[pagan-magik] Re: pagan-magik Digest, Vol 1, Issue 8 (Ash lore)

[Steve (Dionysian Underground)]

Subject: Re: ash trees
From:    anarchofun23 at riseup.net
Date:    Fri, November 12, 2004 7:46 am
To:      pagan_magik at lists.activix.com
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Lilith wrote:

>could you mail this to the list? its not getting
thru.

Done

> oh i forgot to mention as well, that a possible link
for you in the
north to do an ashera working would be to get a hold
of some ash wood,
which i found in some obscure refrence in keneth
grant's "nightside of
eden" (pg 99)is linked to ashera (hebrew form of
ishtar),she being a
symbol of the feminine tree of life. this can be used
in an anscestral
working as well (family tree ), and as the entrance to
the abyss thru 
the
yoni on the other side of the tree. this can coincide
nicely with your
northern roots, since the ash is supposedly the
yggdrasil world tree of
nordic cosmology.
>

Notes on Ash (from when I adopted the nom de plume :)
)

Ash = Ash Tree, the World Tree or Cosmic Axis in
Nordic and Celtic traditions. Because it has the
deepest roots (which are both highly poisoness to
neighbouring plants, making it sometimes stand alone,
but very healing to humans) and was tall with very
thick, strong branches, it was said to a tree of life
and death, which linked the underworld and the earth
and support the heavens, it also had a special
connection to the gods (the Ash was held to be a good
conductor of magical energy, and 'divine' lightning,
as it was often being struck in storms). Its leaves,
particularly when even, were lucky and a symbol of
balence.

Odin hung from an Ash tree to recieve the Runes. The
As rune was the Ash symbol and it also associated with
the power of the Aesir. Odin also made his magic spear
from it, which had the power to destroy or create (and
had phallic associations). And it was associated by
Saxons with the Ashwood used to make spears, their
main weopen, initially due to the strong but flexible
wood of its branches used in staves, sword handles
were also later made from it, thus Ashman meant
warrior in Anglo-Saxon poetry. 

The Nordic Adam, Askr, was also created from an 
Ashen tree (Eve was an Elm!) in the image of the gods.
It was everywhere associated with creative power and
birth. It was the only wood that burnt easily when
live, and so the fire tree, and its smoke and sap
incense ritually welcomed the new born into the world.
But its bud forms the lunar cresent so it has older
watery and goddess connections, and the witches broom
was traditionally made from it, as was the spiral wand
of Saxon cunningmen and wizards. 

The Druids also made wands and staves from it. And in
Celtic tradition it was associated with the magician
Gwidion, as well as the function of gaining power,
creating and become individual. In contrast however it
was also a goddess tree, and its 'keys' or 'winged
fruits' were regarded as messages from her. In total
it was the tree that balenced opposites (life - death,
male - female, heaven - hell, war - peace, self -
community) and through which all things were
interconnected.

Romany Gypsies held it to be particularly magical and
placed it over the main door of their caravans as 
magical protection against the evil eye. Like the
Celts and Saxons they also thought it repelled
poisoness snakes and demons.

In Jewish lore the Ash tree is said to be associated
with the Goddess Asherah, consort of El, and possibly
also with the tribe of Asher, said to be devoted to
her.

Of course in English Ash also means burnt residue and
so has destructive connotations, as well as links to
death (ashes to ashes), but eqaully is associated with
fertilty as are all burnt remains, such as soot.
So even here symbolises the balence and cycle of life
and death and life emerging from death. The phoenix
also rises from the ashes of its former self and so
the image relates to reincarnation too.

     

>by the way- while waiting for my flight i browsed
thru the most curious
book in the bestseller crime section of the airport
book shop , called 
the
"hiram key ", it sounds pretty dodgy- written by two
alledged top
freemason geezers linking jesus , qumeran  and some
church in scotland
ext, but interestingly enough it has alot of stuff on
the amen cult,
photos of a castrated mummy who was buried alive, and
pictures of the
skull and bones on a black death shroud which
supposedly (according to
them,)the top grade mason encounters on remergance
from some mock death
rite ,or something of the sort. it also claimed that
the templars used
>that as their battle flag.

Yes I've read it, historically very dodgy, but
contains some genuine info of interest. The Hiram
mummy is pretty spurious I think, but much of the
other stuff is interesting. 

Masonic 'skull and bones' death-rebirth rite is
certainly genuine, its in all the Masonic texts on the
3rd degree rite (but these arent top grade masons,
accept in Craft masonry which only has 3 degrees,
'Templar masonry' has 33 degrees), as is
the connection of skull and cross bones with real
Templars, according to medieval images. There are also
some highly speculative stuff that claims the Templar
fleet used it as a symbol when raiding other ships.
Then their decendents become pirates and reuse it!
Anarchists in turn adopted it as a symbol from the
pirate tradition (from where the black flag is also
derived). Alas as a deathshead symbol the SS also
adopted it, so it may be another Black Sun like
symbol.

Steve Ash
  


 

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Every Man and Every Woman Is A Star


		
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