Medicine plant for cold and cough
Heal the skin at rapid pace
Healing plant in the garden
Protection for person and space

This year we had a mullein plant volunteer in the garden.  Since we were in the process of redoing the garden, I just left it where it was.  It was a beautiful addition and its broad spread kept the weeds out of a section that wasn't being used.  What a beautiful gift that unintended plant became.  When it was time to start preparing the garden for the end of the season, I harvested the plant for medicine.  So, now is a good time to write about mullein.

Mullein is a biennial herb that is native to Europe and Asia.  It has become naturalized in the United States, where most people consider it to be a weed.  It is often considered to be invasive.  It is a reasonably easy plant to recognize for wild sourcing, but check your favorite guide for a positive ID.  It is a fuzzy leafed, grey-green plant that grows in a low rosette the first year.  The second year, it shoots up a flower stalk that is about three feet tall with yellow flowers.  Every part of this plant has medicinal value.  Some parts of the plant have utilitarian value.
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Mullein is best known as a medicine plant.  It is often used as a tea for coughs and colds.  It can also be used for skin irritations and infections, but it can cause contact dermatitis.  The flowers and roots also have medicinal value.  As with all herbal remedies, consult a good herbal, like 20,000 Secrets of Tea, an herbalist, or medical practitioner.

There are some interesting practical uses for mullein as well.  It has been used to line shoes for comfort and warmth.  The stalk dipped in tallow makes a torch.  The dried leaves can be used as tinder.   It makes a wonderful garden mulch and conditioner, adding vital nutrients for the next year's growth.  It can also be used for cleaning and as a toilet paper.  However, I'm not sure that I would choose to use it on sensitive skin.

Like most powerful herbs, mullein has a number of energetic uses.  It is believed to encourage divine and spiritual connection.  It is used to repel evil and bad intent.  Warriors use it to enhance courage.  If you like divination and dream work, mullein might help.  It is said to enhance and encourage intuition.  Mullein is used for ritual offerings and purification of people and spaces.  It is said to attract both fairies and butterflies, and halt bad luck.
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Right now, I have a rosette of leaves drying.  Later, they will be stored for tea.  I chopped the roots and am currently soaking them in vodka.  It is turning out to be an interesting experiment.  In another month or so, the tincture will be ready, just in time for flu season.

Walnut is a group of deciduous tree species of the genus Juglans that are found in Europe, Asia, West India, South America, and North America.  Most of the 20 species of walnut are stately trees with compound leaves.  Most species have edible seeds and beautiful wood.  Most climates have at least one species of Juglan.  The most common walnuts used worldwide are English walnut from Europe and England, Black walnut from North America, Persian walnut, and Butternut from North America.  There are other Juglan species in North America, Columbia, Japan, Korea, Brazil, and other places.

The walnut is a highly valuable tree for a number of reasons.  It's greatest value, in my opinion, is as a nutritious food source.  The edible seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and anti-oxidants.  They are high in vitamins, minerals, and protein.  They are a source of melatonin, iodine, and selenium.  This healthy food source can also be tapped like a maple tree and the seeds can be pressed for oil.  Walnut seeds, husks, and leaves do have a number of medicinal uses.  However, the leaves, bark, and husks contain juglone, which can be toxic in high concentrations.
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Walnut, especially black walnut, has a number of practical uses as well.  The wood is used for furniture, floors, cabinetry, carving, tools, and flutes.  The oil can be used for cooking, wood polish and conditioner, paint carrier, varnish, lamp oil, and herbal carrier.  The leaves can be used for contact dying or to suppress plant growth.  The husks are used to create dye for wood or cloth.  The husks can also be used to create ink and paint.  The nut shells can be used to create tiny boxes, ornaments, and jewelry.

