Michael’s Druid Tree Sign: Hazel

Tree: Hazel

Ogham Letter: Coll

Ruling Deity: Fionn mac Cumhaill

Druic Animal: The Salmon

Keywords: Intelligent, Strong-willed, Perceptive, Idealistic


Hazels and filberts are small deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Corylus. These members of the birch family usually have multiple stems and are best known for their delicious, edible nuts. The branches of the hazel are tough and supple. They bear large, oval leaves with toothed edges that grow on alternate sides of the stalk and turn yellow in autumn. The bark of the tree is grayish-brown with raised scaly patches. The timber is tough but very flexible. Freshly cut hazel wood is white but darkens to a pale reddish-brown.

Hazels are moderately shade tolerant and grow best in non-acid, well-drained soil. They are often found as understory plants in oak and ash woodlands. The Common Hazel or Irish Coll, Corylus avellana, is found everywhere in the British Isles, and is the species of hazel most often associated with the Druids. Hazels have been growing in Ireland since just after the Ice Age. Coll is Irish for hazel, and it is also the name of the letter C in the Ogham alphabet.

Fragments of hazel nuts were found at the archaeological site of Mount Sandel, in County Derry, where Stone Age hunter-gatherers lived more than 8,500 years ago. Hazel leaves and nuts have also been found in early British burial mounds such as the one at Ashill, in Norfolk, England. In Celtic lore, the nut is a symbol of concentrated wisdom, and Robert Graves refers to the hazel tree as “the tree of wisdom.” After the oak, the hazel is generally considered to be the second most important tree in the Beth-Luis-Nion calendar, and at one time the felling of either tree was punishable by death.

Nine hazel trees are said to hang over the Well of Wisdom, also known as the Well of Sagais and Conla’s Well, that stands at the heart of the Celtic Otherworld. The sacred trees drop their nuts into the well, where they are eaten by the Salmon of Knowledge and Inspiration. Those who eat the salmon gain prophetic and poetic powers. In legend and folklore the hazel tree is often found at the border between the worlds, where magical things are said to happen. Even today, dowsers will use forked branches made of hazel wood when searching for underground water.

The Irish hero Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn mac Cool) was the leader of the elite warrior band known as the Fianna. Selected for their valor and bound by strict rules of honor, the Fianna were pledged to fight for the high king against foreign invaders. Born after the death of his father, Cumhaill (Hazel) Fionn was destined to become the greatest leader of the legendary band. He was reared by two Druid women and given excellent training in the ways of the warrior. Originally called Deimne, he grew into a handsome, fair-haired young man who was fair in manner as well as looks, so his name was changed to Fionn, which means “fair.”

After ousting his father’s killer, Goll, from leadership of the Fianna, the young hero took possession of a treasure bag made of craneskin that had once belonged to his father, Cumhaill. The bag was full of magical items, including a spear, a helmet, and a white hazel shield. The original owners of the bag were the sea god Manannan mac Lir and Lugh of the Long Hand, the god of the sun. Fionn went to study poetry with the bard Finnegas, who lived by the river Boyne. For seven years Finnegas had been watching the river for the speckled salmon of knowledge.

At last the fish arrived and the old man was able to catch it. Rejoicing, Finnegas gave the fish to Fionn and asked him to cook it, but warned him not to eat any of it. Fionn did as he was told, but while he was roasting the fish he noticed a blister appearing on the skin. He put his thumb on the blister to break it, and it got burnt. Without thinking Fionn thrust his thumb into his mouth to cool it, and in a similar incident to that of Taliesin tasting the contents of Cerridwen’s cauldron, he acquired the gifts of knowledge, wisdom and prophecy.

In Celtic tradition, the salmon is looked upon as the oldest and wisest of all the animals, and both Irish and Welsh folktales abound with stories of the salmon as master of wisdom and river magic. The mighty Salmon of Llyn Llyw (Lake of the Leader) was so old and powerful that he was able to reach a truce with the second oldest animal, the Eagle of Gwernabwy, who first attacked the venerable salmon, but later agreed to remove 50 fish spears from its back. During Culhwch’s search for Olwen, it was the Salmon of Llyn Llyw that carried King Arthur’s knights on his shoulders to Gloucester, where they found the imprisoned Mabon, the divine child of Celtic mythology.

