This month has seen the culmination of many years work for me, with the release of my latest book 'Celtic Tree Magic- ogham lore and druid mysteries.' ( Published by Llewellyn worldwide).

My spiritual journey began well over 20 years ago now, with the trees. The trees were where I felt my connection to the divine, where I felt a connection to spirit the most strongly.  It's still true for me today. My magical training began with herbs and tree lore, and I quickly understood that the trees were powerful, graceful spirits, which a host of healing qualities, magical attributes as well as tales and lore that preserves the Celtic druidry and wisdom of my ancestors. In the Celtic lands, they are some of our most potent 'power plants' our most trusted spiritual allies.

The ogham is an ancient linear script, a set of sigils, carved vertically along the edge of a standing stone,  and later in early medieval manuscripts which recorded our earlier oral lore. There are many families of ogham, relating to fingers on the hand, types of bird, and others, but the one we know the most of is the tree ogham, where each sigil represents a tree or plant. These in turn are like puzzle boxes, that when understood, unlock a vast depository of knowledge and magical power. Taken in sequence they provide a system of magical and spiritual training unlike any other, as well as  a complete set of sigils for use in healing, spell work and divination.

My love of tree magic has grown over many years, and just like the growth of a tree,  my understanding of the ogham developed steadily until one day a few years ago when my sense of it broke through onto another level, rather like the sudden blossom in spring- and  'Celtic Tree Magic'  was born. Suddenly I could feel the whole system of the ogham as one complete thing, as a never ending but complete journey in and of itself...the words seemed to spill upon the page, taking root and shooting into life as if the god Ogma     (after which the ogham is named) were whispering the words into my ear...in fact I rather think he was!

So this month, I make a toast to Ogma Sunface, otherwise known as Ogmios the god of eloquence! Honour and praise to him, and much gratitude...another prayer and toast to the trees....may their roots grow ever deeper and their branches high! And finally a prayer and blessing to us all, may we never forget out green kin and learn from their wisdom! Blessed be!