“I am a wind on a deep lake”

The Norns

Nine Maidens Whose Breath Fueled the Cauldron
(o anadyl naw morwyn)
Nine Maidens

Ash Grove

Nion

  (NEE-uhn), Ash 

The Letter N

The Third Consonant

Tip of the Middle Finger

Bird - The Snipe  

Stone - Sea-green beryl

Color - Clear or Blue

Metal - mercury

Planet - Mercury

Key word - feelings

Numerical value - 3

February 18 - March 17  

On the third month Amergin sings, "I am a wind over the sea." As the year moves toward the Equinox, high winds move upon the land. This March wind blows away dead leaves that cover the earth, exposing the soil to the new light. 

Our concept of Spirit is linked as a metaphor with the breath - "breath hovers over the waters." The wind is seen as a great power behind the nature world and becomes that power's creative spirit. A strong gust of wind suggests an infusion of creative potential. The Tuatha Dé Danann, who are the Old Gods of the Celtic people, suddenly appeared in Ireland out of the air, on wind-borne clouds. 

The Cauldron of creativity is fanned (inspired) by the breath of nine maidens who are seen as the Goddess in her ninefold manifestation. To the ancient peoples of the world, life was not thought to begin until a newborn child took its first breath, thus being infused with the spirit of the Goddess, life began.

Following the sequence of imagery in our moons, we find that the "wind over the sea" follows logically after the bursting-forth of the "lake over the plain." The waters have escaped the abyss, bringing the essence of fertility, but this fertility is still inert and without known purpose. 

Now the Goddess as a Divine Wind must breathe herself into this potential, bringing growth. What this means to us, is that we must now open ourselves to this gift of the life giving breath of the Goddess. It is now time to contemplate this creativity and how we will resume conscious action in our lives. 

In the moonlight, the crystal bright
Of our names is glowing clear;
Dragon stones stand alone
On the sand as we draw near..
Wave on wave, wave on wave,
Wave on wave of the sea mares rave,
Tides are high as we ride by,
Embrace the tide and with the sea mares ride.

Foaming, frothing at maddened mouth,
Hooves churning in the brine,
Tails flailing, ranting, raving,
We gather line on line.
Wave on wave, wave on wave,
Wave on wave of the sea mares rave,

At the springtide, swell with pride,
Embrace the tide and with the sea mares ride.
Mighty now, we too must bow
To Time's mightier hand;
Comes the ebb tide, we subside,
And graze the golden sand...
Wave on wave, wave on wave,
Wave on wave of the sea mares graze;
One and all heed Rhiannon's call,
Embrace the tide and with the sea mares ride.
On the earth, in the air, through the fire, by the water,
I am DEPTH, the fifth month's daughter.

© Chris Carol 1979. © 1948, 1966 by International Authors N.Y.

Ash is the third tree of the year.  It is sacred to Poseidon in Greece.  In Ireland 3 of the 5 magic trees, Tree of Tortu, Tree of Dathi and the Branching Tree of Usnech which symbolized the triumph of Christianity over Paganism are ash.  It was used as charm against drowning.  Emigrants in Ireland took ash with them when leaving to go to America after the Potato Famine.  In Britain it is the tree of birth.  Druid wands were  made of ash. The Great Ash Yygdrasill, sacred to Woden, was taken from Triple Goddess as per Scandanavian legend and used to dispense justice.  Ancient Wales and Ireland oars were made of ash.  The shade of the ash tree is said to be harmful to plants because ash roots will strangle other roots.  It is called the Tree of Sea Power (resident in all water) Tree for the month of floods.

Ash is in the olive family of trees.  Flower is born on the bare branch before leafing occurs.

Burn at Yule for prosperity, do not use on house or stand under it, as it attracts lightning. (Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Herbs)

Tree of strength and maturity.  The animus of woman (inner husband).  Tree of rebirth and the power of water.  The last to leaf out.  Situated in the South it is in the place of feeling.  This month is not a good month for major decisions.

Ash is the link between the inner and outer worlds.  We are able to function in deep, watery places, in the realms of the underworld.  It is our flexible, psychic strength.  It is the weave of fate and the guardian of peace.  Take care to see things in their larger context.  Note how all actions have their reactions and note how you affect the world with your actions, physical and spiritual.  Act.  Take bold action when action is called for.  The challenge of Ash is the determination of hidden influences and appearances.  Things are not always as they seem and you must be perceptive enough to see what is noble. There is a tendency to separate yourself or be cut off from the world.

Botanical Information 

The common ash  excelsior L.) is a major tree of lowland forests in much of Europe, along with oaks and beeches.  It grows to 130 feet in open sites, with a broad crown reminiscent of American elm trees.  Ash was and still is an important timber tree, and is a traditional material for the handle of a besom.  The common ash is occasionally cultivated in North America, and similar native ash species are widely grown as street trees.  Ashes are members of the Olive family.