The salmon’s mythological status among the British and Irish Celts is rather difficult for modern scholars to understand. Perhaps it relates to the fish’s size and beauty, or to its amazing capacity for swimming upstream, leaping waterfalls, and passing between salt and fresh water, feats that the ancient Druids may have equated with the ability to pass between the worlds. No matter what the reason, the salmon occupies a unique position in the magical history of the British Isles, and as Lewis Spence points out in his book, The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain, “Druids and magicians sought anxiously for the Eo Feasa, the Salmon of Knowledge, in the hope of partaking of its flesh and thus acquiring universal wisdom.”

The hazel is called the tree that wants to be first because it is the first to flower in the spring; like the hazel, those born under its influence want to be first. Although strong and resolute on the inside, they hide their determination under a great deal of charm and charisma. Reliable, well-organized, and excellent planners, most Hazels are endowed with the will power to finish whatever they start. Generally gifted with artistic and creative ability and a decided flair for the dramatic, they have the personal potential to succeed where others might fail. Basically loyal, noble, and trustworthy, those born under the tree sign Hazel don’t like having their honesty questioned or their dignity undermined.

If caught in a questionable situation they are likely to dig in their heels and respond in an angry or aggressive manner. Sometimes Hazels’ behavior comes off as superior or pompous, yet at other times they may appear nervous and plagued by self-doubt. When they lose self-confidence, Hazels generally turn to other people for the encouragement and reassurance that they need to help bolster their flagging egos. Still, the noble Hazel is enterprising enough to be deemed a man of action. Deep down he sees himself as the “star of the show,” and he brings that star quality to everything he does. Conscientious, hard working, and service oriented, Hazel is concerned with the welfare of others, and he won’t ask anyone to do anything he’s not willing to do himself.

With his excellent organizational skills, talent for coping in a crisis, and tremendous creative potential, the typical Hazel could be successful in virtually any career or profession. However, while his faith in himself is not open to question, he generally has less confidence in his ability to manage others and get them to see things his way. Those born under this sign have a flair and a great sense of style that can make them trendsetters. Hazel’s personal taste runs the gamut from flamboyant to conservative, and he is usually willing to try any new fashion idea that makes sense to him. Although he can err on the side of caution in his approach to changing trends, he has an innate understanding of what is worth keeping from the past and what needs to be discarded.

Typically, Hazel’s wardrobe is elegant and well coordinated, and his attention to even the smallest detail of style and color serves to increase his sartorial splendor. In matters of the heart, Hazel is warm and caring, but his desire for perfection often undermines his personal relationships. If you are an individual who is intimately involved with someone born under this sign, you need to realize that everything he does is with the best of intentions. He is sensitive and certainly doesn’t mean to hurt your feelings, even when his habit of nitpicking drives you straight up the wall.

Actually, Hazel requires a good deal of emotional pampering, and if they get the devotion, attention, and appreciation they desire, they are much less inclined to find fault with others. Mentally alert and intelligent, with a healer’s touch and a fine eye and ear for detail, Hazel would make an excellent teacher, scientist, nutritionist, doctor, or veterinarian. Although on bad days, Hazel may come across as a fussy, pedantic know-it-all, all he really wants is a chance to help others, especially children, animals, and those who can’t help themselves.

Hazels tend to be extremely health conscious and overly concerned with their physical condition and the possibility of contracting some sort of illness or disease. However, many of Hazel’s seemingly physical problems are actually the result of the type of nervous tension that comes from worrying too much and over-analyzing everything and everyone. Given their sensitive natures and delicate digestive systems, Hazels could be allergic to many of the drugs and medications that are routinely prescribed by medical doctors. Next time Hazel is feeling ill or out of sorts, they might want to try a healing bath. At the very least it will help them to relax and release some of their stress and anxiety.

Tools

1 cup Himalayan Pink Salt
9 drops lavender oil
Silver or white candle
Candleholder
Matches or lighter

Healing Bath

Light the candle. Clean the tub and fill it with very warm water. Put the salt into the water and add the lavender oil. Step into the tub and immerse yourself in the water. Lie back and relax. As you relax, feel the warm water surrounding you with its healing energy. Imagine that the water is cleansing you of unpleasantness, discomfort, and disease. Tell yourself that any sickness that is in your body, or your mind, is flowing out of you and into the water. When you feel that the time is right, pull the plug and allow all the water to drain out of the tub. While it is draining tell yourself that you are now completely healthy and free of all illness. When the tub is completely drained, stand up, turn on the tap and splash your body with fresh water, or take a shower to remove all vestiges of the salt water. Step out of the tub. Pat yourself dry with a clean towel and extinguish the candle.