The Rowan Moon is associated with Brighid, the Celtic goddess of hearth and home.
Honored on February 1, at Imbolc, Brighid is a fire goddess who offers protection to mothers and families, as well as watching over the hearthfires. This is a good time of year to perform initiations (or, if you’re not part of a group, do a self-dedication). Known by the Celts as Luis (pronounced loush), the Rowan is associated with astral travel, personal power, and success. A charm carved into a bit of a Rowan twig will protect the wearer from harm. The Norsemen were known to have used Rowan branches as rune staves of protection. In some countries, Rowan is planted in graveyards to prevent the dead from lingering around too long.
Planet: The Sun, Mercury
Element: Fire
Symbolism: Protection and Inspiration
Stone: Tourmaline
- Tourmaline of all colors are faceted into gems for jewelry, but the red, green, blue, and multicolored stones, especially watermelon, are the most popular. Tourmaline can be found in fairly large transparent crystals, and these can produce very large exquisite and flawless gemstones.
Birds: Duck, Quail
Animals: Serpent, Dragon
Color: Red
Gemstone: Yellow Chrysolite
Deity: Brigantia, Brigid, Thor
Sabbat: Imbolc, Candlemas
Folk Names: Witch Tree, Delight of the Eye, Mountain Ash, Quickbane, Ran Tree, Roden-Quicken, Roden-Quicken-Royan, Roynetree, Sorb Apple, Thor’s Helper, Whitty, Wicken-Tree, Wiggin, Wiggy, Wiky, Wild Ash, Witchbane, Witchen, Witchwood
The Rowan Moon is associated with Brigid, the Celtic Triple Goddess of Imbolc or Candlemas. Brigid is also a Goddess of spinning and weaving who prepares the never-ending fabric of life and guides the passage of the Sun through the constellations and the seasonal cycles. Rowan was therefore the wood traditionally used for the making of spindles and spinning wheels.
Irish Druids held Rowan trees sacred and called them “The Tree of Life”. The Rowan’s old Celtic name is Fid na ndruad which means Wizards Tree and this shows its long tradition of being associated with Druids, sorcerers and magical folk. Rowan wood is one of the nine traditional fire woods that are burned at Beltane.
Rowan wood is gathered on a single day in the year and must last throughout the coming year; the 13th May and always from a different tree or group of trees each year. Tradition dictates that you must go home via a different route than the one taken going out, so the gathering of Rowan wood is no easy job of work and the distance travelled to collect it becomes further and further every year.
It’s considered very misfortunate should the tree that gave the wood for your specific charms die or be cut down. Be sure that any Rowan wood wand, talisman, or charm you have, comes from a still-living tree. Wood from a Rowan tree that has been cut down or killed, is magickally useless and may even be harmful to you
For thousands of years, the Rowan tree has been considered magickal by many different cultures. The Rowan tree’s magical protective power is believed to come from its red berries. Berries from the Rowan tree have a small Pentagram on them at the base of the berry.
To the Celts the Rowan was a symbol of the hidden mysteries of nature and the quickening of the life force. The ancient Scots never used Rowan wood for any purpose other than ritual. The Rowan is the tree of quickening, symbolizing the rebirthing of the year when the Earth begins to respond to the warmth of the Sun. It is a good time for initiations and self-dedications especially during Imbolc. The Rowan is associated with divination, astral travel, protection, psychic energy, personal power, healing, and success. Rowan is also used when working with spirits of the dead, and in some countries, Rowan is planted in graveyards to protect the dead and prevent them from lingering.
ROWAN MAGICK:
Protection:
- Carry Rowan twigs on sea voyages to protect the ship from storms.
- Plant a Rowan near a new house to protect it from lightning and evil influences.
- Rowan wood is the traditional wood used for dowsing and divining rods.
- Carry a Rowan wand or walking stick with you for protection on a journey and to bring spiritual enlightenment along your path.
- A Rowan pressed into a secret book will conceal it from the eyes of the curious.
- Perfect for your Book of Shadows!
- When four of its leaves are laid in the shape of the cross and secreted beneath the threshold of the house, it will bind any disrespectful actions of those who enter and stand as a barrier to others, preventing them from entering at all if they approach with ill intent.
- Crosses made of Rowan twigs, tied with red thread and hung above doors and windows will protect you from all malicious attacks and baneful magick. “Nothing malicious can cross where Rowan hangs”.
