In honor of the Summer Solstice season, when the sun is at its full power and the Goddess and God come together in sacred marriage and conception, this month’s exploration will celebrate the strong earth magic of Oak and Amethyst.
Oak
There is an old European saying: “Turn your coats, for Faerie folks live in old oaks.” This little warning, suggesting that adding an element of confusion to your image, as you pass by a Faerie place, might dissuade any disturbed spirit from mischief, is just one of many magical customs associated with the majestic Oak tree. Oak’s Faerie association is deepened by its role as one of the three trees named as places of Faerie world entrance, or special magical potency, in the phrase: “by Oak, Ash, and Thorn.” These folklore references make sense when you consider the root of its name in the Celtic language. According to Ellen Evert Hopman, in Tree Medicine, Tree Magic, the Celtic word for Oak is derw, and when put together with the word ydd, (meaning “a part of”), the combination forms the word Derwydd, an ancient name for the priest class of the Celts, and possible origin of the word Druid. Hopman furthermore states that, in Gaelic, the word for Oak is duir, from which we have formed the word door. Oaks and Oak groves are sacred places of magic, acting as a portal to the other worlds, as a protection from intrusive energies that would enter one’s space, and as a powerful conduit between earth and sky, with deep roots reaching down and wide branches stretching up and out, a powerful and enduring symbol of blending the mysticism of the natural world where we live and the surrounding cosmos. This notion of the Oak as a conduit is further supported by the oak’s tendency to be struck by lightening, grounding the electrical energy of the heavens within the earth plane.
Druids practiced their sacred ceremonies in Oak Groves, especially during the Solstices and Equinoxes. These groves were so tied to their religious rites that the Romans burnt them down as an act of decimating their culture and spiritual practices. Yet, Oaks remain a symbol of strength, endurance through time, and magic. In Language of the Trees, Twylah Nitsch, of the Seneca tribe, describes the Oak as having a strength that comes from steady growth through decades, symbolizing reserved power, self discipline, awareness, and high ideals, an example of the kind of inner strength that can be cultivated through taking the time to center and develop intuitive knowing.
Oaks have provided humankind with sustenance, medicine, and practical care. The strong, dense wood is a favored heating fuel for hearth fires and for building. The acorns, when boiled or leached, can be eaten or ground into flour in times of need. The bark is used to make dyes, for tanning hides, and for making astringent medicine. In fact, the leaves, bark, and acorns of the Oak can be used medicinally, and have astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic properties. The essence of the Oak, as a spiritual medicine, is said to support the ability to manifest goals, to cultivate stability in hard times of polarity, to access and integrate deep, hidden energy, and to nurture the inner strength of those who find themselves despondent in long cycles of struggle and perseverance.
There are several varieties of Oak, and many variations of its medicine to explore, for those who feel an affinity to this sacred tree. The following are some general suggestions for practicing the folkloric magic associated with the Oak tree:
To protect against negative influence, find 2 Oak twigs of equal size and fashion them into an equal distance cross, as a symbol of balance and protection. Tie this together with a red thread and hang it in the home.
Carry a piece of Oak wood for personal protection and good luck.
Plant an acorn, a symbol of fertility and immortality, during the dark moon to bring financial abundance.
Use Oak branches to make a magical wand. You can also add an acorn at the end, if your purpose is fertility magic. (Or charge and carry an acorn for increased fertility.) Make sure to ask permission and offer a gift to the tree spirit in return. Pouring wine at the base of the tree is a traditional offering.
Gather acorns by day, leaves and branches by night, for magical uses.
If someone in the home is ill, use Oak wood to make a hearth fire to draw off the illness and warm the home.
To heal a wound, take the dressing that covered it and add some oil of rue to the cloth. Place this inside the hollow of an Oak tree, during the waning moon, with a prayer for the wound to be taken to the earth and there dissipated.
To clear unwanted energies, hexes, or intrusions to your energy body, make a decoction of Oak root (particularly Quercus Alba) and add it to a bath, rubbing the body downwards towards the earth with prayers for releasing the energies to the earth.
To cleanse one’s home or workspace of unwanted energies or unrestful spirits, burn dried Oak and mistletoe combined. This is a combination that is held sacred both to the ancient Druids and the tradition of Hoodoo.
Sit at the base of a sacred Oak tree. Let it’s voice, once considered to be the voice of the goddess Diana, among other deities in various cultures, teach you about endurance, longevity, strength, and connection with the unseen mysteries.
