June 11th, 2012

It came to my attention last night at about 10:30 that yesterday was the beginning of the Celtic Tree Month of Oak. For whatever reason, I was thinking that was next weekend. As such, I shall do my little spiel today, yes?
The Oak month is Duir in Celtic, and may have meant "door". Many scholars theorize that Duir was the root word of Druid. The Oak is a tree or shrub in the Quercus genus, and has about 600 different species. Oak is native to the northern hemisphere, and can be deciduous or evergreen, ranging from temperate climates to tropical. The flowers are catkins, and the fruit is the omnipresent acorn, also known as a cupule.
In Greek mythos, the oak is Zeus' sacred tree, and at his oracle in Dodona, an ancient oak forms the temple's central structure. The priests of Zeus would interpret the god's word by listening to the rustling of the oak's leaves. In Baltic mythology, that is, the myths of the Lithuanian region, the Oak is sacred to Perkons, god of thunder, like Zeus to the Greeks. Even the Celts followed the relation to thunder - Taranus, the thunder god, was associated with the tree. The Norse continued the association: Thor's tree was the Oak. Some scholars speculate that this was because the Oak is the largest tree native to Europe, and therefore was most frequently struck by lightning. Regardless, the Oak has a strong connection to the weather, particularly storms.
In magick, the Oak is an extremely versatile wood. It can be used in spells for strength, prosperity, good fortune, fertility, money, and success. According to legend, catching a falling Oak leaf before it touches the ground ensures good health in the coming year. Also, and acorn carried in the pocket will bring success to a business meeting. The ashes from a burned piece of Oak will protect one against lightning and fire, although on the other hand, Oak could be used to draw a storm during drought. The burning of the leaves has a purifying effect, and can be used as an alternative to incense. Oak is also closely tied to masculinity, making it a traditional wood for carving masculine tools: the athame, staff, etc.
*A note to the wise: Oak, like other trees, is said to be the home of the Fey. Oak is a powerful and sacred tree, so any wood, leaves, etc. taken from a tree must be repaid with a sacrifice of some kind. Water and/or natural fertilizer is a good place to start, but tokens such as hair, stones, etc. are also acceptable.
Acorns make excellent snacks, although other parts of the tree are less edible. The White Oak in particular provides acorns that may be sweet enough to be eaten raw. (The White Oak can be identified by the rounded edges of the leaves.) However, the acorns can also be boiled or roasted, then dried. As such, the acorn can be eaten like a nut, dipped in syrup to make candy, or ground into flour. Acorns contain natural, healthy fats, and are rich in protein.