The Druid's Tree
The Lessons I Learned from Rowan Mountain Ash That Led Me to The Shamanic Path.
It was December, a few years ago, when I was a month into my apprenticeship to become a Tree Priestess. We would gather during the full moon of the month and connect with a sacred tree. Looking for symbolism, synchronicity, being a witness, singing and chanting as we called in the directions and ancestors to help lead the way.
The first sacred tree we celebrated was Birch. If you do not know my story with Birch, I would love for you to read it here » AWEN
I was excited to move on to a new tree and close out Birch with great respect and awe. The tree that comes after Birch is Rowan or Luis (Loose). I happen to have two Mountain Ash (Rowan) trees at the front of my house, and couldn’t wait to sit in medicine with them.
First, I walked gently on the Earth with bare feet and greeted the one Rowan at the edge of my property. I examined her, just noticing what I could see and feel. First, I was drawn to the base of her trunk and noticed a rusty color. Peculiar. Is this normal?
Then I was drawn to her limbs. Some were flaccid and lifeless. I touched the branches that bowed to the ground; they were soft. Very peculiar. I looked up and noticed most of her branches were laden with a thick layer of lichen and moss. She called me down to the ground. So I sat between her roots, my spine against her bark.
I just nestled in with intention to feel with her. Tuning into my awareness by using all my senses. It was then that I felt a Fire coursing through my body. So much fire, pulsing. She sent me images and nuance. Visions and metaphor. When I stood up to thank her for our time together, I knew, aside from the other tell-tale signs, she was sick.
I went inside to decipher the codes bestowed upon me by way of my third eye. After some searching, I found what my Rowan was afflicted with.
Fire Blight.
It is a sickness that has no cure. It’s an infection that eats the tree from the inside out, turning their branches into soft pliable stems that eventually fall off. This blight, also turns their trunks a rust red. Any tree can get infected with the bacteria that causes this unfortunate state of being, but Rowans are highly susceptible to it. Especially if the soil does not have good drainage.
I sat with this for a while, and realized, this message was for me. Although she may be ill, she still fights on. Growing new branches every year. Blooming with beautiful little white flowers, and producing her fiery orange berries, and if you look closely, you’ll see they have a pentagram at the bottom. Protection. Unity. Magic.
I have MS (Multiple Sclerosis). As I sat with my Rowan, it was apparent that we sat in union. We may be sick. Our limbs may be weak and not be exactly how we imagined, but we press on. We still grow. We still do what we can. It was incredibly moving, healing, and cathartic. I will forever be grateful to her and what she showed me, not just through visions and synchronicity, but through the messages that can only be received by way of the Heart.
The Tree of The Sun
I have followed the Tree Calendar for many years both before and after my initiation into priesthood. This year it’s no different. No matter how many times I do this work, I am always left speechless.
I created my own Sacred Tree Calendar, and the dates on which I celebrate the Rowan are April 15 - May 12. During this time, so many serendipitous things occurred that it’s only in writing this now, in hindsight, that they are made apparent.
This 30 days or so have been rather hard for me. I’ve felt stuck, stagnant, sad, and depressed at the state of the world, and especially the country I live in - the U.S. So I went to a ceremony my most favorite healers and friends were hosting called The Sun Portal, to awaken and liven up our inner selves. To activate the Sun within us.
As I am writing now, I realized, this portal was during the first week of the Rowan. Why is this significant? Well, legend has it that the first woman was born from the Rowan tree. It is also the tree of Brigid, and it is The Tree of The Sun, due to it’s vibrant reddish-orange berries.
The women facilitating The Sun Portal ceremony did not know this. As this is a sacred practice I’ve created for myself. How divine. These synchronicities, you cannot make up, not even if you tried. It was also during this sun portal that I received the final symbol to a healing modality I received years and years ago, rightfully named The Flower Frequency, which I will share at a later date, when the time is right. The realization that this final symbol represents the Sun, I was in tears. It made so much sense.
The days following the portal ceremony, I was at a loss for what I would like to do with my life. Like the sun cracked me open and poured light into the places I had left unattended. I felt as if I have been going about my life and business all wrong. My priorities and values, misplaced in a matrix of society and my own doing. I went to my grove in my front yard and wept. I pressed my body down to the Earth and sobbed.
I cried out all the pain and sorrow. All the anguish and suffering. All the grief I feel for us as humans, but especially the cruelty I’ve seen and felt online and in the news as of late. I asked my guides, my helpers, my spirit team, to help guide me. To show me the way. Recenter me and my core towards love and forgiveness. Towards compassion and understanding.
How can I be of service to creativity? Inspiration? Love?
Near Death Experiences
I decided to just surrender. Not as if I was giving up, but just truly letting go. I let go of my business. I let go of showing up. I let go of what I should do, what I could do, and everything in between. I detached from it all, even the outcome. Because I was tired and exhausted from doing all the things and not seeing any results. Tired of being overwhelmed. Just let it all go and let me feel my pain and grief. Let me wallow. Let me be sad.
And let that all go too.
That’s when Source, Spirit, God, Creator, the Rowan stepped in.
I got a notification on my phone from Medium with an article titled “I Listened to 100 Near-Death Experiences - Earth is Not What We Think It Is” By Jasmine.
You can also read it here »
NDEs have always intrigued me. I already know and feel that death is not the end, but both an end and a beginning. I read the article and it was as if the universe was speaking to me. Why did I receive this notification at this moment, when it was published on April 15th? A day after my birthday and the first day of the Rowan, and here I was first week into May.
