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Post by artanaro on Dec 6, 2005 15:40:53 GMT -5
Here goes the information from various cultures on the Fir tree. Also put results of communications with trees and shamanic journeys here.
QUENYA = aiqaire or aicassë
SINDARIN = thôn
The same words were utilized for both Fir and pine trees, at least according to the wordlists that we have today of the Elven tongues....
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Post by artanaro on Dec 19, 2005 16:12:22 GMT -5
The Fir tree according to Norse Runic Lore:
"The Fir tree (Abies grandis) is a slender and lofty conifer. Since it thrives in mountainous regions and high places, it is shamanically associated with clear air. It was the original Christmas tree of ancient times and was danced around during Yule-time to evoke tree spirits to impart their gifts. So it is an expression of joy and of WYNJA.
The Fir is the Plant Kingdom's equivalent of the Eagle, and is associated with being rooted to the Earth whilst also seeing distant horizons. Runic shamans considered it to be the protector of distant vision, which helped one to become intuitive of the likely outcome of present and intended actions, and also to broaden ones perspective.
The energies of the Fir tree and its associated Rune can help you to value what you are feeling inside and to trust this inner nature as a means of understanding your own spirituality. The presence of a Fir tree and the carrying of the Rune WYNJA can help you to release emotions that you may be blocking and that are causing rigidity. The Fir and WYNJA help you to let go - to let be and find satisfaction."
from Rune Power by Kenneth Meadows
Artanaro
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Post by artanaro on Dec 20, 2005 11:22:40 GMT -5
The word Fir is a collective noun for various types of pine trees....The only reason I have created two threads with Pine and Fir seperately is because of the differing Norse Runic associations with two different species of the pine tree, so I will post much the same info in both threads for convenience purposes during study... Pine Botanical Name Family Pinaceae Pinus species -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Common Names Scotch Pine, Dwarf-Pine, White Pine, Pine Oils, Pix Liquida, Pumilio Pine, Scotch Fir, Stockhom Tar, Swiss Mountain Pine Spanish: Ocote, Trementina de Piñon, Aguarrás Nahuatl: Ocotl, Oxitl, Ocotzotl, Ocoxóchitl -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cautions Do not use if prone to allergic reactions. Do not take internally if suffering from bronchial asthma or whooping cough. Take essential oil only under professional guidance. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description Native to the mountainous regions of the world, the pine is still widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It is a coniferous tree, growing to 150 feet with reddish-brown bark, fine linear needle-like leaves, yellowish buds in winter, and oval to conical-shaped cones. The leaves are gathered in summer, while the stems are harvested only when the tree is felled. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- History Ancient Mexicans used pine resin to make ointments. According to the Aztec Herbal, compiled in 1552, a recipe using pine needles and flowers in a liquor was placed in the armpits of the sick in order to remove the "evil smell". The same book also mentions a recipe for an enema to alleviate dysentery. Several species of the pine that grow in North America have long been used by Native Americans for their lumber, bark, needles, cones, and seeds. However, it is the white or soft pine (P. strobus) that appeared to be especially beneficial. The Chippewa treated cuts and wounds by making a decoction of the trunk bark, then combining it with the inner bark of the wild cherry and wild plum. Other tribes used compresses of pine to treat burns and other injuries. Teas were made from the needles. Pine is still a favourite added to disinfectants and other household cleaners. The distilled resin produces turpentine. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Actions antiseptic anti-inflammatory diuretic expectorant -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key Components volatile oil (mainly pinene, limonene) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Medicinal Parts Resin, bark, needles, branches, stems, seeds, essential oil -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Traditional Uses In Mexico, the resin, called trementina or aquarrás, is used to make a liniment for arthritis and rheumatism. It is also taken internally in small doses for dry mouth, dry and sore throat, and bronchitis. Pine needles are brewed to make an expectorant tea. They also have an antiseptic effect within the respiratory tract, making it useful for colds and bronchitis. The seeds yield an essential oil with diuretic and respiratory-stimulating qualities. It is used for asthma, respiratory infections, bronchiti,s and tuberculosis. It is also used for digestive disorders and bladder infections. A decoction of the seeds may be applied to suppress excessive girl thingyl discharge. From www.innvista.com/health/herbs/pine.htmArtanaro |
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Post by artanaro on Dec 20, 2005 12:05:09 GMT -5
Celtic Ogham Lore concerning the pine :
Celtic Name = Ailm
Letter = A
Sound = 'aah'
Word Ogham of Morainn mac Moin
Pine is the loudest of groanings,
for it is ailm or 'a a' a man says
while groaning in disease,
or wondering, marvelling
at whatever circumstances.
Word Ogam of Cu Chulainn
Pine equals beginning of a weaver's beam or of calling, ahh.
Word Ogham of Oengus
Pine equals beginning of answers
"Physical Level
This magnificent tree can grow to 120 feet, and is a very impressive sight, especially if there are several trees growing together. Its bark is divided into distinct halves, with the lower trunk being covered in a reddish-brown, deeply fissured bark, while the upper trunk is a brighter red with a much smoother surface. Being a pine tree, it is an evergreen, and does not have leaves as much as thin needles that grow in twisted pairs. The fruit of the tree is the pine cone, which eventually opens and releases the winged seeds. Scots Pines can have cones on each branch, covering a three-year period, with new buds forming on the branch tips, and the previous years' cones slightly farther down the branch.
