Oak
Duir (DOO-r)
The Letter
The Tree
Oak - Duir
Seventh Consonant
Place on the hand
The First Joint of the Index Finger
Color ~ Dubh ~ Black
Stone ~ White Carnelian
Bird ~ Droen - Wren
Goddesses
Eurynome, Cardea
Planet ~ Jupiter
Note ~ f
Symbol ~ Crown of Fire ~ Lightening
Message
A time of strength, tree of courage
our fiery nature, manifesting our will
Word ogham ~ strength, highest of bushes, most carved of craftsmanship
Flower essence ~ Oak
“I am a god, who but I sets the cool head aflame with smoke. I court the lightning bolt but my feet are rooted in the Earth. I am the stout guardian of the door.”
The Goddesses of Oak are Eurynome and Cardea. The fuel of the Midsummer Fire is always oak. The Fire of Vesta was fed by oak. Duir means door. It is the Tree of endurance and triumph. Its roots are said to extend underground as far as branches reach upward.
Magical properties: Sun, fire, protection, health, money, healing, potency, fertility, and luck. Druids would not meet for rituals unless an oak was present. The word Druid possibly came from Duir.
Oak was sacrificed to the underworld as the life giver. In ancient days the tree could not be cut down unless mistletoe was hanging in it.
Oak is the attractor of lightning. It is the sign of strength and endurance. Duir is the power needed to overcome all tests. The power of the Oak will make a heroine of the one who knows it. Duir is a gateway to inner realms, a sign that reveals the truth about past action. This awareness gives strength and vision to one who sees beyond the horizons of time. Duir is a gateway to new understanding. Be willing, if you feel ready, to “court the lightning bolt” by taking action now. Also there is a need for protection, a need to shelter yourself if not quite ready, so that strengthening can take place. Draw strength and endurance from the Oak.
Botanical Information
The common oak is the oak of myth and legend. It is often called the great oak and it grows with ash and beech in the low-lying forests. It can reach a height of 150 feet and an age of 800 years. Along with ashes, oaks were heavily logged, so that remaining giant oaks are only a reminder of forests of old. Common oaks are deciduous, losing their leaves before Samhain and growing new leaves in the spring. They are occasionally cultivated in North America, as are the similar native white oak, valley oak, and Oregon oak. Other oaks common to this area are red oak, water oak, gray oak, live oak, and the post oak. All oaks are members of the Beech family.
I AM THE ONE WITH CROWN OF FIRE
She is awakening
(Magic is afoot)
She is arising;
She is dancing;
She is glowing;
She is radiant;
She is brilliant;
She is beauty;
(Turn back the wheel lest we burn)
She is splendor;
She is shining;
She is setting;
She is fading;
She is dying;
She is peaceful,
(Magic is afoot.)
On the earth, in the air,
Through the fire, by the water,
I am MAGIC, the Oak moon’s daughter.
© Chris Carol 1979