loss and poor circulation. The Greeks and Romans saw the hawthorn as symbolic of hope and marriage, but in medieval Europe it was associated with witchcraft and considered to be unlucky. This seeming contradiction is to be expected from a tree with such beautiful blossoms and such deadly-looking thorns. Hawthorn can be used for protection, love and marriage spells.

*HAZEL*(Corylus avallania) Hazel is another food tree. In Celtic tradition, the Salmon of Knowledge is said to eat the 9 nuts of poetic wisdom dropped into its sacred pool from the hazel tree growing beside it. Each nut eaten by the salmon becomes a spot on its skin. The Hazel tree provided shade, protection and baskets. In Europe and North America, hazel is commonly used for 'water-witching' - the art of finding water with a forked stick. Magically, hazel wood is used to gain knowledge, wisdom and poetic inspiration.

*MAPLE*(Acer spp.) A very hard, pale, fine-grained wood. Although the sugar maple has the highest sugar content in its sap, all maple species can be tapped to make syrup and sugar, making them a vital resource to early North American settlers. In north-eastern North America, the annual 'sugaring-off' usually coincides with the vernal equinox, making it one of the first signs of spring. Maple can bring success and abundance.

*White Oak*(Quercus alba) Darker and denser than red oak. It's strength and density have led to its being used in barrel-making and shipbuilding. Useful for spells requiring strength and solidity.

*Brown (English) Oak*(Quercus robur) A richly-colored dark brown wood. 'Bog oak' is brown oak which has fallen into a peat bog and been preserved there for hundreds of years until it begins to have the consistency of coal. Brown oak has a very earthy feel, and is useful for grounding. Oak has been considered sacred by just about every culture that has encountered the tree, but it was held in particular esteem by the Norse and Celts because of its size, longevity, and nutritious acorns. The oak is frequently associated with Gods of thunder and lightening such as Zeus, Thor, and the Lithuanian God Perkunas. This association may be due to the oak's habit of being hit by lightening during storms. Specific oak trees have also been associated with the 'Wild Hunt', which is led by Herne in England and by Wodin in Germany. In general, oak can be used in spells for protection, strength, success and stability; the different varieties will lend their own special 'flavor' to the magic.

*PINE*(Pinus spp.) The Pine tree is an evergreen, its old title was "the sweetest of woods". Its needles are a valuable source of vitamin C and can loosen a tight chest. The scent of Pine is useful in the alleviation of guilt. The Bach's flower remedies lists it for dealing with feelings of guilt. Pine indicates issues of guilt within you.

*POPLAR*(Populus spp.) The White Poplar flourishes beside rivers, in marshes and in other watery areas. The pith is star shaped. The upper leaves are green, the underside is silver. The wood was used in the making of shields. Leaves move with every puff of wind. It is commonly referred to as the talking, whispering and quivering tree. The Anglo-Saxon rune poem seems to refer to the poplar as being associated with the rune berkano. Heracles wore a crown of poplar leaves when he retrieved Cerberus from Hades, and the upper surface of the leaves was thus darkened from Hades' smokey fumes. In Christian lore, the quaking poplar (aspen) was used to construct Christ's cross, and the leaves of the tree quiver when they remember this fact. The Poplar's ability to resist and to shield, its association with speech, language and the Winds indicates an ability to endure and conquer.

*ROWAN*(Sorbus aucuparia) The Rowan tree (also called Mountain Ash) is long known for aid and protection against enchantment. Sticks of the Rowan were used to carve Runes on. It was also used in the art of metal divining. Rowan spays and crosses were placed over cattle in pens and over homes for protection. Its lovely red berries feed the birds in winter. The berries have a tiny pentagram on them. The pentagram is the ancient symbol of protection. The Rowan tree indicates protection and control of the senses from enchantment and beguiling.

*WILLOW*(Salix babylonica) The willow is another water loving tree. Willow bark contains Salicin which is used in the treatment of rheumatic fever and various damp diseases. Her catkins, which appear in early spring before her leaves, attract bees to start the cycle of pollination. In western tradition it is a symbol of mourning and unlucky love. The Latin name for the weeping willow refers to the psalm in which the Hebrews mourn their captivity in Babylon by the willows. Willow indicates cycles, rhythms and the ebb and flux.

