Celtic Paganism and the Tree of Life

Celtic myths were passed down orally, not written down, and there were many different goddesses and gods, associated with different locations - streams, wells and groves. As the Celts were dispersed, living in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, the names of each deity often varied and pantheons were not unified and unchanging, but a traveller could recongise familiar deities by the ways in which they were represented.

As a follower of Celtic Paganism, or just Paganism with Celtic elements, these deities are great to incorporate into your spells and worship.

Cernunnos
Cernunnos is the Horned God, protector of animals and instinctual behavious. He is at once linked to sexual delight, abundance and abandon as well as hunting and culling, and purifying and sacrificing. The Druids encouraged the worship of Cernunnos, attempting to replace the plethora of local deities and spirits with a national religion.

Cerridwen or Brighid
An important figure in Celtic Paganism, Cerridwen is the Maiden, and a corn (and therefore abundance and harvest) Goddess, who had a magical cauldron. the Cauldron is a feminine symbol, being linked to creation of spells and of course food. Corn goddess. As the poem above shows, she was the Mother of Taliesen, greatest and wisest of all the bards, and therefore a patron of poets and bards, and protectress of the healers and smiths. She is also connected with wolves, and some claim her cult dates to the neolithic era. Her festival Imbolc is at the 1st of February. Here's a great lens about Brighid

Danu or Dana
An Irish Mother figure Goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann or the mother of 'the peoples of the goddess Danu'. She is also part of of a triad of war goddesses known collectively as the Morrigan. Danu is connected with the moon goddess Aine of Knockaine, who protects crops and cattle. Under a variety of names, including Anu and Don, Danu was worshipped through pre-Christian Europe and the Middle East.

Shield and Safeguard Us

Valiant Nuada of the white sword,
Who subdued the Firbolg of blood,
For love of the Tribe, for pains of Danu's children,
Hold thy shield over us, protect us all,

Hold thy shield over us, protect us all.

Danu beloved! Mother of the Shining Ones,
Shield, oh shield us, Lady of nobleness,
And Brigit the beauteous, shepherdess of the flocks,
Safeguard thou our animals, encircle us together,

Safeguard thou our animals, encircle us together.

And Ellen, beneficent, benign,
Governess of the trackways of power,
Invoke the star of power upon the path,
Guide well thou ourselves, shield our procession,

Guide well thou ourselves, shield our procession.

O Mother! O Maiden! O Crone of Wisdom!
Be the Triad with us day and night,
On the machair plain or on the mountain ridge,
Be the Triad with us and her cloak around us,

Be the Triad with us and her cloak around us.

Original Carmina Gadelica in full

The tree of life can be seen in numerous religions and traditions as trees do seem to represent nature in all its glory. I have to confess and say that I have and am a tree hugger (usually when no-one is looking!) There is a park nearby me and there are plenty of silver birch trees - magickal trees, amongst others that I like to meditate with and share in their power (If there are people around I usually just put my hand on them so as not to seem to mad. I love trees because they eminate a powerful wisdom, many are so much older than us and also bigger too! Did you know that 2/3rds of the tree is underground!?

Anyway, in the Celtic tradition the tree of life is thought to have come via the Norse, who say a world ash tree as the source of all life. the tree is called Yggdrasil, and led to nine different worlds.

The Nine Norse Worlds
Midgard, the land of ordinary mortals
Asgard - land of the Aesir
Hel - world of the dead
Anaheim - home of Vanir and Freya's Hall
The land of Fire
The land of the Light Elves
The land of the Dark Elves
The land of the Ice Giants
The land of Fog

Nine was a number of great importance to the Norse and also the Celts. On the tree, there are runes and mystical symbols which were used as a magickal alphabet, and also in divination. the Norse God Odin hung on the world tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and thus learnt the secret of the runes in a shamanic experience. the Norse belived that the Dragon Nidhogg who lived in the underworld, was gnawing away at the roots trying to cause chaos. For more info on Nidhogg and other Dragons please take a look at my blog



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The beautiful Yggdrasil image above is courtesy of and copyright of Leila Brown 2002