Rowan: The Tree Of Life

Search for the Tree Of Life.

Legends tell of the first people coming to Ireland approaching from the west searching for the "Tree of Life" said to be west of the lands. In Tuatha De Dannan times the Rowan is said to have been sacred to the goddess Morrigan and then onto her daughter Brighid during Celtic times. The Tuatha De Dannan are said to have burned Rowan during any threat of conflict to call upon the protection of Morrigan.

There is an ancient story that was passed on from the Chaldeans that tells of the zodiac being of 10 signs. When the Tree of Life grew it split up the signs that are now Virgo and Scorpio and the Libra sign was the tree of life. In ancient times the tree of life was of the T shape cross with 5 apples, as shown on some of Ireland's high crosses and possibly on the many ancient tree cross gravestones in ancient Irish cemeteries. Not that there are 5 signs after Libra before the zodiac restarts at Aries.

Was the Tree of Life really a Rowan Tree, though apple trees, especially crabapple trees are also "trees of protection". When the Rowan blossoms have fallen in mid June the trees appear to be full of forming crab apples so its easy to understand people thinking these are apple trees. They are both in the same botanical family. The Rowan blossom also provides a scent of strong apple blossom.

The mystery of Ceis Corran mountain, Co. Sligo

If the gaelic Ceis Corran is pronounced Kesh Corran is has an odd meaning of of "willow road of Corran", Corran being a legendary Tuatha De Dannan harper, but there is no evidence of a willow road here.

I live below Ceis Corran and local people pronounce the mountain differently to sound like "kaysh koaran" which gives it an entirely different meaning. "Ceis" becomes a blending of two words meaning "a woman carrying life" and "Corran" appears to be the shortening of "Caorann", a spelling that fits more into how the locals pronounce this, and this means "of the Rowan".

Put together we could make a sentence saying "a woman of the rowan carrying life" or, more harshly, "a pregnant woman of the Rowan". On top of Ceis Corran mountain, or should we now say Ceis Caorann, is Morrigan's cairn and this mountain becomes symbolic of the goddess Morrigan about to give birth to Brighid. Her cairn is in alignment to the Samhain and Imbolc sunrises from Lambay volcanic island, Tara, and Ward's Hill (Tlachta). With its Keash Caves opening at one end and two small hills like breasts with additional cairns appearing like nipples on the other end folklore calls this mountain the "womb of Ireland". Was it also home of the "Tree of Life"

On a beautiful sunny Samhain day, just passed, Claire and I climbed Ceis Corran to remind ourselves of the view, peace and warmth of the site. It was as well we did because the standing stone, known as the Pinnacle, had fallen so with the help of the compass resurrected it. Morrigan's cairn is the highest cairn in Co. Sligo, even higher than Maeve's cairn on Knocknarea.

The spirit of the Rowan

Another point of interest I discovered was the changing name of "Caorann" that became "Caorthann", Caorthinn, Caorthy, Carthy and MacCarthy meanin "son of the Rowan".

In Scandinavia it seems the spirit of the Rowan was revered as more abundant at Yule time. At midwinter the Rowan bears no leaves and the hard frost twinkles on it like stars. The Scandinavians also linked the Rowan tree to the goddess and their goddess was of the moon. At Yule they dressed the top of the Rowan trees with full or crescent moons to honour her. This was the ancient origin of the Christmas trees today, a symbol of protection and bringing light and life back to earth.

Some folklore says that Morrigan gave birth to twins, Brighid and Brigantes, while other legends say the two names are of the same spirit. Brighid remained in Bréifne while Brigantes made her home in Yorkshire, England and her name evolved into Britannia, the goddess of Britain today. In both Bréifne and Yorkshire Brighid and Brigantes were both weavers as well as poets and healers. Bréifne and Yorkshire became important regions for weaving industries where Rowan wood was and still is used for the manufacture of spindles and spinning wheels.

It appears that Rowan twigs formed the first sign of the cross, not the vertical-horizontal crucifix cross but the "X marks the spot" cross. This was due to Rowan being the earliest known divining tools for underground water. When the Rowan twigs crossed it indicated the life of crossing waters were below and the marking of sacred places. Earliest below ground burials were of the passed person's skull and Rowan twigs forming an "X" below, these being the earliest origin of the "skull and crossbones" symbol. This seems to be a tradition that started where Jordan is today and arrived with the Tuatha De Dannan in Bréifne. It was believed that the presence of Rowan at death prevented the body's "ghost" from wandering off before passing to the "otherworld".

The healing from the Rowan

Due to the strong acids of the berries that are harmful to digest there's been little use of them for healing. Cooking does release the acid and Rowan jelly is prepared as a condiment for meat but any healing benefits of this are unknown. Tuatha De Dannan folklore tells of the "salmon of knowledge" being a red spotted salmon with red spots caused by eating Rowan berries so "wise men" are said to have become wise by eating these salmon but do salmon eat fallen Rowan berries?

The healing from Rowan comes from the scent of its blossoms. Sitting and meditating beside a Rowan tree flowering in late May and June truly opens the mind and allows wisdom and inspiration to flow like no other essence. This experience truly makes this the "Tree Of Life". Stress and tension melt away to be replaced by inspiration, purpose and a full energy of life. The book of Ballymote, written just a couple of miles away from Ceis Caorran, has references to the scent of rowan opening the "poetical delights of the eye". Is this the "third eye"

Folklore also speaks of meditating and praying at a Rowan tree by water calls on the spirit of Brighid to guide you. Similar is said of picking a few berries at the end of summer, throwing them into a well, pond, stream or river will call Brighid's hand to you for healing, guidance and new wisdom.

