JUNIPER This was a sacred tree to the Celtic Druids, who
burned juniper berries and thyme as an incense. It
symbolizes protection.
MISTLETOE This parasitic plant, which grows primarily on
oaks, has been held as sacred throughout ancient
European cultures. It was considered a tree by the
Druids, who cut it with great ceremony by using a
golden sickle. Both the Greeks and Romans connected it
with the Underworld. Its power of death followed by
rebirth is shown in the Norse myth when the god Baldur
was slain by an arrow of mistletoe and was subsequently
reborn. Take care using the plant, as the berries are
poisonous to both animals and humans. Nevertheless,
mistletoe symbolizes the sweetness of kisses and
affection.
OAK Considered the most sacred of all trees in Europe
and the Mediterranean, the Greeks said it was the first
tree with roots that ran down into the Underworld.
Because of its magickal qualities of strength, long life,
endurance, and immortality, oak groves in the oracular
shrine of Dodona were sacred to Zeus and to prophecy.
The Roman goddess Diana had a shrine in a great forest
at Nemi, where a perpetual fire of oak wood was kept
burning; her priest, called King of the Wood, ruled there.
The Celts worshipped in oak groves and used acorns in
their prophesying. Oak was sacred to the Norse god Thor
because lightning, caused by his mighty hammer,
frequently struck oak trees. Oak was also sacred to
Cybele, Jupiter, and Heme the Hunter. As late as the
nineteenth century in England, Christians often gathered
under "Gospel Oaks" to hold their meetings. This tree
symbolizes courage and hospitality.