Founding, Establishing, EnduringOf all the “important” trees in Gaelic lore, Oak is the Big-Daddy-of-Them-All Tree. The strength of Oak comes not only from the wood itself, but also from its links to ...

“It’s only mystery and I like it.”With apologies to The Rolling Stones and thanks to that bumper sticker I saw eons ago, Willow has always felt to me like a tree of mysteries. When I was a kid, I’d hang out under the draping branches and feel like I was part of a grand secret. It reaches not only down into the earth and up to the sky, but also extends out to any waterway in its vicinity (for better or worse!). The dichotomy of growing up and draping over at the same time has a lot of resonance f

The world has a lot of vining plants, not all of them delightful. Lucky for us, Vine/Muin is an ogham of delight – ecstasy, even. Think of grapevines and the harvesting of their fruit, cultivated with skill over generations, bringing communities together to share the burden of work. The thing about grapevines, though, is that they are NOT a “set it and forget it” kind of crop. Timing and selection matter. Protection from pests and careful pruning matter. Terroir (that near-magical combination of