The Oak was the principal sacred tree of the Druids, symbolizing truth and steadfast knowledge as well as the turning of the year. During this time, Druids would carve a circle in the tree for protection against lightning. The Oak was representative of the trials that individuals experience in life while changing and becoming who they were meant to be. This tree represented the soul which, in Celtic terms, was the "Eye of God." Doors made of Oak were believed to keep out evil. The word "door" derives from the Sanskrit "duir," Ogham for Oak and a word which symbolizes solidity and protection. In the realm of the forest, the Oak is the King of Trees, standing mightily solid with great branches, matched only be even greater roots. Often struck by lightning, the force of the strike and the heat bursts the sap and stem of the Oak apart, leaving the trunk gnarled and withered...yet, the Oak still manages to survive for decades or even centuries. The growth of this tree is slow but sure and it is the forest's marker point, cornerstone and refuge. The Druids often taught lessons beneath the shade of the Oak. The Oak was long considered by the wise to be a guardian which opened doorways to self spirituality and granted the strength to progress onward which, in time, drew the individual closer to the self. The Oak provided the courage to overcome any obstacles which had to be resolved during the travels of an individual and, in time perhaps, to learn the ways of the wise. In Celtic mythology, it is said that the first tree was an Oak, known by the name of Bile, from which two acor........ more