Brighid's Ogham Grove

I am not a gifted artist and craftsperson, like Yuri Leitch, but I am a gardener, who loves trees and owns some land. So, I decided to plant a living Ogham Grove, with a French twist!

Basse-Normandie is famous for its apple and pear orchards, from which is made cider and perry and brandy. In the days before mechanisation, apples were crushed in circular granite troughs by a large granite wheel, pulled by horse-power. These days, “le Gadage”, as it is known in French, has been replaced by more convenient equipment, leaving the old stone presses to be used as garden ornaments. A French friend told me that there are very few gadages left intact because they are so big and heavy. Many have been broken up and used for building or drainage.

Luckily we inherited a complete apple press in the garden of our French home. It is a large granite circle and makes a perfect Ogham Year Wheel! So, my project has to been to marry the heritage of my birthplace (Ireland) with my adoptive home (Normandie). After all, both regions were part of the ancient Celtic world, with many cultural links.

The wheel is sited, appropriately, in our orchard. This meant that, when choosing the twenty trees of the Ogham grove, I had to take in to consideration the rest of the plantings in the orchard, so that the new trees would not over-shadow and / or over-crowd the existing fruit trees and berry bushes. Where possible, I have chosen dwarf varieties (such as Pinus mugo instead of Pinus sylvestris) or at least varieties that do not grow as tall as the native species. I was able to do this because I already have full-sized native examples growing in our woodlands. The only tree I have replaced altogether is Aspen (Populus tremula). There is a mature Aspen growing in another part of the garden and it has the annoying habit of sending up suckers everywhere! It is too invasive for the orchard. I have replaced it with Juniperus communis (Juniper), which is also used at the time between Samhain and Winter Solstice.

Almost all of the native trees in the Ogham Grove have medicinal properties (and I have written separate posts about their attributes). The problem with using hybrid varieties – dwarf, variegated, ornamental – is that the hybrids have lost those medicinal qualities of their wild parent. So, you get a nice looking plantation but you still have to go out and forage for the wild plants, to use as food and medicine.

In his book, THE OGHAM GROVE, Yuri Leitch, gives all the astronomical and astrological correspondences to each of the twenty trees of the Ogham Year Wheel, including star lore. Please see the bibliography at the end for the ISBN reference. I bought my copy through Amazon France.

Using Yuri’s template as my guide, this is how I planted my French Ogham Grove. I used a compass to mark the four directions of North, East, South and West. Then I sub-divided each of these four sections, so that each tree covers approximately 18 degrees of the 360 degree circle. It is not exact but as near as I could make it. Then I planted the following trees.

The first group of five trees covers the period from New Year to Spring Equinox.  Yuri refers to it as “The Growing Time”. 

The first tree of the grove is BIRCH, (Betula alba) known as the “Pioneer of the First Days of the Year”.  Irish name BEITHE (letter “B”), French name BOULEAU. Its position within the Wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 9 degrees to 27 degrees Capricorn. So Birch “rules” approximately from New Year’s Eve to 17^th January.  Synchronistically, Birch was also one of the first trees to colonise the post-glacial landscape after the Ice-Age.  Birch is linked to the planet Venus, the element of Water and is regarded as Female energy, which is probably why it is also called “Lady of the Woods”! I planted an ornamental weeping Birch (Betula pendula) because it does not grow quite as tall as native birch.

The second tree of the grove is ROWAN (Pyrus aucuparia), known as the First Herald of Imbolc.  Irish name LUIS (letter “L”), French name SORBIER DES OISEAUX.  Its position within the wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 27 degrees Capricorn to 15 degrees Aquarius, which is the precise moment of Imbolc, the main festival of Brighid.  So Rowan “rules” approximately from 18^th January to 5^th February.  Rowan is governed by the Moon and the element of Water, being regarded as Female energy, another of its names being “Lady of the Mountains” .

The third tree of the Grove is ALDER (Alnus glutinosa), known as the Second Herald of Imbolc.  Irish name FEARN (letter “F”), French name AULNE.  Its position within the Wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 15 degrees Aquarius to 3 degrees Pisces. Alder “rules” approximately from 6^th February to 23^rd February.
Alder is the only wood that is naturally waterproof!  It loves damp, waterlogged conditions and is untroubled by the watery ebb and flow of emotions.  Despite being ruled by the planet Venus, Alder is regarded as male, a tree of strength and stability, like the Tarot Emperor.  It has two elemental influences, of Fire and Water.  I chose Alnus cordata (Italian Alder), which does not grow as tall as native alder.

