Summer Solstice Blessings

Story telling special

Story Special- A recitation of the story of Fionn MacCuaill.

Please find below a gift to you all, a story which brings the blessing of the restoration of the spirit of the land, wishing you a blessed week.

Fionn does not eat of the salmon of the knowledge for himself but for all peoples and for the land, sea and sky.

Walk with Trees offers a tremendous body of lore for all our readers including many freely available plant and tree lore resources on our website ( www.walkwithtrees.com) In the spirit of the ‘gift economy’ your subscription enables us to continue our work and make it available to all. The LIVE groups are only available to paid subscribers but are also gifted to those who are unable to pay if you contact me.

I am especially in gratitude to the work of Caitlín Matthews and John Matthews whose research and incredible trainings have helped me grow in confidence in my own work and tradition. It is very exciting they are both on Substack, please use links above to enjoy the wonderful gifts that they offer.

HOLLY- Restoring the Spirit of the Land

Holegn ( Anglo-saxon)-  Holin (middle English to become Holm/Hulver) -Hussetum (medieval Latin) 
Celynen( Welsh) 

A third of a wheel is holly for it is one of three timbers of the chariot wheel. 
Third of a wheel. 
A third of weapons, an iron bar. 
Fires of coal. 

Book of Ballymote 1391 

Now it's time to leave the protection of the oak and move forward to the holly grove. This progression happens at every summer solstice as the sun reaches its peak. In the same way that the Oak giant fights the Holly giant and wins at the winter solstice, this fight also happens at the summer Solstice when the holly wins and becomes the King of the waning year. 

It may feel strange to think of the waning year at the height of mid-summer but as you will probably be aware the days are now becoming shorter. However, we mustn’t feel dismayed at this prospect for we are yet to bring in the main crops and there is plenty of time to enjoy warmer days. 

Holly is the perfect tree to take us through the second half of the year as its broad evergreen leaves and hard timber offer much shelter. The first of the kennings listed above from the book of Ballymote point to the fact it was traditionally used to make chariot wheels. If we imagine the role of the wheel and its importance in human development especially in terms of transport and trade, we begin to see why the holly invites us to move on in life. 
 
The ‘third’ is mentioned several times in the kennings above which indicates we are entering into more subtle realms as three in Irish lore is a very sacred number and represents the in-between state, the subtle reality which permeates all creation. As we walk upon the earth there is an unseen reality, an energy that moves through all things which can be accessed when we connect deeply to nature. This true state within us contains boundless joy and enables us to access a steady place of courage even in challenging times.   
 
Holly is a widespread tree but is less common in Eastern England and East Scotland.  Holly is considered to be bad luck to cut although this has not stopped it being used. The wood can be sanded to a beautiful white finish and is hard, strong and durable making it ideal for cogs used in machinery. The close-grained wood is ideal for carving and turnery. Its wood also makes good charcoal. Spears and chariot shafts were also made from holly, its foliage has been used for fodder for both sheep and deer. 
 
 Holly is an important tree, a specialty of the British Isles, an example of an evergreen broad-leaved tree rare outside of Britain, just like the strawberry tree is in South-West Ireland. This inevitably means ancient holly sites must be protected. Holly woods include sites in Epping, the New Forest, Sherrard’s Park Wood and the grandest stand is in Staverton Park. 
 
 Holly thrives in the west usually on acid soils, although as with many native species there are exceptions. Holly will both cast and tolerate shade. It is one of the few species which has actually profited from woodcutting rights that were terminated in 1878 due to its shade tolerance. Holly regeneration is increasing as grazing declines. Holly has a poor flora but can be rich in bryophytes (mosses and liverworts). It also provides shelter and food for mammals and birds as well as providing nectar for insects. 

Holly speaks of tenacity, a refusal to give up and its evergreen leaves lift one’s spirits and shelter the fairies and elves. It is said it is safe to bring holly foliage into the house at the time of the Winter Solstice (21st/22nd December) as the nature spirits are not going to harm you provided, they are removed by Imbolc 
(1st February). 
 
In some parts of Europe holly is known as ‘Christ’s thorn’ as the thorny leaves and its red berries represent the suffering of Christ and the passion of his message. 
 
The Green Knight from the Arthurian tales has a holly club and perhaps represents the challenging holly giant spoken of above. Nad Crantail, a famous warrior of Irish stories carried nine holly spears charred and sharpened as did Mannanan Mac lir, the son of the sea. 

The weaving sisters who reside at the base of the Tree of Life in Norse Mythology are said to use holly spindles to weave the threads of life that govern our destiny. 
 
The twelfth night is known as ‘Holy night’ and it may well have originally been ‘Holly night’ when the strongman of the village carried a heavy holly branch through the streets as part of a procession on this night. Holly in folklore is considered to be a guardian against evil spirits, poisons, short-tempered angry elementals, thunder and lightning. 
 
The Ogham name Tinne means a link as in a chain or a bridge but to where? Maybe the Other-world, as the kennings already discussed for this tree point to the otherworldly character of the Holly Ogham.  

Medicinally Holly leaves can be used to induce a sweat and therefore rid the body of poisons and fevers. The berries are a purgative and if dried and powdered can help relieve diarrhoea and heavy menstrual flow. 
I do not recommend you use the Holly as a herb!

Holly connects us to the untamed aspects of  woodlands, although an important native tree it does not encourage a diverse flora and biodiverse woodland structure.
Holly’s foliage is dark and spiky, its wood heavy and hard and its temperament is of longevity, the slow heartbeat of Nature’s turning cycle into the dark part of the year.

The Celtic twilight and the mysteries of the ‘third’ are not caught up in the religious fervour or ecstasy in union with something greater than ourselves but in the slow painful conception of a darker aspect to life which when it is not denied leads to a peace that is steady, strong and constant. 

It lies not on the sunlit hill  
Nor on the sunlit plain:  
Nor ever on any running stream  
Nor on the unclouded main—  

But sometimes, through the Soul of Man,
Slow moving o’er his pain,  
The moonlight of a perfect peace  
Floods heart and brain. 

William Sharp 

It may be our uncertainty of vast wild areas that especially led to the destruction of the Wild Wood landscape and if only we could:- 

Let children walk with nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life, and that the grave has no victory, for it never fights.

John Muir 

Restoring the Spirit of the Land

In the shade of the holly we meet the wild animals that guide us into the soul of the land. Our meditation takes us to the shade of the holly tree to meet an animal form of our sacred landscape to know how we can restore the spirit of the land:

Animal spirits can be associated with the land for instance the South Downs where I live has a white horse as its spirit animal and on the physical I have been lucky enough to be approached by a white stag where I was working on the Downs.

Thank you for all your support and I hope you have enjoyed this article.