Ogham Tuesday: Witch Hazel/Eamhancholl

“Magic is afoot!” says Witch Hazel, which is fun to say when I see it in a reading.

Witch Hazel is a generous, multi-trunk shrub, unusual for its colorful, citrus-scented flowers in late fall and even into winter. The leaves are reddish when they emerge in spring, then golden in the autumn. It’s a very low-maintenance plant that’s resistant to most pests and diseases. Witch Hazel extract, an astringent, is a time-tested remedy with medicinal and cosmetic properties. That quality makes it easy to remember the ogham’s correspondences with purity and clarification. 

It’s a valuable source of late-season nectar for pollinators. And I think it’s pretty cool that Witch Hazel fruit doesn’t ripen before autumn the following year, just as the shrub begins to bloom again. Seed capsules burst with an audible cracking sound and spread as far as 30-40 feet from the plant. With all these unusual characteristics, it’s easy to see why Witch Hazel, sometimes called “Winterbloom,” stands out as magical. 

Much like Rowan speaks to protection from magical or unseen forces, Witch Hazel acknowledges the work of the unseen. Maybe it’s simply something out of my control, or something operating under the surface. Like the weather – it can exist, but I can't assume it’s about me all the time. 

Beyond that, Witch Hazel also addresses the construct of magic itself, the purposeful wielding of will, and how our magical work mirrors our ordinary perspective. That’s pretty esoteric, I know. This is an omen of magic AT WORK, so it’s important to make space for those mysteries to operate. If that’s what seems to be happening in your reading, I’d suggest pulling another ogham or two to determine whether there’s something specific you need to DO. Usually, the message is to stay out of magic’s way. 

Keywords include: magic, knowledge, mystery, hidden, weave, manifest, endeavor, process, procrastination, pattern, exert, construct, clarify, mirror, wielding

Guidance might include:

• Consider the potential of giving your ambitions another season (or two) to ripen. 

• Look for something standing out in what you’d previously considered a (metaphorically) dormant landscape.

• Give some attention to how you might be imposing your will on a situation, and try to judge whether that’s useful or detrimental. 

Questions or cautions might include:

• What clarity can you extract from this situation?

• Can you embrace an opportunity to blossom, even if it doesn’t seem like the “right” season?

• Where do you make the distinction between magic and a process that’s simply not fully understood? 

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.

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