The Celtic Month of Duir, The Oak
journey to meet a dryad
If you liked reading this, feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
Welcome to the Month of Duir-Oak
We know very little about the historical practices of the Celtic Druids. Many have speculated that the Celts followed a thirteen-month lunar calendar as other ancient civilizations did.
Robert Graves's visionary, poetic, and influential book The White Goddess is the likely origin of the modern development of the "Celtic calendar."
The White Goddess, a Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth is a book-length essay on the nature of poetic myth-making by the English writer Robert Graves. First published in 1948, the book draws on earlier articles published in Wales Magazine.
The Ogham is an Early Medieval alphabet used to write the early Irish language. The letter Duir means door and also Oak. It denotes the time slot on our current calendar from June 10 to July 7. Thus it encompasses the end of Beltane and the beginning of Litha, with the summer solstice falling within the month of Duir.
The Mighty Oak, healing and symbolic
The Oak is a beloved tree and has many symbolic meanings. The two most important are strength and knowledge. The Oak is known as the Druid's Tree, Brigid's Tree, and also for wisdom, longevity, nobility, loyalty, protection, and healing.
The Oak is anthropogenic because it is at the root of many creation stories from ancient traditions. The Oak is also often seen as the tree of life. It is also closely related to the image of the tree as a regenerating element.
The oak tree's acorns have inspired many wisdom teachings and even psychology. James Hillman, who founded the archetypal psychology movement of the 1970s, put forth The Acorn Theory as part of what he saw as the Soul's Code. He believed that every person contained within them the potential to become a unique, fully evolved human being, just as an acorn has within itself the potential to become a mighty oak tree.
Oaks are found the world over. There are many varieties of oak trees, 500 species in all, with 90 native to North America. They thrive across the Northern Hemisphere in China, Japan, Europe, the British Isles, and the continental United States, except for Alaska.
Modern scientific research confirms that the Oak possesses the following healing properties: it acts as an astringent, reduces fever, and is a tonic for the body and mind. It has antiseptic, antiviral, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties, too.
The Oak and its strength, longevity, and nobility are deeply rooted in our collective unconscious.
The Celtic Connection
The term "druid" is commonly translated as "oak knowledge," "oak-knower," or "oak-seer." The druids had knowledge of the oaks, and as oaks are a pinnacle species; therefore, druids had knowledge of the broader landscape and understood oaks on the inner and outer planes.
In the druid tradition, Oak is tied to that same ancient symbol of the druid possessing strength, knowledge, and wisdom. ... We don't have a lot of surviving information about the Ancient Druids and their rituals, but one of the most famous was described by Pliny the Elder who describes the druids as "magicians" who "hold nothing more sacred than mistletoe and a tree on which it is growing, provided it is a hard-timbered oak….mistletoe is rare and when found it is gathered with great ceremony, and particularly on the sixth day of the moon.... Pliny notes that druids performed all of their rites in sacred oak groves; when the druids were destroyed, the Romans cut all of their sacred oak groves down. You can imagine what those ancient groves must have been like when you encounter even a single ancient oak tree–majesty and presence. ~ Dana O'Driscoll
In Celtic Astrology, the Oak Tree is the sun sign for those born between June 10 and July 7.
The Celts held the Oak in high regard as the Tree of the Dagda that protected their leaders and warriors. This is similar to the Native American tale in which the Prince of the Hares, a trickster, is on a journey and inquires of the Oak what its purpose is. The Oak replies, "I shelter the great warriors. I mark the spot for their councils."
In The Celtic Tree Oracle Oak is a doorway, or the Axis Mundi – the center of the Universe, through which all must travel to go from one realm to another.
The Oak tree holds a unique and sacred place in the ancestors' traditions on both sides of the Atlantic.
I find this so encouraging. It is a way for those of us in North America but descended from European ancestors to find a commonality with those whose land we live on, to discover an ally, and a spirit of the natural world that can help heal the wounds and close the gap between our ancestors and the ancestors and descendants of the First Nations of North America.
Oak, of course, with its noble spirit, longevity (long enough to see the great flow of the river of time and events), and strength, is a perfect friend in this way.
Oak trees can indeed be great friends. Many of us will have fond memories of collecting acorns and scarlet and russet oak leaves in the autumns of our childhoods. You may have climbed an oak, built a tree fort in one, or picnicked in its shade on a hot July afternoon.
A Guided Journey to Meet the Dryad, a Gift
In Greek, drys means "oak," thus, a dryad is the tree nymph of the Oak, or more generally, the spirit within a tree. Dryads are typically considered timid creatures except around the goddess Artemis, who was known to be a friend to most nymphs.
In Celtic lore, each oak tree is a veritable metropolis of fairies, and each acorn has its own sprite. However, the oak spirit is distinct from fairies and may become very angry if trees are felled, or wildlife is harmed.
The Oak Mother's Celtic name is Duir. As mentioned, it means door, and the word druid is derived from it.
I'm including a guided journey that will lead you through your inner landscape to meet the Dryad. Please create a receptive atmosphere for this guided journey by sitting beneath an oak tree or holding oak leaves or acorns in your hand if possible. You'll need about thirty minutes in a comfortable, quiet place where you won't be interrupted.
During this guided inner journey, you will seek the Dryad's help understanding your key to intuitive self-knowledge.
Guided Journey to Meet the Dryad
You may want to journal or create art to explore further what you experienced during the guided journey.
What knew intuitively gained knowledge, did you receive during the guided journey?
How does this new knowledge expand and deepen your self-knowledge about who you are and what you have to offer yourself, your family, your friends, and the world?
Much of what I shared today is modified from a course I taught in 2021 called Forest Sage Training - Develop Your Intuition Using Tree Wisdom. If you took that course and would like to share your experience in the comments, that would be lovely.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the Oak and how it serves you as an ally and friend in pursuing deep self-knowledge and intuitive knowing.
What did you experience during the journey to meet the dryad? Let's share our stories in the comments. This is a safe and welcoming space for sharing soul work and inner explorations.
Thank you for subscribing to Hedge Mystic. Your presence and participation are appreciated, and you are loved.
Resources
Oracle decks referenced in the photo:
The Celtic Tree Oracle: a system of Divination by Liz and Colin Murray, illustrated by Vanessa Card
Website, The Druids Garden from Dana O’Driscoll quoted above.
The White Goddess, a Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth by Robert Graves
If you enjoyed this post, you will also love:
You can find all of my published posts about Nature here or by clicking on the nature tab in the navigation bar or the Nature section on the home page.
I finally took a quiet moment to take this journey to the Grandmother Oak and to meet her Dryad spirit within her. My companions fox, the small earth snake and cat traveled with me staying close to me the whole way. I greeted Grandmother and respectfully asked if I might meet her Dryad.
The Dryad was gentle and kind. She imparted the wisdom and strength of the Grandmother Oak to me, telling me that it is important to stay deeply rooted within the Mother. From her I get nourishment and strength. From the Great Oak I learn to stand strong, spreading my branches to the sky feeling the life energies around me. From her I learn to be quiet and patient; to have grace. She told me that the key has always been there for me as it is within me that I will find it. She said that it comes from the Mother, the Divine I carry and have always carried within myself. I gifted the Grandmother with a beautiful crystal and an offering of milk poured at her roots to thank her before my return to self.
Thank you Jan for this powerful and revealing journey. Blessings to you.💚
Thank y