The Ivy Tree Cycle | August 8 - September 4
- treewhisperoracle
- 5 days ago
- 10 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Wanderer, Weaver, Guide & Spirit Keeper of Ivy
Tree Cycle: Gort Ivy
Vine Tree Cycle Dates: August 8 - September 4
Key Words For Ivy: Spiral-Dance, Listen, Spiritual Path, Whole-Body, Richness, Slow & Steady, Balance, Joy, Unwind, Entwined, Doorways, Labyrinth, Protection, Camouflage, Erase.
Lunation: 11th
Souls Evolution Stage: Ritual
The Council of Trees - Hidden Tree Cycles: Willow & Ash
The Council of Trees - Hidden Tree Cycles Date: February 8 -- March 4
Key Words of The Council of Trees:
Willow - Receptive, Feminine, Depth, Awareness, Grounded, Wisdom, Dreams, Values, Spiral, Elders, Well, Nurture, Acceptance.
Ash - Dream-Weaving, Manifestation, Potential, Inspiration, Life, Wisdom, Wonderment, Timing, Origin, Messages, Journey.
Spiritual Weather: Self-Judgement, Separation, Low-Energy, Entanglements.
Celebration: Moving through the edge of seasonal transformation through Harvest.
Reflected Celebration: Moving through the edge of seasonal transformation through Growth.
Animal Guide: Badger
Wanderer of Ivy
week 1
East-Air-Spring-Birth-Sunrise-Swords
Passage of the Unseen Dance
The Wanderer of the Ivy Tribe meet us as we step onto the path of the Ivy Tree Cycle and speaks to us of the deeply sacred nature of August. The Wanderer of Ivy makes a pilgrimage to a place where the spirits of nature are strong and offers that this journey we must too make. The slowing of the season is more deeply felt in August and we start to notice the edges of leaves starting to change colour. Late summer meets early autumn at the contact boundary. As we also meet nature, our environment and relations, before there is any conscious awareness of it, of experiencing the other as they experience us. And this is true contact. Contact, beyond the perception of it. Before awareness. The Wanderer of Ivy asks us to reflect this. This very mysterious moment of alive contact. And to remember to pause as we encounter our day and everything we are in contact with. This is the unseen dance of all alive beings. Where we merge and gestalt, where we affect and are affected by each other.
The Wanderer of Ivy's seat is in the East, the dwelling of the Spirits of Air and Birth. The Wanderer of Ivy exclaims 'ride with Wind Spirit and unmake things'. The Wanderer of Ivy is excited for this time of nature and wants us to also feel that joy. We may begin to feel a very subtle vibration of freshness within us to create a little change. Maybe within our hearth and homes, or in our work or projects or in our personal growth or spiritual paths. This is a delicate sensing into the contact we feel of the subtle changes in the season. The Wanderer of Ivy reminds us that this is a slow moving time of change
As Ivy Tree Wanderers, we are sensing into the richness of slow-moving-time. This is a deeply spiritual time and we may feel called to refresh our surroundings of home, work, relationship, or creativity. In the wider felt-sensingscape, we are held within the subtle rhythms of nature and on a deeper level, we are engaged in the unseen dance of contact. As Ivy Tree Wanderers we are encouraged to embrace this dance without practiced steps, to move and sway organically into these areas of our lives that we feel called to tend at this time. Change things up a little, refresh our senses and sink into the richness of our experiences.
Journal prompt or something to contemplate:
Where may there be pockets of stagnant energy? Corners of our home, dusty files on our computers, relationships without purpose. unfinished artwork, untended social @'s. Stagnant energy blocks the flow of fresh energy. Now is a good time to consider where we can freshen things up a bit, and to do things a little different than the usual. Doing so will align us with these delicate unseen forces in nature and support us in creating something that feels fresh and different.
