The Tree / Moon Calendar of the Druids

The months of the year were marked out by the Celts following the thirteen moons, which they named after sacred trees.

Each moon was measured from full to full, that being its time of greatest power, and the first moon of the year was that falling closest to Yule, the winter solstice (December 21).

In order, they were: birch (sometimes olive), rowan, ash, alder, willow, hawthorn, oak, holly, hazel, vine, ivy, reed, elder (sometimes myrtle).

The birch was the ‘moon of beginning’ and the elder the ‘moon of completion’: some magic was worked over the course of the whole year between these two trees.

You may wish to enhance your magic by incorporating in your spell a branch or some wood from the relevant tree according to the time when you are performing it.