Luck: Rowan berries added to any charm or talisman will increase good luck.
Meditation: Rowan will help to clear and open your mind. It will help you to attune to nature, broaden your perspectives to allow you to develop a deeper understanding of your place in the universe.
The Spirit World: The smoke from burning Rowan will manifest spirit guides.
Psychic Powers: Wearing a necklace or bracelet made of Rowan berries will increase psychic powers.
Love: The smoke from burning Rowan may foretell the future of lovers.
The Fey: A lone Rowan tree is thought to be a gateway to the Faerie Realm. In Scotland, fires were made of Rowan wood to protect cattle from evil Faery spirits and horses that were “bewitched” could be controlled with a Rowan whip.
Health and Healing: The berries contain a high concentration of Vitamin C, a good preventative and treatment for scurvy. They also contain organic acids, tannins, sugars. The berries have been used to make general tonics for the body since the ripe berries are mildly purgative and diuretic. Rowan berry juice or compote can be used for hoarseness, sore throat and inflamed tonsils. The dried flowers were used as a tonic herbal tea.
Hold a handful of dried Rowan berries and enchant them with healing energy. Steep them in a cup of boiling water and drink the healing tea.
To keep your family healthy over the winter, place a handful of Rowan Berries in the center of a small square of white or purple cloth. Gather the cloth over the berries and tie it into a bundle with white or purple ribbon. Be sure to “send” your intent into the bundle with the action of tying the knot. Hang it in your kitchen over the winter.
Rowan Berry Recipes:
Rowan Berry, Apple and Pumpkin Soup Seasoned with Rosemary & Coastal Mugwort
Rowan Berry and Crabapple Chutney w/Chestnuts, Rosemary & Mugwort
Simple Self-Dedication Ritual
Keep in mind that this ritual is designed as a template, and you can adapt it or adjust it to meet your own needs or those of the tradition you have created.
You should perform this ritual skyclad, if at all possible. Find a place that is quiet, private, and free of distractions. Turn off your cell phone and send the kids out to play if you have to.
Begin by grounding yourself. Find your inner peace, and become good and relaxed. Shut out all the things from your mundane life that distract you—forget for a while about paying the bills, your son’s baseball practice, and whether or not you fed the cat. Focus only on yourself, and the tranquility you’re entitled to.
You will need the following items:
- Blessing oil
- Salt
- A white candle
When you’re ready to proceed, sprinkle the salt on the floor or ground, and stand with your feet upon it. Light your white candle, and feel the warmth of the flame. Look into the glow of the fire and think about what goals you have for yourself on your spiritual journey. Think about your motivations for performing this self-dedication.
Stand before your altar, and say:
I am a child of the gods, and I ask them to bless me.
Dip your finger into the blessing oil, and with eyes closed, anoint your forehead. Some people do this by tracing a pentagram on the skin with the oil. Say:
May my mind be blessed, so that I can accept the wisdom of the gods. Anoint the eyelids (be careful here!) and say: May my eyes be blessed, so I can see my way clearly upon this path. Anoint the tip of your nose with the oil, and say: May my nose be blessed, so I can breathe in the essence of all that is Divine.
Anoint your lips, and say:
May my lips be blessed, so I may always speak with honor and respect.
Anoint your chest, and say:
May my heart be blessed, so I may love and be loved.
Anoint the tops of your hands, and say:
May my hands be blessed, so that I may use them to heal and help others.
Anoint your genital area, and say:
May my womb be blessed, so that I may honor the creation of life. (If you’re male, make the appropriate changes here.)
Anoint the soles of your feet, and say:
May my feet be blessed, so that I may walk side by side with the Divine.
If you have specific deities you follow, pledge your loyalty to them now. Otherwise, you can use “God and Goddess,” or “Mother and Father.” Say:
Tonight, I pledge my dedication to the God and Goddess. I will walk with them beside me, and ask them to guide me on this journey. I pledge to honor them, and ask that they allow me to grow closer to them. As I will, so it shall be.
Take some time to meditate. Feel the afterglow of the ritual, and feel the energy of the gods around you. You have brought yourself to the attention of the Divine, so they will be keeping an eye on you. Accept the gift of their wisdom.
The following ritual is designed as a group initiation:
Learning Wicca and the Tradition of the Craft 