Like most trees, walnut also has a number of energetic uses.  Some of the symbolism of walnut includes abundance, strength, and resilience.  It is a reminder that during times of adversity to rely on your own intuition to discern what would be helpful.  Walnut is believed to expel negative or unwanted energy and to increase mental powers.  The ink is used for spell casting.  The wood has been used for talking sticks, wands, and staves.  It is used for runes and spirit boards.  Walnut is a beautiful wood for protective boxes for treasures and sacred tools, and more.

The walnut that I am most familiar with is the Eastern North American black walnut.  I have spent most of my life foraging for black walnuts, a habit, good or bad, that was taught to me by my grandfather.  To me, walnut is abundance, and even survival, as I have had times in my life when walnuts were my primary source of protein.  Black walnut is a delicious food source for cooking in desserts, rice dishes, stir fries, or just eating fresh.  When I collect walnuts, I create a beautiful brown dye for wool and wood.  Since one of my art forms is pen and ink.  My next experiment is to create walnut husk ink.

Sacred plant of North America
Medicine for body, mind, and spirit
Ceremony of prayer smoke
Connecting the physical to the spirit
Find the heart, Clear the mind
Go within the western spirit

One of the practices that originated with ancient Native Americans is the spiritual practice of smudging with "white sage".  I'll cover this a little bit later in the article.  But first, I want to talk briefly about what "white sage" is.

In general, sage is one of the many species of salvia of which there are hundreds worldwide.  There are dozens of salvias that are Native to North America.  White sage, colloquially,  refers to three of the North American salvias and one artemisia.

True white sage is Salvia apiana or California white sage.  It grows in the desert south west, typically from southern California and into western Mexico.  It likes arid climates of zone 7 and higher.  It is considered to be a stressed species in the wild and should be sourced from indigenous, sustainable suppliers.

Mountain sage is Salvia regla.  It grows naturally in a very limited area of Texas and Mexico in zones 7b to 10b.  This is also a plant that should be sourced from indigenous, sustainable suppliers.

Blue sage or Salvia azurea has the widest growing habit of the three and grows from zone 4 to 7, from Nebraska to Texas.

The last "white sage" is actually prairie sage or Artemisia ludoviciana.  It is also known as silver wormwood or white mugwart.  This is the most common of the four species but the least used when you are buying white sage.  It may be the most responsible to purchase.  This grows naturally in the prairies of the United States midwest and plains, and Canada to Texas.  It is most common from the Mississippi river to the mountain west.

Any of these can be cultivated if you can provide them with the right conditions and many spiritual leaders recommend that you do grow your own if you have the space.  It is also important to note that each of the salvias and artemisia are slightly different in their medicinal and spiritual effects, so it is important to know which one you have.  My personal preference is to use prairie sage.  Its effect is slightly more opening and active psychically.  That said, the rest of this article is going to focus on California white sage and the other salvias that are used for smudging in North America.

Like many cultures worldwide, Native Americans discovered the special medicinal and energetic properties of sage.  White sage is used as a spice, a shampoo, and a deodorant.  The seeds can be used as a food source.  It is an important plant in the ecosystem for bees and other pollinators.  It is a food source for some wildlife.  

White sage has been used medicinally by a number of Native American nations.  Some of the most common uses are as a wound treatment and an antiseptic for sore throats.  It has been known to neutralize pathogens and static in the air.  It is believed to calm and lift the mood and encourage clarity of mind.  For anyone who practices Native American spirituality at any level, white sage is considered to be one of the four sacred herbs.  The other three are tobacco, sweet grass, and cedar.  Each has its own use in the spiritual practices.  In the practice that I follow, white sage is associated with the west.  This is a practice of introspection and learning through listening to the heart and the ancestors.

When white sage is used for ceremonial or energetic purposes, it is usually burned or smoldered to create a smoke.  This is called smudging.  It is a practice that combines prayer, intent, and smoke to connect the physical to the spiritual realms.  The smoke is then believed to carry the prayers and intent to the spiritual realms.  This is done to clear a ceremonial space of undesired energies and set it up as sacred space.  White sage is used to clear people and objects of negative, stagnant, and undesired energies.  This is done to either prepare them for ceremony or to break up energy patterns that have developed.  Smudging is used to clear illness from a space or clear out stagnant energies around people or situations.  Sometimes, a white sage smudge is to release energies that have been collected in the ceremonial space.

