April Totems: Ash

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. April's totems are Serpent, Ash, and Moth.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Serpent (Nathair) – resurrection, rebirth, initiation, wisdom, transformation
Ash (Nuin) – connections of past to present, spirit to earth, high and low
Moth (Lèomann) – transformation, seeking illumination, initiation

Ash

The Ash tree is the traditional Celtic and Norse World Tree. In Norse mythology, Odin hung from the great Ash tree Yggdrasil and endured an initiatory experience in which he discovered system of meaning in the roots of the great tree.  These were the Elder Futhark, or the runes. Ygddrasil’s branches were in the heavens, roots were in Hell, and Earth was around its center.

The Ash symbolizes connections – past & present, spiritual & earthly, lowest & highest, self & cosmos. It links you to all your pathways. It also represents divination, healing, inner conflicts, and general magic.

Ash wood is often used for healing and protection. Besom staffs, stang shafts and certain wands are examples of the protective qualities of the tree. In Greece, Nemesis, who represents the Fates, carried an Ash wand (a scourge) and dispensed justice with it when needed.

Ash's roots, which are human in shape, are excellent for healing.

The Ash attracts lightning and brings balance. It also brings light into the hearth at the winter solstice when used as a Yule log. The wassailing bowl used to toast trees at Yule is also made of Ash.

This tree can help us to understand itself and the other tress. It also helps us assimilate the knowledge gained into the Grove back into practicality.

April Totems: Snake

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. April's totems are Serpent, Ash, and Moth.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Serpent (Nathair) – resurrection, rebirth, initiation, wisdom, transformation
Ash (Nuin) – connections of past to present, spirit to earth, high and low
Moth (Lèomann) – transformation, seeking illumination, initiation

Serpent

The Snake has a very paradoxical and mythical reputation. It is essentially associated with transformation, healing, and life energy.

Druids were sometimes called snakes or Adders. The story of St. Patrick ridding Ireland of snakes is viewed by most contemporary Pagans as a euphemism for killing the Druids. The serpent’s egg, or glain, was the most treasured possession of a Druid.

The Snake can glide through crevices into the Underworld. It represents our ability to die and be reborn, thereby symbolizing rebirth, resurrection, initiation and wisdom. The Snake can journey through life gracefully and magically, shedding old life easily when time comes. This shedding represents the higher wisdom that comes with the passing of time, symbolized by the ouroborus (a snake swallowing its own tail), which signifies eternity.

The snake is also associated with sexual energy, allowing us to be born. The image of the snake with egg in mouth – a Druidic symbol found on altars in Cumbria and Gloucestershire – is a symbol of the ovum and sperm united. There is an image of a snake with a double penis, which clearly represents fertility and is associated with Cernunnos. The Snake is not just seen as a depiction of male fertility, but of female fertility, too, as the mother snake gives birth to many young. In a magical sense, the Snake represents both physical and metaphysical procreation.

The Druids associated the Snake with Nwyvre , which is similar to the eastern concept of Kundalini. Kundalini, serpent fire, lies coiled at the base of the spine activating centers of awareness, health and creativity as we grow and develop. In this way, the Snake is responsible for the awakening of creative forces.

Since the Snake’s eyes cloud over before shedding, many have said that it has a trancelike appearance. This association with trance and hypnosis allow the Snake to move between the realms of living and dead. The eyes clear as skin sheds, which can be viewed as a symbol of seeing anew.

This totem is potentially poisonous , which renders it as a guardian of Mysteries. The Snake attacks quickly and is true to its mark. Along with its kin (dragons, wyrms, wyverns, etc.) the Snake is a guardian of treasures, springs of life, and sacred places.

April Totems: Moth

In our tradition we divide the year not only by eight solar and agricultural holidays, but also by the Kalends. We celebrate twelve months of the year by the common calendar, plus a special thirteenth month for Samhain.  These month cycles are associated with different totemic spirits. Each month is assigned an animal, a bird (or other flying creature), and a tree. April's totems are Serpent, Ash, and Moth.

The totemic associations are as follows:

Serpent (Nathair) – resurrection, rebirth, initiation, wisdom, transformation
Ash (Nuin) – connections of past to present, spirit to earth, high and low
Moth (Lèomann) – transformation, seeking illumination, initiation

Moth

The moth and the butterfly represent transformation, due to their metamorphosis from caterpillar to winged creature.  The word for moth in old Lancashire dialect means 'soul'. The spirit of a witch is sometimes said to travel forth from the body in the form of a moth or butterfly.

Psyche, the Greek 'soul' was another word for butterfly. Psyche was the consort of Eros, and underwent many initiatory tests to prove herself worthy of him. These tests were initiated by the act of seeing her lover by lamplight.  Just as the moth seeks the flame, so do we seek enlightenment and illumination.

The moth navigates by attempting to fly to the greatest light source in the night sky, the moon.  Modern illumination often curtails this instinct, causing the moth to be drawn to another brighter nearby light source.  In this way the moth teaches us to use discernment and to stay true to our path despite distractions.