Yew

Ancient tree of life, death and immortality. 

Magickal Correspondences

• Receptive energy 
• Saturn & Pluto
• Earth & Water
• Capricorn, Scorpio 
• Immortality, rebirth, life, death, protection, longevity, change, divinity, strength, renewal, ancestors, dreaming, psychic abilities, insight

The Magick of Yew

The yew tree is one of the oldest living beings on this planet and can live for thousands of years. One of the oldest yew trees is the Fortingall yew in Perthshire, thought to be over 5,000 years old.

A strong symbol for immortality and rebirth. As the tree ages the trunk becomes hollow inside and a new tree sprouts from within.

Yew is the World Tree, the Tree of Life, also called Yggdrasil in Norse mythology (Yggdrasil translates as 'needle ash' so it is often confused with the Ash tree).

Yew assists in Otherworld journeys and increases our awareness and openness to communication with the Otherworld.

Connected to the angelic realm and multidimensional beings, yew raises our awareness and receptivity to them.

Yew is often found growing in graveyards throughout the U.K because of it's connection with death and resurrection. It is thought to protect the spirits of the dead, and seen as a symbol of life after death.

A circle of yew trees is thought to be an ancient Druid sacred circle.

The fleshy part of the berries of the yew tree are edible but beware as the seeds in the berries are very poisonous and can be fatal, so I would advise against eating them.

Use yew during Samhain rituals when the veil is thinnest. It has the power to protect us from malicious entities.

Burn yew in your winter solstice fires for re-birth, renewal, and purification.

Use yew berries in a protection charm or spell jar.

Wands made from yew wood are especially powerful. They bring about transformations and can also be used to tap into our intuition.