A tea made from the fresh shoots , if boiled gently and allowed to cool, is a good protection against urinary, kidney, and bladder infections. It is also a cure for scurvy, an illness rarely found these days. The tea also makes a soothing and refreshing bath, and can ease aching joints and limbs if gently massaged into them. An inhalation of the hot vapors is good for clearing blocked noses and sinuses.
Mental Level
The description in the Word Ogham of Morainn, "the loudest of groanings...what a man says while groaning in disease or wonder." and the reference in the Word Ogham of Oengus to "beginning of answers" are all based on a principle that still applies today. The sound of the letter A, "aah", can express both amazement and wonder, as well as the experience of reaching the solution to a problem. At the other end of the scale, it can be a cry or groan indicating physical or mental pain. It is, in a sense, the opposite ends of the range of human endurance or experience. You can be in the highest ecstasies of spiritual revelation and realization, crying "aah" in divine wonder, or you can be in the depths of illness and injury, crying "aah" in agony or discomfort. The sound itself changes little, but the way in which it is uttered changes markedly, and leaves no doubt in the listener's mind as to which state the crier is in.
Just as the expression "aah" must be spoken in the correct tones to indicate in what sense it is to be understood, or must be written in a context, we must see what other tree or trees the pine is connected with in various circumstances to recognize the sense in which it means to be understood - spiritual ecstasy or physical and mental agony.
A vowel on its own means little. Its sense and pronunciation change, depending upon the other letters beside which it is placed. It is entirely dependent upon other letters for its existence and meaning. The tree letter, likewise, can only be understood in conjunction with other trees; and , of course, the other trees can be slightly changed in meaning by joining them to a vowel tree. You have to learn what each tree means on its own, and also how these meanings shift and change as they are linked to to other trees. This is the same process we go through when learning to read and write. We begin with the alphabet, and then go on to learn how to put together the letters to produce words that are more meaningful than the sum total of their individual parts. We soon realize that, although there are rules as to which letter can or cannot go with that other letter, the possible combinations are endless. So it is with learning and understanding the Tree Ogham. Once you have learned the full meaning of the Tree Ogham, you must carry on with your studies and Otherworld workings to make up your own tree words and sentences, and to be able to read the tree words of others.
Serious consideration of the way the same sound means different things when differently inflected is one way to understand the deeper aspects of the fir. This multiple aspect is reflected in the Green World in the more than two hundred different varieties of the pine tree, all of which are basically the same thing, but all of which manifest physically in recognizably different forms.
Otherworld journeys are another means to experiment, visualizing different trees at different times of the year. Stand close to a pine or fir and contemplate how the various connections feel to you and what , if anything, happens during the Working as a result of this. Some of these results will be ecstatic, some will be painful; but you must know them to be able to work with them at a later date.
Spiritual Level
The Old Irish name for the fir, Ailm, comes from a root that can mean "that which goes forward" and also "will or desire". This sums up the purpose of the mental-level exercise for this letter. It is making you break new ground, to go forth, and using your will, to experiment in new areas and see your results. This is the "beginning of the weaver's beam" referred to in the Word Ogham of Cuchulainn. The weaver's beam is a kenning for a spear which symbolizes the will of the magician. On a spiritual level, you can take this a step further and contemplate the braoder issues involved in what happens when you place one thing next to another thing.
Consider this idea with people, including yourself. Try to see how you relate to being placed next to someone you particularly dislike, someone you love, someone you do not know very well, someone you like but who does not like you, and so on. Build a picture of just how interrelated and interdependent we are. The same thing occurs in the forest. All the trees in the forest are interdependent. Whether or not they are of the same species, or are compatible with each other, they comprise a seperate entity with a life and vitality of its own, that is the forest.
The pine or fir, is the first tree encountered that, on the surface, seems vague and hard to define on the mental and spirtual levels. This does not mean it is unknowable; it will just take time. Steady work on this tree, especially at the spiritual level, will bear fruite, and will help broaden your understanding of the Tree Ogham as a whole. One day you will find yourself saying, "aah!" in sudden comprehension.
At these lofty levels in our progression through the Tree Ogham, you are beginning to be presented with abstract concepts. You will find that your ordinary mental-level logic, the part of you that controls most of your ideas and decisions, becomes useless. If you try to approach these vowel trees froma purely logical point of view, you will only baffle yourself further. What you must learn to do is listen to your intuition, the deeper, inner, more spiritual part of yourself, which you , more often than not, completely ignore. Intuition only takes over your consciousness in times of danger, when you do not have time to think of solutions, but must simply respond. With training, you will learn to call upon this instinctive part of yourself to help you in any given situation, not just one of immediate danger "
From Celtic Tree Mysteries by Steve Blamires.
Lots of good info.. The Celts were very in tune with the trees, and you may find that their view bears more similarity than difference to the Elven views and conceptions. There was less stress on the medicinal functions of the trees, since the Elves did not fall prey to disease. The only times herbalism was used was to help the healing of wounds.
Enjoy
Artanaro
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Post by artanaro on Dec 24, 2005 8:39:32 GMT -5
Here is something Ravenwolf wrote concerning the coniferous trees that is very interesting : "It is scientific that coniferous trees have negative ionization around them and negative ionization is conducive to increased alpha wave activity in the brain & meditation. "Brainwaves "Negative ions promote alpha brain waves and increase brain waves amplitude, which translates to a higher awareness level. Those ion-induced alpha waves spread from the occipital areas to the parietal and temporal and even reach the frontal lobes, spreading evenly across the right and left brain hemispheres. All of this creates an overall clear and calming effect [increases hemispheric communication], benefiting meditation and concentration." pages.prodigy.net/unohu/ions.htm#Types " Namarie Artanaro |
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