Oak Moon
June 10th - July 7th

The Oak the seventh month of the Celtic Moon is a time for action. At the height of Midsummer this is the perfect time to cast spells that encourage growth in all things. Magic at this time should concentrate on areas of life that fall under many auspices, such as health, success, prosperity and blessings. The longest day of the year and the shortest nightfall, known as the Summer Solstice, fall under this month.

Oak trees are a type of deciduous tree. These are broad-leaved trees that shed all their leaves during one season. Forests which are primarily composed of deciduous trees are called deciduous forests. The oak tree is a member of the Beech family and its scientific name is Quercus or Lithocarpus. The best type of soil for a healthy and nutritious growth of deciduous trees is referred to as podzol (also spelled podsol). Oak trees can live 200 or more years.

The Oak will take 70 - 80 years before it begins to produce acorns. By then the trunk will be about 20 inches in diameter, but this will still be a young tree in the life of an Oak. It can reach impressive heights of 30m and is believed to be able to live for as long as two millennia. After it has reached 100 years, it will only increase its girth by about 2.5cms a year. Old trees can reach an exceptional girth, some individuals have a circumference of 12 metres. Oaks are magnificent shade trees. The large spreading branches produce substantial domed crowns, sometimes resulting in the trees being wider than they are tall. They have distinctive leaf and growth forms. The leaves generally make their first appearance towards the end of April. The fruits are acorns, which are highly attractive to wildlife. The bark is grey and fissured, often covered with various lichens.

This extremely hard dense wood is highly prized as a building material and firewood. Until men devised iron cutting tools, the Oak resisted all attempts to fell it. After this, ironically, Oak became the main wood for making the charcoal needed for the furnaces which separated iron from its ore. It later became the main construction material for houses, churches and ships as it was strong and durable and its twisted branches provided the right shapes needed. Oaks are hardwood trees, the wood is now commonly used in furniture and flooring. In Elizabethan times, a law had to be passed, protecting the Oak, to give the tree a chance to re-establish itself as so much of the great oak forests had been felled for building materials and fuel.

Common causes of oak tree deaths is beetles, fungi, and bad weather also fire. The Oak disease, that is killing oaks in America at the present time, is caused by a recently named fungal organism called Phytophthora ramorum. It also attacks a dozen other tree and plant species, including rhododendron, huckleberry, honeysuckle, coffeeberry, manzanita, buckeye, big leaf maple, bay laurel, evergreen, and madrone. The pathogen is thought to be of the same genus responsible for the Irish potato famine in the mid 1800s, and that there is no natural resistance to the pathogen.

It is believed that the word 'Druid' derives from the Latin 'dru' meaning 'oak', combined with the Indo-Europena 'vid', meaning 'to know'. Thus 'dru-vid' means 'oak knowledge'. 'Duir' the druid name for oak, also means 'door' suggesting that the tree is a doorway to knowledge. Oak is often associated with the summer solstice. It represents strength, endurance, fortitude, fatherhood, the God and loyalty. The oak tree is also the “door” between the light and dark halves of the year. The oaken doorway is a gateway to the Otherworld. The oak was sacred to the Druids because of its tendency to attract lightening, survive the lightening strikes, and regenerate afterwards. It is also symbolic of male potency in the form of mistletoe. Even in the dormancy of winter, this new life sprouts from its branches with berries of white that symbolise the semen of the Lord of the Forest. The Druids made a distilled water from the flower buds to cleanse the internal body. They also collected the water found in the hollows of the trunk and used this ritually to cleanse the external body in time for the midsummer festival. It is a very magick thing to find a pool of water hidden within the boughs of the tree, and to know that this pure rainwater has been soaking up all the herbal and spiritual properties of the Oak. It is worth returning to the tree with a jar to collect the water in.

The Druids and Romans believed that the parasitic mistletoe growing around the boughs of the oak tree could be used as a powerful charm. The Celtic King of the trees is associated with and host to the Celtic King of the birds, the wren. This tiny and unassuming bird acquired the title of king of the skies by challenging and beating the eagle in a race.

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At the height of Midsummer, the Celtic Moon month of Oak is the perfect time to cast spells that encourage growth in all things. Use the power of the Oak Moon to renew your commitment to your deities and spiritual path. For this ritual, you will need three acorns and six candles. Under the moonlight, charge the acorns to represent your body, mind and spirit. Light each candle to represent the six remaining moons of the lunar year call out to your deities and rededicate yourself to them and their service. Ask for the strength you need to continue on their path throughout this year, or to change the direction of your path to correct an error in your ways. Bury the acorns to symbolise the planting of your rediscovered commitment. Planting an acorn in the dark of the moon ensures that you shall receive money in the near future. Carrying an acorn increases fertility and strengthens sexual potency. Carrying a piece of Oak draws good luck.

Oak People are responsible, self motivated, determined and enthusiastic. They are natural leaders, who remain calm in a crisis and are not easily swayed. Their greatest personal asset is a sense of optimism and the ability to speak the truth no matter what the consequences may be. A lack of discretion can, however, be their weak point. If you were born under this sign, you have the strength of character and purpose to endure it, no matter what your challenges.

Oak Tree Fact File

Scientific name: Quercus robur
Height: Reaches heights above 30m
Wood: The bark of young oaks is smooth, but becomes gnarled with age.
Leaves: Large, bluntly lobed deciduous leaves
Flowers: Catkins: the male and female flowers grow on the same tree. The female flowers are hard to distinguish as they grow in between the young leaves, while the male flowers grow in a small greenish bunches.
Fruit: Distinctly stalked acorns and acorn cups.
Distribution: Ireland, UK, Europe, western Asia and North America.

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