Weaver of Ivy
week 2
South-Fire-Summer-Youth-Midday-Wands
Passage Through The Way Of Unknowing
The Weaver of the Ivy Tribe join us as we continue on our path and speaks to us of things unseen and things not known and assures us 'this is the whole point, it is best to unknow all probable things, to know but one possible thing'. The Weaver of the Ivy Tribe does not mince words and is well aware how backwards this sounds. But they want us to unwind our perceptions of what we think we know. 'think backwards instead'. They would like us to apply ourselves to this very catalytic time of nature through allowing our thinking and emotional constructs to be loosened and unwound. So that we may appreciate a different approach of relating to our life. Probability is something we can mistake for actuality, when in actuality, the possibility is probably what actually is. The Weaver of the Ivy Tribe offers us with a smile 'you may not know what you think you know and so you should just unknow it.'
The Weaver of Ivy's seats are in the South, the dwelling of the Spirits of Fire and Youth. The Weaver of Ivy asks us to embrace a youthful outlook during this time and to not be set in our ways. The Ivy season is quietly creative and sensuously joyful and for us can be a time of important unwinding of the tighter parts of our being. The Weaver of Ivy speaks to us of not burning the bonfire that can be seen from afar, but of tending the gentle flame of youth and wonder within us. To see our life through the eyes of our younger self and to know what they would make of us and of all this. Approaching our daily life in this way during this time will enable us to see the blessings in our life, to be present and enjoy alive moments as they happen.
As Ivy Weavers we are walking among the future hopes and dreams of our younger selves. We journeyed through the labyrinth of life, we grew older as we did so. As Ivy Weavers we are being asked to reflect on the labyrinth of our lives, the twists and turns, the signs and synchronicities, how it all unfolded. Did it always follow a particular path, did our path change by our choice or another's? Did we have control over the direction or were we carried in the flow of it? As Ivy Weavers we are on the edge of the season of transformation, with subtle magic energies at play and we are especially receptive to affecting change. For us, this is a really beautiful and awake time with softer magics at play. A time especially giving of doorways.
Journal prompt or something to contemplate:
Considering our lives as a labyrinth and all that we have experienced within it. Consider all of the pathways, the dreams we have fulfilled and the ones we passed by. Also consider the experiences that we keep coming round the corner to time and again. Wonder, for a moment of the dreams and life fulfilling experiences, unknown to us, that may still be hidden in the labyrinth. Bringing our awareness to the felt-sense of these secretive wonders of our path. The unknowingness of these possibilities is all that matters. That we know we still hold them is all we need at this time. Simply allow our wonder, love and openness to flow into our living labyrinth. This place still has so much to offer us, so much, still to come.
Guide of Ivy
week 3
West-Water-Autumn-Maturity-Sunset-Cups
Passage Through Hallways & Doorways
As we continue through the Ivy Tree Cycle we encounter the Guide of the Ivy Tribe and they draw our attention to the closing and opening of doors and remark that if we are not opening or closing a door then we are choosing to spend to much time in the hallway. This is a time of doorways opening and closing. Open doors lead to new and exciting opportunities and experiences and move us forward in life, and doors closing behind us signify the end of an experience or phase of our life, and something that we can now let go of and release ourselves energetically from. The Guide of Ivy Tribe knows that for some of us a particular door has opened more than once, and for reasons we have avoided walking through it. The Guide of the Ivy Tribe gently encourages us to face our fears and to step out a little from our comfort zone.
The Guide of Ivy's seat is in the West, the dwelling of the Spirits of Maturity and Cups and speaks to us of emotional intelligence, strength and resilience. We grow every day, and each day is an opportunity for us to choose our growth. We can choose in the ways we need to grow or change, we can influence our change and cultivate the qualities we want to embody. The Guide of the Ivy Tribe sees our potential and our dedication to our personal growth and spiritual journey and wants to support us to achieve our goals. They speak to those of us who have stopped exploring ourselves as evolving experiencing beings 'keep pouring into the cup, it can always be emptied, but never stop pouring'. They ask us to consider in what ways are we still filling our cup. Do we still partake in our hobbies or meaningful pursuits? Do we still make intentional time for ourselves? Do we still have goals or dreams? Do we enjoy our position in life, in our community, in work?
As Ivy Guides we have reached a level of maturity and we have gained aged wisdom. We are exploring the possibilities of what may still be for us and yet we are also the guide for those younger or less experienced that ourselves. When we keep our own path alive, we create an aura of receptivity and trustworthiness. People are drawn to us, because we have open and exploring hearts. Yet sometimes we guide others with words of wisdom and advise that we would do good to head ourselves.
