Previous Tree Cycle: Ivy
Tree Cycle: Negetal Reed & Straif Blackthorn
Reed & Blackthorn Tree Cycle Dates: September 5 - October 2
Key Words For Reed & Blackthorn: Reed - Action, Direct, Plough Ahead, Determination, Skill, Final Push, Obstacles, Surrender, Hollow, Conduit, Alchemy. Blackthorn - Obstacles, Solutions, Defence, Inner Compass, The Journey, Dark Forest, Preparation, Magic, Sacred Practice of Waiting.
Lunation: 12th
Souls Evolution Stage: Sacred Wisdoms
The Council of Trees - Hidden Tree Cycles: Ash & Hawthorn
The Council of Trees - Hidden Tree Cycles Date: March 5 - April 2
Key Words of The Council of Trees: Ash - Dream-Weaving, Manifestation, Potential, Inspiration, Life, Wisdom, Wonder, Timing, Origin, Messages, Journeying, Foresight, Doorways. Hawthorn - Scared Union, Conception, Waiting, Early Stages, Undisclosed Treasure, Wonder, Masculine & Feminine Energy, Protection, Nurture, Be Beside Self, Sacred.
Spiritual Weather: Fear of Unrealised Vision, Insecure, Lack in Self Belief, Impending Disclosure. Intense Magics.
Celebration: Autumn Equinox September 20th 21st Northern Hemisphere.
Goddess: The Cailleach - The Hag of Winter.
Tree Cycle Reed (Bulrush) & Blackthorn
Reed traverses between the worlds of magic and of manifestation. With lender stems and roots submerged deep within dark mysterious fresh water pools. Her elegant spires topped with a flower like a spear head that must find its destination. The Reed cycle offers us powerful motivation, determination and clear focus. Reed holds powerful medicine for us that will support us to plough, plough plough. We are the only obstacle left between ourselves and our harvest. If the plough is broken, if the path to our success has an obstacle, we have the tools within us to fix what needs fixing and move forward. What we gain from a difficult journey travelled is wisdom, knowledge and skill. We may also feel the airy fresh breeze of Reed, funnelled through us through Reeds hollow stem. When we journey within Reeds hollow stem we surrender to the sacred flow of time. Even if we do nothing, be still and wait, things will still unfold, happen and change our direction. We can journey down into Reed's mystical depths and work with potent magics, or we can travel up into her steepled loft and work with our inner warrior to get the job done. Either way we choose to travel, there will be an outcome. Reed supports us in our final push. Labouring is hard work, physical, painful, batters the body, but, during Reed, the story is not important, events matter not. All that matters is the sacred wisdoms gained and the medicine learned, this is the true harvest, the everlasting fruits of our wildish nature are what we carry within us.
Blackthorn steeps us in the pungent alluring perfumes of early autumn. Ripened blackberries glisten against blood red rose hips, skin stretched, ready to split. Wet air settles on cobwebs creating pearled baskets. Trees whisper through the mists 'a witching way must be had'. Blackthorn is the dark beauty of this time of year, the Black Mare on the Moore. Blackthorn immerses us in deep magics, enlivens our spirit and rouses our mind fully awake to the beauty of the thick dark forest. We are guided strongly by our inner compass. We may want to work in old ways, wildish ways, witching ways. We are reminded that within the embrace of the dark goddess we are held and comforted, we are home. Blackthorn energy amplifies our own spiritual essence, our magic becomes a potent elixir. We can use our magic through our intuition and our intention. We have all that we require to navigate any obstacles or challenges that we may encounter. We will find the solutions we require to move forward. We may practice the Sacred Art of Waiting. In this practice we simply open and hold a space for the moment of receiving. This is a simple yet powerful magical art. If we are not consciously waiting with our basket ready, how can anything be placed in our basket? You would like some tasty berries? So where is your basket? If you are waiting for something prepare for it, make a space for it, celebrate its arrival, and it will come.