The fourth tree of the Grove is WILLOW (Salix species), known as Warden of the Early Spring.  Irish name SAILLE (letter “S”), French name SAULE.  Its position within the Wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 3 degrees Pisces to 21 degree Pisces, the Mutable Water sign.  Willow “rules” approximately from 24^th February to 12^th March.
Willow (aka Sally) is ruled by the Moon and the element of Water and is regarded as Female.  Yuri writes: “Willow is said to be the tree most sacred to poets.  Governed completely by Jupiter (Zeus to the Greeks) the Willow was known in Greek as HELICE and gave its name to Helicon, the abode of the Nine Muses, the daughters of Zeus and goddesses of sacred springs, music, poetry and inspiration.”  On a more practical level, Willow is one of the best tree species for making woven baskets, due to its flexibility.  I chose Osier Willow as the smallest and most colourful variety for my Grove.

The fifth tree of the Grove is ASH (Fraxinus excelsior), known as Guardian of the East and Dawn and SPRING EQUINOX.  Irish name NION (letter “N”), French name FRêNE.  Its position within the Wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 21 degrees Pisces, through Spring Equinox, to 9 degrees Aries. Ash “rules” approximately from 13^th March to 30^th March. 
Ash is governed by the Sun and, like Alder, has the two elemental influences of Water and Fire.  It is one of the few trees whose firewood can be burnt without seasoning.  It coppices well and regrows quickly.  On a mystical level, Yuri writes: “As the tree of the Spring Equinox, Ash is the Axis Mundi (World Tree), holding the middle ground between the solstices – the mid-point between realms – the still moment of NOW, within which all outcomes are possible.  The sacred tree of Uisneach, which stood in the centre of Ireland, was an Ash Tree.”

The second group of five trees is known as “The Blossoming Time”.

The sixth tree of the Grove is HAWTHORN (Crataegus monogyna), known as Pioneer of the Blossoming Days.  Irish name UATH (letter “H”), French name AUBéPINE.  Its position within the Wheel corresponds to the Sun travelling from 9 degrees to 27 degrees Aries. Hawthorn “rules” approximately from 31^st March to 17^th April. 
Hawthorn (aka Thorn or White-Thorn) is governed by Mars and the element of Fire, although there is some debate about its gender.  As a member of the Rose family, it is sacred to the Rose Queen, the goddess of Nature, over whom the Oak King of Summer and the Holly King of Winter do battle to win her hand. However, in Welsh tradition, Hawthorn was Ysbadadden, the thorny king of the giants, who challenged any suitor for his daughter’s hand.  Either way, Hawthorn is associated with the Heart. 

The seventh Tree of the Grove is OAK (Quercus robur), known as First Herald of Beltaine.  Irish name DUIR (letter “D”), French name CHêNE.  Its position within the Wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 27 degrees Aries to 15 degrees Taurus, which is the precise moment of Beltaine.  Oak “rules” approximately from 18^th April to 4^th May. 
Oak is archetypal Male energy, King of the Woods, Summer King, ruled by King of the gods, Jupiter / Zeus.  Element of Fire at the height of Summer Solstice. 

The eighth tree of the Grove is HOLLY (Ilex aquifolium), known as the Second Herald of Beltaine.  Irish TINNE (letter “T”), French HOUX.  Its position within the Wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 15 degrees Taurus – the precise moment of Beltaine – to 3 degrees Gemini. Holly “rules” approximately from 5^th May to 23^rd May. 
Also known as The Green Man / Lord of the Woods, Holly is the consort of the Faerie Queen and together they govern the Other-World.  Holly means “Holy” and is the sacred tree of the immortal (evergreen) Holly King, who confronts the mortal Oak King at Beltaine each year, as his rival to marry the Rose Queen.  The Oak King, being deciduous, is destined to “die” in the autumn but Holly lives on through the winter, whose main festival is Yule.  According to Dr Bach of Bach Flower Remedies, prickly Holly protects us from everything that is not Universal Love.

The ninth tree of the Grove is HAZEL (Corylus Avellana), known as Warden of the Early Summer.  Irish name COLL ( letter “C”), French name NOISETIER / COUDRIER.  Its position within the Wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 3 degrees Gemini to 21 degrees Gemini, the Mutable Air sign governed by Mercury.  Hazel “rules” approximately from 24^th May to 11^th June. 
Notice how Hazel is completely “Gemini”, which fits in perfectly with the folk lore around this tree!  Planetary ruler is Mercury, element of Air, gender male (like Mercury himself).  Yuri writes: “Hazel, (the Warden of Summer) – just like Willow (the Warden of Spring) – is connected with sacred water and the number nine. Hazel is the ninth tree of the Ogham Grove.  Connla’s Well, in Ireland, was overhung by the Nine Hazels of Poetic Art.  These trees dropped nuts into the water, which were then eaten by Fintan, the Salmon of Wisdom.”  [As with Cerridwen’s brew, whoever ate the Salmon of Wisdom, gained that wisdom.]  “The rod of Hermes [the Greek name for Mercury] was made of Hazel and Hazel rods are used for dowsing.  Hazel nuts were the staple food in ancient days, when grain had run out.”  Because the Hazel Tree provides food in the form of nuts, it is also associated with the harvest festival of Herfest at Autumn Equinox.

