Ancient Celts considered the elder tree bad tempered. They used the poisonous sap of the twisted yew tree to make their arrows more deadly. And they thought ivy was sinister. Why, then did they consider these trees inspirational, beneficial, and even protective?

The darkest day is coming. Winter solstice 2025, December 21st, will be the shortest day of the year with the fewest hours of daylight. Find out what Celtic folklore and spirituality can teach us about facing life’s darkest days with hope.

On Halloween, what are we celebrating and should we celebrate this holiday at all? Here are the pagan—and Christian—origins of Halloween as well as its themes and symbolism so you can decide for yourself.

Have fun exploring these names from the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh languages and discover their symbolic meanings.

Wishing everyone good holidays! This post has links to posts on Imbolc (the Celtic start of Spring), Beltane (May 1), and Celtic animal symbolism. The next post will be May 5th.

Shamrocks and four-leaf clovers: only one is a true symbol of Ireland. And neither is the official emblem of the Republic.

Spring is here! At least on the Celtic calendar. Discover the trees and folklore of a Celtic Spring.

Horses may not immediately spring to mind when I say "Celts." But they should.

A Venn Diagram of the things that say “autumn” to an American and their connection to Celtic tradition and folklore.

How did a Pirate Queen nicknamed Bald Gráinne become a symbol of Irish Independence? Here’s the story of Gráinne Ní Mháille.