Ogham Tuesday: Oak

Oak is one of those trees of legend, you know? With more than 500 varieties across the Northern Hemisphere, both deciduous and evergreen, it looms large on the landscape and in our imaginations. Oak is a keystone species that supports the whole forest, including 960 kinds of caterpillars!

Humans harvest oak timber for construction and furniture-making, acorns for their tannic acid content, and cork from its inner bark. Despite its ability to thrive in climates from near-desert to subtropical rainforests, nearly a third of oak species are threatened by extinction due to climate change, invasive pests, and habitat loss.

Oak trees are often large and slow-growing, reaching a height of more than 145 feet in a lifespan of 600+ years. The Wi'aaSal tree, which lives on the reservation of the Pechanga Band of Indians, California, is at least 1,000 years old, and might be as much as 2,000 years old.

With that kind of presence, it’s no wonder that Oak demands our attention in a reading. It represents steadiness, patience, strength, and stability. I tend to associate it with masculine, supportive energy. 

Keywords include: Strength, masculinity, support, foundation, establishment, solid, blocked, heavy, stability, earth, defender, endurance, practicality, legend, emphasis, sustainable

Guidance might be: 

• Look for support in this situation. You deserve allies and aid. 

• Patience might be your least favorite virtue, but building [this] is just going to take time, and that’s okay.

• A direct and steadfast approach will help you overcome obstacles and avoid entanglements.

Cautions and questions might be:

• What is the source of your strength? Are your roots firmly established to support the heights you’re aiming for?

• Have you already seen this pattern in the past? What lessons can you apply today?

• How does this situation fit into the cycles of growth and dormancy, of domination and extinction?

What connections do you see? 

Blessings,

Nicole

~ Nicole (Nikki, sometimes Saffron Hare) is founder and general manager at Nine Fires Press. Her Druidic practice has included solitary, small-group, and congregational worship, with a focus on liturgy and seership. She is studying for her Master Gardener certification, rehabbing an underground home in the Midwestern US, and loves to fall in love with bad ideas.