The tenth tree of the Grove is APPLE (Malus sylvestris = wild crab apple / Pyrus malus = cultivated varieties), known as Guardian of the South and Daylight and Summer Solstice.  Irish name QUERT (letter “Q”), French POMMIER.  Its position within the Wheel corresponds with the Sun travelling from 21 degrees Gemini – through Summer Solstice – to 9 degrees Cancer.  Apple “rules” approximately from 12^th June to 29^th June. 
Apple is governed by the planet Venus and the element of Water and is considered Female.  Like Hawthorn, Apple is a member of the Rose family.  Yuri writes: “when cut in half, the fruits reveal the five-pointed star of the Rose Queen, Lady Venus.  Emain Abhlach, the Gaelic paradise, was known for its plentiful apple trees – a tradition shared with the Arthurian Avalon, the pagan Summer Lands, and with the classical Garden of the Hesperides.  Summer Solstice is that Golden Realm.”  Because there are plenty of other apple trees in the orchard, I chose an ornamental variety, Malus coccinella courtaru, which has dark leaves and pretty pink flowers.

The third group of five trees is known as the FRUITFUL DAYS, which covers the time from Summer Solstice until Autumn Equinox. So, it is not surprising that the first tree in this quintet is the Grape Vine!   

The eleventh tree of the Grove is GRAPE VINE (Vitis vinifera), known as Pioneer of the Fruitful Days.  Irish name MUIN (“M”), French name VIGNE à RAISIN.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 9 degrees Cancer to 27 degrees Cancer.  Vine “rules” approximately from 30^th June to 16^th July.
The grape vine is not indigenous to Britain and Ireland but there was a thriving wine trade between them and mainland Europe.  Some modern traditions have substituted Bramble, which is native to Britain and Ireland, as the eleventh “tree” but it is the Grape Vine that is mentioned in the Ogham manuscript.  There is a wealth of folk lore around the grape vine, including the ancient festival of the Bacchanalia, dedicated to the Wine God Bacchus (Roman name) / Dionysus (Greek name). Vine is ruled by the Sun and the element of Fire and is regarded as Male, like its patron Bacchus / Dionysus.  Because of the grape harvest, Vine is also associated with the festivals of Lughnasadh and Herfest.  As Vine is a climbing plant, it was traditionally grown beside an Elm Tree as a prop, and it was said that the Elm and Vine were “mated”!  In biblical times, the prop was Fig Tree, rather than Elm. 

The twelfth tree of the Grove is IVY (Hedera helix), known as the First Herald of Lughnasadh.  Irish name GORT (“G”), French name LIERRE.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 27 degrees Cancer to 15 degrees Leo which is the precise moment of Lughnasadh.  Ivy “rules” approximately from 17^th July to 4^th August.
Ivy is governed by the planet Saturn and the element of Water and is regarded as female.  It is an evergreen climbing plant and, like the other evergreens, is considered immortal, a plant of the Spirit World.  Holly and Ivy are linked in many traditional songs and both are associated with the Roman festival of Saturnalia at Winter Solstice. Yuri writes: “ Ivy is the only tree in the Year Wheel to be governed by both the Sun [Leo] and the Moon [Cancer], representing the heavenly dance of divine union and the Alchemical Marriage.” Ivy binds agreements of all kinds, both romantic and business. I chose a variegated-leaf variety and planted it so that it can climb onto the grinding stone of the Gadage.

The thirteenth tree of the Grove is BROOM (Cytisus scoparius), known as Second Herald of Lughnasadh.  Irish name NGETAL (letter “NG”), French name GêNET.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 15 degrees Leo to 3 degrees Virgo. Broom “rules” approximately from 5^th August to 23^rd August. 
[IMPORTANT NOTE: Only the Broom native to north-west Europe (Cytisus scoparius), which flowers in the late spring, has medicinal qualities.  The more ornamental Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum), which flowers much later in the summer, is poisonous.]
Broom is the Tree of the Summer Bride, having bright sunny-yellow flowers that smell honey-sweet. According to Welsh lore, Blodeuwedd was created from the flowers of Oak, Broom and Meadowsweet.  In the tradition of the Triple Goddess, Broom corresponds to the beautiful young maiden, with Blackthorn as protective “Mother” and Elder as wise “Crone”. 

