Luis or Rowan

The helping tree
Ash is one of the most beneficial of all trees. It is a light-bringer, letting light pass down like a prism through its bright green foliage, making myriads of reflections. It reaches strongly up into the sky and strongly down into the earth, where its long grip reaches far out with a massive web of roots. These roots break down and ventilate the soil and, together with the large amount of rich leaves it sheds every year, ash is very important in producing humus.

The healer
Ash is also a healer. Hippocrates, a greek physician in 400 BC, used ash to cure rheumatism and since the Middle Ages, herbal books have described the healing properties of bark, leaves and seeds to strengthen and help de-toxify the body. Until more modern antiseptics appeared, the inner side of the bark was a remedy for healing bleeding wounds, as its fresh sap is a disinfectant. Leaves, used inside boots, help tired feet.

Wet feet
Although found throughout Europe, ash prefers the conditions of moist air and soil, which makes it especially common in Britain. It prefers well-watered places and grows alongside alder and other water-seeking trees. Fully grown at around a hundred years old, a three hundred year old tree is common, and far older trees are found.

Power over water
Ash is often described as having power over water and Celtic boatbuilders always used ash wood in making boats. During the Clearances of the nineteenth century, migrant Gaels carried pieces of ash over the Atlantic, and Tim Severin built his hide boat, the Brendan, using the Irish lore of ash specifically 'from the north side of the tree' (very rich in lignin) for his Atlantic crossing.

Many uses
Ash has long been accepted as benevolent to newborn life and sap of the tree was given to newly born babies in Scotland, while young twigs were put on the birth fire, 'in honour of the tree and as a prayer made for the newborn child.' (Fife 1994). In Ireland, ash and hawthorn are the trees most commonly found at sacred springs, or 'clootie wells'. Olive family (oleaceae), common ash (fraxinus excelsior) ash trees are male, female or hermaphrodite. Flowering in April to May, long before the leaves unfold, ash has catkins (like willow) but with large single blossoms. These develop into flat, winged nutlets, often called 'keys', which usually hang in bunches throughout the winter, before being scattered by the March winds.Wood: very strong, spears, bows, arrows, tool handles, cartwheels, cricket bats, building, lumber, walking-sticks (sometimes called ‘ash-plants') Bark: a poultice for adder bites. Seeds: ‘ash-keys’ are remedy for flatulence, also used as capers. Medicinal: bark is good for fever and leaves are a laxative, and have a reputation for curing warts.
 

Spring and Brigit
Two important dates in early February (when Nuin, the ash month,  begins) are Imbolc (Feb 1st) and Candlemas (Feb 2nd). In mythology these are the feasts of Brigit (Brigde, Bride), whose was important to all rites of birth. Her name means 'the shining one' (breo being a torch in Irish) and she was associated with fires (especially the annual need-fire which renewed the hearth-flame every year) and the colour white. Hence her connection with 'Alba' (white) and Scotland.

Horse gods and godesses
As well as Brigit, the ash tree has several related gods and goddesses such as Epona the celtic horse-goddess, and Rhiannon in the Mabinogion (who is made to carry people like a horse for several years in order to protect her child from a spell).  Epona (from which comes our word pony) appears in the Uffington horse, a carving on the chalk downs of Oxfordshire made over 3,000 years ago. The ancient World Tree, Yggdrasil, was originally a Yew and became the 'World Ash' in Norse myth, and Odin's spear was always ash.

Other ash names
As well as Odin, other similar names to Nuin are Nuada of the Silver Hand, a king of the Tuatha de Danaan, and Nodens, who had a large sanctuary on the River Severn in 500AD. Both their names mean ‘cloud-maker’. ‘Askr Yggr-drasill’ (’the horse of Yggr’), or Sleipnir, was Odin’s eight-legged horse. Snakes fear ash and will not crawl over its wood. Traditionally the yule-log. Passing people through a cleft of pollarded ash was a cure for a hernia.

Guardian tree
Various customs in England and on the continent were based on the tree's ability to heal. In Sweden, the ash was one of the guardian trees (Varträd), of the farm and the ash-woman (Askafroa) was provided with regular offerings of milk or beer. Ash trees however, were planted well away from houses and crops, because their powerful root system can push out stone walls and drain water from crops.

Additional bits
Calendar: Feb 1—Feb 28 (contains Imbolc)
Ogham: tip of small finger; three leftward strokes; naescu (snipe); necht (clear); beryl (green beryl, bareketh, ‘sea-jewel’ in greek, sea-green); day, Wednesday (Woden’s day) and Mercury Festival of St Bridget (Brighde) on Feb 1st, Imbolc; number: 13