Traditionally, white sage is used alone for both cleansing and blessing to keep the intention, message, and prayer clear.  However, each tradition is slightly different in the specific ceremonial, and energetic use, and the plant used.  While I have my own practices, I recommend that you contact Native American Elders and spiritual teachers or Native American resources for specific practices around smudging.  Here are some of the sources that I recommend:
powwows.com
kripala.org
hobbyfarms.com
nativeseeds.org
13 Indigenous Grandmothers
other sources for this article are:
mindbodygree.org
Plants.usda.gov

Heal the wetland
Heal the wound
Food for the body
Food for the soul
Home for the wild
Craft for the home
Nature's super market
At the water's edge

One of my favorite plants has always been cattails.  They have always given me a sense of calm, mystery, and life.  They drew me to them like a magnet, and they still do.  I didn't know why I was drawn to them as a child, but every aspect of the cattail is healing and nurturing.

Cattails, or bulrushes are found in a number of areas around the world.  They thrive in quiet standing water or saturated, swampy ground.  They thrive in these edge spaces and help to stabilize these wetlands with their thickly rooted rhizomes.

These perennials start their growth in the spring as shoots that develop into a thick grassy stand.  They quickly grow up to 10 feet tall with a cigar shaped seed head that grows up from the center.  This creates prime habitat for birds, wildlife, and young fish.  It is also one of the premier plants for removing a number of toxins from the environment.

Every part of the cattail has a practical use for humans.  This goes with a caution.  Before you harvest cattail, be sure that where they are growing is free of pollutants and industrial waste.  

All parts of the plants are edible.  The corm and shoots can be harvested in the spring as a vegetable.  The seed head and pollen can be eaten when they are immature.  The roots, stalks, and pollen can be processed for flour.  Cattails can be used as a thickener.

Cattail has been used for thousands of years for a number of practical purposes.  The leaves are used for weaving floats, rafts, mats, baskets, chairs, beds, and shelter construction.  The stalks can be used for fire starting, bow drills, and arrow shafts.  The seed heads were used as a fire catch, torches, insulation, and stuffing.  When the leaves are processed, the fibers can be extracted for creating cordage and clothing.

Native Americans saw cattail as a medicine chest.   The jelly like substance and other parts of the plant were used to treat wounds.  It was also used to treat skin irritation and inflammation.  The plant is a general health tonic as it is high in nutrients and antioxidants.  The flour and pollen have been used to slow bleeding.  Burning the leaves acts as an insect repellent.  This high carbohydrate food is said to be a delicious energy boost.

I have always known that cattails are magical.  They draw me in to touch, handle, and stroke the various parts of the plant.  It is one of my favorites for fall and winter flower arrangements.  To me, the plant is soothing, healing, and a connection to Earth and water.  Some of the other properties it has been given include passion, nurturing, and protection.  It is a plant of peace, leadership, and trailblazing.  It is associated with new beginnings, enthusiasm, and hope.  To many Native Americans, cattails are connected to water and rain.  They are used in rain dances and to protect against lightning.

For a while, in the 20th century, this stately plant was maligned.  Attempts were made to eliminate it from many of it's natural places.  Our ancestors could have told us that this was not a wise move.  Restoring these natural stands and allowing them to thrive is one step towards returning the environment, and ourselves, to balance and health.
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Healing tonic for maiden to crone
The magic water to intuition
Love, luck, beauty, and abundance
​The garden fairy's attraction

The beautiful rose is both ancient and modern at the same time.  Ancient roses have been found in fossils that are 35 million years old.  The first known use of roses is from the 17th century B.C.  The Chinese have been cultivating roses for at least 5000 years.  The oldest living rose is believed to be around 1000 years old.  Depending on the source of the information, there are over 150 named species of rose world wide and as many as 16,000 varieties that are cultivated.  The beauty that lives beside the front door is one of the newer "miniature" varieties.

