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Holly
Keywords
Courage, Death, Divinity, Guidance, Healing, Intelligence, Luck,
Protection, Rebirth, Unity
Historical
Background and Folklore
Holly was considered so powerful that it was paired with oak as
one of the two most powerful trees. While the year is divided by
months and seasons, it is also split in two (light half and dark
half) with oak and holly each reigning over a half. Holly is the
guardian of the waning year and begins his reign as the wheel of
the year turns just after the Summer Solstice and we head toward
shorter days and darkness. At Winter Solstice the old king dies
and the young one, oak personifying the New Year, takes over symbolizing
the succession of father to son, and the passage from death to rebirth.
It is considered the male counterpart to female ivy. Even though
the Yule festival greens are traditionally burned at Imbolg (symbolically
breaking the bonds of winter) a small sprig of holly is kept for
luck throughout the year. |
Holly berries were used for divination to predict the winter weather.
A profusion of berries meant that it would be a hard winter because
the Goddess was providing for the birds with a good crop of berries.
A small number of berries meant that the weather would be mild enough
for birds to find food elsewhere.
Associations
Elements: air, earth, fire
Energy: masculine
Goddesses: Danu, Gaia, Holle
Gods: Ares/Aries, Dagda, Frey, Lugh, Saturn, Tyr
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Other
Beings/Characters: archangel Gabriel, angels, elves, faeries, unicorns
Zodiac: Aries
Celestial Bodies: Earth, Mars
Colors: dark red, gray green
Gemstones: carnelian, fire agate, ruby
Ogham Character: Tinne – Letter: T
Rune Character: Man/Mannaz – Letter: M
Dates: July 8 -August 4 (Celtic tree calendar); December 17
Bach Flower Remedy: hatred, envy and jealousy
Miscellaneous: attract good luck; hearth and home; east; sabbats:
Yule/Winter Solstice, Litha/Summer Solstice
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© Llewellyn - Whispers from the Woods
For more information, refer to the full text in Whispers from
the Woods.
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