The Willow Tree Lunation

The Willow Tree Lunation

On April 15th we entered the Celtic Lunar month of the Willow Tree which lasts until May 12th. The Ogham for the Willow is Saille and the Celtic symbol for this tree month is the sea serpent. To specify, the Willow is in between the zodiac degrees of 24° and zero minutes of Aries to 20° in 59 minutes of Taurus. The Moon is the ruling planet and this time is associated with the Lunar Goddesses (Celtic) Cerridwen, Morrigan, and Morgan Le Fae; as well as Hekate and Artemis, Lunar Goddesses. 

One of the great celebrations during the time of the Willow is that it contains the great fire festival of Beltane, which is the beginning of the light half of the year. Beltane is a great celebration of life, in particular fertility. The Sun God is growing brighter each day and Mother Earth is warming and awakening, welcoming life once more. 

It seems very appropriate that at this time of celebrating life becoming, the Willow is associated with death. Even in the ancient pharaohs tombs you can see willow leaves painted on the walls. What I find interesting is that the Israelite's decorate their grand with willow during their Feast of the Tabernacle. Robert Graves wrote in “his book King Jesus “ the Old Testament teaching states no man can at the same time love God as he demands to be loved and woman as she demands to be loved, he must choose between the eternal father of the fishtailed Queen of Heaven”. and what’s even stranger is that Mary Magdalene has been associated with the willow tree as well; and we do know how one of the myths of Jesus ended. Since it is said the Yeshua (Jesus) studied with the Druids, is this further demonstration of the old ways playing out?

The willow tree is connected to the Lunar Goddess, considered to be a tree of enchantment, like the ash, it is sacred to the Goddess and all of the death aspects of the Triple Fold Goddess. 

An interesting myth that I love is the one of the Tuatha de Danann. It is stated that it was on Beltane that the Tuatha landed in Ireland out of a cloud of mist. To represent their commitment to stay [forever],  they set their ships a flame as a sign of staying. It is said that those that are born within the month of the willow tree are said to be under the influence of the Irish Goddess Dana.

The Willow is associated with creation myths, especially to the Druids and their Creatrix Cerridwen. 

The triple aspect of Hecate is very prevalent to the willow, because of the different aspects she represents. You see Hecate represents the aspect of death and initiation, which is very prevalent in many ancient, spiritual traditions and mystery schools.

This Beltane, we will be having a full moon in Scorpio, which is normal for this type of year, lunar eclipse which isn’t that normal. While calendar wise, we celebrate Beltane on April 30 to May 1, the exact astrological timing for Beltane will be on May 5 because that is when the sun will be at 15° of Taurus. That is sad the druids believe that when this happens, it represents both conception and death; a primeval replay of spiritual forces regenerating in the Universe. 

The Mysteries of life; sex, life,death, and rebirth. 

The Celtic sea serpent is a representation of the moon, and it is there to remind us of the control that the moon has over the oceans here on earth. It is said that this is the time that the Moon Goddess will confront the solar heroes to remind them of their inevitable faith. Just as the Morrigan appeared before Cuchulain to remind his fate. 

This year Beltane will represent that deep dive into the primordial waters of creation. 

While the Goddess is immortal, the Sun God reminds us of our mortality. Her appearance reminds us to remember who we are, and it can be a very humbling realization - one that we must all live.  

This Moon of Enchantment will give us a reality that we need. With a stellarium in Taurus and  lady Luna in Scorpio, it  will unveil those structures that are trying to gain or have gained too much power that is not for the good of all, especially regarding things that are shared with others. 

The next Lunar cycle we enter, after the Willow, is the Hawthorne tree whose symbol is the chalice which is also a symbol of the Holy Grail. The God associated with the Hawthorne is Vulcan who was the custodian of the “celestial fire” that is believed to direct the higher powers of the mind. 

This Moon of Enchantment, I feel, will unveil the needless stuff that we hold onto that can keep us from our spiritual journey. Things, places, people, our attachments can hold us back from our soul's journey. We can get sidetracked and distracted and then entangled into karmic energies that are there to challenge us to move forward to our highest good. This is the Journey of the Hero (or Fool as it’s known nowadays). After the purification and initiation of the Beltane, Willow Tree, Scorpio full moon lunar eclipse, we are passed to the Smith-God to further mold us on our quest. 

In a booklet by Carl W. Stahl describes Vulcan (according to the ancients) as a fiery, combustible, explosive, and ethereal planet. Ptolemy states that when a planet is combust (conjunct the sun) it impregnates the Sun with its power - good or bad. 

So after the completion of the full moon, we are met with the innovation of the Hawthorn tree which will help us make our way to creating the un-manifest into the physical. Our new moon in May, the 19th at 11:53 am eastern time to be exact, will take place in the lunar month of the Hawthorn tree. 

This Scorpio full moon lunar eclipse is taking us to the Underworld initiation process, its time to cut away what is draining and no longer needed to make room for creation, and new energy to enter. The paradox is that there is nothing new under the sun, so we are being alchemists, changing and transforming the old into something new. 

A note here, the Celtic Smith-God equivalent to Vulcan is Irish Danaan Govannan. 

Celestial blessings,

Sirona Rose

References: Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race; The Mabinogion; Celtic Astrology