Sacred Trees in the Americas: Tamarak / Larch – Larix laricina – Magic, Mecicine, and Mythology

The Druid's Garden

I remember when I first saw a Tamarack tree.  It was growing in a bog where I was hiking in late fall.  I looked at the Tamarack tree in its golden splendor and wondered if the tree was sick or had gotten too wet–was this confier dying?  It had knobby cones and branches, sitting there looking like it was in its death throes.  When I commented on it to my friend, she responded, No, that’s just the tamarack tree, a friend of mine said, and we examined the tree growing on the edge of a beautiful wetland.  Sure enough, a few weeks later, the tree was bare for the winter and only grew back in the spring. The Tamarack tree has a special place in the ecology in North America, especially as a mid-succession tree in very wet and swampy areas.

The Tamarack tree is known by many names: the…

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Energies of May, New Moon, Full Moon Eclipse, the Influence of Taurus, Negotiating Ongoing Change

The month of May in the northern hemisphere is traditionally associated with the power of the feminine goddess and the beginning of summer, both of which are celebrated at the Celtic festival of Beltane on May 1st each year. This year May has got off to a somewhat cold and windy start with weather rather …

May Birthstone: What did Cleopatra know that you don’t? Find out here

Emerald, the May birthstone, has an ancient history connected to physical and psychic vision, as well as the heart, unconditional love, and compassion. Worn by the epitome of feminine beauty, Cleopatra, the May birthstone is durable enough for all types of jewelry and suits any budget. Source: May Birthstone: What did Cleopatra know that you …

May 2021 Astrological Influences & Ritual Recommendations

We welcome May with the Gaelic celebration of Beltane, which marks the beginning of Mother Earth entering a new cycle of growth, fertility, and abundance. Although I do not practice or observe any Pagan or Wiccan/New Age holidays or rites, I do honor this blessed day by creating an abundant ritual altar of candles and …

Bewitching Maibowle Cream Cake For Walpurgis Nacht (May Day Eve) – Gather Victoria

Soon May Day Eve will be upon us – so I’m sharing this recipe posted last year at Gather Patreon. (Patrons will see a new recipe coming soon!)  This Maibowle Cream Cake – made and… Source: Bewitching Maibowle Cream Cake For Walpurgis Nacht (May Day Eve) – Gather Victoria

Diamond Meaning and Healing Powers – The definitive guide

India was once thought to be the world’s only source of diamonds. The early Hindus called the gemstone, Vajra Vajra means either, thunderbolt or lightning, reflecting a belief that diamonds were created by lightning hitting rocks and acknowledging the power that they possess. 2000 years later, Diamonds were discovered in the new colonies of Brazil, …

US Lavender Growers Association –

  Network with other lavender growers from around the world, learn from expert growers and business leaders in the industry, and access a wealth of resources for your business. New growers will appreciate our intensive, two-part “Start a Farm” series, while more experienced growers will benefit from a wide range of topics on production and …

Spring Flowers, Magical Bluebells.

To Elizabethans, bluebells were enchanted, and heaven forbid you hear their bell-shaped heads ring, for death would likely follow. Links with folklore were still prevalent more than three centuries later, as borne out by Cicely Mary Barker’s depictions of Flower Fairies (the first book in the series was published in 1923) and her assertion that the bluebell …

Sacred Trees in the Americas: American Hazel (Corylus americana) Magic, Ecology, and Sacred Uses

The Druid's Garden

American Hazelnuts in a cluster getting ready to ripen

For three years, I have had my eye on our American hazel bushes here at the homestead. When we first moved to the property, much of the understory was damaged with the logging the previous owners did and it took time for the hazels to recover.  Thus, for the last few years, I’ve watched the hazels grow taller and larger each year and kept looking excitedly for any signs of nuts setting. This past fall, I was delighted to find handfuls of delicious wild American hazelnuts and connect with the incredible wisdom that they offer.

While Hazel is a critically important tree in the mythology and magical tradition of Druidry and in Europe more broadly, The Hazel is one of the sacred trees identified by the druids as a tree tied to wisdom and the flow of Awen, and it is…

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March 2021 Newsletter – Hidden finds and some great new arrivals

  A discovery of a rare gemstone in Thailand made worldwide news recently. The story begins with a dream. 37-year-old fisherman, Hatchai Niyomdecha, had a vision in which an old gray haired man with a long white mustache tells him he must go down to the beach the following day where he will find a …