#quacking aspen

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Celtic beliefs in trees (21)

E for Eadha (Aspen) - September 21st Autumn Equinox

“Whispering tree, also known as Trembling tree  - Autumn Equinox of the Celtic Tree Calendar (Ref), when moving into darkness”

Star: Pluto, Mercury, Saturn: Gemstone: black opal,; Gender: female; Patron deity: Persephone, Hades; Symbol: listening, overcoming fear + courage, shield, light in the darkness

Aspen trees are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the northern hemisphere, extending south at high-altitude areas such as mountains or high plains.

The aspen is referred to as quaking aspen or trembling aspen because the leaves "quake" or tremble in the wind. This is due to their flattened petioles which reduce aerodynamic drag on the trunk and branches, so that they catch any slight breeze, making the leaves tremble, flutter and make a soft, rustling sound each time they do so. In autumn, the leaves turn bright yellow and sometimes red, and when they fade further and turn black, they fall off.

The ancient Celts believed that the wind was a messenger of the word of the gods and therefore considered anything that was in tune with the wind sacred. The same is true of the aspen tree. The aspen, which has the best ears of all trees, always rustled its leaves in response to the voice of the gods.

However, the aspen, with its close connection to death and the underworld, came to be regarded as a tree of misfortune. In earlier times, corpses and graves were counted with a cane made of aspen named fé, and people were terribly afraid of the calamities that would befall them if they were struck with this cane. The connection with the seasons, rest and rebirth was often overlooked, and many people, cowering in fear, heard only the abominable sound of aspen leaves rustling in the wind. However, the teachings of the aspen are about overcoming the fear of death, the fear of the unknown and fear itself. The aspen was called the 'shield tree' by the Irish Celts, and is said to have been their favourite tree for making shields. This was not only because aspens provided a reassuring shield, but also because they protected us from flinching in the face of the unknown, once we had taken their teachings to heart.

Incense made from aspens is burned continuously during Halloween (Celtic festival of Samhain). Halloween is the time of year when the distance between this world and the underworld is at its closest, and the period that ushers in the new year. Samhain is also the festival of the New Year, which takes place on November the 1st, the beginning of the year, but it is also the festival of the dead. It is believed that during nights between the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, the border with the other world disappears, the souls of the dead visit their relatives, and demons and evil spirits cause damage to crops and livestock.

Ancient Celtic cultures were known to carve turnips or potatoes and place embers inside to ward off evil spirits. That's because Ireland didn't have pumpkins. In England, large beets were used. When immigrants brought over their carving tradition, Americans began carving jack-o'-lanterns from pumpkins.

木にまつわる伝説・神話

ケルト人の樹木の信仰 (21)

EはEadha (ﾎﾟﾌﾟﾗ) - 9月21日・秋分の日　

『ささやきの木、震える木 〜 ケルトの木の暦（参照）・秋分、暗闇に移るとき』

星: 冥王星、水星、土星: 宝石: ブラック・オパール、; 性: 女性; 守護神: ベルセポネ、ハデス; シンボル: 聞くこと、恐怖の克服+勇気、楯、暗闇の中の光明

ポプラ (ｾｲﾖｳﾔﾏﾅﾗｼ‘山鳴らし’) の木はすべて、北半球の北部で夏が涼しく寒い地域に自生し、南は山や高原などの標高の高い地域に広がっている。

ポプラは、葉が風で「震える」ことから、山鳴らしと呼ばれている。これは、幹や枝の空気抵抗を減らすために葉柄が平らになっているためで、どんな微風もとらえ、その度に葉は震え、はためき、さらさらと柔らかな音を立てる。秋になると、葉は鮮やかな黄色に色づき、時には赤くなり、さらに色あせて黒くなると落葉する。

古代ケルト人は、風は神の言葉を伝える使者と信じていたため、風と同調するものは何でも神聖視していた。ポプラの木も同様だ。すべての木の中で最も優れた耳を持つポプラは、いつも神の声に応じて葉をそよがせていたのだ。

