Aspen, Poplar
Eadha (EH-yuh)
The Letter
The Tree
Aspen ~ Poplar
Season
The Fourth Season - Fall Equinox
Place on the hand
The Pad on the Palm Beneath the Ring Finger
Color ~ Erc ~ red-speckled, Rufous Red
Note ~ g
Bird ~ Eala - Whistling Swan
Goddess ~ Demeter
Symbols ~ Fall Leaves
Metal ~ Tin
Animal ~ Rhinoceros
Message ~ “I am a shield to every head”
Planet ~ Neptune
Word ogham ~ amanita, vision, discerning tree, exchange of friends, plant of harm, tricky in water, salmon
Melodies of golden notes dance in Autumn’s brittle air;
Then with a sudden twirl descend the scales, and whirl to ground.
Aspen chimes in shimmering nutrient pools
Link Mother Tree to Mother Earth - a dowry for Spring’s Rebirth.
When Aspen emerald jewels
Will play their wind chime song for another Summer’s Season of Sun.
Lea Lundberg
Aspen is the Solar Tree of Autumn Equinox and old age. The Latin legend is that Hercules bound his head in triumph with poplar after killing the giant Cacus. The leaves next to his brow were whitened by the heat he gave out thus accounting for the difference in the leaf of the aspen and black poplar. It is the measuring rod in Ireland used to measure corpses for coffin made of aspen as a reminder to the souls of the dead that this was not the end.
Autumn Equinox (Quaking Ash) is mistress of the symbolic languages - the whisperer who even in the stillness of a summer's day has chattering leaves that talk of distant battles, the battles between languages, and the gift of tongues. Cursed and avoided in Scotland as another witch tree, the moon colored magic aspen is said to be palsied because her leaves are spotted in autumn. The "talking trees” that whisper together in small groups the secrets of magic. Is called the "inner keeper" of the tree language, the anima of Odin.
Magical properties - gender - masculine, planet - Mercury, element - air, powers - eloquence, anti-theft. Place a leaf under tongue for eloquence.
Eadha is a sign of determination in the face of negativity. It is a sign of actually being able to overcome the negative situation through a welling up of inner reserves and strengths. This is a sign of protection against foes. It generally indicates that there may be adversity in your life, but that you will have the inner strength to overcome it, but the source of that strength must come from within. The challenge of the Aspen is the tendency to give in to the forces that oppose us, or to burdens which overwhelm us. Be aware of this challenge and trust.
Botanical Information
The aspen grows to 65 feet along rivers and is often the first tree to grow after a fire or logging. It sprouts from the base and may form clumps or thickets. The black poplar is taller and reaches 100 feet along rivers. The white poplar is about the same size and grows in a similar place, but is more common in southern Europe. The white and black poplars are cultivated in North America (the ”Lombardy poplar” is a form of black poplar), and several native poplars are similar. The North American aspen is very similar to the European aspen. Poplars are members of the Willow family.