Many of the wild species are brambly thicket roses with single fragrant flowers and delicious hips.  For most people, however, it is the cultivated roses that come to mind.  Modern show roses that are often purchased for bouquets are bred for the perfection of the buds and long stems, but they tend to be temperamental in the garden and have a lower level of aroma.  The "antique" roses grown by my grandmother were far less "perfect".  When her roses were in bloom, the whole neighborhood was infused with the relaxing aroma.  These were hardy, mostly care free roses with short stems and frilly, less than predictable flowers.  These are the roses that are treasured by both the herbalist and the energy worker.

Along with many of the wild roses, the three species that are normally used by the herbalist are Rosa gallica or French rose, Rosa centifolia or cabbage rose, and Rosa damascera or damask rose. These are used for scent infusion and sometimes for rose hips.  A fourth species, Rosa rugosa is often grown for rose hips.  These four species carry most of the ancient medicinal lore, symbolism, and magic of the rose.

The medicinal legacy of the rose pre-dates the written record, so we can only guess at its early uses, but it seems to be a long laundry list of benefits.  Medieval to modern uses include skin tonic preparations to improve general skin health and treat minor skin issues.  It acts as a general health and energy tonic as rose hips are high in vitamin C,A,D,B,E, and K as well as a number of minerals.  It is also used to help alleviate a number of mild illnesses and the recovery from trauma and stress.  There are more medicinal uses, but beyond a cup of rose hip tea or putting a few petals on your cake or other culinary use, it is best to consult an herbalist.

Roses have long been steeped in the symbolism of love, emotion, feminine mystique, and perfection.  The Queen of flowers has symbolism for each phase of a woman's life from attracting love, maintaining health, to promoting women's wisdom and intuition.  

If you like to speak in the language of flowers, all colors of rose speak to love and emotions in their varying aspects.  White is reverence.  Yellow is joy.  Orange is passion.  Red is love.  Pink is appreciation.

The magical and energetic uses of rose is probably as old as the medicinal uses.  the most common use is to attract love or predict love.  This can be done with rose water, rose hips, or the flowers.  Rose bud tea is used to induce prophetic dreams and feminine intuition.  Using roses in the bath is believed to attract beauty and love.  Roses are also used for protection, good luck, confidence, truth, and abundance.  Oh, and planting roses in the garden puts you in good standing with the fairies.

I remember watching my grandmother make rose water when I was young.  While there are several ways to make rose water, this recipe from wiccanow.com matches my grandmother's rose water the closest.  She used her spicy scented climbing roses for her special brew.
Add 2 cups of rose petals to 3 cups of water in a 6 cup pot.  (She used well water from her hand pump well.)
Simmer, covered until the color has seeped out of the petals.  (About 5 to 20 minutes.)
Leave the lid on the pot and let it cool to room temperature.
Strain and bottle.
It can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator for daily use, or it can be frozen as ice cubes.

Enjoy!

Along with my normal sources, I used
magikalspot.com, eluneblue.com, and wiccanow.com
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Baskets, mats, and hats
Sweet weaving and prayer
Love, peace, and harmony
From Mother Earth's hair

Sweetgrass is one of the four sacred herbs in Eastern Woodland Native American spirituality.  The other three are tobacco, cedar, and sage.  The tradition that I follow puts sweetgrass in the southern position on the medicine wheel.  There are several species of perennial grasses that are commonly called sweetgrass in North America and Northern Europe.  The one that is generally used for ceremonial purposes is Heirochloe odorata. (I believe that I saw two different spellings, so... It will look something like that.)  It is sometimes also referred to as vanilla grass, holy grass, or buffalo grass.  This is a fine grass that is about two feet tall and thrives in moist soil conditions in the Northern Hemisphere.

