Druid Tree Workings: Finding and Working with Grandmother Trees

The Druid's Garden

The Ancient Maple – Grandmother Tree. This grandmother lives in a middle of a rock pile. the three branching trunks signify she may have been cut at one time and regrew. Grandmothers can be stubborn!

A grandmother is a really special person. I remember going to my grandmother’s house when I was a little girl–it was literally my favorite place to go. My grandmother and I would go to the thrift store and buy used clothing, then spend the morning sewing doll clothes and repurposing those old clothes for amazing new clothes for me–skirts that swirled out wide and colorfully printed tops. We’d go out into the garden and pick herbs, and she’d cook up an incredible pot of mushroom soup. She was full of generosity and love and always fostered my creativity and joy. My other grandmother was quite different–she was a bit of a firecracker, sassy and short-tempered…

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New Moon in Pisces | Entering the Planting Moon

A new moon marks the end of one cycle and the beginning of another 28-day cycle.The Pisces new moon on Saturday, March 13th marks the beginning of the Planting Moon cycle.The Planting Moon cycle holds the energy of spring, rebirth and preparation. During this cycle we will experience the Spring Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere.

As the earth wakes up from it’s winter slumber, you might feel the rekindling of your own own inner flame stir back to life during this cycle.

This new moon is a very intuitive and psychic one, and to be honest, this entire cycle you might notice your intuition is sharpened and your dreams are more vivid. Get your dream journal ready. It might also be a good idea to keep a journal with you for spiritual insights or symbols you might get during waking hours too!

Spirit de la lune Crystals for the New Moon Planting Moon Cycle

The planting moon cycle is an intuitive but productive one! Be prepared to plant a lot of seeds and get a lot done, but remember pace yourself and prioritize your focus so you can finish everything.

Read the original article at: Spirit de la Lune ~ New Moon In Pisces | Entering The Planting Moon

Sacred Trees in the Americas: American Hazel (Corylus americana) Magic, Ecology, and Sacred Uses

The Druid's Garden

American Hazelnuts in a cluster getting ready to ripen

For three years, I have had my eye on our American hazel bushes here at the homestead. When we first moved to the property, much of the understory was damaged with the logging the previous owners did and it took time for the hazels to recover. Thus, for the last few years, I’ve watched the hazels grow taller and larger each year and kept looking excitedly for any signs of nuts setting. This past fall, I was delighted to find handfuls of delicious wild American hazelnuts and connect with the incredible wisdom that they offer.

While Hazel is a critically important tree in the mythology and magical tradition of Druidry and in Europe more broadly, The Hazel is one of the sacred trees identified by the druids as a tree tied to wisdom and the flow of Awen, and it is…

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CRYSTAL HEALING FOR GASLIGHTING: SIGNS, SUPPORT, AND RECOVERY

The unfortunate truth is that, though the term “gaslighting” was a relatively new one for me in recent years, my experience of it has been lifelong.

“Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment.” – Wikipedia

It’s an insidious form of abuse because it can often start off subtly and build over time, and while it may happen most often in intimate relationships, it can also be experienced in parent-child relationships, the workplace, doctor’s offices, politics, and institutions.

It can rob survivors of their sense of self, their authentic voice, and keep them from trusting their intuition because they are being repeatedly caused to doubt themselves, feel shame, feel inferior, less intelligent, unreliable, or less credible than the abuser.

Many survivors even come to question their sanity. And it can also lead the way to other forms of abuse, including physical and sexual.

Read entire article at: Krista Mitchell ~ Crystal Healing for Gaslighting: Signs, Support & Recovery

Beyond the Anthropocene: Druidry into the Future

The Druid's Garden

Druidry into the future

Druidry today has both ancient and modern roots, and there have been several distinct “phases” of druid practice historically. While it’s not critical that the practitioner of the modern druid traditions know what I share, it is helpful to have a sense of where the tradition comes from and the forces that shaped it–particularly so that we can think about where we are going. I want to talk today about both the past of druidry in order that we might talk about its future. How do we shape our tradition today so that we become the honored ancestors of tomorrow? What is the work that we might consider doing now, as druids, to create a tradition that endures?

