Celtic dictionary: Willow

April 15 - May 12 - "Moon of Balance"

For the Celts, the Willow represented the female. The Universe was hatched from two serpent eggs that were hidden among the branches of the Willow. The two eggs symbolized the Sun and the Moon, this being one of the reasons why the Willow was sacred to the Moon. In the heathen festival called Beltane, that was celebrated around May 1, serpent eggs were substituted for hen's and symbolically eaten. Later, this ritual was transferred to the Christian Easter holiday, and the eggs became Easter eggs. The bark of the Willow, along with Sandalwood, facilitated the conjuring of spirits from the Otherworld. It also cured dysentery and...jealousy. The Willow was the tree of the poets in Celtic culture and it was often that young suitors wore a Willow sprig to reach the much desired status of old 'wise one'. The word 'witchcraft' is actually derived from the word Willow, due to the magic nature of this tree. Confessions could be made to a Willow, as it is said that whatever secrets were shared to the tree, they would remain trapped forever.

The Willow, just like the Alder and the Poplar, likes to grow near running waters, its branches spreading towards the water source. The long and slender leaves help to offer the Willow its full, shimmering appearance. Its catkins appear early in the Spring and announce bees that it is the beginning of the pollination cycle.

The Willow person can be of two distinct types. And it is as such with every tree in the zodiac: a first type called 'the new moon', related to the first two weeks of the sign, and 'the full moon' that obviously goes to the last two weeks of the respective sign.

The 'new moon' Willow individual is prone to sudden changes in the mood and has rather unreliable character traits. 'New moon' Willows are fast to detect change and have a knack for taking advantage of whatever opportunity arises. The 'full moon' will never take any piece of advice into consideration, even when credibility lacks from his or her reasoning. The 'full moon', however, is very resourceful and possesses an incredible memory.

Overall, Willows are endowed with resourcefulness, a strong will and excellent memories. Even though it is difficult to get to know them due to their frequent changes in mood, they are still appreciated for their ability to quickly respond to situations. A Willow friend can be an extraordinary ally but also, mind you, a formidable enemy. It is this reluctance to forgive and forget that can generate immense gaps between the Willow individual and family or friends. Nevertheless, Willows are known to be very caring parents and will always try to protect the loves ones.

Career-wise, the Willows will find themselves involved in important and responsible positions, but they will also find it quite difficult to hold on to a single job. As teachers they are known to be among the best, though. While they will try to avoid expressing their opinions in public, especially when these are controversial, the Willow persons are still very strong-minded in private. They are also into concepts such as family loyalty and family history. Once married, the Willow will be a very devoted individual and a caring parent. The energy of the Willows can be directed towards arts, but there may be a chance that dormant creative skills change their personalities in the process. As mentioned above, it can be very difficult to get to know a Willow individual, as he or she tends to wear a mask that hides the true personality. Willows tend to get married at a rather young age, regarding their close, intimate relationships as extremely important. If they learn how to listen to their inner voice, they can avoid indecisiveness and moodiness.

The Willow individual must learn to establish a close contact to the material world, learning from its values. This contact must be continuous, as change applies to this values. Therefore, the key words are 'repetition' and 'continuity'.

The Oghan symbol the Willow is associated with is Saille.

The lucky gemstone of the ones born under this sign is the Moonstone (or Feldspar). It is a transparent gem, with tints of white, pink or yellow, sometimes said to resemble a raindrop. Druids used to hang these gems in fruit trees in order to ensure a good crop. The changes in tint were attributed to the changing cycles of the moon. Placed inside the mouth at full moon, the stone was allegedly granting the ability to foretell fortune.

The flower of the Willow is the Primrose, a flower that blossoms early in Spring (even during mild Winters) ans is in full flower in April and May. Druids considered the Primrose to be very important in their rituals and used to carry them as a protection from evil. They also cleansed and purified themselves with the fragrant oil of the Primrose prior to certain rites. Its medicinal properties ranged from curing insomnia and nervous hysteria to healing some minor forms of paralysis.

The celestial body associated with the Willow is the Moon ('Llun'), the representation of the mother, associated with birth and maternal nature.

The Willow deity is Cerridwen, the Goddess of the Moon. She was also called the Great Mother and the Goddess of Nature. A bard from the days of yore has apparently tasted a concoction from Cerridwen's magic cauldron of inspiration, a brew called 'greal', supposedly the origin of the word 'grail'. This goddess was associated to fertility, magic, herbs and knowledge, to name a few. Her symbol was a white sow. Also related to the powerful magic of the Moon is the legendary Morgane le Fay, sister of King Arthur, who was regarded by the Celts as symbol for the dark forces of the psyche.

Three animals are the representations of the Willow: the Adder, the Hare and the Serpent. The Adder (like all the snakes) symbolized wisdom and spiritual energy. They were usually associated with cunning, wisdom and reincarnation. An amulet, called gloine nathair (serpent glass) was one of the things Druids often carried with them. The Hare was a sacred animal to the Celts, associated with adaptation, hidden knowledge and intuitive messages. The Serpent symbol was used in the fire festivals of the Celts as the image of transformation. It was believed to be closely related to the spiritual growth of mankind.

There are also other lesser influences for each sign of the Celtic zodiac. These influences can be traced by the specific date of birth within the major sign. In the case of the individual born under the sign of the Willow, there are three influences, similar to the 'ascendants' in the European zodiac:

 

April 15 - April 20 - The Maple

April 21 - April 20 - The Walnut

May 1 - May 12 - The Poplar

 

The approximate equivalent of the Willow sign in the Western/European zodiac is the Taurus (April 20 - May 20)