Celtic Astrology

Irish Astrology and Modern Celtic Astrology

The existence of an ancient Celtic astrological system evokes a heated debate among scholars. Some claim there was none, while others turn to references made in ancient Irish texts. Others cite ancient Greek text acknowledging the Celts’ accomplishments in astronomy as proof that an ancient astrological system once existed. It’s documented that the astrology practiced by the Irish between the twelfth and seventeenth centuries was a form of Arabic astrology.

Celtic astrology, as known today, was created by the poet Robert Graves in his book The White Goddess (published in 1946). According to Graves, the Celtic lunar calendar comprised of thirteen months was the basis of Irish astrology. Graves’s book gave birth to a new astrology commonly accepted by the general population as the ancient Celtic astrology. Scholars claim that his tree zodiac is a misrepresentation of the ancient Celts’ belief systems. You must decide for yourself if Graves’ astrology has value.

Lunar Power

In Celtic (Druid) symbolism, the moon represents the subconscious mind and hidden matters while the sun represents the conscious mind. The moon is the repository of the subconscious mind where true knowledge of past lives resides. Using the lunar calendar, Celtic astrology unlocks your past life memories and other hidden mysteries.

Lunar Months Signs

Each lunar calendar month, thirteen in all, is assigned a tree symbol. The trees’ energies are said to be revealed through the Tree Alphabet.

Tree Alphabet

The Ogham (commonly pronounced Oh-m) glyphs are the only written form left by the Druids. Graves created an alphabet by assigning a different tree for each of the twenty letters (a series of markings).

Tree Spirits

Druidism respects nature and your place within the world. Like other tribal cultures, the Celts lived in harmony with nature. They believed in energy and that all living matter had energy. This belief stretched beyond the physical world into the supernatural world. Druidism espoused the ideology of creating balance between opposites. This oneness is symbolized by the joining of male and female energies.

The Celtic Astrological Signs

According to scholar, Peter B. Ellis, the Celtic calendar was similar to the Vedic one. Another aspect of Celtic astrology is the animal symbols used to depict the conscious mind. When the animal symbols are used in conjunction with the tree signs, a bridge is formed between the conscious and subsconscious mind. In Western Astrology, the animal zodiac would be called the rising sign.

Below are two charts. The first depicts the Celtic tree, alphabet, dates and meanings. The second gives the Celtic animals for each sign:

**Celtic Astrology Signs Dates**
Tree Sign	Tree Alphabet	Dates	Meaning
Birch Tree	Beth	Dec. 24 – Jan. 20	Achiever
Rowan Tree	Luis	Jan. 21 – Feb. 17	Thinker
Ash Tree	Nion	Feb. 18 – Mar. 17	Enchanter
Alder Tree	Fearn	Mar. 18 – Apr. 14	Trailblazer
Willow Tree	Saille	Apr. 15 – May 12	Observer
Hawthorn Tree	Uath	May 13 – June 9	Illusionist
Oak Tree	Duir	June 10 – July 7	Stabilizer
Holly Tree	Tinne	July 8 – Aug. 4	Ruler
Hazel Tree	Coll	Aug. 5 – Sept. 1	Knower
Vine	Muin	Sept. 2 – Sept. 29	Equalizer
Ivy	Gort	Sept. 30 – Oct. 27	Survivor
Reed	Ngetal	Oct. 28 – Nov. 24	Inquisitor
Elder Tree	Ruis	Nov. 5 – Dec. 23	Seeker

**Animal Symbols and Dates**
Sign	Date
Stag (Deer)	Dec. 24-Jan. 20
Cat	Jan. 21 – Feb. 17
Snake	Feb. 18 – Mar. 17
Fox	Mar. 18 – Apr. 14
Cow	Apr. 15 – May 12
Seahorse	May 13 – June 9
Wren	June 10 – July 7
Horse	July 8 – Aug. 4
Salmon	Aug. 5 – Sept. 1
Swan	Sept. 2 – Sept. 29
Butterfly	Sept. 30 – Oct. 27
Wolf	Oct. 28 – Nov. 24
Falcon	Nov. 5 – Dec. 23

Celtic Signs and Meanings

The meaning of each sign is specific according to the energies it attracts and bestows to you.

Tree Signs

Birch: Achiever – Motivates you to achieve and become a leader
Rowan: Thinker – Sharp-thinker, visionary, original, creative
Ash: Enchanter – Free thinker, imaginative, psychic, artistic, loner
Alder: Trailblazer – Born pathfinder, explorer, risk-taker, doesn’t suffer fools
Willow: Observer – Patient, intelligent, information collector, modest
Hawthorn: Illusionist – Passionate, well-spring of creativity, sense of humor
Oak: Stabilizer – Protective, nurturing, needs to feel in control, family-oriented
Holly: Ruler – Noble, high ideals, academic, confident, leader
Hazel: Knower – Organized, attention to detail, scientific
Vine: Equalizer – Unpredictable, empathizer, charmer, artistic
Ivy: Survivor – Giver by nature, spiritual, charismatic
Reed: Inquisitor – Investigative, victim of gossip and mystery, seeks truth
Elder: Seeker – Freedom-lover, thinker, bluntly honest

All the above part of this Article is from Horoscopes: Love To Know, visit them for some more amazing information!

