THE MIGHTY OAK

The king of trees from a small seed
For the council of the wise in time of need

The mighty oak is the tree for June 10 to July 7 according to the modern version of the celtic tree calendar.  This also happens to be the time that many of the oak species pollinate in the central latitudes of the northern hemisphere.  World wide there are between 500 and 600 species of oak, depending on the source of information.  There are between 56 and 90 species in North America, again depending on the source.  While oak does have some medicinal uses, it is more often used as a food source for people and animals.  It is also highly valued for tanning leather, and producing dye and ink.  Its most common modern use is as a rot resistant building material.

Oak has long been seen as a symbol of longevity, strength, and stability.  Because its wood is rot resistant, it is seen as a symbol of endurance and power.  This is a tree of the mature forest with a sense of justice, nobility, and wisdom.  It has been said: that knowing the oak is to know the land, and that the oak is the strong door.

There are many cultures world wide that see the oak as sacred.  The ancient Greeks saw it as the tree of Zeus.  The Romans saw it as thr tree of Jupiter.  In the Baltics, it was believed that the gods lived in oak trees.  In Ireland, the oak was seen as one of the five sacred trees.  The English oak is usually seen as the Celtic Tree of Life.  Both some Native Americans and Druids would council in the oak grove.

The oak is considered to be one of the most sacred trees for the Druids.  In fact, the word Druid is thought to be derived from the old word for oak.  In Sanskrit it is Duir in old Irish it is Daur.  One of the old words for to know is wid.  The Druids saw the oak as the strong door that stands as the entry or opening to greater wisdom and knowledge.  It is believed to be a reservoir of divine strength and healing.  As the Tree of Life, it speaks to the cycle of life and the connections between all forms of life.  The roots penetrate deep into the lower realms and the branches touch the sky.  Thus the oak connects all to the middle world at the trunk.  This tree is truly seen as magic.

Personally, most of the time, I love the oak.(The only time that I don't like oak is when it is pollinating.  That is when I sneeze uncontrollably.)  It is the form that I use when I create a Tree of Life.  When I work with the oak or the Tree of Life, I am looking towards the connections and interconnections between all life, and the continuity and cyclical nature of life.  It also speaks to me of the connection between the spiritual and the physical.  When I want to create something to last, I make it out of oak.  A fire from oak gives long lasting heat.  Oak truly is a tree to know.