The calendar’s twelfth lunar cycle ascends to its heavenly station in December.
The elders call this time the Oak Moon.
The oak is a symbol of strength and eternity. When the winter is in full reign over the Earth, it is important
to remember the oak’s endurance. To survive the trials of winter, people must find within themselves
the oak’s great strength.
More than any other religious group, the Druids are remembered for their sacred oak rites. Usually, the
Druids are thought to follow a solar deity. Yet in looking at the rites connected with the gathering of
the sacred mistletoe from the oak trees, it becomes obvious that their rites were not performed without
the blessing of the Moon. The proper time for the collection of mistletoe was on the sixth day of the
full Moon. The mistletoe could only be cut with a golden sickle. Although gold is considered a metal
sacred to the Sun, the golden ritual tool used was in the shape of the Moon’s crescent.
The legends of the Oak Moon are the stories of the tree from which December’s Moon derives its name.
They are the tales of the mighty oak.
Mistletoe, the Fruit of the Oak
Germany
Many cultures highly valued the mistletoe. Part of its magic was that it grew neither in the Earth nor the
heavens, but was perched upon the oak between Earth and sky. Some thought the mistletoe contained
the life spirit of the oak, for in the winter months, when the oak was void of leaves, the mistletoe was
still green. German mythology recalls the mistletoe’s part in the drama of Frigga, the lunar goddess,
and Baldur, her son.
Frigga was very protective of her son. A fair part of her concern was rooted in a vision she had had of her
son’s death. Although the goddess was gifted with foresight of the future, she was unable to change the
visions she saw.
In an attempt to remove the possibility of loosing her son, Frigga began to extract a promise from all the
creatures of the world that they would never harm Baldur. She sent her maids to extract a vow from the
living creatures, plants, and even from metals. All things promised to spare the life of Baldur, save the
mistletoe. From the mistletoe, no promise was requested. This was a slender creature, so weak that it
had to cling to the side of a strong oak tree for protection. From such a delicate being, there was no
threat to Baldur. So Frigga was comforted. She had no reason to be concerned for her son’s safety.
With no harm that could befall him, Baldur entertained gods and men alike as a target for their sharp spears.
Stones and arrows were let fly toward him. When he emerged from behind their flurry, he was
unharmed. No stone bruised him. Neither spear nor arrow could pierce his fair skin. All men loved
Baldur and each missile that sailed in his direction was a token of honor. There were few that
restrained themselves from the sport of honoring the son of Frigga.
Hodur was one of the few who did not join in the celebration of the fair Buldar. Although he honored the
god, Hodur was blind and could not aim his bow in the direction of the bright Buldar. Hodur never
took part in the festivities, until one day at Loki’s encouragement.
Now, Loki was an evil god - a god who delighted in chaos and destruction. Unbeknown to the blind Hodur,
Loki had fashioned an arrow out of mistletoe, the only creature from which no vow of protection had
been extracted. Loki placed the arrow in Hodur’s bow, and held the blind archer’s arm so that his aim
was true. When the special arrow struck the beautiful Baldur, he fell to the slumber of death.
Frigga was sorrowful but could do nothing to bring her son back from Hela, the land of the dead. The
mistletoe still survives as a reminder of the tale of the beautiful Baldur, the bright son of the Moon
goddess.
Moon Lore
Greenman's Craft Page
Our Chosen Path
Our Guest Registry