Celtic Tree Calendar

The Celtic Tree Calendar is a lunar calendar of 364 days that has 13 months of 28 days each. It is contrary to our normal, i.e., Christian, western or Gregorian calendar in which the year has 365 days and that follows the solar cycle, i.e., the theory of the earth revolving around the sun and hence the respective calculation of number of days in each month. December 23 is the traditional day of the proverbial "Year and a Day" according to the earliest courts of law which is not ruled by any tree. In Celtic tree calendar each month is named for a tree which signifies particular qualities of the moon during that cycle.

Theory Behind Celtic Tree Calendar System

There is a very interesting theory behind the Celtic tree calendar which gives us a glimpse of Celtic culture. This calendar theory has its origin based in the historical poetry and some cite the 50BC Coligny calendar. The Druids believed that trees are the ancestors of the human race. There is a lot of debate whether this is an authentic calendar or not. The calculation of lunar cycle itself is variable in nature and hence, the Gregorian followers stick to the fixed dates of a calendar which starts from one and follows the sequential manner till 30 or 31, February being an exception of 28 or 29 depending on the leap year.

The Celtic tree calendar follows the theory of ancient Celtic alphabets. Celtic languages are one of the Indo-European languages. So the Celtic tree calendar theory is that every letter of the Celtic alphabet stands for a particular tree. As mentioned above the magicians believed that each tree that is associated with the Celtic tree calendar possesses magical qualities. They encoded these mysteries in a secret shamanic alphabet which is an anthropological term that is associated with the beliefs and practices of shaman, regarding communication with the spiritual world. The alphabet is known as the Ogham which stems from the Celtic God of poetry, Ogma.

Just like the zodiac signs or sun signs associate certain animal qualities to humans born in different months, the Celtic tree calendar too associates certain qualities replaced with the trees. The names of trees are as given in the following table. The names in bracket are the druid's alphabets also known as the Ogham, which is a picture or glyph.

Trees of Celtic Tree Calendar
Birch (Beth)	December 24 - January 20
Rowan (Luis)	January 21 - February 17
Ash (Nion)	February 18 - March 17
Alder (Fearn)	March 18 - April 14
Willow (Saille)	April 15 - May 12
Hawthorn (Huath)	May 13 - June 9
Oak (Duir)	June 10 - July 7
Holly (Tinne)	July 8 - August 4
Hazel (Coll)	August 5 - September 1
Vine (Muin)	September 2 - September 29
Ivy (Gort)	September 30 - October 27
Reed (Ngetal)	October 28 - November 24
Elder (Ruis)	November 25 - December 22

Celtic Tree Details

The Celtic tree of life symbolizes the following magical qualities and factors that the magicians believed to be true and rule the months denoted by each tree. The following table will give you the details associated with the trees.

Celtic Trees Description
Gaelic Name	Lunar Trees	Tree Of	Class	Color	Alphabet	Meaning
Beth	Birch	Summer Solstice	Peasant	White	B	Renovation.
Luis	Rowan	Spring / Autumn	Peasant	Gray / Red	L	Hold on your life and immune against influence.
Nion	Ash	Spring / Autumn	Chieftain	Grass Green	N	Will be tied down with events.
Fearn	Alder		Chieftain	Crimson	F, V	Spiritual intervention in making decisions.
Saille	Willow	Summer and Winter	Peasant	Bright Color	S	Stability in life.
Huath	Hawthorn	Spring / Autumn	Peasant	Purple	H	Being held back for a period of time.
Duir	Oak	Spring Equinox	Chieftain	Black / Dark Brown	D	Will be endowed with strength and security.
Tinne	Holly		Peasant	Dark Gray	T	Intervention of divine guidance and energy.
Coll	Hazel	Spring / Autumn	Chieftain	Brown	C, K	Creative energies for work or projects.
Muin	Vine		Chieftain	Variegated	M	Relax and wait for the inner change.
Gort	Ivy		Chieftain	Sky Blue	G	Patience and introspection needed to deal with problems.
Ngetal	Reed		Shrub	Grass Green	N, G	Family bonding and trust.
Ruis	Elder		Shrub	Red	R	Culmination of problems.

Celtic Tree Months

The following descriptions will give the Celtic tree of life meanings with respect to what the Ogham alphabet is deciphered as. Every glyph is a verse from the ancient scriptures that is the basis of the whole Celtic tree calendar system. The description also includes the Celtic gods and goddesses that are linked with each of the thirteen months and the individual tree of life meanings. Many of the Celtic tree of life tattoos are based on these following mystical deductions of the ancient times. The descriptions also give you the individuals' traits who are born in these lunar months.

