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The Magical Properties of Wood

by Magenta Griffith

~from Llewellyn's Magical Almanac 2004

There are many books and articles on the various magical properties of herbs and other plants, but there are few on the magical uses of trees and their woods. Here are some odds and ends of tree lore that might prove useful to you.

Wood Lore

The alder is considered a tree of the element fire. Fro the alder, you can make three different dyes - red form its bark, green from its flowers, and brown from its twigs. This symbolizes the elements of fire, earth, and water. The alder is sometimes called the wood of the Witches. It is said that whistles made of this wood can summon and control the four winds, so it is an excellent wood for making magical pipes and flutes.

Apple trees are magical because of all the associations of its fruit. The wood not especially magical, though it is very useful for burning, producing sweet-smelling fires. The apple harvest comes around Lammas on August 1, so the apple is associated with that holiday. Of you cut an apple in half cross-wise, the seeds form a pentagram, and so the fruit is considered a token of Witches.

The ash, in Norse myth, is the most important tree, as Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life from which all the worlds spring, is a giant ash. Yggdrasil is the bridge between the worlds that the gods, and some chosen mortals, may traverse. Beneath Yggdrasil, the three Norns dispense judgment over gods and men. A dragon lives in the roots of the World Ash and an eagle in its branches. Odin hung nine days on Yggdrasil to gain wisdom, in the form of a drink from a spring at the foot of the tree. Ash is still considered a tree of wisdom in parts of Europe, and therefore ash branches are used for dowsing, especially to find lost objects.

Birch is a tree of beginnings, partly because it is often the first tree to have new leaves in the spring. Since it is quick growing, it is usually one of the first trees to grow in a new forest, or to return after a fire. Therefore, a birch forest is young, and birch is linked to youth and all things new. The birch is used in cleansing rituals. In Europe, birch twigs are used to expel evil spirits and to drive out the spirits of the old year.

Cedar is an evergreen like juniper, to which it is related. Therefore, it is symbolic of the promise of eternal renewal. Cedar of Lebanon was the wood from which the great Jewish Temple of Solomon was built. Associations with Solomon are, of course, magical, since he is known for his powers in magic and an ability to bind spirits to his service. Cedar is a wood of protection and preservation; it is also called arbore vitae, or "tree of life." Cedar oil is an insect repellant; this is why cedar chests help keep out moths. Cedar is especially powerful for banishing an area prior to magical work.

Elder, in Norse mythology, was the abode of the goddess Freya. In medieval times, people thought Witches lived in elder trees, and therefore it was considered dangerous to sleep under an elder or cut it down. Also, Witches were thought to ride on elder branches to the Sabbat. Elder is said to symbolize the end in the beginning and the beginning in the end - life in death and death in life.

Hawthorn can be used for protection, love, and marriage spells. It is associated with Beltane, May Eve. Songs tell of going out to gather branches of the "May Tree," the hawthorn, to bring back to the village as tokens of spring. The Greeks and Romans saw the hawthorn as a symbol of marriage, but in medieval Europe it was associated with witchcraft and considered to be unlucky. It is a tree of contradictions, with beautiful, strongly scented flowers, but dangerous thorns. The wood burns with a fierce heat, but the tree is small, almost a shrub.

Hazel is a tree of wisdom. In England, eating hazel nuts was supposed to bring knowledge. A forked branch of hazel is the most popular form of divining or dowsing rod. In medieval Europe, such a branch was sometimes ued to determine the guilt of people accused of murder. More recently, hazel has been used to locate treasure, valuable metallic ores such as silver or gold, and to dfind water. Water dowsing is still practiced in parts of the United States.

Holly is the tree of winter. It is associated with the death and rebirth symbolism of winter. The word holly is derived from "holy." The Holly King defeats the Oak King at Lammas, and thus, reigns until Winter Solstice. The rune most associated with the holly is tyr, which means spear; holly was traditionally used for spear shafts by the ancient Celts. Therefore, this tree is considered male by nature, and associated with the phallic spear. Holly is a fine-grained, very pale wood, and is considered excellent for wands.

Juniper berries are the primary flavoring in gin, which derives its name from the Dutch word for juniper. It is a short evergreen shrub, and the berries are actually used for a variety of culinary and medicinal purposes. The wood is used for furniture. Because its wood contains oil that deters moths, it is often used to line chests.

Oak is the tree of Zeus, Jupiter, Thor, and other thunder gods. The Oak King defeats the Holly King at Yule, and thus rules over the light half of the year. The Midsummer fire is always oak, and the "need fire" is always kindled in an oak log. It is an excellent wood for wands and other tools, especially if endurance and wisdom are desired. Oak is associated with kingship and wise rule, personal sovereignty, authority, power, and protection. The oak is the tree of endurance and triumph, and like the ash, is said to withstand lightning. Oak is a male wood, which is ideal for the construction of any tool that needs the male influence (athames, wands, staffs). Oak traditionally provided not only one of the most durable woods for construction and fuel, but also acorns for winter pig-feed.

