Previous Tree Cycle: Hawthorn
Tree Cycle: DUIR OAK
Oak Tree Cycle Dates: April 18 – May 15
Key Words For Oak: Birthing, Long Term Goals, Fixed, Rooted, Growth, Strength, Boundaries, Arrival, Inner Trust, Self-Belief, Determination, Congruence, Relational Depth, Reveal
Lunation: 7th
Souls Evolution Stage: Birthing
The Council of Trees - Hidden Tree Cycles: RUIS Elder, KOAD The Grove (IOHO Yew) and BEITH Birch
The Council of Trees - Hidden Tree Cycles Date: October 18 – November 15
Key Words of The Council of Trees: Elder - Birth, Death, Rebirth, Past Lives, Cycles, Endurance, Vulnerability, Souls Journey, Awakening, Shapeshifting, Dreaming. The Grove & Yew - Council, Ancestors, Guidance, Inner Knowing, Stillness, Healing, Spirit, Void. Birch - New Beginnings, Fresh Start, Release, Relief, Rest, Cleansing, Rebuilding, Self-Respect, Forgiveness, Deity, Gift
Oak Tree Cycle
After Journeying through the Hawthorn tree Cycle where we experienced the early stages of conception, the raw potential of our idea, we now find ourselves in a safer and more settled place during the Oak cycle having now birthed our creativity into physical form. The Oak tree cycle brings structure and form to our projects and we have likely taken steps forward to develop our plans for the future. The Oak tree represents our inner core strength, our internal locus of evaluation and the trust that we now have in ourselves to make own decisions and choices with steadfast resolve. Our inner thoughts and feelings are now reflective of our actions and we are devoted to following our inner compass. Our idea that we have carried with us for so long, that we have nurtured and believed in and that we have fought to keep alive has now been delivered into the physical world. We have taken the necessary steps to build a durable framework to support our endeavours in continual growth deepening firmer roots. We are feeling more sure of ourselves and our creative potential and we are valuing our work. We can now see the direction of our long term goals and we realise that they are achievable. This is a beautiful time of alignment between spirit, mind and body. This is a good time to invest energy into building something that brings us joy and allows our creativity to blossom. We may also enjoy spending time on home improvements or designing our gardens for the coming summer by planting flower seeds and starting our vegetable plots. The Oak cycle also brings in more closely the sense of community.
The Council of Trees & The Hidden Tree Cycles
Influence: Elder
Inspiration: Birch
Healing: The Grove & Yew
The hidden Elder tree cycle partially (April 18 – April 29) engages us during the first half of the Oak tree cycle. Moving below our awareness and occasionally surfacing influencing our thoughts and emotions. Beneath the strength and power of the Oak tree cycle we may feel an unease in the depth of our being and a sense of something revealing itself to us. The beginning of Oak can be a refreshing experience, we finally trust in our experience and our capabilities and we value ourselves as we continue to develop our creativity. However we may unknowingly be experiencing the effects of the Elder tree cycle spiritual weather from the previous year and what that facilitated for us. During the Elder tree cycle we can open up to especially huge spiritual internal shifts and this can naturally awaken our anxieties. Asking ourselves if we can remember what was present in our life the previous year during Elder might offer us some insight into how we are feeling. We can explore whether there any remnants of these experiences still effecting us now during Oak or are we simply feeling the echoes? We can look to our dreams for possible clues of this as we may be having reoccurring dreams, intense dreams and dreams representing similar themes or messages during the Oak cycle that were present during the previous Elder cycle. We may also be influenced by similar impulses in the first half of the Oak cycle that engaged us during the last Elder cycle. We might also reflect on any past mistakes and what we have learned and gained from them. Feeling a little vulnerable during the first half of the Oak tree cycle is natural. Elder is like a portal by which our souls experience can funnel through. Held within Elder are rich opportunities for us to come into alignment with our past life experiences and our souls journey themes and this can be a very challenging time for us, Elder as our council member offers us the wisdom to remember how far we have come either since the previous year or in remembrance of our many lives travelled and our point of evolution in this life. Elder encourages us for a strong birthing experience in Oak if it is for our highest good. If our plan needs work or held then Elder will unfix our root and we will either experience a death of our piece of work or a rebirth in a new direction. If we feel our soul wounds during this time of moving through Oak, rather than hiding from our pain we can acknowledge the great sacrifices we have made and endured in our life and through our souls evolution. We can also allow our inner warrior to breathe through these contractions and remind ourselves of our ability to continually transform after each death experience.
