Willow Healing

Back during Yule, my thoughtful sister, Rori, gifted me with a book titled "The Healing Power of Trees: Spiritual Journeys Through the Celtic Tree Calendar" by Sharlyn Hidalgo. At first, I was a little disinterested as I was not familiar with this specific calendar and put it on a shelf thinking I'd get to it eventually. However, after a week or two, I felt like the book was staring at me, calling out for me to read it. So I finally picked it up and am so thankful I did. I was absorbed into it's pages. Hidalgo gives a brief introduction to the Celtic tree calendar, the trees, Runes (my preferred method of divination), and the Ogham (a method I am now trying to learn). After, she goes into detail about each lunation and it's associated tree. As I have always felt a special connection to trees, I thoroughly enjoy this new perspective on life. 

While many who use the Celtic Tree Calendar follow the Solar calendar with New Years on January 1st, Hidalgo sticks to the old Celtic/Lunar calendar with New Years on November 1st, following Samhain. I chose to follow her method because it made more sense to me, but to each her own. According to the old calendar, we are currently in the fourth lunation (January 24 - February 20), the time of the Willow tree. The Ogham associated with the Willow is Saille, which represents the feminine principle, fertility, the moon, mother, daughter, and crone. The Rune association is Sowelo, which also represents feminine power, moonlight, peace, and harmony. The Willow tree is associated with bees, doves, and the holiday Imbolc, in which we celebrate Brigit, the maiden. 

The time of the Willow is the time of feminine power and the power of the moon, which can lead to an increase in psychic abilities. Along with those comes insight revealed through dreams, which I have personally found to increase ten fold in the last few weeks. Willows promote creative thought, so poets, artists, writers, musicians, etc. may find their talents flourishing during this time. Willow urges us to get in touch with our emotions and reminds us that it is healthy to let them overcome us once in a while. If you need to cry, let it out. The Willow tree is a wonderful place to seek refuge when going through emotional pain. Like me, you may not have any Willow trees near that you can go to, but just imagining yourself sitting at the base of the tree with her leaves hiding you from the hectic outside world can bring a sense of calmness.

I hope you can find the healing you seek during the time of the Willow.