If you have ever watched a movie that had trees of magic, with secret doorways that lead to mysterious places, the origin of those ideas can be credited to the Celtic people. Trees were a very large part of the Celts' spiritual and daily lives. Celts regarded trees as their source of food, protection from the elements, provider of materials to build shelters, and a source of warmth when making fire with its wood. While walking through a forest hearing the leaves rustle, Celts could easily equate trees and the forest with an comnipotent being. From that belief, we are given a powerful symbol - the Tree of Life. The most sacred tree of all was the Oak, which represented the axis mundi, the centre of the world. The Celtic name for oak, daur, is the origin of the word door - the root of the oak was literally the doorway to the Otherworld, the realm of Fairy. The word Druid, the name of the Celtic Priestly class, is compounded from the words for oak and wise - a Druid was one who was 'Oak Wise', meaning learned in Tree magic and guardian of the doorway. Long after the Druids, the lore of trees continued as a vital part of Celtic myth and folklore. Trees guarded sacred wells and provided healing, shelter, and wisdom. Trees carried messages to the other realm and conferred blessings. In Ireland today, some trees can be seen in the countryside adorned with ribbons and pleas for favors, love, healing, and prosperity. The Celtic alphabeth, Ogham, was written to trees with each letter of the alphabet representing a particular tree.
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