Journal prompt or something to contemplate:
Think of the ways that we support and encourage others to be bold and courageous. Do we watch from the hallways while other step through the doors that we too wish we were bold enough to step through? We can be our own guide. Now is the time to revisit that old dream or goal that seems to circle back round to us in the hallway time and again, and consider whether there are steps we can take to bring ourselves closer to it. The whole thing might be scary, but each little step closer to that door acclimatises us, attunes us, and probably by the time we get to the threshold, its not all that scary and we stride through.
Spirit Keeper of Ivy
week 4
North-Earth-Winter-Death-Night-Pentacles
Passage - Keeper of Auld Ben Thicket
At the end of the path we find The Spirit Keeper of the Ivy Tribe and they want to share with us the story of 'Auld Ben Thicket'.
Auld Ben Thicket was a jolly hill, home to lovely grasses and heathers and many trees including ash and oak and rowan. There were many animals there too, the deer and the hare, and the badger. Auld Ben Thicket was a happy hill and welcomed all who came. One day a bird came and dropped a seed. The seed grew and the plant got bigger. The plant spread and swallowed the grasses and spread again and swallowed the heather. The deer left first and then the hare. Ben Thicket could do nothing but watch. Soon the plant grew into the hill and chased out the badger. The plant continued to grow until it came upon the ash, oak and rowan and it swallowed them too. The plant reached the top of the hill and exclaimed 'I seen your beautiful nature from afar and journeyed all this way overcoming many obstacles to meet you, now that I am here, your not what I thought you to be.'
The Spirit Keeper of Ivy asks us what we think this story is about?
The Spirit Keeper of Ivy's seat is in the North, the dwelling of the Spirits of Death and Night and speaks to us of things that are invasive and intrusive, especially to those of us who are welcoming, sensitive and gather beauty around us. The Spirit Keeper of Ivy reminds us that not all who comes our way is healthy for us and that some will devour and erase all that lies before them. The Spirit Keeper of Ivy does not mean to cause alarm, but wants us to be aware and take measures to guard and protect that which we are home to, especially are own very own home spaces and our qualities.
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As Ivy Spirit Keepers we are moving through a time of great rooted strength, Ivy Spirit Keepers are elders and embody aged wisdom and they align and stand with us during these experiences that make us feel like we have been invaded or taken over. We are reminded that other people can do this with their words and attitudes or in how they try to relate to us. And sometimes all it takes is for a tiny seed to be dropped and it will unfold into mass devastation. As Ivy Keepers we have the strength of the powerful Ivy plants at their peak of strength. And we can stand our ground and say 'stop' and set the story straight.
Journal Prompts or things to contemplate:
The story is something of a fable. We can work with the story as a metaphor for our life experiences or a particular situation. Take some time to consider how Auld Ben Thicket might have prevented the loss of parts of himself? In doing so we may open ourselves up to thinking creatively of ways for support or solutions for our own personal experiences.
Please Read
Wanderer, Weaver Guide and Spirit Keeper are storytellers and are laid out into four weeks of guidance through each tree cycle. These four sections while acting as weekly guidance, can also be experienced in any order. These weeks 1-4 are meant as a guideline only. We must trust in how the energies of the trees manifest for each of us individually along the path of the current tree cycle.
Disclaimer
In my writing I explore concepts of a spiritual nature relating to spiritual journeys and spiritual and personal growth and practices. My ideas are not intended as direct guidance or advice. They are intended to relay a story and to prompt personal creative thought processes for people who are mentally well and self aware and who are already on a self awareness, personal growth or spiritual journey or involved in said practices. My writing is intended for adults who are autonomous and congruent with a strong locus of evaluation.
For further reading on the Ivy tree cycle, please see blog post The Wild Wisdom of Ivy which focuses on Ivy and the Council of Trees.
For Further reading on The Council of Trees in general follow the link to my website.
For all links to all The Wild Wisdom of Celtic Trees please see this blog post.
For Tarot of the Tree Whisperer please follow the link to my website.
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