The hidden Birch tree cycle partially (May 1st – May 15) engages us during the second half of the Oak tree cycle. Birch blows in and around us with wonderful airy freedom and a sense of something wonderful beginning in our lives or at the least the chance to put things behind us and move forward with self-respect and dignity . We may be cheered on by Awen during these weeks supporting our creative flow and encouraging us to stay focused with a lighter mind. Birch reminds us that dawn gracefully always follows the night. We are reminded in the second half of Oak of our journey through Elder the previous year and that sense of relief we felt as we courageously stepped into Birch honouring the start of a new Celtic year or he witches new year. These experiences are reflected for us while we walk through the second half of Oak. We feel a strong sense of grounding within our body and our spirit blazes brightly. We may recognise Great Spirit offering a hand on the back of our shoulder reassuring us that ‘we’ve got this’. I like to reference what I refer to as the three R’s, release, relief and rest that are the three graces of Birch. During the Oak cycle we have a beautiful opportunity to champion ourselves and become our own strongest ally and supporter, we have the power to release negative self-talk when it arises and let go of our insecurities and feel a deeper and more truthful confidence. This will allow us to let go and forgive. We will feel a sense of relief because we are living more congruently in honouring our own creative potential and allowing ourselves to blossom through Oak. We are also offered an opportunity to rest now a while. We have invested so much of our energy into our ideas and projects to get them to this point. We may feel a sense of momentum to push on through this season of transformation, however it is important to also know that we can take a break now and recharge our life force energy. By doing this we allow our high intensity creative energy to relax a little and become softer and pliable. This is good for two reasons, firstly we allow our creative flow to contact and expand within a deeper exhalation, this will support us in channelling continual and sustainable inspiration. Encouraging us to expand our ideas generating more Nwyfre. Secondly we can take time to be still a while and reflect on our journey so far. Acknowledging just how far we have come. We can reground ourselves in the lovely Oaken energies and contemplate our next move.
The Grove and the Yew tree cycle are within The Council for the Oak tree cycle and engage us precisely at the point of April the 30th. Although we have a reflection of Samhain at this point we may feel a sense of this important festival throughout the Oak tree cycle. With the Oak cyle comes change and a brave step forward into our chosen direction. This takes courage and strength and there is also a sense of stepping boldly forward with a special announcement of some kind. The Yew tree offers us healing and renewal of our life force, of our Nwyfre and within The Grove we can converse with our guides, our ancestors and our guiding forces to receive the wisdom that will sustain us as we reveal our fully developed ideas to those that we trust or to others we may be working with. We can also find healing from any tree we choose during the Oak cycle as The Grove can represent any tree we choose to connect with including our birth tree. It may also be supportive to journey within our inner realms and visit our inner grove at this point for guidance healing and inspiration. The Grove is a place that we can return to time and again. If we are unsure of an element of our journey or if we simply require rest and stillness we can immerse ourselves within the deeper spiritual energies that surround us, sinking into a deep protective field and allowing ourselves to be embraced and held in the void.
It is important to mention that your Council may reach out to you in many ways such as synchronicities, dreams and intuition or in the form of a friend or elder. With other focuses for you to consider for instance you may find that Elder comes to you with healing or that Birch comes to you with an influences or a question. You may find that The Grove offers you a gift or an opportunity for the future. Be open to the sidewinding path and the journey it takes you through the woodland. Be open to the creative flow of inspiration when working with The Council of Trees, look to your past and to your future but remain rooted in the present.
A Tree Blessing For Oak
We meet again old friend, on the wiry travelled road.
Keeper of childhoods past.
Guardian of the determined and bold.
Rest easy on your wooded knoll.
Strength and kindness the wisdoms you hold.
Dusty boots,
Stories of the soul.
Keeper of joys and magics old.
We meet again old friend, on the wiry travelled road.
Offering to the council
You may like to make an offering to your Council if you have found that their support through this cycle has been insightful for you. I encourage you to use your intuition and creativity to decide what your offering may be. But I will give a suggestion to get the inspiration going. With having a Council including Elder Yew and Birch and also with having The Grove at Samhain represented we have strong influences of beginnings and endings and of the spaces or the voids in between. As trees are a habitat for nature offering food and shelter and life giving oxygen you may like to consider planting some wild flowers or a plant that may support insects and pollinators, or you might like to create a mini habitat like a bee hotel. This will enable you to offer a gift in honour of nature that contributes to the cycles of birth and growth and the circle of life.
Next Tree Cycle: Holly
Yours in the heart of the woodlands.
Mags Black.
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