Trees
At Carmarthen in Wales the remains of Merlin's sacred oak still stand at the middle of a busy crossroads, a sad reminder of Merlin's prophecy that when the oak no longer stands Carmarthen too will fall. At allouville in Normandy a shrine is accomodated in a sacred oak tree. It was once the custom, at the winter solstice, to make a "Wishing Tree" or "Kissing Tree" - a bough of evergreens decorated with fruits and ribbons - the forerunner of the modern mistletoe bough. At Cabanas de Tavira in the Algarve, Portugal there is a curious tree among the sand dunes which has many shoes hung from it's branches. Coins may be hammered deep into the tree trunk, or pieces of cloth tied to the branches - as is the custom at certain holy well sites, just as many old public houses have coins slipped into splits in exposed beams, as at the Punch Bowl at Askham, near Penrith in Cumbria. In some areas apple trees are "Wassailed". Wassail traditions vary, but often a piece of toast that has been soaked in the Wassail "cup" or "bowl" (usually a hot cider punch) is placed in the tree to ensure a good crop of fruit in coming season. It is then the custom to make a great noise to ward off evil spirits - this may be done by banging saucepans together, or by shooting rifles over the trees. A "Wish Tree" near Ardmaddy House in Argyle, Scotland is a Hawthorn whose trunk and branches are covered with coins that have been pushed into the wood. According to tradition a wish will be granted for each of the coins. An oak" Wish Tree" is also covered with coins on the island of St Maol Rubha / St Maree in Loch Maree, Gairloch in the scottish Highlands. Votive offerings are also left at the nearby holy well of St Maree. Close to the Tin Hau Temple in Lam Tsu, Hong Kong the Lam Tsuen wishing trees are two banyan trees which are visited at the Chinese
New year. The original custom was to burn joss sticks and throw into the trees an orange which had been wrapped in special paper on
which was written the wish. It was believed that if the paper lodged in the tree that the wish would be granted. In hindu mythology the
name for the banyan tree translates as "the wish-fulfilling tree".
For if we are conscious of atmosphere we may make every journey soulful - no matter what our destination. Resources:
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