The fourteenth tree of the Grove is BLACKTHORN / SLOE (Prunus spinosa), known as Warden of the Early Autumn.  Irish name STRAIF (letter “ST / Z”), French name EPINE NOIR.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 3 degrees Virgo to 21 degrees Virgo.  Blackthorn “rules” approximately from 24^th August to 11^th September. 
Blackthorn is governed by Saturn and the element of Earth and is regarded as female.  Indeed, Blackthorn belongs to the Great Queen of the Zodiac, Virgo, who is the Grain Goddess of the ancient world.  At Spring Equinox, Blackthorn is the first tree to produce blossom and is known as Mother of the Woods.  Then, when the Sun is in Blackthorn, its sloes are ripe and ready for picking.    Sloe Wine is used at the festivals of Samhain and Winter Solstice.  Traditionally, the tough wood of Blackthorn is used for walking-sticks (known in Ireland as Sillelaghs), which can be used for self-defence!

The fifteenth tree of the Grove is ELDER (Sambucus nigra), known as Guardian of the West and Dusk and Autumn Equinox.  Irish name RUIS (letter “R”), French name SUREAU.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 21 degrees Virgo – through Autumn Equinox – to 9 degrees Libra. Elder “rules” approximately from 12^th September to 29^th September.
Elder is governed by the planet Venus and the element of Air and is the Wise Old Crone aspect of the Mother Goddess.  Yuri writes; “Elder represents the wisdom of the tribal elders; the knowledge of how to make do and mend and how to survive the cold winter months.  The knowledge of how to cope with life itself. […]  Wise old Elder has the knowledge of the previous generations and it is forbidden to cut her or use her as firewood.” Elder closes the Fruitful Days group.

The fourth group of five trees is known as the SEEDING DAYS. They also contain the five vowel sounds of the Ogham and are known as the Chieftain Trees.  Interestingly, most of them are plants of the Wild Heath, the place where the tribal hunt takes place during autumn and winter.     

The sixteenth tree of the Grove is PINE (Pinus sylvestris, aka Scot’s Pine), known as Pioneer Tree of the Seeding Days (and another pioneering tree after the Ice Age melt).  Irish name AILM (letter “A”), French name PIN.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 9 degrees Libra to 27 degrees Libra.  Pine “rules” from approximately 30^th September to 17^th October. 
Pine is governed by the planet Mars and the dual elements of Earth and Air and is considered to be male.  It is the first of the “Chieftain” trees, providing the first vowel sound of the Ogham alphabet.  Despite its position in the Ogham Wheel, Pine is more associated with Spring Equinox and the easterly direction.  This is what Yuri Leitch says in his book, “The Ogham Year Wheel” (page 29): “Pine is the tallest of trees and, as an evergreen, it is an immortal spirit tree; reaching up, up, to the highest heights – the heavens themselves, as if communicating with the stars, Caer Sidi.  As the first of the vowels, it is the first cry of exclamation, AH!; the first sound of a new born baby; Fionn and Taliesin’s ‘eureka’ moments after their first taste of wisdom and all-knowing.  Pine is the last sanctuary of the native Red Squirrel.”  As there are already plenty of giant coniferous trees in our woodland, I planted the dwarf variety, Pinus mugo, in the Grove.

The seventeenth tree of the Grove is GORSE (Ulex eurpaeus), known as the First Herald of Samhain.  Irish name ONN (letter “O”), French name AJONCS.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 27 degrees Libra to 15 degrees Scorpio, which is the precise moment of Samhain.  Gorse “rules” from approximately 18^th October to 4^th November. 
Prickly Gorse is governed by the element of Fire and is considered to be male, although it classifies as a “Goddess Plant” – or rather a plant favoured by the Goddess – because it provides shelter and protection for hares and other creatures of the Wild Heath.  While technically not an evergreen, it can flower at any time of the year, with flowers just as golden as Broom, a great source of nectar for bees.  Yuri comments that, because Gorse is covered in prickly spikes, it is most appropriate for the festival of Samhain, when the Sun is in sting-tailed Scorpio!  In farming practice, hill-side Gorse used to be burnt at mid-summer but now it is burnt in the autumn, to provide new shoots in the spring for lambs and sheep.  Gorse is the second “Chieftain Tree” (aka one of the “Cauldron” of five trees”), providing the vowel sound “OH!”