The following information is from ‘Mythical Ireland’.. in my search for relevance, I’ve found it to be an absorbing website: ie: all links will take you to their website, to denounce any ‘ownership’ of their informative site, have just offered a mere ‘snapshot’ of what is available there. Enjoy!

Old Irish Constellations

Moon Ecliptic star groups in the Irish language

Zodiac name

Old Irish name

Meaning

Aries	Aries	Réithe	Ram
Taurus	Taurus	Tarbh	Bull
Gemini	Gemini	Castor & Pollucs	Castor & Pollux (The Twins)
Cancer	Cancer	Portán	Crab
Leo	Leo	Cú	Hound
Virgo	Virgo	Óigbhean	Young Woman
Libra	Libra	Scálai	Scales
Scorpio	Scorpio	Scorpion	Scorpion
Sagittarius	Sagittarius	Laoch Caithte Saighead	Hero of the thrown arrows
Capricorn	Capricorn	Pocán	The Goat
Aquarius	Aquarius	An tUisceadóir	Water Carrier
Pisces	Pisces	Dá Iasc	Two fishes

This old Irish zodiac was obviously heavily influenced by Greco-Latin ideals, and translated straight into Irish, although it is interesting that Leo is called ‘Cú’, The Hound, and not Leon, the Lion. There is some evidence to suggest constellation groupings like the bull constellation were perceived in ancient Ireland. Other constellations which were recognized as groupings include Orion (which was known in various forms, most notably Nuadu of the Silver Hand) and Cassiopeia and the Northern Crown. Cygnus, The Swan, was probably recognized as a constellation too. The Milky Way was known as ‘The Way of the White Cow, and has led Mythical Ireland to believe the ancient ‘river goddess’ Boann (illuminated cow) was in fact meant to be the Moon, and that Newgrange, which is known in Irish as Brú na Bóinne, is not just a construct designed to capture Winter Solstice sunrise, but also Full Moon rise at certain times of the lunar cycle. Brú na Bóinne could mean ‘womb of the moon’.

WEB LINKS:

Early Irish Astrology – An Historical Argument: Interesting article by Peter Berresford Ellis. Note references to Milky Way, Bealach na Bo Finne.

Dark Skies – Unraveling the cosmic vision of Ireland’s Ancient Astronomers. An article by Anthony Murphy published as the cover story in the July 2008 issue of Astronomy & Space magazine. With some wonderful images by Declan McCormack. The article looks at some of the issues affecting our appraisal of the capabilities of the astronomer builders of 5,000 years ago and examines some of the evidence pointing towards a more complicated knowledge than is currently acknowledged. From Newgrange to Ireland’s Stonehenge to the mountains of Sligo, we follow the cosmic trail left by our ancient ancestors. Click here to see the article.

	STAR SYMBOLS – Is the meaning of Stone Age symbols astronomical? Here we take a detailed look at some of the interpretations.
	THE LUNAR NODES – Understand how the Moon’s path is inclined to the Ecliptic and a few lessons which can be learned from watching its movements.
	METONIC CYCLE – An illustrated lesson on the Moon’s 19-year cycle which was observed by the Neolithic astronomers.
	AZIMUTHS – The horizon positions of the rising and setting Sun on the solstices and equinoxes.
	ZODIAC POSITIONS – The housing of the Sun on the key astronomical dates for both the present day and for 3000BC.
	STAR RISINGS – The rising and setting positions of all the major stars for the year 2,800BC. These positions are calibrated for the Boyne Valley area.
	ASTRO CHARTS – Some helpful illustrations and diagrams showing important sunrise positions and lunar standstills, plus the ancient astronomical calendar of events.
	IRISH ZODIAC – the constellations of the Zodiac as they are known in the Irish language.
	CELTIC ASTROLOGY – Searles O’Dubhain breaks the ice on the subject of whether the Celts studied astrology. NEW!!
	ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS – A comprehensive article about the astronomy of the ancient sites. Text of a lecture given to Astronomy Ireland in 2002 – 10,000 words (80k).
	BOYNE CALENDARS – Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth: calendars for the Sun, Moon and stars?

SWEEPING THE HORIZON

The Sun acts like a kind of giant pendulum as it moves from its winter rising position through the equinox towards its summer rising position. At the solstices, the Sun is rising in virtually the same place for a few days as it stands still – hence the word ‘solstice’, which comes from latin ‘solstitium’ which means ‘Sun standing still’. As the weeks go by its rising position on the horizon changes more rapidly, and at the equinoxes, the Sunrise position is moving along the horizon at a rate of about half a degree per day – which is the equivalent of about one width of the Sun each day. The effect is that of a giant pendulum, swinging from one solstice to the other, slowing and stopping at each solstice, and moving quickest at the equinoxes. The above diagram is not accurate to scale, but gives a visual impression of the phenomenon. See this nice site for information about the solstice.