In this article, the author goes on to explain that they used NDEs to snap themselves out of a depressive spell and describes what I think a lot of us know, but haven’t seen or heard about all in one place in a cohesive list; Essentially, love is the answer. Always and forever.
Love can be felt through time, space, dimensions, and worlds. It ripples through the ether and makes a huge impact not only on the living, but bloodlines, heaven, the thereafter, and the inter-life. Even just a simple thought of love to someone in the past can be incredibly meaningful and deeply felt.
This article was exactly what I needed. From there, I made a vow to always use my healing for good and never harm. A vow I even made when I was very little. Then you know what happened? The shit hit the fan.
It was already kind of feeling that way, with how I was feeling at the beginning of the month, but after surrendering, after asking for guidance, after a Beltane celebration and ceremony with my soul sister, weird unmistakable signs were emerging.
Initiation To Walk The Shamanic Path
It really started to add up when not only did I feel such deep pain and grief for the world, but I also -
Stepped on a bumble bee and got stung on the bottom of my foot (my first bee sting)
Found two dead birds, one on each of my porches
I broke my personal glass water bottle
Unknowingly, I sat in an ant hill and was covered from head to toe in ants
My aunt called the cops (from a different state) on me and my friend while we were celebrating Beltane (which was a whole thing)
and come to find out, after months of preparation, planning, cleaning, clearing, designing, building and planting my garden - the soil is dead. None of my veggie seedlings are thriving, nor growing.
Okay Spirit. I hear you. I see you. I got the message. Now, what does the message say?
After having an onslaught of what a lot of people would attribute to “bad "luck” I took as a sign to slow down. Sit. Be. Meditate. And ask my guides for the next steps.
That’s when my world opened. You see, I have always wanted to walk the Shamanic Path and the path of the Druid. It has always called to me. I’ve always been in this world and the world of spirit. So, in 2019, during my first of many spiritual awakenings, I bought every course and book I could find about Shamanism and Druidry.
However, in 2019, I was nowhere near the person I am today. She was not ready. There were so many lessons, life experiences, and understanding that needed to happen before truly undertaking this journey - which is not for the faint of heart. She was laying the foundation. Getting me prepared for when the time was right.
I had come to understand that I was always searching, looking, and producing things so that I could “make money”. I would learn things to just turn around and sell them. Which goes against my core values. It always felt inauthentic. I wanted to make an impact doing something entirely me. I was always doing something for someone else. Without fully mastering sacred crafts like Reiki and witchery. Of course, I have had life-changing experiences, and ah-ha moments, and scary af incredibly accurate and symbolic sessions for myself and clients, but I wanted more than just the lukewarm kiddie pool shallows of healing. I want true depth. And that is why I wasn’t initiated into Shamanism until now.
This isn’t for dabbling. This isn’t for anyone else. This isn’t for turning around and selling a course or teaching other people to be Shamans. No. No, no. It is far more sacred. Far more enduring. Far more mystic and magical. It is for myself. For me and only me.
I will be sharing my experiences as I have so far, and I hope you’ll be along for the lessons and findings. Maybe I won’t find anything. Maybe I won’t come out with profound wisdom. Maybe, it will just be a nice reprieve and restful break from mundane reality. Whatever the case, I am not afraid, and I am ready to walk the Shamanic path. Eye am ready to See.
I will be watching ever course, reading every book, applying every single spell, ceremony, meditation, art, exercise. I’m going all in.
The Druid’s Tree
This morning, May 13th, it’s the beginning of Alder/Fearn in the calendar that I created and follow (just in case you go out and do your own research, you will not find this calendar but instead you will find the calendar that begins with Birch on October 31st). I made a ritual ceremony for surrender and vowing to be in service to love, in the aftermath of the Full Scorpio Flower Moon. It was ornate, beautiful, and divinely guided.
I opened my Grimoire for my trees and wheel of the year, and reviewed the month prior. Not only is Rowan the Tree of the Sun, the tree in which the feminine was birthed, but also, it happens to be one of the three sacred trees the ancient druids grew in sacred groves along with Oak and Ash. The druids would even burn Rowan in the sacred Beltane fires and inhale the smoke, eliciting higher consciousness and heightened awareness.
As I turned to this page for my month in review, my heart knew without a shadow of a doubt, I’m where I need to be in this moment. The final, solid confirmation.
For, what is a Tree Priestess, if not a Druid?
What is a Druid, if not a Shaman?
Thank you so much for being here and reading my journey. I hope the lessons I share bring forth wisdom, guidance, understanding, and synchronicities as much as they do for me. Please consider subscribing if you have not already and if you upgrade your subscription, you can receive a monthly group Reiki session.
If you enjoyed this publication, I highly recommend grabbing my book Activating Your Inner Alchemist. »
Activating Your Inner Alchemist by A. Quiles -
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As always, with Love, Power, Protection, and Peace -
Alea
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Next month is a sacred tree to Bran, with its assistance on the battlefield, during the Battle of the Trees. Cannot wait to see what unfolds.
Alea, your words and storytelling always leave me feeling inspired. Not only to continue on the path and spiritual journey I’m on—but to learn more, seek more, dive deeper. I appreciate you sharing your words and journey with us and I’m grateful to have connected with you here 💚🌙