Hello Everyone,
New to this group by a couple of days only so if I get this wrong, please let me know. I really like the premise of this weekly challenge as trees and vines are truly magickal.
As Sylvia Plath so eloquently wrote about trees:
“They seed so effortlessly!
Tasting the winds, that are footless,
Waist-deep in history.”
And David McLansky’s “Vines”:
“All vines curl toward the light
Deep within the shaded night;
Twist and reach within the tangle,
Grip and leap from every angle;
And I a seed of dead leaves born,
Crawl aloft as one forlorn,
Knowing that I strive in vain,
Still encased for all my pain;
Enclosed in darkness as I call,
The towering trees umbrella all;
A vine of chance in midst and gloom
Who savored not the silver moon.”
And what is more magickal than the grapevine where where we get wine?! 
Trees and vines are absolutely magickal.
For this challenge, I chose to use blackberry bramble vine for my entry. I crafted the wreath you see here from blackberry bramble I harvested in the woods in the Autumn behind my home. It has since dried and I think it’s beautiful.
I chose the blackberry vine for my entry as most of us who go by Robert Grave’s Ogham trees from the Robert Graves | The Celtic Journey list, we all know that the tenth lunar “month” is Vine and its Ogham “Muin”, the 10th letter. However, the Vine is not necessarily meant to be a vine of the grapevine type. The Druids classified anything with a woody stalk as a tree, and so therefore it is listed vines amongst the sacred Ogham ranks.
Furthermore, grapevines typically come to mind when discussing vines, but it was more likely the Blackberry vines that captured the hearts of the ancient Celts. Muin does not mean “vine” but according to Robert Graves means any thicket of thorny, winding bramble of plant and which further supports the idea that Blackberry, which is a prolific plant in most of Europe and the British Isles, is the likeliest for Muin. And, as the Ogham alphabet originated in Ireland, it is also less likely that it means vine – such as in grapevine – because grapes had never, at that time at least, been successfully grown in Ireland.
Magickal Properties:
The Celtic meaning of the Vine in Druid lore is rife with symbolism. The Vine is a theme repeated over and over in Celtic art. Interconnections and winding vines are commonly seen on tapestries, writings, knot work and carvings. This indicates the symbolism of connection, eternity, and diversity.
Rebirth and Reincarnation
In the Druid perspective, the Vine earned its symbolism from its growth patterns. They recognized the Vine grows opportunistically and would dig in wherever feasible to gain a strong foothold to assure its own growth
Protection
This is a powerful metaphor of “going with the flow” or “start as you mean to go on”. In other words, it is a message that when we observe the best of our environment/situation and stay in a relaxed, flowing state of mind, we can most likely gain our highest advantage. Spirituality
The ever-watchful Celts also recognised the Vine’s predominant growth formation is in the shape of a spiral which is symbolic of consciousness, development, renewal, and growth. Regeneration
You can use Vine in protection poppets, incenses, and witch bottles like any other wood as well as to make amulets from.
Correspondences:
Planetary: Moon
Zodiac: unknown
Energies: rebirth, reincarnation, regeneration, spirituality, and protection
Gender: Masculine and Feminine
Deity: Considered sacred by the Tuatha De Danaan Gods of Irish Mythology
Animal: White Swan
Sources:
Ogam: Weaving Word Wisdom, by Erynn Rowan Laurie
The Celtic Tree Oracle, by Liz and Colin Murray
Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this challenge. I love seeing everyone’s entries and have learned so much from them. This was truly a fun challenge!