The beautiful little Rowan tree, one of the most enchanting sacred trees of Europe has been highly regarded for thousands of years.

The Rowan offers us humans great protection and by giving it attention, then its known to bring much luck and goodness into our lives. The trees guardian spirit is known as the Sacred Tree Mother.

In times gone by, it was common practice to make a popular charm by taking two small branches of the same length and binding them together into an equal-armed cross with red cord.

To the Celts the Rowan was deeply respected, it was known as the symbol of the hidden mysteries of nature and the quickening force of life.

In Old Scottish tradition we find that the only allowed Rowan wood for ritual uses, never to be burned or used for construction.

This great tree is able to flourish higher up th mountains than most other trees, looking wonderful up on higher ground especially with all its fine red berries. It's very hardy and is known as a great protecter against bolts of lightning if one shelters under its branches during a thunder storm.

Robert Graves says in his book The White Goddess "The berries or the wood of the Rowan can be used to invite familiars, astral guides and teachers from the world of spirit, or to invoke elemental creatures"

The Rowan is has many different older names across Europe, here's a list of the ones I could find...

• Quickbane
• Ran Tree
• Roynetree
• Sorb Apple
• Whitty
• Wicken Tree
• Wild Ash
• Watchband
• Witchen
• Witchwood
• European Mountain Ash

 Practice (Kate West)

Try to find a Rowan tree in your local area, and prepare a little wine and biscuit, when you arrive at the tree make your offering to its spirit saying "Graceful Rowan, Please let me find some of your wood, that I may protect my home and all who live within it. I give this offering freely as I give my love to the land. Blessed be". Then search around the tree for fallen pieces of wood and take a piece for each of the doors which lead into your home, thank the tree and take the pieces of wood home.

Tie a small length of red string or cotton around each piece of Rowan wood, hang them over the doors, this brings a fine spiritual filter which only allows good positive energy to enter the house and banishes all else.

`Rowan twigs and strings of red,

Deflect all harm, gossip, and dread.´

from The real witches year by Kate West.

Peter Carvello,

January 2024.