"Celtic Astrology"
Graves also argues that the names of the Ogham letters in the alphabet used in parts of Gaelic Ireland and Britain contained a calendar that contained the key to an ancient liturgy involving the human sacrifice of a sacred king, and, further, that these letter names concealed lines of Ancient Greek hexameter describing the goddess.
While Graves's "Celtic Astrology" has been popularized by some New Age authors, his "Tree Calendar" has no relation to any historical Celtic calendar. His interpretations rather rely on the book Ogygia by the 17th-century bard Roderick O'Flaherty
Graves's "Tree Zodiac" includes the four cardinal points besides the twelve signs of the zodiac, resulting in a list of 16, matched to the 20 Ogham letters by attributing two letters each to winter solstice (A/I), Sagittarius (B/R), spring equinox (O/E) and Gemini (D/T):
- Winter Solstice: A/I: Spruce/Yew
- Sagittarius: B/R: Birch/Elder
- Capricorn: L: Service tree
- Aquarius: N: Ash
- Spring Equinox: O/E: Furze/Poplar
- Pisces: F: Alder
- Aries: S: Willow
- Taurus: H: Whitethorn
- Summer Solstice U: Heather
- Gemini: D/T: Oak/Holly
- Cancer: C: Hazel
- Leo: Q: Apple
- Autumnal Equinox: E/O : Poplar/Furze
- Virgo: M: Vine
- Libra: G: Ivy
- Scorpio: NG: Reed
Read more about this topic: The White Goddess
Famous quotes containing the words celtic and/or astrology:
“Coming to Rome, much labour and little profit! The King whom you seek here, unless you bring Him with you you will not find Him.”
—Anonymous 9th century, Irish. “Epigram,” no. 121, A Celtic Miscellany (1951, revised 1971)
“Superstition is to religion what astrology is to astronomy—the mad daughter of a wise mother. These daughters have too long dominated the earth.”
—Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778)