Amethyst
Amethyst is a stone that draws many people into the realm of crystal allies. It’s deep purple hues emanate magic and calm. Though it is commonly found in jewelry, as well as polished pieces and geodes, this stone isn’t always seen for its true complexity. Amethyst enhances psychic ability and intuition, as many know, and is a helpful tool for meditation and magic. One reason for this is that it has an affinity for conscious awareness and the higher aspects of mind. It can help reveal what is hidden from our awareness, and dispel the fog of dissociation or intoxication that is employed to keep true awareness, or reality, at a distance. This means that Amethyst can be an excellent healing stone, helping one to see the root causes of an illness or imbalance, in one’s patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior, so that the issue can be directly addressed and unraveled. It is also an ally for those battling with addiction, as it helps to lessen the hold of substances over the psyche, even making their ability to shift one’s mood lessened. The name Amethyst comes from the Greek word améthystos, which means “not intoxicated” or “not drunken.”
In fact, Amethyst has a mythic origin story from ancient Greece that describes this notion. There is more than one version of this story. In one, the god Dionysus was offended by a mortal and in a fit of drunken rage decides to inflict harm on the next person to cross his path. He sets two tigers, in wait, to attack, while he watches. The next person to come along was Amethyst, a chaste devotee of Artemis, on her way to worship at her shrine. With little time to act, as this event unfolded, Artemis protected Amethyst at the last moment by turning her into a clear, transparent crystal. Dionysus, remorseful about his actions, poured his wine over her as an offering, turning her to the deep purple hued stone we know. This story is repeated with the Roman names Bacchus and Diana as well. The other version is that Dionysus himself pursued Amethyst, having become obsessed by desire for her. Amethyst resisted, not wanting to become his prey, and prayed to the goddess Artemis to protect her. Artemis answered by turning her into the clear crystal to protect her, and Dionysus, in a state of grief and drunkenness spilled his wine on her, giving her its purple color. Whether either of these stories are the original version, the ancient Greeks and Romans seemed to believe that Amethyst was imbued with the power to protect one from intoxication, and made wine vessels and jewelry for this purpose.
What is especially interesting to consider is that there are at least two more ways in which Amethyst protects from clouded thoughts and emotions, and preserves the higher and more intuitive mind. It is known to reduce stress and promote balance, clearing anxiety and the muddled thoughts of a worried mind. It also clears the energy field of negative influence and attachments, which can certainly skew one’s thinking, feelings and behaviors. This shield of higher vibration also clears and uplifts physical spaces, and geodes in particular are good to keep in the home.
All together, this stone helps one to resist poor decision making, ruled by unbalanced emotion, distressed thought, and destructive beliefs, and instead connects one to divine guidance, spiritual alignment, psychic ability, and the depth of clarity needed to see the way in which we have woven our life circumstances through the complex tapestry of thought, emotions, outside influence, and unhelpful distractions. With this support, we can unravel the unconscious programs and create better circumstances with clarity and intention. To support this process, Amethyst promotes an environment of peace and balance, while opening the third eye and crown chakras to assist in psychic seeing, surrender to the divine, and even taking a co-creative role with conscious awareness in our lives. This is a lot like creating a sacred circle for ritual workings of magic, cultivating a safe space and opening oneself energetically, while calling on the support and guidance of the divine.
There is nothing simple about that magic. No wonder ancient Egyptians favored wearing this stone to protect themselves from negative emotions like fear and guilt, as well as from psychic attack, European medieval knights carried it into battle to keep a clear mind, and Fung Shui masters place it strategically in spaces to ward of negative energies. Make sure to cleanse your amethyst regularly. Running it under water, with intention, is enough to keep it working as a protective and insight inspiring stone.
Suggestion for working with Oak and Amethyst:
Intuitive knowing, awareness, and cultivating the inner clarity and strength to allow one to access the mystical realms, with sobriety and purpose, is the common ground between these two potent earth allies. During this Summer Solstice season, our suggestion is to bring your favorite Amethyst to an Oak tree where you can spend a moment in personal ritual.
Make an offering to the Oak, a small amount of wine poured at the base would be appropriate, or bring water, flowers, sacred herbs, and your own breath to give.
Use your crystal to sweep your energy field and physical body downwards, clearing away negative influence and obstructions to your clarity and asking the tree to take them down through its roots.
Sit with your back against the tree. Feel the conduit of earth magic that resides within it. Hold your crystal or place it on your body. Ask for clarity and guidance.
Speak out loud the things for which you are grateful in your life.
Name the things that you are struggling with.
State your need for healing or manifestation.
Now, ask these two allies to speak to you, to show you the pieces that added up to the puzzle you are currently living, and the root work that needs to happen to build your dreams from here.
Listen to the Oak, to the Amethyst, to the wind and divine forces. Allow yourself to be guided and to receive even the uncomfortable insights. Believe in the power of your own conscious awareness to see and take the steps needed to co-create your life.
May you deeply ground and reach to the heights this season!
Sincerely,
the eleventh house
-This blog was written by Melusina Gomez. For more information about her work and healing practices please visit www.metzmecatl.com