A Celtic Blessing

" The strength of the oak around you
Protection of rowan surround you
The wisdom of hazel within you
And the joy of the birch be yours.

The wind and the rain will bless you
The light of the moon caress you
The gold of the sun shine within you
And the Song of Peace be yours.

Strong arms of the Mother will hold you
The green of the forest enfold you
The living waters will heal you
And the Song of Love be yours."

Julie Darling ©

These words came to me some years ago. I stood before the wreckage of a beautiful old crab apple tree which stands on the crags near my home. A night of violent storm had sent the tree crashing to the ground and split the heart of the trunk in two. This poem came to me as a blessing for the tree. Many people have found that the words have a deep resonance for them also.

You may like to know that a few strands of bark remained attached to the roots and the tree still lives - but in a different from. Where the branches once swept the sky in wind, rain and sun, they now grow along the ground, forming a green cave with their leaves and blossoms for the creatures of land and air.

You can find the poem, spoken by Julie with the harp on the CD 'Viriditas'.