Previous tree cycle: Ash
Tree Cycle: Hawthorn
Hawthorn Tree Cycle Dates: March 21 - April 17
Key Words For Hawthorn: Scared Union, Conception, Waiting, Early Stages, Growth, Undisclosed Secret, Wonder, Masculine & Feminine Energy, Protection, Nurture, Be Beside Self, Bodily Sensing, Sacred.
Lunation: 6th
Souls Evolution Stage: Embryo
The Council of Trees - Hidden Tree Cycles: Reed/Blackthorn & Elder
The Council of Trees - Hidden Tree Cycle Dates: Sep 21 - Oct 17
Key Words of The Council of Trees: Reed - Action, Direct, Plough Ahead, Determination, Skill, Final Push, Obstacles, Surrender, Hollow, Conduit, Alchemy. Blackthorn - Obstacles, Solutions, Defence, Inner Compass, The Journey, Dark Forest, Preparation, Magic, Sacred Practice of Waiting.
Elder - Death, Rebirth, Souls Journey, Past Life Resurgence, Ancestors, Together, Return, Relationship, Felt Sense, Tentative, Veil.
Spiritual Weather: Something Broken, Missing Link, Interruption, Burden, Weakness, Dis-Ease,
Tree Cycle Hawthorn
Hawthorn season can be a particularly powerful journey for us to make. Because the tree cycles representing pregnancy and birth are in alignment with our own experience of being unborn and born. Therefore Hawthorn season may be reminiscent for the soul of impactful early experiences of being in the womb from the third trimester. Depending on the health and environment of the mother, those birth within the At this point we may experience memory resurgences of being in the womb.
Hawthorn as our souls evolution, is the stage of embryo (which includes conception to full term realisation before 'birth' in Oak). We all journey through the Hawthorn cycle as we would through a pregnancy. A pregnancy that we ourselves conceive and carry such as an ambition, a project and idea. Hawthorn is the cycle of awareness, clarity and formation. For finding out the tree cycle that influences your mothers pregnancy with you, please click here and scroll down the page to find the Celtic Tree Calendar, locate your your birth tree, then see what tree comes before it. This is your pregnancy tree. Hawthorn can offer us all the experience of pregnancy regardless of our own particular pregnancy tree. However people born under the Oak tree may find hawthorn season particularly sensitive as there is a greater amplification over their mothers pregnancy time.
Hawthorn is the tree of waiting. Things are out of our hands at this point. We can't go back and we can not rush forward. Everything in it's own time. We take our dream so far then there comes a point of commitment to the dream. Committing to the dream may require an element of trust. Trust that whatever it is that we are trying to manifest will pick up its own momentum and within the divine design, find it's way into becoming. Alchemy. All life knows what it needs and needs to do. All life is programmed to reach its form, the acorn holds within itself the code for becoming a mighty oak, all it needs is earth, water air and light. The same is true of all energy. In all forms. A thought, will know what it needs to 'become', the thought will also know its life cycle and potential (we may not be aware of the success of our endeavours but somewhere within us is the whole experience). Hawthorn is a time of sensing inwards. Of contemplating what is to come. Hawthorn supports us in holding space. Using this time journeying through Hawthorn can be well spent in meditation, or in simply being. In eating well, thinking well, interacting with others well and living as mindfully present as we can. Especially if there are any 'pregnancy' traumas from any unfulfilled experience living within us still.
Spiritual Weather & The Council of Trees
Well if things weren't hard enough at this point. The last leg of the journey is always the hardest to endure. We are exhausted. Even though the journey may not be complete, we are about to begin a new phase of it which will require a different set of skills. This is how we measure growth and success. By acknowledging for ourselves 'good job done, now for the next bit'. We relay solely on what drives us to get us through. Whether this is our own good health, an inspired mind, a close partner who encourages our dream to come true, a peaceful stress free life or simply having enough time to work on what needs to be worked on and completed. If there is an interruption, a break in the flow, a missing link. This can throw us of course. We may not realise how far off course we may drift. Be prepared for the journey to take a detour at this point. 'We grow by delays'. And any delay may at fist be frustrating or upsetting. Trust in that perfect design, and trust that this design knows the path it needs to take.
