"Ellen Evert Hopman has put together a great resource for tree lore in A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine. Not only does this book offer an historical perspective on the culture and civilization of the Druids of Ireland, it provides a description of the herbal uses and spiritual aspects of each tree described by the Ogham Tree Alphabet."
Description
An in-depth look at the history, herbal uses, and spiritual aspects of the sacred trees in the ancient Celtic Ogham Tree Alphabet
• Details the 20 trees of the ogham alphabet and their therapeutic and magical virtues
• Examines the Forest Druid practices associated with each tree as well as the traditional uses in Native American medicine
• Describes the Celtic Fire Festivals and how each tree is featured in these holy days
• By the author of A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year
The Druids used the ancient Ogham Tree Alphabet to work magic and honor the dead, surrounding each letter with medicinal and spiritual lore. Poets and bards created a secret sign language to describe the letters, each of which is named for a tree or a plant. For centuries this language was transmitted only orally in order to protect its secrets.
Combining her extensive herbal knowledge and keen poetic insight, Ellen Evert Hopman delves deeply into the historic allusions and associations of each of the 20 letters of the Ogham Tree Alphabet. She also examines Native American healing methods for possible clues to the way ancient Europeans may have used these trees as healing agents. Druidic spiritual practices, herbal healing remedies, and plant lore are included for each tree in the alphabet as well as how each is used in traditional rituals such as the Celtic Fire Festivals and other celebrations. Hopman also includes a pronunciation guide for the oghams and information on the divinatory meanings associated with each tree.
Reviews
"Not only is Hopman a Druid priestess extraordinaire, but a master herbalist. . . . I would suggest this book to anyone interested in Celtic history, mythology, herbalism, and/or Pagan religious practices. In other words, most everyone."
"This could be a reference to keep in your library, or used as a place to start an entirely new avenue of education and learning. The presentation is simple enough not to be intimidating, but the depth of information and the bibliography are quite impressive."
" . . . this will not be a one-read through book, but a book you will return to again and again, making new discoveries each time."