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It is thought that the ancient Celtic Druids may have used a Zodiac. This Zodiac was rediscovered by Robert Graves and publisied in his popular book The White Goddess
Graves used the work of Duald MacFirbis (1585 – 1670) the scholar and bard of clan O’Brien and bard Roderick O’Flaherty (1629 – 1718). There is doubt among modern scholars as to whether these sources are enough as there is evidence that some of the terminology used has Latin rather than Celtic roots and it is unlikely Christian bards would have sought to preserve ancient Druid knowledge.
Helena Peterson has provided an alternative Celtic Zodiac. It uses the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto which the Druids where unlikely to have discovered but her book The Handbook of Celtic Astrology*
Due to the competing versions of the Celtic Zodiac and the on-going debate around accruacy it is easy to find tables with differing dates.
Celtic Zodiac
December 24 to January 20: Birch – The Achiever
January 21 to February 17: Rowan – The Thinker
February 18 to March 17: Ash – The Enchanter
March 18 to April 14: Alder – The Trailblazer
April 15 to May 12: Willow – The Observer
May 13 to June 9: Hawthorn – The Illusionist
June 10 to July 7: Oak – The Stabilizer
July 8 to August 4: Holly – The Ruler
August 5 to September 1: Hazel – The Knower
September 2 to September 29: Vine – The Equalizer
September 30 to October 27: Ivy – The Survivor
October 28 to November 24: Reed – The Inquisitor
November 25 to December 25: Elder – The Seeker
In Pure Spirit
Are you a follower of the Celtic Zodiac? Do you think we can ever fully recover the wisdom of the Druids?
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December 15, 2008
Meanings