This beautiful grass has a number of uses besides ceremony, which I will get into later in the article.  Yes it is a favorite forage grass for both domestic and wild herbivores.  It also has a long history of use by Native Americans and Celtic Europeans for weaving.  This grass makes beautiful baskets, mats, and hats that are practical and have a nice scent when they are used.  It can be used in closets and drawers to keep linens and clothes smelling fresh.  Sweet grass does have some medicinal qualities as well, but it contains toxic compounds when ingested by humans.  It should only be used with trained guidance.

Now for the real reason that sweetgrass is cherished and revered.  As one of the four sacred herbs, it gives a lift to ceremony and purification rituals.  In Native American culture, sweetgrass is seen as the hair of Mother Earth.  It is always cut and never pulled.  It is frequently braided and secured before it is cut, but not always. 

The sweet scent of this grass is believed to promote love, peace, and harmony by Native Americans.  The Celtic cultures associated sweetgrass with strength, purity, and positivity.  It is often burned with sage for smudging, or, I follow the sage smudge with a sweetgrass smudge to bring in the positive spirits and energies into my life.  In some cultures, it is burned as a smudge or incense as a purification ritual to ready people and spaces for ceremony.

When the Cree, Ojibway, and some other Native American cultures prepare sweetgrass for ceremony, it is collected with ritual and the three strands of the braid usually represent love, peace, and harmony.  When Celtic traditions prepare sweetgrass for ceremony, the three strands represent strength, positivity, and Gaia.  

Either way, sweetgrass represents bringing good into life and spaces.

According to Whitehorse Woman, a Native American elder and Medicine Woman, "use sage to remove unwanted energy and sweetgrass to invite wanted energy."  (Native American Today)

Smudging, incense, and purification rituals are culture dependent.  You should do your own research and talk to elders to find out what is the best practice for you to follow.  Here are my sources for this article and a good place to start.
outofstress.com
learnreligions.com
nativeamericatoday.com
creehealth.org
native-languages.org

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Let go of the past
With the Joy of the Mountain
Hear the magic of dreams
From negative get protection

Like most of the "Italian" herbs, oregano originates from the mountains around the Mediterranean.  The word oregano is derived from the Greek term for Joy of the Mountain.  This highly useful herb is used to flavor foods from around the world but is most closely associated with Italian, Greek, Egyptian, and Mexican foods.  This is a strong herb in the mint family that is often used interchangeably with marjoram.  In my area, oregano is a slightly woody herbaceous perennial where marjoram is an annual.  I choose to grow oregano for its flavor and medicinal properties.

Many people find oregano is useful to calm aches and pains, digestive distress, and other minor issues.  When it is used as an aroma therapy, it might calm nerves.  It definitely gives a spicy aroma to the home.  The flower heads can be used to produce a reddish brown dye and the leaves can be used to polish wood.

Oregano symbolizes love, family, and joy.  It is frequently used in bouquets for weddings to encourage love and fidelity.  It is believed to encourage strong family ties.  Its uplifting scent and flavor can brighten a day.  Some people add a few sprigs to a hot bath to calm the nerves and bring courage and clarity into their lives.

For those who work with the more energetic aspects of herbs, oregano carries a wealth of potential in a small plant.  When it is used in a candle or burned as incense, it can be used to bring good luck, abundance, or protection.  Planting it around the house is believed to protect the home from evil and unwanted guests.  Burning the leaves is believed to bring justice to a situation.  Oregano can also be used to release us from the past and from negative thought patterns.

This calming herb is one that is used for deep spiritual listening.  Some use it under the pillow to promote psychic dreams, dream recall, and dream work.  It is often used to promote spiritual work.  It is used to aid ancestral work.  

No matter what your purpose, oregano is a good herb to have around.  It flavors food and drink.  It promotes good health and calmness.  It helps you hear the lessons of the past and let go of the attachments to what was.

Best of all, it is an easy herb to grow.  

