A smooth, gold-coloured wood with a wavy
grain, the yew is an ancient tree species that has
survived since before the Ice Age and, as such,
has been revered and used by humankind
throughout the ages. Because of its longevity
and the way it regenerates itself by growing
new trunks from within, it has come to
represent everlasting life, immortality, renewal,
regeneration, rebirth and transformation.
Many churches and churchyards once stood
in a circle of yews representing the passage from
life to death, a belief based on old Druidic
custom. The yew is sacred to Hecate (the Crone
aspect of the Triple Goddess) and therefore the
ancient wisdom of the feminine, and is also a
symbol of the old magic.
Considered to be the most potent tree for
protection against evil, magically it is a means of
connecting to your ancestors, bringing dreams
and Otherworld journeys. This is one of its most
valuable attributes, for it provides us with the
opportunity to face death, to progress further
than fear and to establish communication
through visions with what lies beyond. These all
bring about an understanding and clear insight.
It is thought by many to be the original ‘World
Tree’ (Yggdrasil) of Scandinavian mythology.