The eighteenth tree of the Grove is HEATHER (Calluna vulgaris / Ling), known as the Second Herald of Samhain.  Irish name UR (letter “U”), French name BRUYERE.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 15 degrees Scorpio to 3 degrees Sagittarius. Heather “rules” from approximately 5^th November to 23^rd November. 
Heather is an evergreen shrub, rather than a tree, growing wild on wind-swept heathlands and hillsides.  As evergreen, it is symbolic of immortality and is a spirit plant of the Other-World.  It is ruled by the planet Venus and the element of Water and is considered to be female, representing the “home comforts” of the Goddess because it can be used to fill mattresses, its roots can be used as fuel and its flowers make Heather Ale.  An old belief is that burning back heather on the hillside makes it rain!  As the third Chieftain Tree / “Sweet Cauldron of Five Trees”, Heather provides the vowel sound “U”. I decided to plant a Tree Heather (Erica arborea) in this position and have the low-growing Callunas in the outer rim of the Wheel.

The nineteenth tree of the Grove is ASPEN (Populus tremula), known as Warden of the Early Winter.  Irish name EADHADH (letter “E”), French name PEUPLIER TREMBLE.  It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 3 degrees Sagittarius to 21 degrees Sagittarius. Aspen “rules” from approximately 24^th November to 11^th December. 
Aspen is governed by the Sun and the element of Fire and is considered to be male.  A member of the Poplar family, this is the one whose leaves “tremble” in the slightest breeze, hence the old expression, “to shake like an aspen leaf”!  It is a tree associated with the fear of death and fear in general.  In Ireland, a long rod of Aspen, known as a “FE”, was used for measuring out dead bodies and grave holes.  Elsewhere, Aspen is the Herald of Winter at the festival of Samhain (death of the old year) but is also present at the REBIRTH of the Sun at Yule.  As Yuri says in his book on page 32: “Aspen twigs have a five-pointed star running all the way through the centre of them; making them, like the Rowan, a goddess-blessed tree of protection, hope and prayers.”  The vowel sound for Aspen is “E”. 
Aspen is the tree that I decided to omit from my French Ogham Grove because it is too invasive. In its place, I have planted JUNIPER (Juniperus communis), an evergreen with similar properties to Aspen and which is used at the festivals of Samhain and Yule.

The twentieth and final tree of the Grove is YEW (Taxus baccata), known as the Guardian of the North and Night and Winter Solstice.  Irish name IDHO (letter “I”), French name IF (pronounced “EEF”). It corresponds to the Sun travelling from 21 degrees Sagittarius – through Winter Solstice – to 9 degrees Capricorn. Yew “rules” from approximately 12^th December to 30^th December.
The evergreen Yew has always been regarded as the Tree of Death and Immortality and was planted in ancient graveyards.  Ruled by the planet Saturn and the element of Water, Yew is regarded as female energy, perhaps like the “Washer at the Ford”, a spirit who washes your earthly clothes in the river because you do not need them anymore.  However, there are two sides to this image.  New beginnings cannot happen until the old cycle has finished.  Yew sees the completion of the Year Wheel.  “Yew brings the magic of Winter solstice; the shortest day, followed by the cold stillness of three days standstill and then the rebirth of the Sun – one can look forward to the days growing longer again and the beginnings of a brand new year.”  [Quote from Yuri Leitch’s book “The Ogham Year Wheel”, page 33.]  Perhaps it is appropriate that the vowel sound of Yew is “I”, as in “I am!”

[Image ID: coloured poster about Tree Lore. It lists eighteen “trees”, describing their Shamanic attributes and the ancient gods and goddesses associated with them. Some are the same as the Ogham Grove trees but several (such as beech, mistletoe and rose) are different.]

So now you have met the 20 Sacred Trees of the Ogham Grove. However, as Yuri points out, there were three other trees sacred to the Druids, which were not included in the original list of twenty. They are Beech, Mistletoe and Wild Rose. Perhaps the Druids felt that they were just too sacred to be “written down”!  We shall never know but it is possible for us to include them, when working with Plant Energy.

Author: Veronica Smith 19th April 2024

REFERENCES:

The Ogham Year Wheel by Yuri Leitch;
first edition published in 2015, second edition published in 2017;
printed in Poland by Amazon Fulfillment
ISBN 9781519229434

Herb Craft, a guide to the Shamanic and Ritual use of Herbs by Susan Lavender and Anna Franklin;
printed by Capall Bann Publishing UK in 1996;
ISBN 1 898307 57 9

Culpeper’s Complete Herbal by Nicholas Culpeper, first published in 1653;
this modern edition was printed in 1985 by Omega Books Ltd UK;
ISBN 1 85007 026 1