The Celtic Month of Hazel symbolizes inspiration and wisdom. It is a good time to learn a new skill and practice spells that develop your awareness. Celebrated from August 5th to September 1st embodies the pursuit of knowledge that can enrich our modern spiritual practices.
The Ogham letter for the Month of Hazel is Coll, which roughly translates as inner life force. Wands were often made from hazel wood, believing it enhanced their ability to channel divine knowledge and magical energy. The wood was also used for divining rods, as it was thought to reveal hidden truths and locate underground water sources.
The Hazel Tree
Hazel is a small tree or a large shrub that is common throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. They produce a nut referred to as hazelnuts aka filberts.
The nuts are a valuable agricultural crop and tree in their ecosystem. Hazelnuts are eaten and enjoyed by people and wildlife.
In addition, farmers plant them for hedgerows creating shelter for birds and small mammals.
The phrase “in a nutshell” comes from this tree because the outer casing is so hard and it protects the nut very well.
Historically cutting down a hazel was forbidden in Scotland and Ireland.
CORRESPONDENCES
Ogham: Coll
Symbolic Meaning: Alliances, Creative Inspiration, Divination, Scientific knowledge, and Wisdom
Ruling Planet: Mercury
Ruling Element: Air
Gender: Masculine
Season: Summer
Corresponding Star Sign: Leo, Virgo
Crystals: Flint, Pearl, Topaz
Birds: Crane, Crow
Animals: Bears, Dolphins, Lion, and Salmon
Plants: Aster, Iris, and Solomon’s Seal
Color: Orange
Day: Wednesday
Tarot: 9 of Swords
Deities: Aemgus, Artemis, Diana, Hermes/Mercury
Hazel Magic
Intuition and divination form another core aspect of hazel's symbolism. The tree's association with "second sight" and the ability to perceive hidden truths makes this month particularly powerful for developing psychic abilities and trusting one's inner voice. Many practitioners find this an ideal time for scrying, tarot reading, or other forms of divination.
Protection also features prominently. Celtic warriors would carry hazel nuts as talismans, and hazel branches were used to create protective barriers around homes and sacred spaces. This protective quality extends to mental and spiritual protection, guarding against negative influences and helping maintain clarity of thought.
The wood has long been thought to have magical properties. Both Hermes and Mercury had a staff made of hazel. Also popular among druids and many pagans today.
Hazel branches and wands are good when casting a circle.
Sit next to a clump of hazels if you need inspiration. Write a song, chant, or poem this month.
Spells that focus on attaining wisdom and knowledge are powerful this month. This is a good month to work on your Book of Spells.
Cast spells to develop your awareness, senses, and level of concentration.
People who eat hazelnuts will have the gift of prophecy. They are also a symbol of good luck.
Divination is a good skill to focus on and Hazel supports dowsing and dream journeys.
Hazel makes a very sensitive wand that is good for divination, circle casting, and protection. This wand can be somewhat temperamental as it responds to the witch’s emotional state. For Harry Potter fans Professor Sybill Trelawney had a hazel wand.
Where you see hazel, apple, and hawthorn trees together is often a door to the Otherworld.
Learn more about the Hazel month
Make a Divining Rod
Hazel branches and wands are known to have the divination power of dowsing.
Look for a fallen forked twig or small branch about one to two feet in length.
Thank the tree and give it an offering of moon water.
Cleanse your twig and ask the deities to bless your intention of dowsing. If you are a more advanced witch you may call upon the fae for help.
Grasp the fork of the branch with one side in each hand. Point the long end towards the ground and walk back and forth.
The dowsing rod will twitch or vibrate when you are near water.
Traditional Celtic Observances
Historically, the Celtic Month of Hazel was marked by several important activities and observances. Nut gathering formed a central ritual, as families would venture into hazel groves to collect the ripening nuts. This wasn't merely practical food gathering – it was a sacred act that connected people directly with the tree's wisdom-giving properties.
Storytelling traditions flourished during this time, as the long evenings provided perfect opportunities for sharing tales of wisdom and knowledge. Elders would pass down cultural knowledge, myths, and practical wisdom to younger generations, embodying the hazel's role as keeper of wisdom.
Divination practices intensified during the Month of Hazel. Celtic seers and druids would use hazel wands for dowsing and fortune-telling, believing the tree's connection to hidden knowledge made it especially powerful for revealing unseen truths. The period was considered particularly auspicious for making important decisions based on divine guidance.
Craft work using hazel wood reached its peak during this month. Artisans would fashion everything from walking sticks to magical tools, imbuing each creation with the tree's protective and wisdom-enhancing properties. The flexible yet strong nature of hazel wood made it prized for both practical and ceremonial items.
