Book of Shadows

Tree Lore

Alder: Associated with the Welsh god Bran, and represents concealment and secrecy. Wands made of alder are good for self-confidence, elemental magic, and astral travel.

Apple: Associated with immortality. Avalon means "isle of apples." Although the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden is never named, culture has designated it an apple, and thus apples are associated with evil, sexuality, and all things taboo. Its association with Aphrodite further connects it to love and sexuality. Apples are also associated with fairies, and magic in general. Wands made of apple are good for faerie and love magic.

Ash: Gwydion's tree, and a useful tree for making weapons. Yggdrasil is an ash tree, and the first man in Norse mythology was made of an ash tree. Wands made of ash enhance mental power and remove mental blockages, providing wisdom, eloquence, and inspiration.

Aspen: The largest living organism is an aspen grove, called Pando, in which every tree is genetically identical and connected by a massive root system. In the autumn, aspens appear white with golden leaves. Wands made of aspen can deflect psychic attacks and banish negativity.

Beech: The word "book" derives from a Norse word for "beech," because the Norse used beechwood as writing tablets. Wands made of beech are best for rune magic and ancestral magic.

Birch: Associated with rebirth and regeneration because it is one of the first trees to grow back after a forest fire. Wands made of birch are best for starting new projects, creativity, fertility, youth, banishing old negative energy, and purification.

Cedar: In a Cherokee legend, the cedar tree is a monument to the souls of ancestors who died of starvation during an endless night. Cedar is associated with longevity (though to a lesser extent than yew), protection, life, and incorruptibility.

Cherry: Associated with Easter because it blooms roughly around Easter. In Japan, cherry blossoms are associated with the ephemeral nature of life, the appreciation of both beauty and death.

Cypress: Associated with death, mourning, and with all things chthonic in Classical folklore. Cypress wands are ideal for dealing with grief, katabasis, and Shadow work.

Ebony: One of the most powerful and indiscriminate wand woods, effective for any purpose. It's both masculine and feminine, and balances all four elements.

Elder: Considered a fairy tree; Celtic (and Danish) legend says that if you stand under an elder on Samhain (or Midsummer) you would see fairies (or elves). It is associated with sanctity, rejuvenation, banishment, birth and death. Various legends disagree on its nature, with some saying that it can banish evil and others saying that it is unlucky. In English and Scandinavian folklore, the tree is haunted by a dryad-like spirit called the Elder Mother.

Elm: Feminine wood that protects against hexes. Planted on graves in Classical mythology, hence a connection with death and the Underworld. Also represents peace and bliss in a pastoral sense. In Norse mythology, the first woman was made from an elm tree.

Hawthorn: A masculine wood, and another tree likely to be inhabited by faeries in Celtic folklore, and cutting one down brings bad luck. An old superstition states that if you splash dew from a Hawthorn onto your face on the morning of Beltane, you will be eternally beautiful. It traditionally represents hope in ancient Greece. Serbian folklore has it that stakes to kill vampires must be made of hawthorn. The famous hawthorn at Glastonbury, which flowers in spring and also at Christmas, was said to have been the staff of Joseph of Arimathea. A sprig of it is sent to the Queen to decorate the royal table at Christmas.

Hazel: Another faerie tree in Ireland and Wales, sacred to poets. A common wood for witch's wands and dowsing rods. Its nuts were associated with wisdom, occult knowledge, and poetic inspiration. Hazel wands are particularly useful for healing and dowsing, and receiving inspiration.

Hickory: In Seneca mythology, the hickory can bring the dead back to life. It represents patience, perseverance, and adaptability.

Holly: The "Oak King and Holly King" myth is mostly modern, but nonetheless it's given holly connotations of rebirth (the association with Christmas helps, and gives it further connotations of joy in winter or hope in bleak times). A wand of holly grants powerful protection.

Ivy: Associated with Dionysus, who would wear ivy in his hair or wrap it around the thyrsus, his magical staff. Ivy is associated with fertility, and often considered feminine if holly is masculine. It is ideal for binding spells.

Laurel: The sacred tree of Apollo; he had been chasing a nymph named Daphne who turned into a laurel tree to avoid him, and he crowned his head with laurel. Laurel wreaths were given as prizes to athletes. They are therefore associated with victory and nobility.

Maple: Both a masculine and feminine wood, associated with wisdom, beauty, and art. Maple wands enhance the intellect and are good for purification.

Oak: The oak was sacred to numerous thunder gods, including Zeus, Perun, and Thor. The Druids also revered the oak tree and took their name from it. In some stories, Merlin was imprisoned in an oak tree by the sorceress Nimue. Oaken wands bring vitality, endurance, prosperity, stability, and strength.

Pine: Pine was sacred to Dionysus, and his followers carries wands topped with pinecones. Pine is associated with clarity of vision, resilience, independence, and creativity. Pine wands are good for purification.

Poplar: In Greco-Roman mythology, the white poplar is one of the few types of trees that grows in the Underworld. They associated it with a peaceful afterlife and respect for the dead. A poplar wand is perfect for divination and anything chthonic, especially working with Hades or Hercules.

Rowan: Sacred to the goddess Brigid and to the goddess Sif. Rowan wands protect against curses and malevolent spirits, and keeps the bearer from getting lost.

Willow: A feminine wood, associated with the moon, healing, and psychic abilities. Helice, one of the nurses of Zeus, was a dryad of a willow tree. The bodhisattva Guanyin carries a willow branch. Wands of willow are best suited for casting enchantments and dealing with emotions.

Yew: Especially associated with death and rebirth, traditionally planted in graveyards. It is poisonous, so it is associated with witchcraft and "black magic." It is sacred to Hecate. Yew wands are perfect for any sort of "dark" magical work (e.g. Shadow work or necromancy), ceremonial magic, and divination.