Spiritual Weather and The Council of Trees
Influence: Ash
Inspiration: Hawthorn
Spiritual weather during Reed and Blackthorn season can be wild. Magics are rare and primeval. As old as the Earth. They muse up from the belly of the Earth Mother. Dirty, gritty, soaked in minerals and naked they dance and play. They seep from her warm thighs, alchemical wisdoms await life and manifestation. When we are faced with such forces within nature, we feel the power of these vibrations amplified within our bodies, on a cellular level. If we aren't aware of natures song during this season we might feel unsettled by the strange humming and drumming within our being. We may also feel fear for our own inner power as it rises up to meet the dark lady. We may try to push it back down, denying our inner wild woman her full expression. The weather during this season can give rise to our fear and insecurities. What is is that we fear? What need is this fear attached to? How can we heal this part of ourselves allowing our inner beauty to flow abundantly. How can we experience ourselves fully and celebrate our spirit?
Ash continues to support us within the first two weeks of Reed & Blackthorn season. Ash influences our reaction to the spiritual weather, beckoning us to see the fullest dimensions of our spirit and our beauty. Ash, wise and all knowing shares with us a gift. An illumination of spirit, an insight of the sweetest fruits that we might bare. We are encouraged to fulfil our desires, to complete the cycle and to achieve our goals. There is a time to sew seed, a time to grow, nurture and a time to ripen. And there is a time to harvest. Ash encouraged to know when the right time comes to pick and if there is a right time to share. Ash reminds us to honour our journey of experience through life. Ash grounds us in our strength of will and sharpens our focus. Completed journeys invoke new doors to open up for us. To many doors left open and too many journeys unfinished, abandoned or forgotten dilute our wisdom, our magic. Ash wants us to acknowledge unfinished business and finish it so we can close those doors. We have so many wonderful experiences waiting for their turn with us. If we leave too many doors open in our house, the wind blows in and slams them shut. If we leave too many doors open in our mind, we encourage chaos and confusion and fullness. The spirit needs the mind and body to be defendable castle. Ash asks us 'how is your castle fairing these days? For this is your treasure chest for all your magics and wisdoms to live within.
Hawthorn supports us in the final two weeks of Reed & Blackthorn season. Hawthorn inspires us to be our own strongest and wisest warrior. There are times when we may need support from others, and there are times when we need to support ourselves. We are our own strongest warrior. Hawthorn offers medicine of balance of the masculine and feminine energy. We are offered a sacred time of utilising all of our wisdoms, magics and skills in a powerful alchemical recipe. This recipe, food for our spirit, will provide us with a sharp articulate mind, a strong body, in will if not in muscle and a passion that has the punch we need to overcome obstacles. Hawthorn carries the power of creation and when in sacred counsel with Ash's gift of foresight we can clearly see our goal achieved in the future. Hawthorn may want to guard our movements during Reed & Blackthorn season. Supporting us in choosing to retreat into a deeper place from which we can observe from a distance our Kingdom. We may feel protective over the vulnerabilities of a project. Or we may feel called to soften our fierce defence of this stage of our journey. Hawthorn reminds us that we are both Mother and Father.
A Blessing for Reed & Blackthorn
Mistresses of the dark jewelled earth awaken.
Glinted Warriors of Winter's Castle gather.
Cast iron thorns guard the mysteries of the spirit.
Fierce spears, impenetrable fortresses of the mind.
Rare treasures within the deep.
Magics held within nature keep.
A witching way the Goddess teaches.
Wield your power tribal sisters.
Offering to the Council
As always connect with you own intuition and find a way to honour The Council that feels right for you. I will offer a suggestion as an option for an offering. This time of year is mystical and alluring, as we move into the dark half of the year. Considering creating a ritual in honour of this time of year, a home blessing using the scared practice of Doorways. Thinking of what intentions we would like to carry into the dark half of the year we can create a working using the doorways within our own home. choose specific doorways that represent the intention or working. Does the intention involve a closing of the doorway or an opening of the doorway in your life. Intention may include anything important to us. Such as opportunities, decisions, connections with others. Do we want to invite community, extended family or social interactions or do we need to create a winter retreat for ourselves? Do we need a doorway left open for a project or creation to flow into our life or out into the world? You can use incense, flame or a bowl of water as you move through your home setting these sacred intentions for your life, feel deep within yourself the right way to create this working. Before this working visualise a circle around your home to contain the working and your intentions. This is especially important in creating a boundary when working with Doorways. Remember to thank Ash and Hawthorn after your working.
Yours in the heart of the woodland,
Mags Black.
Next Tree Cycle: Elder (Yew Samhain)
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