Tree of the Oracle
Help me to manifest
Through healing and wisdom
That which is true success

Bay leaf or bay laurel is an herb that most cooks are familiar with.  This Mediterranean herb has been widely used since the times of ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt.  This is a plant of warm climates and moderate moisture.  In areas that drop below 15*F, it is best to grow it in pots and have a place indoors where it can over winter.  The photograph above is my bay tree which is about 2 years old.  I intentionally keep it small.  It is right now in the beginning stages of bonsai training.

Bay is best known for the use f its leaves for flavoring meats and stews.  Just a few leaves gives a beautiful flavor to a fatty stew.  The berries have been used to flavor alcohol.  If your bay is big enough, the wood can be used to smoke foods.

Herbalists love bay for its health benefits.  It seems to aid in digestion, especially for fatty meats.  It has also been used to relieve aches and pains and promote scalp health.  Some find that these mildly narcotic leaves soothe stress and may help relieve migraines.  There may be some overall beneficial effect for the body, mind, and heart.  I keep a few leaves scattered around my food storage areas as a pest deterrent.  Before using any herb for its health benefits, be sure to thoroughly research the herb or consult an herbalist.

While I love cooking with bay leaf, and like having its other benefits, I really grow it for the energy of the plant.  In ancient Greece, bay was used as a symbol of victory and success.  It was used by the Oracle at Delphi to see into the past, present, and future.  In ancient Rome, bay was worn by the victors, the nobles, and the sages.  In ancient Egypt, it was seen as the cure for hang overs.  In the middle ages, it was believed to protect against lightning, negativity, and problems.

Bay is believed to be an herb of healing and protection, victory, and strength.  It was chewed and burned for its mildly narcotic effects by the Oracle at Delphi.  Many believe that writing your wish on bay and burning the leaf makes the wish come true.  It is burned to cleanse stagnant and negative energy from a space.  Or it can be used to sprinkle blessed water as a cleanser.  It carries a calming energy that helps reduce stress and promotes focus and concentration.  It is seen as an herb of wisdom, poetry, and learning.

Bay laurel is a plant that I connect deeply with.  The one in the picture is my second bay bonsai.  It is one of my top five plants that I keep in my life.  I keep it and nurture it because it nurtures my focus, concentration, and vision for the future.  She helps me stay in that vision no matter how challenging life's lessons get.

Additional sources for this article:
wiccanow.com
plentifulearth.com
flythehedge.com
outofstress.com

First gift of the creator
Carry my prayer to spirit
Gift to the wisdom keepers
Gratitude of living Spirit

According to the spiritual traditions of many of the Native American Nations, tobacco is the sacred herb of the east.  (This is often referred to as sacred medicine.)  In Native American tradition, this is a plant that is associated with prayer, illumination, and gratitude.  This is a group of over 60 species closely related to tomatoes and peppers that primarily originated from North and South America.

Tobacco is believed to be the first gift of the creator, with evidence of use for at least 18,000 years.  It is the first of the four Native American sacred medicines.  The other three are sweetgrass, white sage, and cedar.

Before I go any further, I think that I need to address the elephant in the room.  Europeans were introduced to tobacco when early explorers and conquistadors  encountered Native Americans in Central America.  By most accounts, it was given as a gift to the guests.  The result was the misuse of this herb in ways that are highly addictive and damaging.  If tobacco is used for recreational or control purposes, it is both addictive and toxic.  Most of the world right now uses tobacco in ways that are highly damaging to the heart, liver, and lungs, and has the potential environmental consequences.  That said, tobacco has been used wisely and safely in the Americas for many thousands of years.