Influence: Reed/Blackthorn
Reed and Blackthorn engage us in the fist two weeks of hawthorn season. They offer their wisdom in the form of inspiration. They know hard work and understand that Hawthorn can feel like an age, the waiting, the wondering. Final complications that may crop up. Pursuing other avenues in order to find the best way forward and that the best way forward may be to go around and not through. They understand that patience is wearing thin and the last nerve is being tested. They also understand the blood, sweat and tears invested in this endeavour.
The love, joy, fear. Reed and Blackthorn influence the musical attunement of the creation process by offering conduction of power. Will, desire, determination. These trees together offer wisdoms that are the tool kit and will inspire us to problem solve and mend what needs fixed. They will also offer suggestions 'maybe it is time to wait a while', 'maybe it is time to get your arse moving and get back to it' or 'maybe this is done, accept this is as far as you can go right now'. Think on these a while, does one of these paths feel resonant, or are you feeling another inner truth that requires your attention.
Inspiration: Elder
Elder engages us in the final two weeks of Hawthorn (and will accompany us into Oak season thereafter). Elder offers us inspiration just when we need it the most. Hawthorn can allow for over thinking. So many ideas, so many paths. Which one is the right one. We may be overwhelmed by the 'what if's', by fear or panic. We are already living in the worst case scenario in our minds. Elder offers us inspiration through the wisdom of the body through the 'felt sense'. Elder reminds us that we are living beings and that within us is the complete experience of our life, our own perfect design, just as the acorn holds the magic for the oak tree so do we hold the magic for our fullest and most perfect creation. Trust. Elder knows that there are cycles of birth, live, death and rebirth and reminds us of this cosmic law. What will be will be. Stop worrying. Lean into living. Breathe. And trust that what you believe to be worthwhile, worthy of your time and investment, is exactly that, what you need to do. Elder also asks us to be aware of our influences right now. The souls journey and past/early life experiences are amplified right now. Determining what is your baggage from this life and what may be echoing from another is important. Elder offers you to turn your awareness inwards to your body and seek the felt sense of it all. Find out the truth that your own body wants to share with you. This is more than gut instinct. This is all of your experience from that very second of conception, remembered within your body.
A Blessing For Hawthorn
Bright Hawthorn share your promise of tomorrow.
The moon shines upon you.
Bright Hawthorn share your delicate trust in life.
The sun awaits your every whisper.
So long, you hold your precious gift.
So long I await your sweet music.
Daring to wonder of what may become.
Bright Hawthorn, keep safe all that you hold.
Bright Hawthorn, protector of dreams yet to unfold.
An Offering to the Council
Reed/Blackthorn and Elder work hard to support us during Hawthorn season. We are at a crucial stage in our endeavours. A point that other than Samhain and real time Elder season has the power to strip us of our dreams. The next 4 weeks are delicate. We are working towards birth during the oak cycle. We can make an offering to the Council to show our appreciation of their wisdom in aiding our journey. An offering can take may shapes and forms. A simple thought, a feeling. Or an action. I encourage you to use your intuition to think of what feels appropriate for you. You may have thought of the perfect offering and I encourage you to do this. Or you may like to try this suggestion.
(In this article I share a personal sacred practice in honour of the wisdom of the trees).
Earth Diving Ritual
1. Finding a comfortable place to sit or lay down, begin by taking some relaxing breaths. Invoke a sense of grounded and aware presence within your body and surroundings. Noticing how you body feels with gentle curiosity and in awareness of any other sounds or sensations you are experiencing from the contact of your surroundings. How do your clothes feel against your skin. Is the air cool or warm and so on.