*YEW*(Taxus baccata) A beautifully smooth, gold-colored wood with a wavy grain. All parts of the tree are poisonous except the fleshy covering of the berry, and its medicinal uses include a recently discovered treatment for cancer. Long associated with magic, death, rebirth and the runes, the yew may be the oldest-lived tree in the world. Ancient yews can be found in churchyards all over Britain, where they often pre-date even the oldest churches. There are some convincing arguments for it being the original 'World-tree' of Scandinavian mythology. In Europe, yew wood was used for making bows, while on the northwest coast of North America, the *Pacific Yew*(Taxus brevifolia) is used by the Haida and other tribes for making masks and boxes. Yew may be used to enhance magical and psychic abilities, and to induce visions.

~OAK: American Red Oak, White oak, and Figured English Oak. The Oak tree symbolizes the growth energy of the Earth and Sun, Royal Majesty, and the force of Truth. The Oak is, of course, closely connected with the Druidic Tradition. Oak is a grounding wood, and I use it for the Children's wands that I make, for that reason. White Oak has a finer, dense grain, and is rarely white in color. Often golden, sometimes very dark browns, the wood is rich in Tannin, which can be exploited to create an Ebony black that nevertheless shows the detail of the grain. (Black Oak is a white Oak tree that has grown in earth that contains certain chemicals that create this effect while the tree is alive.) Red Oak is very open and usually lighter in weight. The color can range from white as snow, rosy russet or auburn..

~ASH: Big grained, generally a light colored, wood; -The Ash tree symbolizes the Solar forces, Health and Strength, flexibility, and justice. Ash trees grow exceptionally high, and their roots go very very deep. For this reason, Ash links the Three Minds; the conscious, Subconscious and Superconcious. The Nordic World Tree, Yggdrasil, is an Ash tree.

~BIRCH: This wood is a close-grained dense wood, that is terrific for fine detail cutting. It is the Queen of the Woods, Beloved of Freya. The heartwood can be very dark red, while the lumber wood can be very white. Symbolically, this wood is The Maiden and Mother. The sap of the tree can be tapped and fermentedinto birch-wine, the milk of the Great Mother. The Birch is the protector of childbirth, the Cradle of The Child.The Rune “Beorc�?symbolizes birth, and beginnings of all sorts.

~CHERRY: Flowering Cherry ,Fine cherry, Chokecherry; Many many shades of red, from foxy to cinnamon, rose to Burgundy. American Cherry wood is deeply associated with the particular energies of the North-eastern American continent and the histories of the nations upon it. This lovely tree is one of the first to flower in the spring, and symbolizes the health of the earth, and the joy and bounty of nature. The rich color of these woods will continue to deepen and grow richer as the year goes by. Cherry, like any flowering and fruiting tree, is beloved of the faery folk and so is eminently suitable for wish making; This wood just buzzes with joyful energy!

~APPLE: Apple is symbolic of peace, plenty and joy, and sacred to Venus. It is a relative of the Rose and I use it for any correspondence that calls for Rose wood (Not Rosewood, that's a different tree)

~ELM: Elm is a beautiful tree, and endangered in this country by a terrible blight. The wood has a shimmering grain, and is wonderful to work. Elm is considered a Border Tree that marks the boundaries between this world and others. Elm can protect against danger from unknown directions and shadow the user against discovery.

~WALNUT: Fine Walnut, Black Walnut: Golden to dark Chocolate brown; Walnut is sacred to Diana. It symbolizes abundance and growth and learning. The dark color of the wood allows a link with the subconscious, while the fruiting tree signifies prosperity and abundance- so this wood is good for a tap into the creative mind..

~WILLOW: The willow I can get is too soft to turn, I can only use it in the whole branch. There are varieties that can be worked- In England, Cricket bats are made from it. My willow is corkscrew variety, so the wands are serpentine and irregular. Willow is the Lunar wood of choice, water element, feminine energy..

THE TREES OF NORTH AMERICA:

Are understandably, unremarked in the European Tradition. The information I give here is based on the little I find relative to Native American traditions, and my own work in correlating the tree's characteristics with other energies and smbologies..

~MAPLE: The Maple tree must be an aspect of the feminine principles! The tree gives us delight, in its sweet sap- for many peoples it was the only source of sweetness- And the radiant colors of its Fall foliage. I say that the Maple is Mother Nature's skirt of many colors, and so it symbolizes the beauty and bounty of nature. The wood is very regular in density, and light in color. The grain can be regular and straight, or it can be wildly idiosyncratic. A wonderful variant is called "Tiger" or "fiddled" Maple, with spectacular shifting rays of satiny grain This wood is often almost paperwhite. This particular wood looks more like Starlight than anything else. I correspond this wood to the energies of the Morning Star. Maple wood can be enhanced by an old process that is NOT a stain- that gives Early American artifacts their "maple sugar" color.

