Holly Tree Lore

Each month of the Celtic Lunar calendar bears the name of a tree. Holly is the 8th Moon of the Celtic Year - (July 8 - Aug 4).

• Latin name: English Holly - ilex aquilfolium; American holly - ilex opaca.
• Celtic name: Tinne (pronounced: chihn' uh)
• Known as:  Tree of Sacrifice
• Folk or Common names: Holly, Aquifolius, Bat's Wings, Christ's Thorn, Holm Chaste, Hulm, Hulver Bush, Scarlet Oak, Kerm-Oak, Holy Tree.
• Meanings: Holly actually means "holy".
• Powers: Protection, Anti-Lightning, Luck, Dream Magick
• Ruling Planet: Mars and Saturn
• Element: Fire
• Stone: Ruby, Bloodstone
• Birds: Cardinal, Starling
• Color: Red
• Deity: Lugh, Tannus, Thor, Danu 
• Parts Used: Leaf, berry, wood.
• Other: The Holly is an evergreen tree.
• NOTE: Holly berries are poisonous!

The Holly tree (of which there are well over 150 species) can grow (albeit very slowly) to be as high as fifty feet and is native to most of Central and Southern Europe. Its white, star-shaped flowers bloom in the Spring and it bears shiny red berries in Autumn which last throughout the Winter season. The leaves of the Holly are shiny, dark green in color, elliptical in shape and have spiny points. In order to produce berries, both a male and a female tree are required. Only the female tree produces berries which, although lovely to look at, are poisonous....

... I am so sorry, but this post has been combined with another and moved to my new website, Magickal Ingredients. It can be found here: Holly Magick and Lore