2. While soaking in this awareness of your own living experience in this moment. Turn you attention to you toes. Imagine them finding the earth beneath the floor you are resting above. Sensing your roots extending from your toes and reaching into this earth. They dive into the earth and you begin to feel a sense of belonging, of home. How does the earth feel. Foster a sense of comfort in this connection with the earth. Notice your roots become enlivened. Encourage them to go deeper.
3. Your roots begin to 'take root' and reach deeper into mother earth. You feel the earth, cool and inviting welcoming you home and you begin to make your earth dive. Sense the earth, rich in nutrients and minerals rising up your feet and enveloping your ankles, shins and calves. You may wish to invoke a sense of mosses around your skin, cosy, soft and soothing as you sink deeper the mosses expand encouraging your decent. You feel your knees pass through the cool green moist mosses as your legs sink deeper. Notice how your legs respond. Notice your breathing and remain fully present and grounded. You feel calm and safe.
4. You notice the earth around your thighs and buttock, you feel the coolness of earth around your groin and moving up and over your pelvic and hips. The mosses smooth over your waist. Remaining calm, knowing that this experience is for you, an earth bath. You welcome the healing magic of the earth and feel a deep sense of gratitude for this experience. Notice any physical feelings in your body, turn your attention to them, welcome them (but do not try to change them) Just noticing. Check in with your awareness of your surrounding, remain fully present in the here and now (are there noises from your home, can you hear birds outside, grounded and aware presence).
5. You now feel the mosses rising up your back, you feel your spine embrace the coming earth. You feel the earth around your stomach, notice the coolness, you may begin to smell the pungent scents of the earth as you soak in their potent perfumes. Pine needles, roots, heathers, rain. Call upon what you know to be the smells you enjoy. The smells that bring you comfort of your land, your earth. You feel the earth envelope your arms, your chest and your shoulders. Notice how the hairs on your arms feel, how your skin feels. Turn your awareness to your toes and remind those roots that you are fully present, grounded and aware.
6. Notice now your shoulders and your neck. The earth moving up as you dive deeper. Feel your body held and supported within the earth. How is your body being held in the earth. Notice the detail in which you experience the earth. Are there stones and roots, are there crystals. Is the earth soft, powdery and crumbly like humus, or thicker and wet. Is there an underground stream trickling near you. Sense your body soaking in the healing magic of the earth through your skin. You feel the mosses move up over your neck and around your jaw and the back of your head. Notice how your hair feels as the earth supports your head and moves in between every strand of hair. You feel the mosses move up and over your mouth. Notice at this point how you feel. (Remember you are in grounded and present awareness. You are entering the earth realm by choice. You are safe and supported). You find that you can breath perfectly and deeply as the earth moves up and over your mouth and nose. You feel a sense of calm.
7. You now feel empowered to continue to full immersion. The mosses move up and over your eyes, the moss is cool, soft and damp, a soothing balm. Notice how your eyes feel. The mosses gently enclose your ears as they move up to the top of your head, they caress and soften your brow. You feel the earth hold your head as you sink deeper. The earth then reaches your crown. And you are fully immersed in the sacred earth. You notice you are fully held and supported. You can breath deeply in this sacred space. You are safe and nourished here. You sense the world above you. You may see the mosses and grasses above you, the sun shining down upon you. bring your awareness to your body and observe with curiosity any feelings, sensations, mind chatter. Do not try to alter anything you find. Only welcome into presence. Bath in the earth. Feel a sense of deep cleansing and healing.
8. When you feel rested and rejuvenated and you have bathed for as long as you feel you need. You may thank the earth for her healing properties and thank your body for anything that your body has shared. You can leave this earthen realm with grace by visualising yourself diving out and landing on your feet on top of the mosses and grasses in the sunlight. Or you can simply bring your awareness more into focus with the sounds and sensations of your rested position and surrounding area and gentle opening your eyes.
Next Tree Cycle: Oak
Yours in the heart of the woodland.
Mags Black
Beautiful grounding meditation, an audio recording would be amazing...