Ailm: Breaking New Ground and Having Clear Vision

 

Ailm  Ogham Letter A   Scots Pine / Silver Fur 

The Birch represents the New Celtic Year which begins on Nov. 1^st.  It pairs very well with Ailm for new beginnings so I thought I would include this new letter for the beginning of the Celtic New Year.

Scots Pine

Ailm is the first vowel in the Ogham alphabet.  It represents the letter A and is represented by Scots Pine or Silver Fur.  Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is a very ancient tree.  It is native to Europe and Asia in the area of the Boreal Forest.  It formed large parts of forests in Britain particularly in the north of England and in Scotland until 8000 years ago.  Between 4000 and 1500 years ago the Irish and West Scottish pine declined massively and the Irish pines went extinct.  This may be why the Silver Fir was taken for Ailm in the early Middle Ages.  Scots Pine went extinct in Wales and England due to over-exploitation and grazing 3-400 years ago but it is now being re-introduced.  The oldest Scots Pine tree was found at Inverary in 1951.  It was thought to be over 330 years old.  According to Jacqueline Memory Peterson, pines can live to be 600 years old.

Scots Pine has fairly short, blue-green needles and orange-red bark.  This tree is very hardy and its deep roots allow it to colonise in extreme climates, from very dry to boggy and even sandy soils.  It was introduced to the US in 1600.  It can grow up to 40m tall.  The Silver Fir can grow up to 50m and has grey, smooth bark.  It is not as hardy as Scots Pine and likes moist soils and high humidity. Both Scots Pine and Silver Fir are used as a Christmas tree in Europe.  With its red trunk and evergreen needles, Scots Pine was traditionally associated with the Winter Solstice. 

Scots Pine is excellent for wildlife and it supports lichen and insects.  Therefore, many birds live in pinewoods.  The level branches are good nesting places for large raptors such as the golden eagle and squirrels eat their seeds.

Scots Pine was used to make tar in the pre-industrial age and is also a source of rosin and turpentine.  The resin is a good fire starter. Pine resins are used to clear cold and chest infections and killing germs.  Their vapours can also boost circulation, ease aches and pains and clear toxins from the body. Pine wood was used to make containers for butter and milk as its wood prevented rancidity.  The Druids prescribed walking in pine forests to help breathing and to clear the lungs from colds and flus.  According to Diana Beresford-Kroeger, pines release an atmospheric aerosol complex of a biochemical called pinene.  This is easily absorbed by the skin and the surfaces of the lungs and has recently been show to boost the human immune system.  Twenty minutes in the pine forest will boost the immune systems’ memory for about thirty days.

As the first vowel sound in the Ogham alphabet Ailm is about breaking new ground, motivation and birth (Danu Forest). According to Elen Sentier, Ailm is all about rebirth and regeneration.  When Scots Pine is cut down, new stems will grow from the roots.  According to Glennie Kindred, Ailm is represented by Fir which is about objectivity, far-seeing and wisdom.  Fir helps us to develop the perceptions and insights necessary to see beyond the present.  It can also help us to see things from another person’s point of view.  The Fir is a strong energy that supports an elevated state of mind.  Liz and Colin Murray also write that Ailm is represented by Silver Fir (Abies alba) and it represents long sight and a clear vision of what is to come.

One can imagine themselves climbing up the branches of the Pine or Fir to get a clear vision of what is ahead by rising above the clutter of the forest. From this viewpoint we can also gain insight into the past and see patterns.  This can help us to let go of patterns that no longer serve us and adopt new ones to take us forward.

Silver Fir

This is a compilation of information taken from the following sources:

Diana Beresford-Kroeger (2019) To Speak for the Trees. Random House: Canada.

Danu Forest (2014) Celtic Tree Magic: Ogham Lore and Druid Mysteries. Llewellyn Worldwide: Woodbury, Minnesota.

Glennie Kindred, (1997) The Tree Ogham. Glennie Kindred: UK.

Liz and Colin Murray (1988) The Celtic Tree Oracle. Connections Book Publishing: London, UK.

Jacqueline Memory Peterson (1996) Tree Wisdom: The definitive guidebook to the myth, folklore and healing power of Trees. Thorsons: London.

Elen Sentier (2014) Trees of the Goddess. Moon Books: Winchester, UK.