Product Description

An exploration of the ancient wisdom, folklore and magic of trees. As well as featuring the symbolic aspect of trees, this book is a practical guide to how to use trees for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #311576 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

About the Author
Jane Gifford is a talented photographer and a regular contributor to top magazines such as 'Homes and Gardens', 'Country Life' and 'The English Garden'. She designed and co-wrote a book with David Bellamy called 'Wilderness Britain' and was invited by Kodak to conceive, design and photograph one of their famous international calendars.

Customer Reviews

A bringing together of history, magic and medicine of trees.
This book was an absolute joy to read with stunning colour illustrations. It will certainly add a very valuable resource to my bookshelf.

The book drew together exceptionally well each trees appearance, ancient wisdom, folklore, medicine and mythology. It enabled me to make connections in regards to my own healing (via Health Kinesiology)and experiences that words and modern science havn't begun to explain.

The book begins follows and explains the Celtic Tree Alphabet - the Ogham and it's associated tree calendar. This in turn forms a calendar of tree magic for the entire year.

What I particularly liked was the explicit way each tree was described from it's size, texture and shape of it's trunk, branches, leaves, flowers and berries. Where it was most likely to be found and why (e.g. the Hawthorn, a farie tree guards wells and springs). What happens if it is tendered (by animals or humans) or untendered; who likes to eat it. When the leaves flowers and/or berries appear and their colours through the year and to which family they belong. This then led onto it's mystical association's e.g. the Oak is symbolic of triumph through strength and endurance and is much revered and respected by the Welsh Druids. As well as it's healing properties e.g. the liquid from the boiled leaves of the Blackthorn can be used as a mouth wash and to soothe throat conditions such as tonsillitis and laryngitis. In vibrational medicine Greenman Blackthorn Essence is recommended for bringing hope and joy to the depressed and for stabilising emotions.

It's therefore hardly surprising that with this rich, handed down knowledge the Celts respected and lived in relative health and harmony with their surroundings. For myself many connections were made on different levels and I now have a greater understanding of myself and the aspects of nature I'm drawn to (often unconsciously).

So next time you feel drawn to something open your awareness and senses to what this is. Become curious and note how you feel emotionally and physically. If you do some detective work you'll probably discover that the experience links with a need on some level. I know for myself that the more I return to my roots, the natural energy patterns and remedies emerge and I heal myself (again often unconsciously at first) on different levels.

If you want to follow this further The Healing Remedies of Trees by Patrice Bouchardon (published by Gaia Books Ltd) has many exercises to learn how to enable this to happen.

A wonderful book
I bought this book when it first came out several years ago, and it was then and will always be one of my absolute favourites. Its full of the most wonderful photographs, and the information included in it is absolutely fascinating. I live in the city at the moment, and this book is my link back to the countryside. A definite must for anyone interested in trees, particularly those interested in divination and tree mythology.

The Celtic Wisdom of Trees
I have quite a number of books about trees. Recently I ordered this one. I have to say, it's really remarkable. The photos are beautiful, the information excellent. I can recommend this book for tree lovers or as a gift to a friend who has a passion for trees. The layout and use of the Ogham is an added bonus.