~HICKORY: A pale cream to dark gold, sometimes reddish, sometimes a colder brown... This wood I consider especially potent for us north Americans, as it is so much a native tree. Prized for its great strength and flexibility, Hickory is well-known for its use in a magical tool of another kind- Baseball bats. Humble tools like hammers and brooms rely on the endurance of Hickory wood. This hero among trees gives us gifts also- the oily smoke that flavors our barbeques and preserves dried meats, and the hard-to-crack hickory nut. This native of our continent is especially suitable for American born wizards! Known even in American vernacular lore as a tree of strength and abundance, and therefore ruled by Mercury, symbolically, Hickory represents the storm energies; Driving Rain, Strong Wind, Lightning and Thunder. It symbolizes the "brainstorm" type of thought/learning, that seems to hail down upon you from above...

~PECAN: Is also called "Papershell Hickory" and is a close relative. In the lumberyards, Pecan and Hickory will be sold interchangeably, but I keep mine separated. Pecan trees grow much taller than Hickory, they are truly majestic. As the nuts are so much more abundant, and the wood is a trifle softer, I consider Pecan a "Yin" (feminine) counterpart to Hickory, sharing all other symbologies.

~AMERICAN SYCAMORE: The Eastern tree is consecrated to Hera, the Great Queen of the Greek gods. I see no reason not to continue the tradition here in the U.S. It's not the easiest wood to work with.. but what woman is? its color ranges from paperwhite to a rosy color that fades over time.

~EXOTICS: Exotic woods have a secondary magical correspondence that overlays any other; that they are exotic. Symbolizing the rarified heights, the search for knowledge, the fruits of endeavor, the successful Quest, woods such as Ebony, Mahogany, Purple-Heart, and Teak all have their extraordinary beauty and virtues.

~MAHOGANY: There are some interesting magical correspondences for Mahogany. It's possible that the Celts knew about the new World. They spoke of a land called Hy Breasil "The land of the red-dye-wood". Brasil may be named for this Celtic myth, the center device on the Brazilian flag, a circle with a channel across the center, is the symbol for Hy-Braesil on early maps. Let me tell you, Mahogany can really dye things red! So, I feel that Mahogany is perfectly suitable for anyone with Celtic leanings.

~ROSEWOOD: Available very rarely as recycled wood. Rosewood can be purchased as lumber, but there is no proof that this wood is being managed in any ecological fashion, and I'd rather not contribute to it's rarity.Rosewood is the name of a large group of trees, not all of which are species related. They all are known as "Rosewood" for the sweet smell of their flowers and leaves, and also the wood itself. *Rosewood Oil is prized in Aromatherapy as an anti-anxiety medicine.* The wood is extraordinarily beautiful. When first cut it shows as a variety of tones, from pearly white to black. It changes color nearly before one's eyes, first turning sunflower yellow, then orange, and it continues to darken and intensify. Old Rosewood is deep red, brown and black in color. This process takes a while- from several months to several years, and I know of no way to hurry it up or stop it. As you can imagine, Rosewood corresponds with the Queens among the Goddesses; Venus/Aphrodite, Hera/Juno.

~CEDAR: The color is amazing while it's fresh-White, with raspberry streaks and heartwood lines, and the scent is wonderful! The aromatic Cedar is known from the earliest days, as a powerful conduit for Spiritual Energy, both for Gods and Goddesses. I especially like to use it for Isis tradition tools.

On a herbal level, willow bark has been used for its pain-relieving qualities for at least 2,000 years.

*The Salix alba: (white willow, withe, withy) contains salicin, which is converted to salicylic acid in the body. Salicylic acid is closely related to aspirin, the synthetic drug that has displaced willow bark from popular use. Willow bark reduces fever and relieves rheumatism, a common ailment in these damp isles. A decoction can be used for gum and tonsil inflammations and as a footbath for sweaty feet. The bark is collected in the spring time, being careful not to ring the tree or it will die. The decoction is made by soaking 3 teaspoons (15ml) of the bark in a cup of cold water for 2 - 5 hours. Then bring to the boil. Strain and take a wineglassful each day, a mouthful at a time. The bark can be dried, powdered and stored in an airtight container.

*Black Willow: (Salix nigra) is the pussy willow and has black bark as opposed to the light greens of the white willow. Its properties are much the same, but herbally it was used in the past as an anaphrodisiac and sexual sedative.

*Goat Willow or Sallow Willow: (Salix caprea) is used in very much the same way as the white willow, but sallow bark tea is recommended for indigestion, whooping cough and catarrh. It can also be used as an antiseptic and disinfectant.

