Hazel – Wisdom – Tree Spirit Wisdom

Hazel – Wisdom

Genus: Corylus – Family: Betulaceae

The hazel tree inspires us to embrace the gift of magical thinking by reconnecting with nature and all of its wisdom.

The common hazel Corylus avellana, is native throughout Europe and Western Asia. The genus name Corylus comes from korylos, meaning “helmet,” due to its hat-like covering. The species name avellana refers to the “wild nut of Avella” in Italy. The name Hazel comes from the Anglo-Saxon word haesel, meaning “bonnet”. The Hebrew word hazeal means “god sees”. Greeks and Romans depicted their messenger god, Hermes/Mercury, carrying a caduceus staff made of hazel to communicate between worlds. In the Old Testament, hazeal is mentioned as a tree of divine wisdom that provided discernment and guidance. Its prophetic powers were used to create divining rods, while hazel walking sticks offered protection for weary travelers.

In Celtic, Norse and Roman mythology the hazel tree was seen as “Tree of Knowledge” its nuts were a source of wisdom. The phrase “in a nutshell” is believed to be attributed to the bite-sized wisdom of a hazelnut. In Irish folklore, a salmon ate nine hazelnuts that fell from each of the nine hazel trees near the “Well of Wisdom”. This “Salmon of Knowledge” contained all the wisdom of the universe. Its wisdom could be passed on to whoever ate it. A Druid named Finnegas caught the “Salmon of Knowledge.” He asked his student Fionn to cook it, but when Fionn turned the salmon over the fire he inadvertently touched the salmon burning his thumb. Instinctively he sucked the blister on his thumb for comfort, thus absorbing all the wisdom of the salmon. This wisdom transformed him into Finn McCool, a cult hero in Gaelic mythology. The name McCool comes from the Old Irish “coll” meaning “hazel tree” based on the Ogham tree alphabet. Coll also corresponds to the letter “c”.

Hazel trees were believed to hold magical and protective powers. Crowns made from hazel twigs could make wishes come true and were associated with the fairy realm. The fairytale Cinderella, written by the Brothers Grimm, originally featured a hazel twig gifted to Cinderella by her father. Cinderella planted it on her mother’s grave and tended it with her tears. It grew into a tree filled with magical birds that protected her and granted her wishes.

There are 14-18 species of hazel in the Betulaceae birch family. Hazelnuts have been harvested for over 11,000 years, also known as filberts or cobnuts. The largest producers of common hazel Corylus avellana, are Turkey, Italy, the United States (Oregon), Spain and France. Frangelico, an Italian hazelnut liqueur, is named for the Renaissance artist turned Dominican Friar, Fra Angelico (1395-1455).

The eye color “hazel” is based on the mature color of an unshelled hazelnut, which is a blend of brown, amber, gold and green that changes in the light.

Message: Hazel encourages us to dream as we reconnect with the wonder and wisdom of nature. This is a time of new beginnings, especially pertaining to something we have been wishing for. Regardless of how we pursue our dreams, the hazel tree reminds us to retain our sweetness and childlike sense of wonder. Hazel encourages us to see that the challenges we face are also opportunities to grow and gain even more wisdom.

Challenge: Losing touch with the wonderment of life.

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Tree Spirit Tarot – Return to the Garden of our Soul

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