Sacred Trees

In Druid Tradition, trees were sacred and possessed  spiritual and magical powers.The following is an excerpt of my latest article, Sacred Trees, which is in Renaissance Magazine, Vol.16#4, Issue #80 which is currently available at newsstands and bookstores.

"To the Celtic druids’ trees not only provided basic needs of food, shelter and fuel for warmth, but were a source of great wisdom, magical power and a connector between our world and the Otherworld. Ritualistic ceremonies and meditations were conducted in sacred groves (nemeton) throughout the dense forests of Europe in homage, signifying their connection to Mother Earth and nature.
The Mother of all trees was the Yellow Cedar, for she was the Tree of Life. She represented the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, symbolizing our connection and harmony of nature. She was the median for the gods, us and the Otherworld. Her branches reached high into the heavens, her trunk was the earthly plane (our world) and her deep roots connected to the Otherworld. Planted in the center of the land she canopied all four corners of the Earth, giving shelter and nourishment to all life.
In druid tradition, all trees had some wisdom, spirituality or magic associated with them, some with greater or lesser wisdom or magic, thus a tree hierarchy was established starting with the seven most sacred, or chieftain trees, Oak, Hazel, Apple, Yew, Ash, Holly, and Pine..."