Celtic Tree Of Life
Portal To Invisible Worlds
& Source Of Sacred Knowledge
To ancient Celts, nature and animals were sacred and must be treated with respect. The spiritual world was invisible. Gateways were leading from the material into the spiritual world. The physical world was believed to be much more complex than we can even imagine.The Celtic Tree of Life served as a portal to invisible worlds and a source of sacred knowledge, guarded by the most enlightened ones. Celts, who had a very special relationship with nature, believed that animals, plants, and trees possessed a spiritual essence. Under certain circumstances, humans could establish contact with beings from other, invisible realms. The concept of unity was a strong and overarching element of the Celtic metaphysic. All aspects of being, were connected, and this naturally also applied to Crann Bethadh - the Celtic Tree of Life. The belief in a Tree of Life is universal, and though the myths vary from culture to culture, some elements always remain almost identical. The Celtic Tree of Life is often depicted, showing the branches reaching skyward and the roots spreading out into the earth below, symbolizing the Druid belief in the link between heaven and earth.
Carving of Ogham letters into a stone pillar
:::: illustration by Stephen Reid (1873 - 1948) ::::
in: Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race by T. W. Rolleston (1857 - 1920), published 1911, p. 288.
The Celts believed that trees were the ancestors of man and had a connection to the other world. The most sacred of trees was the oak. Ancient Celts based their Ogham alphabet on the Trees, naming each character after a special tree. Readers of Ancient Pages are familiar with for example...
