Keywords
Birth, Connections, Enchantment, Fertility, Flexibility, Healing, Intuition, Knowledge, Protection, Relationships, Wishes

Historical Background and Folklore
Willow has been used as a symbol of forsaken love. By wearing a sprig of willow one could subtly share their heartache with others (or at least gain sympathy). It has a long association with dispelling sadness and darkness. Roman burial sites were planted with willows, and in Victorian England and America the willow was a popular motif for gravestones. It seems obvious that it could have been popular because of the “weeping” drape of branches, however, sitting under or near a willow tree helps to calm one’s energy.
It is an important tree for maintaining healthy riverbanks by circumventing erosion. Willow is connected with the moon and moon goddesses because it is a tree that loves water and all waters are controlled by Luna.

Gods: Arawen, Belenus, Loki, Mercury, Orpheus, Poseiden, Zeus
Other Beings/Characters: archangel Zadkiel, faeries, Gwion/Taliesin, Morgan le Fay
Zodiac: Capricorn, Pisces
Celestial Bodies: Moon, Venus
Color: gray
Gemstones: opal, pearl, moonstone
Ogham Character: Saille – Letter: S
Rune Character: Lagu – Letter: L
Dates: April 15 - May 12 (Celtic tree calendar); March 1 - 10 and September 3 - 12
Bach Flower Remedy: self-pity and resentment
Miscellaneous: contact with faeries and earth elementals; aids when learning to trust your intuition; death; sabbats: Beltane, Samhain; Celtic peasant/common tree

© Llewellyn - Whispers from the Woods

For more information, refer to the full text in Whispers from the Woods.