Each culture in the Americas uses tobacco for ceremony in slightly different ways.  I am only going to cover a few of them.  I used a different set of resources than my usual ones for this article.  I invite you to check these sources out for more information.
wickapedia.com
keepitsacred.itcmi.org
takiwasi.com
ainschgo.org
strongnations.com
tribaltrade.com

The most common use for tobacco in ceremony is to connect to the divine or spirit realms.  Natural tobacco is often used alone or in blends in a sacred pipe to send prayers to the Great Spirit, Great Mystery, or Spirit World.  This is believed to be a direct connection between the human and the spirit.  This sacred pipe is used to promote and ask for aid in the achievement of harmony, peace, and balance.  Sometimes a smudge bowl is used for a similar purpose, but this is not as common.  Sometimes, the tobacco leaves are added to a ceremonial fire along with the prayers that the community wishes to be heard.

The second use of tobacco is as an offering of gratitude.  Since it is seen as a gift  from creator, it is often used as an offering when the people are foraging.  When herbs are gathered for medicine or food is gathered from the environment, an offering of tobacco is given to Mother Earth.  If a bird or other sacred animal gives its life or feather, often tobacco is offered in gratitude.  Any time blessings or abundance is received from Earth, an offering of tobacco is a common way to show gratitude.

In most Native North American communities, tobacco is offered to the wisdom keepers.  If a person is asking council from an elder, medicine person, healer, or other respected wisdom keeper, a gift of tobacco is often given.  If a favor is asked of someone, it is usually preceded and/or followed by a gift of tobacco.  Tobacco is often a gift to honor a guest.

There is so much more that could be said about tobacco and its respectful uses, but then I'm getting into the nuances of specific cultures and traditions.  So I will just leave this article with this last little bit.  Tobacco is considered to be a living spirit that is connected to the four directions and the elements.  It is a powerful spirit that should be worked with respectfully and carefully.  On a personal level, I can say that tobacco isn't always an easy herb to work with.  I have a difficult relationship with this powerful herb.  The spirit of tobacco and I tend to clash, so we work together with a great amount of caution.

Consult your roots
For strength and mastery
Tree of the World
Her health is prophecy

Beautiful and stately ash is the Celtic calendar tree for February 18 to March 17.  Ash is believed to be the Yggdrasil, the Norse World Tree.  This is the connection between worlds.  The roots dig deep and wide into the underworld and spreading wide enough to encompass our ancestors.  The branches reach high to the heavens, touching the gods and spirits.  The trunk is strong and resilient, withstanding the winds and trials of the physical world.

The ash tree is a tree of wondrous practicality.  This bottom land tree provides food for birds and mammals and habitat for morel mushrooms.  The wood is strong and elastic.  It is ideal for tool handles, paddles and oars, furniture, baskets, crates, and flooring.  It is used for baseball bats, sleds, and snowshoes.  Native Americans used it to relieve toothache, sore throats, digestive distress, and rheumatism.  It is one of the few woods that will burn when green.  

As useful as ash is on a practical level, it is considered to be even more powerful on a metaphysical level.  In Celtic lands, it is part of the triad of fairy trees, along with oak and hawthorn.  This is the tree that holds universal truth and wisdom from which Odin gained his power.  It is seen as a tree of initiation.  Ash is believed to be linked to the health of the world and the health of humans.

Magically, ash has been used to bring love and prosperity.  It is believed to protect people and homes from negativity and dark magic.  The Druids often made their wands from ash and an ash wand is often used to direct spells of healing.  Leaves are placed under the pillow to encourage prophetic dreams.  The magic of ash is believed to heal, remove warts, and deter snakes.

On a personal level, ash teaches us to consult our roots to find inner strength and the wisdom of our ancestors.  If we follow the wisdom of the ash, we use the trials and challenges of life to develop knowledge, strength, and mastery.  Our own personal power comes not from the domination of others, but rather, from the strength of self mastery, self knowledge, and overcoming our own demons.  This is the true alchemy.

In the United States, where I live, the ash is under threat from serious challenges.  When we view the ash as the tree that spans the world around us and our inner worlds, we do have to wonder what it tells us about ourselves and our future.  This tree of healing is dying.  This tree of the world is giving us hope in its resilience and survival.  This tree of connection is losing its footing.  We need to ask ourselves:  What does the Yggdrasil prophesy for us.