Modern druidry is inspired by the Ancient Druids, a group of wise sages who kept history, traditions, and guided the spiritual life of their people. The Ancient Druids…

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Wildcrafted Druidry: Using the Doctrine of Signatures, Ecology and Mythology to Cultivate Sacred Relationships with Trees

The Druid's Garden

A stream in winter

Nature spirituality is most obviously tied to one’s local nature–the trees, plants, animals, landforms, and other features of what makes your own landscape unique. One of the formidable challenges before those of us practicing nature-based spiritualities in the United States and other “colonized” regions is that not only do we not have the right/access to native traditions on local uses of plants, we also have systems that are inherited from other places and may not properly fit. Ogham is a good example of this: if you use the traditional ogham in the US, it is kind of like wearing a pair of ill-fitting shoes: you can get by, but the system isn’t working with what is outside your door.

With that said, I have always been fascinated by the idea of a language of trees, a system that we can use for magical and divination purposes…

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Planting Your Seeds | Moonthly Lunar Report Entering the Seed Moon

This new moon in Aquarius is bringing in a season of change and personal transformation. Old ideas about your life or yourself could shift a lot during this cycle.

Transformation can take place on many levels of your life. Let go of any lilimations you may be putting on yourself and be ready for a revolution from the inside out.

This new moon is a part of a very large stellium in Aquarius that includes the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.

This week is going to shake things up! The new moon lands in Aquarius on the 11th and if the Water Bearer is considered the rebel of the zodiac, his cosmic counterpart is the asteroid, Lilith. And she is making a lot of squares this week.

The same day as the new moon, she squares both Venus & Jupiter, while Venus conjuncts Jupiter. Conflicts and drama in relationships can surface, so tread lightly. There could be an internal struggle with following your heart and going against others’ wishes and opinions.

Read original article at: Spirit de la Lune ~ Planting Your Seeds|Moonthly Lunar Report Entering the Seed Moon

Sacred Trees in the Americas: Rhododendron (Rhododenron maximum)

The Druid's Garden

A Rhododendron overlooking a foot path at Laurel Hill State Park

I remember the first time I saw the largest Rhododendron Maximum tree. I had recently moved back to Pennsylvania, and I was driving on 422 towards my parents’ house when I looked to the left and did a double-take! An enormous Rhododendron, in bloom, at least 40 feet across and 20 feet high was in full bloom. And, it was dwarfing the house it was growing next to. After doing a little local research, I learned about how famous this rhododendron has been in our region. Ever since then, each time I pass, the Rhododendron and I exchange a little greeting.

As someone who lives in the Allegheny Mountains, Rhododendron has a special place in my heart. It is one of the dominant understory trees (and yes, it often is the size of trees here!), growing both in…

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The Energies of February 2021

Good Witches Homestead

We are now just past the midway point between the solstice in December and the coming March equinox. Daylight hours are now expanding at an increasingly noticeable rate, bringing a welcome reminder that Spring is not so far away again.

Despite the winter cold, aconites, crocuses, snowdrops and the first delicate pink Hellebores are lighting up the corners in our garden and reminding us that it is nearly time for the next round of mother tincture making to begin. It is also a lovely reassuring reminder to us to connect in with the natural world any time we feel in need of a little extra stability and grounding.

As we venture forth into the energies of February there is still plenty of the same volatile intensity in the energy flow that we have experienced so obviously during January.

In general, we can expect a few more peaks of intenseness before…

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Gemstones for Love – Our magnificent 7 Gems of the Heart

Good Witches Homestead

Are you looking for love or trying to mend a broken heart? In a new relationship or in the middle of a life-long love story? We have the gemstones for you.