The Irish Druids believed the Sacred Tree had the power to reveal messages from the gods.
The ancient Celts believed all living things were spiritual, mystical beings, not just inanimate objects to be exploited. They believed trees in particular were a source of great wisdom with the power to bridge the gap between the upper and lower worlds and bring blessings from the gods.
The Celts were the dominant ethnic and cultural group of Northern Europe for ages. In those days, thick forests dominated the land. With trees as far as the eye could see in Celtic lands, it is no wonder that they were such sacred symbols in all Celtic tribes.
Trees provide sustenance for people and animals. They are a source of healing medicinal extracts. Their wood provides materials to build shelter as well as fires for preparing nourishing meals, warming the body on a frigid night, or engaging in spiritual rituals.
The wood of many trees was also considered magical. The Celtic Ogham (pronounced OH-um) alphabet is a system of divination which some say was created by the Celtic Druids.
In the Ogham alphabet, each of the letters represented a sacred tree or plant. The Oak was the most sacred tree of all to the Celts. They believed the Oak tree symbolized the "axis mundi", which means the center of the universe. They believed the Oak was a passageway into the Otherworld.
Messengers of the Gods
There are numerous stories in Irish folklore involving mystical trees. Some say that if you fall asleep under certain trees, you will awaken to find yourself in the midst of fairies in the Otherworld. The idea that trees were messengers to the gods still holds out in Irish superstitions as well. As you drive through the Irish countryside, you can still see trees decorated with ribbons and "prayers" to the gods asking for health, wealth, and love.
According to Mara Freeman, author of Kindling the Celtic Spirit...
When a tribe cleared the land for a settlement in Ireland, they always left a great tree in the middle, known as the crann bethadh (krawn ba-huh), or Tree of Life, as the spiritual focus and source of well-being. They held assemblies and inaugurated their chieftains beneath it so that they could absorb power from above and below. One of the greatest triumphs over its enemies was to cut down their sacred tree, their foundation of strength and support.
The Irish people believed that the Celtic tree of life was rooted in Uisneach, the center of the Land. They believed the sacred tree of life sheltered all Life on Earth. According to folklore, the Celtic tree of life grew 26 miles high, provided nourishment to all the four corners of the Earth, and that it's branches reached up into the heavens and touched every single star.
When people in ancient Celtic Ireland were building their stone circles, they would use the sacred tree as an axis to align the sun in the sky with their monuments. The point where the sun was aligned with the circle became the central source of spiritual connection between the Earth and the Heavens.
Trees also represented Mother Earth's bounty and the eternal cycle of the seasons. The Celtic tree of life also is a symbol of the individual's quest for spiritual fulfillment. The ancient Celts believed that at the center of each of us is a golden child, where we are worth more than gold. They knew that in order to find our "inner" golden child, we must first recognize our connection to the Earth to the four corners-North, South, East, and West.
