Tree Wisdom: The Definitive Guidebook to the Myth, Folklore and Healing Power of Trees

by Jacqueline Memory Paterson

This beautiful illustrated book is the result of eight years exhaustive research into the myths, magic and healing power of trees.


It has comprehensive information on all the main species of tree and written in an easy to use and accessible style by an Arch-druidess.


This book contains all the practical information you need to identify each tree as it changes throughout the year and includes:


comprehensive physical and descriptions and botanical information


the legends and myths surrounding each tree


the healing powers and magical properties of the individual tree

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Folklore, Paganism, Spirituality, Natural History, Mythology

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 1996

Reviews

[Radim Sandr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me reconsider the way I think about the past. It made me realize how important it is not to cut yourself off of it completely, but rather view it as something that shaped you and no matter how tough or sad your past was, there is no need for trying to forget it altogether. It is what supports us as we go on with the new chapters in our lives. The important bit is to not let the past define us.

[Gwyndyllyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fantastic book on tree lore. I was using it to study Ogham and the wisdom of the grove. There are also a lot of wonderful pratical workings and customes contained in this book.

[Miriam Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leafy Pleasures


If you like trees and you like folklore this book contains plenty to entertain and charm you. There is a chapter on seventeen trees indigenous to the British Isles, many of them common in the rest of Europe (you can see which ones by using the 'look inside' feature). Each chapter contains botanical information about the tree, sections on the legends they have inspired, the healing and magical properties traditionally associated with them, and the customary uses for their wood - from walking sticks to ships.

The book's focus is on Anglo-Saxon and Celtic legends (although it does include references to Greek myth and others); the illustrations, although nice, are not sufficient to identify the trees if you don't know them already; as a couple of reviewers have mentioned, it is not a 'definitive' guide or encyclopaedia - if, indeed, such a thing could exist for this subject matter.

It is full of beguiling stories and nuggets, however, for those who like the romance of the greenwood tree, and the whole charming effect is a bit like going for a stroll in the woods with a well-informed and chatty - some would say batty - friend.

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's much to like and much to find annoying about this book. It contains a combination of botanical facts (helpful) and insightful neo-pagan thought (good) and herbal medical advice (okay, sometimes dodgy) and undocumented scrambles of historical claims (frustrating). It's the sort of book which should be read with a bowl of salt handy (for taking pinches) and/or a 'citation needed' stamp. That's not to say it shouldn't be read: the meditations on connectedness with the natural world, supported by accurate observations about real trees and the author's personal experience, are well-written, sometimes excellent.

[Keagan Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd rename this book to, "the great encyclopedia of celtic trees."
This book is a throughly researched and inspired resource. I will be referring back to this book for the rest of my life. A great shelf enhancer for all of those who are into Ogham, myths, practical uses, history, folklore or just love trees in general.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with this book. This masterpiece is absolutely jam packed with information; the author, Jacqueline Memory Paterson, making use of every square inch of each page. There’s an excellent balance of content from scientific information and illustrations to aid in identifying each species of tree, to the author’s personal anecdotes and experience in interpreting the historical context and spiritual meaning of the trees.

Paterson is incredibly purposeful in her writing. She doesn’t divulge any information or explore any tangents without explaining their relevance. She is also very expressive, making her pure love for nature evident. She speaks in beautifully articulated metaphors and gives us intricate descriptions of nature with vivid sensory detail (𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩).

My absolute favourite concept explored in this book is the idea of 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸, storing data gained from observing the life lived around them. Paterson consistently champions that by working with trees, their memories emerge, deepening our ancestral bond and illuminating their inherent divinity.

𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺 by Jacqueline Memory Paterson is amazing, stunning, incredible and I highly recommend.

[Robin Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put some poplar leaves in my pocket...

[Patricia M Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this like a bible to find a myth, folklore/ legend around trees to ignite a spark for me to look further and develop narrative poems for my MA dissertation.

Highly recommend it.

[Gwnhwyfer]

From the bibliography of Ellen Dugan's Green Witch's Herbal (2009).

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on tree lore, which I will come back to again and again.