Salmon and Hazel
In Celtic culture, the salmon are considered to be very wise. Legend tells us there were nine hazel trees surrounding a sacred pond. There was a salmon who ate many nuts as they fell in the pond. One man wanted to get wisdom from the salmon so he caught it and told his young student to cook it but not eat any.
Well, as often boys do he didn’t exactly obey his teacher and ate a piece of the salmon. The young boy was named Fionn mac Cumhaill. He became a hero in Gaelic mythology as a warrior, poet, and seer.
It is said that each spot on a salmon represents a hazelnut it has eaten. Salmon are a keystone species. The Atlantic salmon Salmo salar ranges widely around the United Kingdom and western Europe.
Modern Pagan Celebrations and Practices
Contemporary pagans can honor the Month of Hazel by connecting with ancient wisdom. By honoring this sacred time, we join our ancestors in recognizing the profound intelligence of the natural world and our place within its eternal cycles.
Creating a Hazel Altar: Set up a special altar space featuring hazel branches, nuts, and symbols of wisdom such as books, owls, or spiral designs. Include items that represent your own pursuit of knowledge – perhaps a journal, crystals associated with mental clarity like clear quartz or amethyst, or tools used for divination. This sacred space serves as a focal point for the month's spiritual work.
Wisdom Seeking Rituals: Dedicate time to practices that enhance wisdom and intuition. This might include meditation focused on accessing inner knowledge, journaling exercises that explore deep questions, or study of subjects that expand your understanding of the world. Consider creating a "wisdom quest" where you commit to learning something new each day of the month.
Nut Blessing Ceremonies: If you have access to hazelnuts, create a blessing ritual where you charge them with intentions for wisdom and protection. These blessed nuts can be carried as talismans, shared with loved ones, or saved for future magical work. Even if fresh hazelnuts aren't available, store-bought nuts can be consecrated in meaningful ways.
Divination Work: The Month of Hazel offers ideal energy for developing and practicing divination skills. Try new forms of divination, deepen your practice with familiar methods, or create your own hazel wand for dowsing. Keep a divination journal to track insights and accuracy over time.
Storytelling and Knowledge Sharing: Honor the Celtic tradition of wisdom transmission by engaging in storytelling. Share meaningful stories with friends and family, research your own family history, or participate in community storytelling events. This practice keeps alive the oral tradition that was so important to Celtic culture.
Nature Connection: Spend time in natural settings, particularly around trees if possible. Even urban dwellers can connect with tree energy through park visits or meditation with houseplants. Focus on developing a relationship with the plant kingdom and opening yourself to the wisdom nature offers.
Protection Magic: Create protective charms using hazel symbolism. This might involve crafting amulets, setting up protective barriers around your home using hazel imagery, or performing rituals that call upon hazel's protective properties for yourself and loved ones.
Hazel Zodiac
People born under this sign are charming, fight for social causes, honest, moody, and understanding. They are known to be wise and good communicators. They excel at academic endeavors and are good at math and science especially.
Hazel people need to work on self-acceptance and self-worth. Spells for self-care are areas they should focus on. They also often have a struggle between the left (analytical) and right (creative) sides of their brain. This results in a need to work on balance.
Fae
This is a great month for working with the Fae. They live among the hazel bushes and appreciate offerings of hazelnuts.
In Ireland, Faeries were known as Aes sídhe or daoine sídhe (the people of the mounds). Traditionally Hawthorne was known as the Fairy Tree however Hazel is also appealing to the Fae.
The Hazel is a symbol of the poetic fae, Bile Ratha.
Witch Hazel
The tree witch hazel is a wonderful landscaping and medicinal tree. Its common cultivar is Hamamelis virginiana and it is not related at all to hazel trees.
However, they do have several things in common magically. Witch hazel is wonderful for divination and water dowsing. It is also known for wisdom and has fabulous healing properties.
If you are interested in learning how to grow witch hazel and make your own homemade remedies then check out my article Witch Hazel: Bewitching Brew or Herbal Medicine For the Skin on my environmental website.
Author, Ame, is the founder of CPH, a lifelong pagan and Environmental Educator.
Holly is an evergreen, has masculine energy, and is symbolic of immortality. Said to repel lightning strikes it was often planted near homes. It is notably the wood used in Harry Potter’s wand.
The month Tinne, as called by the Celts, fell around the holiday of Lughnasa. We often associate evergreen Holly with winter and the Yule Season because during the summer solstice the Holly King defeats the Oak King and the days start to get shorter.