The song of the Rowan

From our land we will be making Rowan plants available as part of our series of "trees of protection" that we will encourage you to obtain and plant at sacred places that may be decaying away such as crumbling cairns and disappearing wells. The planting of Rowans at these enhances protection and enhances bird song. Folklore tells of planted Rowan trees taming the chaos creating fire of dragons who would coil up around the Rowan tree and their stillness restored the balance and flow of nature

Though we are unable to digest Rowan berries from the tree they are a valuable food for birds. It is said the food of Rowan berries enhances the song of songbirds like blackbirds, thrushes, robins and finches. Recent science has indicated that the sound vibrations of birdsong in spring enhances the growth of surrounding vegetation. The sweeter and more abundant the birdsong is in Spring the higher the yield of the surrounding flora.

From Samhain until Imbolc Brighid is said to be present as healer, protector and nursing mother of the infant new year. When she leaves at the time of the swans and new birth its as if her spirit of protection, nurturing and health continues through the rowan along with the rose, hawthorn and apple.feeding the birds who's song welcomes the maturing of new life.

I'll have some photos and books to add to this article shortly
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The Torch Stone of Loughcrew

Lighting The Stone

November the 6th, 2006, and I witnessed the most perfect sunrise phenomena that can be seen at any of Ireland's megalithic temples. That was the sunrise lighting of the Torch Stone of Loughcrew.

About Loughcrew

Loughcrew is the current name given for a range of 4 hills in County Meath, near Oldcastle and not far, north west, from Kells. It may seem strange for a bunch of hills to have Lough, meaning lake, as part of their name. This is because its name comes from nearby Lough Creeve and somehow the townlands around Lough Creeve became known as Loughcrew. Creeve is derived from the name given to a sacred tree by the lake where season rites were performed.

The hills on the Loughcrew lands have been named in the past as "Tri Choiscéim na Caillighe" that translates as "three footsteps of the hag", Later they became known as the "Calliagh Steppes" and then the "Witches Hops". Three of the hills then became known as Carn Beg and Carn Mor with Loar in the middle.

I mentioned there are 4 hills. Legend tells of the goddess Cailleach Bhérra creating the cairns on the three hills with herself being buried at the 4th hill, now known as Patrickstown Hill. Carn Beg and Carn Mor are now Carnbane West and Carnbane East while Loar is now known as the Red Hill.

About the Torch Stone

Cairn T on Carnbane East is quite well known for its equinox sunrises lighting up the cairn's backstone of ancient sun images plus Carnbane East is well signposted and is a popular visiting place all year round and popular for summer picnics.

Carnbane West is less known due to the signs being taken down and some complexities that I will not feature in this article. However, its Carnbane West that is hosts to Cairn L This five chambered cairn is the home of a mysterious free standing quartz stone. Beside this stone is a huge stone basin, a huge ballaun stone, with many holes where chalk balls once sat to be involved in some kind of ritual or rite.

At Samhain and Imbolc, at the sunrise of the cross quarter days, that are centre of Equinox and Solstice, casts a shadow that darkens all around while it lights up the top of the quartz standing stone

Male or Female?

Some say that Carnbane East with the Hag's Chair and Cairn like an entry into a womb is a feminine energy hill while Carnbane east with its phallic standing torch stone creating life for the year ahead is of male energy. Interesting thought. My own reasoning is different but the symbolism for the different energies is there.

Being present at its lighting

I arrived at 6:45 am, in good time for the 7:33 am rising. Skies were clear but I could feel a fog rising. A barrier of hazy cloud started to rise from the horizon, which commonly blocks out Loughcrew sunrises. 7:15 the first of the advance red glows of the sun appear but a black cloud forms on the peak of the Red Hill right above Carrigbrack Cairn and the mist was rising furiously to form a fog.

The sun rises at this time from behind Lambay Volcano Island in the Irish Sea, over Tara Hill and Kells to rise above the Carrigbrack to shine on the Cairn L stone, the Pinnacle Stone of Morrigan's Cairn on Keash Corran and the peak of Maeve's Cairn on Knocknarea.

7:30 and it seems the black cloud was set to block the event, but a sudden miracle stepped the cloud aside, the landscape around darkened, and the torch stone lit celestially for about 4 minutes.

Well protected

After its spectacular curtain raiser the sun stepped aside from glowing the stone to passing its light onto the stone basin. Unfortunately, that part I could not witness. Cairn L is secured by a thick steel railing gate with a very heavy lock. Getting into Cairn T is simple, just pop down to Loughcrew House and pick up the key, in exchange for €50 deposit.

For Cairn L, with the Torch Stone, a kind of essay has to be written to the Office Of Public Works in Dublin explaining why you want entry. That takes 2 to 3 months to sort out and then you pick up the key from their office in Trim about 40 km away. Considering there is no way of knowing if and when there with be a clear sunrise at Samhain or Imbolc its an arrangement that's a bit tricky.

I had to take photos and video by poking my lenses through the railings, but am very happy with what I caught, that I would like to share with you now.

If you click on any of the thumbnails below you can visit my selected gallery story of this phenomena. The video will follow as soon as I can.

dark stone before sunrise

sun is rising, stone is glowing

a few minutes of glow

above, sun that lights the stone and, left, is an indent image of the sun and the light moves from the stone

sun risen, and now the fog lifts

A wonderful easy read illustrated guide to Calendars, Sundials, and Stone Chambers of Ancient Ireland by Martin Brennan. The most comprehensive collection of Irish megalithic art ever published You can read more about, and order, The Stones Of Time from these links ... USA Canada UK/Ireland

quartz standing stone is the pillar on the left and cairn entrance is from the right