Quick Specs
- Brand: Crossed Crow Books
- Type: Paperback book
- Size/Quantity: 250 pages, 6 x 9 inches
- Best for: Ogham study, Celtic tree calendar, Druid and Celtic esoteric practice, tree magic
The Ogham, the Trees, and What Blamires Actually Teaches
The Ogham alphabet is one of the most distinctive and layered mystical systems in the Celtic tradition. Each of its characters corresponds not just to a phonetic sound but to a tree, a set of mythological associations, a position in the Celtic lunar calendar, and a body of lore that extends into cosmology, divination, and spiritual practice. Steve Blamires spent decades as a Druid scholar and teacher before writing Celtic Tree Mysteries, and the depth of that background shows on every page. This isn’t a surface-level survey of tree symbolism; it’s a structured guide to the entire esoteric system that the trees represent within the Celtic tradition.
Blamires organizes the book carefully. He opens by establishing the historical and mythological foundations: where the Ogham comes from, how it differs from other alphabetic systems, and why the Celtic culture built a cosmological worldview around the tree kingdom. That grounding matters because it means that when you reach the individual tree chapters, you’re working within a coherent framework rather than reading isolated entries in a symbol dictionary. Explore more titles in my Celtic and Druidry books collection to find what pairs well with this one.
The Celtic Tree Calendar and How This Book Uses It
At the heart of Celtic Tree Mysteries is the thirteen-month Celtic lunar calendar, in which each month aligns with a specific tree. This calendar is more than an organizational device; Blamires treats it as a living system that positions the practitioner within seasonal, lunar, and arboreal cycles simultaneously. Understanding your birth tree within the calendar, the tree that governs your current lunar month, and the mythological role that each tree plays gives you three overlapping lenses through which to work with the Ogham as a contemplative and divinatory system.
The twenty trees covered in the book each receive their own chapter, and those chapters are generous in scope. Blamires covers the tree’s mythological narrative, its symbolic correspondences, and its practical applications for what he calls connecting with the tree on a personal, spiritual, and mental level. That last phrase is worth noting: this book treats the trees as entities you build an actual relationship with rather than symbols you memorize and apply. If you’ve worked with oracle decks like the Celtic Tree Oracle and found yourself wanting more depth behind the imagery, this is the book that provides it.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I carry Celtic Tree Mysteries because it occupies a distinct and irreplaceable position in Celtic esoteric study. It’s not a general introduction to Celtic magic, and it’s not a card deck with brief descriptive entries. It’s the foundational text for anyone who wants to understand the Ogham as a complete symbolic and spiritual system rather than a collection of attractive tree names. Blamires writes with the authority of someone who has lived inside this tradition rather than summarized it from a distance. When I stock books, I look for that quality, and this one has it. Find it alongside related texts in my spellcraft and witchcraft books collection.
How to Use Celtic Tree Mysteries by Steve Blamires
Use this book to build a structured practice within the Celtic Ogham tree tradition.
- Read the Foundation Chapters First
Work through the opening section on Ogham origins before individual tree chapters. Blamires explains how the twenty trees align with the Celtic lunar calendar, giving essential context before you encounter each tree’s myth and symbol set.
- Work with One Tree at a Time
Start with the tree you’re most drawn to rather than in strict sequence. Blamires gives each tree a myth, a symbol set, and a connection method. Sitting with one tree at a time builds deeper familiarity than reading the whole book straight through.
- Take the Practice Outside
Take the book outside. Blamires is consistent on this: the Celtic tree tradition is rooted in physical contact with living trees, not symbolic study alone. Find the tree for your birth month and spend time with a living specimen of that species.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The Ogham is an ancient Irish and Welsh script where each letter corresponds to a tree or plant. Blamires covers its origins, its mythological underpinnings, and its use as a divination and contemplative system rather than a writing system.
Crossed Crow Books published the 2023 edition: 250 pages, 6 by 9 inches, paperback. Steve Blamires is a Druid scholar with decades in Celtic and Western mystery traditions, and this is widely considered one of his most comprehensive core texts.
This book is the source text behind the oracle tradition. It gives full mythological and calendrical context for the Ogham trees rather than card meanings. Readers often use both: the book for depth and a Celtic tree oracle deck for daily practice.
The book covers twenty trees aligned with the thirteen-month Celtic lunar calendar. Each gets its own chapter covering myth, symbolism, and practical approaches for connecting with the tree’s energy at a personal, spiritual, and mental level.
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