ところが、死や地下の国とつながりの深いポプラは、不幸を招く木とみなされるようになった。その昔、死体や墓はフェという名前の、ポプラでできた杖で数えられていたし、この杖で打たれると災難がふりかかると人々はひどく恐れていた。四季、安息、再生との関わりはしばしば見過ごしにされ、恐怖に身をすくませた多くの人たちは、風にそよぐポプラの葉音に忌まわしい声だけを聞き取った。しかし、ポプラの教えは、死の恐怖、未知なるものへの恐れ、そして恐怖心そのものを克服することにあるのだ。ポプラ��、アイルランドのケルト人に「楯の木」と呼ばれ、彼らが楯をつくるのに最も好んだ木と言われている。それは、ポプラが単に心強い防具になっただけに留まらず、ひとたびポプラの教えを我がものとしたなら、未知なるものを前にしてもたじろがないように守ってくれたからに他ならない。

ハロウィン (ケルトのサウィン祭)の期間中、ポプラから作られたお香が焚かれ続ける。ハロウィンは、現世と冥界の距離が最も近くなる時期であり、新年を迎える期間でもある。サウィンは、1年の始まりである11月1日に行われる新年の祭りでもあるが、同時に死者の祭りでもある。年末から新年が始まるまでの夜は、あの世との境界がなくなり、死者の魂が親族を訪ね、悪魔や悪霊が農作物や家畜に被害を与えると信じられている。

古代ケルト文化圏では、悪霊を追い払うためにカブやジャガイモを刻んで中に燠火を入れていたことが知られている。アイルランドにはカボチャがなかったからだ。イギリスでは大きなビーツが使われた。移民がカボチャを彫る習慣を持ち込むと、アメリカ人はカボチャからジャック・オー・ランタンを彫るようになった。

[sirfetchd]

i need to draw characters in cute outfits..

[xomoosexo]

Idk. George is a quacking aspen or a silver birch. Idfk

okay I agree with the long skinny tree thing but for some reason I imagine george as a tree with darker bark (maybe cause of his hair??? idk)

[sirfetchd]

soo hard to change ocs who ive had for so long. like obviously im ok with minor changes but anything major is Scary. but it might help. i dont knowwww

[sirfetchd]

his hair is fluffy af lately

[sirfetchd]

*already struggling to keep up with artfight* i need to draw my ocs in cute outfits

[sirfetchd]

everyone who has ocs who are around 10 i need you to imagine them as being rose's classmates. ditto for ocs around 14 being aspen's classmates. they can all be friends ok

[sirfetchd]

5 years ago vs. today

they existed before 2018 but that's the earliest art on this blog

i'm glad i decided to let them be happy, it's what they deserve

[sirfetchd]

tomorrow i have to file taxes and the day after that i have to go grocery shopping so i dont even have the mental space to think about anything else. i was like "oh maybe i should try to draw tomorrow" and then remembered and immediately threw out that idea. lol.

[sirfetchd]

i should try to draw tomorrow.. hopefully the universe will allow it. i didnt realize how long its been since i drew priya and iolana, or even rose and aspen. its been a while.... i miss them

[sirfetchd]

i followed an artist i like and they followed back and then almost immediately unfollowed. thats so embarrassing was it the oc posting

[sirfetchd]

imagine how cute aspen would be with a tooth gap. and he smiles kind of awkwardly because he's self conscious about it

[sirfetchd]

i need to ocpost more i miss my ocs. i should draw themmm

[sirfetchd]

rose and aspen are my ocs who i've had for several years. they used to be pokemon but now they're nonfandom human ocs.

Rose is 10 and genderfluid and uses he/they pronouns. they're friendly, curious, and adventurous, but also somewhat reckless and inconsiderate or rude at times. he's lived in the same small town since he was born and wants to stay there forever since his mother Ivy is buried there. she died of ovarian cancer around a year before aspen moved to town.

Aspen is a 14 year old trans boy who had to move from his previous home due to bullying and harassment. he's kind and shy but opens up around those he's close with. since he moved in next door to rose, rose's dad Victor asked him to babysit and over time it became a regular occurrence, and rose and aspen quickly became friends. aspen is strict with rose at times but only because he feels protective of him, especially since victor is away at work so often. aspen's own parents work in show business and travel so much for their jobs that they're practically never home, so they just pay for aspen's rent and send him money for food.

ok now you know them if you didn't already

rose and aspen. you know them

[sirfetchd]

i definitely think aspen's style gets more alt over time. by age 14 he's already grown out his mullet and got his little stud earrings, it's only a matter of time before he breaks out the black nail polish and eyeliner

and his personality changes over time too ofc. he gains confidence and stops being so scareds

oh god i almost stayed up til 6am again. im so sorry hibiki