Beth / Birch "I am a Stag of Seven Tines" or "I am an ox of seven fights"- This is what the glyph says about the alphabet 'beth' which is pronounced as 'beh.' Birch is famous as the hardest of the deciduous trees and in the Celtic tree calendar system, it is known as the midnight sun and the tree of light. The God associated with this month is called 'Taliesin,' who is the son of lunar goddess Ceridwen. And the animal linked with this month is the white stag. This moon sign, which is associated with inception and beginning, indicates beginning, inner strength, purity and fertility. People born in this month are reliable for people whom they love, are vivacious, elegant, genuine, imaginative and satisfied. Whip made out of this wood were used by the druids to punish the evil spirits. Magical properties of this plant makes it useful for enchanting lovers and warding off evil. Back to Months Luis / Rowan "I am a Wide Flood on a Plain"- This is what the glyph says about the alphabet 'luis' which is pronounced as 'loush.' And this month is associated with the Celtic goddess of 'fire,' 'Bride' and the green dragon as for the animal. People under this moon sign, which is associated with vision, spirit and travel, are highly intuitive in nature and use this quality for enchanting and protecting their loved ones. Born under this sign also gives them a natural flair to control their senses and the will power against being swayed or fall for tricks. These people are also come across as brave and bold. Back to Months Nion / Ash "I am a Wind on a Deep Lake"- This is what the glyph depicts about the consonant 'nion' which is pronounced as 'knee-un.' This Celtic god and animal associated with this month are 'Gwydion' and adder, respectively. People born under this moon sign, which is associated with water, are compassionate in nature. This is what makes them believe in cosmology and the ideology that whatever you give to the universe the universe gives it back to you. Back to Months Fearn / Alder "I am a Tear the Sun lets fall"- This is what the glyph depicts about the consonant 'fearn' which is pronounced as 'fairin.' Bran and bear, are the Celtic god and animal associated with this tree, respectively. He is the raven god. People born under this moon sign, which indicates, utility, efficacy and self guidance, are courageous and have a flair for arguing convincingly. This makes them little susceptible to being self obsessed and often miss out to notice and acknowledge something good in others. Back to Months Saille / Willow "I am a Hawk on a Cliff"- This is what the glyph translates about the consonant 'saille' which is pronounced as 'sahl-yeh.' The Celtic goddess and animal associated with this month are the lunar goddess, 'Cerridwen' and hare, respectively. This moon sign, which indicates balance is also called the 'Witch's Moon'. People born under this sign are instinctive as well as quick to react. They rely and follow their intuitions rather than analyzing and thinking over the matter. These people also tend to be moody. Back to Months Huath / Hawthorn "I am Fair among Flowers"- This is what the glyph translates about the consonant 'huath' which is pronounced as 'hoh-uh.' Olwyn and owl are Mythological character and animal associated with this month. This moon signs, which indicates restrain and hindrance is also called the Summer Moon. People born under this sign though patient with all conventional processes in life, be it in any sphere of life, are not averse to 'change.' In fact, they hold change as an important factor in all arenas. Back to Months Duir / Oak "I am a God who sets the Head afire with Smoke"- This is the translation of the Ogham consonant 'duir.' A warrior, the Dagda, is the God of Oak tree that is linked with this month along with the white horse as one of the animals. The oak tree is known for individuality and strength. This moon sign, which indicates strength, security is also called the Bear's Moon. People born under this moon sign are highly integrated and endurance power. Back to Months Tinne / Holly "I am a Battle-Waging Spear"- This is the translation of the Ogham consonant 'tinne' which is pronounced as 'chihnn-uh.' 'Danu' is the goddess associated with this month and holy animal being the unicorn. This moon sign indicates encirclement and polarity. People born under this moon sign are physically strong and very practical. Their generous nature is what makes them admirable. Back to Months Coll / Hazel "I am a Salmon in a Pool"- This is what the Ogham consonant 'coll' means. This moon sign symbolizes the Crone moon and is also called the 'Moon of the Wise.' Oghma, who is also the god of writing and eloquence is the deity that rules in this month and salmon is the animal linked to the month of coll. People with this moon sign are characterized by wisdom and have good communication skills that is influential in nature. Back to Months Muin / Vine "I am a Hill of Poetry"- This is the meaning of the glyph, 'muin.' This moon sign indicates celebration. 'Branwen,' who happens to be the sister of 'Bran' is the deity and the white swan is the animal linked to this month. People born under this moon sign possess good socializing skills and can handle and stabilize any situation that goes wrong when in a group. They have a very receptive mind and often follow their instincts. Back to Months Gort / Ivy "I am a Ruthless Boar"- This is the meaning of the glyph, 'gort' which is pronounced as 'go-ert.' This moon sign is a symbol of buoyancy and resilience. 'Epona' and boar are the goddess and animal, respectively, that are associated with this month. Characteristics like sincerely pursuing personal goals and for personal causes are found in these people which they can utilize productively. Back to Months Ngetal / Reed "I am a Threatening Noise from the Sea"- This is what is deciphered from the Ogham glyph consonant 'ngetal' which is pronounced as 'nyettle.' This moon sign symbolizes home and manifestation of truth. It is also called the 'Winter Moon' and the 'Hearth Moon.' Red-eared white dogs are the ominous animals linked with this month since they bring the news of death. Believers of this calendar have different opinions and options for the deity that rules this month. They are 'Arawn' or 'Breton.' Characteristics like being secretive about their abilities and motivating factors are found in people born under this moon sign. However they are not an expert in using these powers carefully hence need to be careful. Back to Months Ruis / Elder "I am a Wave of the Sea"- This is the meaning of the glyph 'ruis' which is pronounced as 'roo-esh.' This moon sign is associated with completeness. This particular tree was used for exorcism, bringing prosperity, banishment and healing as it has related magical powers. 'Cailleach' and the raven is the holy figure and animal, respectively, associated with this month. People born under this moon sign are very adjusting and hence are able to live under any conditions. They love variety and keep trying new things. That is why they also manage to create many memories. Back to Months

There are some websites that will give you the Celtic Tree Calendar 2010 along with the special daily features like any other calendar based on religions. But this article sure gives you the personal characteristics of people born under the thirteen different moon (tree) signs. So this was all about the Celtic tree calendar and hope it enlightened you and provided you interesting facts about the same.