Culpeper, says in his Complete Herbal "The moon owns the willow" and it was known as the witches' tree and the tree of enchantment.

Robert Graves, suggests that witch, wicker and wicked are all derived from willow. Willow rods are certainly used for binding magical and sacred objects and the popular witches' broom is traditionally made with an ash handle and birch twigs bound with willow. Willow wands are used for any ritual associated with the moon and as a protection on deep journeys into the underworld and the unconscious.

The willow will always enhance inspired leaps of the imagination and is recommended to be used when seeking to assimilate the teachings of a wise woman or master, because understanding another person's enlightened place is made easier. Also when seeking to understand ancient ways, so that you can assimilate these past levels of information, and quickly move through the underlying emotions, to appreciate humankind's patterns and utilise this information for change.

By working with the moon and the cycles of the moon, we reconnect to the duality of the light (waxing) and the dark (waning) and the tides, the seas, water and the qualities of water which include flowing, surrender, harmonising and accepting. Moon magic puts us in touch with our emotions and unconscious, which balances out our solar rational conscious views. The moon represents the Goddess and everything which reflects and suggests the power of women.

Willow is used for charms of fascination and binding, and during the spring moon we have the power of the Spring Maiden who fascinates and binds the power of the young King. Aphrodite is associated with the spring and the bright half of the moon, courtship and the union which blesses the land with fertility.

British and Irish mythology is also rich with legends of the beguiling, Willowy Spring Maiden who is called Olwen, Niwalen, Gwenhyver, Cordelia, Blodeuwedd and many others, who initiate the young King into a deeply sexual experience.

Tree magic generally falls into the class of sympathetic magic which operates through the doctrine of signatures. This states that a plant will act on that part of the body which it most resembles.

This can be sub-divided into homeopathic magic (the Law of Similarity) and contagious magic (the Law of Contact, using a magically charged object).  Homeopathic magic words on the principle that "like begets like", and by using willow wood for a wand or talisman it will be charged with the properties of the willow.

The flexibility of the willow's twigs inspires us to move with life, rather than resist what we are feeling, and can also help you to let go of conditioned responses to life's experiences and to move towards a greater acceptance of self and others. Willow's weeping stance reflects its association with grief. By wearing a piece of willow (as in the popular song "All around my hat I will wear the green willow") a person will be able to access all the levels of grief connected with a loss, and be able to move through all these different levels, expressing the whole deep emotional experience, to gain healing and inner strength.

When one of the willow's branches or twigs becomes disconnected, it will easily grow into a new tree if it finds some soil and water, teaching us that contained within a loss, or a new direction, is the capacity for growth and healing. Willow is one of the best water-divining woods, along with hazel and birch. Homeopathic magic and contagious magic can be combined in the making of wands, talismans and any other objects made for personal or ritual use.

Making a wand from willow means that all the willow's qualities are naturally contained within the wood, although you may want to charge or empower certain aspects for specific use. Willow wands are used whenever there is a need to connect with intuition, dreams, seership, visions, poetic and inspired writing or images, and whenever there is either an emotional numbness or emotional excess, or where there are negative emotional feelings which need to be worked through.

Use a piece of fresh willow, cut from the tree with appropriate reverence and ritual, or a newly fallen piece which the tree has recently shed. You may like to take the bark, or some of the bark, off and carve it with magical symbols or anything else you may wish to use to energise your wand. It is easier to carve fresh wood and then let it dry out.

Small twigs will dry out quickly without cracking in a house, but it is better to let larger pieces of wood dry slowly in an outhouse or shed, or under a hedge. When it is dry, it may be polished with several layers of beeswax to protect the wood, or left natural. Talismans may be made in the same way, perhaps using the natural shape of the wood to suggest and inspire a carving. Talismans may be worn round the neck or as a brooch, or carried within a pouch and kept close.

They may be magically carved with symbols relevant to their use. Symbolism is not fixed, there are no correct versions of anything, and the willow particularly stimulates our ability to follow our intuitions and find out own meanings behind the symbols. It is true there are traditional meanings associated with things, but traditions must evolve and include new insights and ways of working.

We may evolve a new set of symbols, particularly relevant to ourselves, which others may adopt and integrate into a new system. What was meaningful to people in one part of our evolution or history may no longer apply. Interpretations may no longer speak to the conscious or the unconscious. The patterns which a seer can unfold need to be potent and meaningful to our present spiritual evolution.

We have been taught to regard our intuition as unreliable but we know that this isn't true and we must use it more in order to develop our ability to use it to the full. The power of the willow can enhance this resolve.