Celtic Astrology: Druids and the Tree Signs

The people known as Celts derive from the Indo-European racial group. Their name comes from the Greek Keltoi, meaning “stranger/outsider.” The Romans referred to them as Gauls (or Galli). They differentiated them from the Celts who moved to the British Isles, whom they named Britanni.

The Celts are especially known for their courage and barbarous aggressiveness in the battlefield.

The early Celts did not have a well defined central government. Contrary to the barbarianism they were identified with, the Celts had a very hierarchal society. They were divided among each other in many tribes and clans. However, they were strongly united by common beliefs, language, customs, and land. The social, legal, political, and economic structure of the Celts, and their country, was highly patriarchal. The tribes were comprised by three groups where many family units (clans) existed: royalty, noble warriors (aristocrats), and common people/peasants (often referred to as Freemen).

The governing power was shared between the God servants and the royalty. Priests were usually recruited from the aristocracy and were regarded upon higher than the nobles.

Druids were a class of priests with a legendary status. Very little is known about their existence, as they left almost no records about their practices. Researchers have come to the conclusion that they relied on oral communication and teaching. It is established that the Druids served as priests, teachers, healers, judges, and civil administrators led by an Arch-druid. Druids spent a considerable part of their lives learning the history and traditions of their people, and then teaching them to the young generations.

There were three classes of Druids: prophets, bards, and priests. The practices of Druidism were also performed by females. Typically for the ancient world, women did not share the same amount of power and privileges as men. Although Druids had a written language, their form of communication relied mainly on oral interaction. Like regular priests, they were also exempted from the army and paid no taxes.

The Druids studied such things as magic, astronomy, astrology, and the magical/healing effects of animals and plants. Their religion was somewhat close to paganism, worshiping some Gods of elements (e.g. earth, water, etc.) and weather phenomena (e.g. thunder, rain, etc.). Their doctrine revolved around immortality of the soul and reincarnation. It is believed that stone monuments were their temples and headquarters for rituals.

The language Druids used comes from the Ogham alphabet (see image). It is comprised by twenty (20) symbols. The “letters” were short vertical lines from one to five (1-5), standing on, or crossing, a long horizontal line. Each symbol relates to the name of a sacred tree.

The sign calendar of the Celts, also known as Beth-Luis-Nion, consists of thirteen (13) months and one (1) so-called Nameless Day. Each month is named after a tree which corresponds to a consonant letter from the Ogham alphabet.

Below, you can find the tree signs matched with the dates of the Gregorian calendar: