Taranis

My favorite tree in the Phoenix Park near Dublin is this oak, which I have named "Taranis". I lived near this park, and used to visit Taranis regularly to sit against its warm trunk and just think, feeling its sense of calm. I felt it had some kind of magical energy, and imagined there was an oak fae living among the tree's branches.I found the name "Taranis" in a book about tree wisdom:
In legend, Taranis is the Celtic thunder-god, and the ancient people used to worship this god within oak forests, where they formed holy groves. Growing so close together, the trees would often be struck by lightning, visibly and audibly wrought with fire from heaven. In the eyes of these ancient people, the oak was a channel for the sky-god to reach down to thier own world.

I used to cycle past this tree almost every day on my way to work, watching its change of seasons.

According to Nature mystics, the oak is a doorway to other realms, spiritual and psychological. Within an oak grove is found protection and warmth. Oak dryads have a strong presence whick brings us a sense of release, showing that every problem can be solved if we take nourishment from the earth.
So it's no wonder I loved visiting this magnificent tree. And even in winter, the trunk was warm against my back, or when I was hugging it!

Visit Arboreality, who is hosting the Festival of Trees this December, for more posts about trees!