Pine, an evergreen, is a symbol of life and immortality. It is one of the few trees that is considered androgynous. It was worshipped by the ancients as a symbol of fire because of its resemblance to a spiral of flame. The resin from the pine tree can be used as incense to clear negative energies, and pine is regarded these days as a very soothing tree. The wand of Bacchus was tipped with a pine cone; this sort of wand is thought to bring fertility and sexual vigor. Pine branches placed at doors and windows are thought to keep out evil.

Rowan is also called the mountain ash. The rowan's flowers and bright-orange berries display a pentagram, the symbol of the five elements. The berries, because they are often retained through winter, symbolize the endurance of life through the dark of the year. Also called witchen or witchbane, rowans has been considered the enemy of all evil Witchery, and protects against one's being carried off to the fairy realm against one's will. Rowan traditionally is said to avert storms and lightening, and to bring peace and astral vision. The fondness of songbirds for rowan berries gives the tree a link to the birds, and to the goddess Brigid in her role as the muse of poets.

Willow is sacred to the Moon, and to Diana and the feminine principle in general. It is also associated with Beltane. Willow is the foremost tree of the element of water, and is especially suited to works of the New Moon. It is a tree of renewal of fertility and creativity, of spells of glamour and bewitchment, and of sexual passion and relationship. Because of its association with water, willow is sometimes used for water dowsing.

Yew is associated with death and graveyards in most of Europe, and it is sacred to Hecate. As such, this evergreen governs travel between the worlds. It is associated with spells of illusion, astral travel, necromancy, and the conjuring of spirits. Most parts of this tree are poisonous. While it is good for bows, yew should never be used for magical tools.

Combining woods can produce interesting results. Dion Fortune, in her book The Sea Priestess (Samuel Weiser, 1981), describes what she calls the Fire of Azrael. Composed of cedar, juniper and sandalwood, this is a fire for scrying that is supposed to produce true visions.

Robert Graves' masterwork The White Goddess: A Historical Grammer of Poetic Myth (Carcanet, 1997) is an excellent source of information on tree lore as well as Celtic folklore in general; I strongly recommend it for further reading.

Magical Properties of Trees

These magical wands and staffs can be made from a variety of materials. In addition to blackthorn, a variety of other trees are traditionally used to make magic wands. I have listed the magical properties of only a few trees in this article. See Lily Gardner's article "The Nine Sacred Trees" (in our BOS under the Tree section) for the magical properties associated with birch, rowan, ash, alder, willow, hawthorn, oak, hazel, and holly. You may want to choose one of these woods as the basis for your own magic wand or wizard's staff.

Almond (Prunus communis): The almond, like all nut trees, is associated with fertility and prosperity. It is a great wand material to use for divination magic while also offering protection against the evil eye. This is the tree from which Aaron cut his staff, making the almond a good material to use for wizard's staffs.

Apple (Pyrus Malus): This tree is associated with eternal youth, fertility magic, love spells, ancient knowledge, strength, healing and wisdom. The apple tree is also known as the fruit of the underworld. The goddess Freya is associated with this tree, making an apple wand a good choice to used for goddess-based magic.

Cedar (Cedrus libani): The magical properties associated with cedar include consecration, immortality, prophecy, prosperity, protection, and purification. Use a staff made of cedar to help you with any magical workings on the astral plane and in any dream-based magic. Cedar was the tree used to create Asclepius's rod.

Elder (Sambucus nigra): The elder tree was supposed to provide protection from Witches in addition to gaining great healing powers to whomever possessed it. Wands made from this material could also be used to summon up storms, as it was believed that lightning would never strike an elder tree. Elder is also a tree of regeneration and fulfillment. Fairies are said to have a fondness for this wood. Old English folklore says you must ask the spirit of the elder tree for permission before cutting down any of its wood:

Old woman, old woman,

Give me some of your wood

And I will give you some of mine

When I grow into a tree.

Elm (Ulmus spp): The wood from this tree was supposedly the material of choice for medieval magicians. Elm is a tree of strength, intuition, and meditation, and is another wood that offers protection from lightning. Elm is also a good wood to utilize when working any kind of love spell or charm.

Maple (Acer spp): Maple is a tree of love, harmony, peace, and prosperity. Maple will help to bring balance and harmony to yin-yang energies. It is a popular wand material and helps to awaken one's intuition and creativity.

Walnut (Juglans regia): A tree of fertility, prosperity, and wisdom. Use wands and staff made of walnut to help awaken your inner wisdom. This is also a good material to use for initiation rituals.

Yew ( Taxus baccata): Yew is a powerful magical material which has associations with both life and death. This is another tree that can be used in magic rituals that focus on honoring one's ancestors and recently deceased loved ones.