In the Celtic Tree Calendar, the Alder (or Fearn) Moon spans mid-March to mid-April. Coinciding with the spring equinox, the Alder Moon symbolizes balance and transition. The Alder month, called fairin by the Celts and fearnóg in Modern Irish, is represented by the third consonant in the ogham alphabet and comes from the Proto-Celtic **wernā.
Growing as it does on riverbanks and swampy land, the alder draws nitrogen from the air and not the soil, as other trees do. When the tree’s leaves fall and decompose, they enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefiting other plants in the area. This makes the tree ideal for reclaiming degraded soils and industrial wastelands.
Its pale wood turns a bloodlike, deep orange when cut. Together with the swampy environment, the alder is thus associated with mystery and danger—elements favored by faeries, who create doors in the tree trunks as portals to the Otherworld and transform into ravens when they need to leave. Alder flowers and twigs are known as charms for faerie magic. The pith is easily pushed out of green shoots to make whistles, which are effective whistles for communicating with faeries.
Sacred to the druids, the alder has earned a reputation for resilience and nurturing—qualities necessary for navigating transitions. The Alder Moon is a time for prophecy, making spiritual decisions, and following one’s intuition.
Deirdre of the Sorrows
The mysterious alder is prominently featured in the legendary love story of Deirdre and Naoise.
During the reign of King Conchobhar Mac Nessa of Ulster, a beautiful girl was born to the chieftain Felimidh Mac Dall. The druid Cathbad named her Deirdre and prophesized that she would grow into the most beautiful woman in Ireland. Noting, however, that an excess of anything is deadly, he foresaw that her beauty would split the king’s legendary Red Branch warriors into two factions.
When news of that prophecy reached King Conchobhar, his men decided they would abduct and kill Deirdre. But Conchobhar valued his reputation as a wise and merciful king, so he took the child and raised her in secret. When Deirdre grew into a beautiful woman, he would marry her.
Years passed. One winter day, the blood of a slaughtered lamb fell on the snow, and a raven came down to feed off the corpse. The sight of the black raven, white snow, and red blood overwhelmed the young woman. Deirdre cried out that she had fallen in love with these three colors, and she would only love a man with hair as black as a raven, skin as white as snow, and lips as red as blood. That would be Naoise, son of Usna, Lord of Alba (Scotland).
Conchobar was jealous, forcing Deirdre and Naoise to elope. They hid from the king’s Red Branch warriors in the alder woods of Alba.
When not growing along waterways, alders form carrs, i.e. waterlogged woods. Mired in water, these carrs make ideal hideaways. The trees’ wide bases and tall straight trunks broaden into leafy canopies overhead; below, small thickets of young shoots emerge. The green dye that is derived from the alder’s flowers has been used to camouflage faeries, Robin Hood, and, of course, Deirdre and Naoise.
The couple lived in the alder woods until they were lured back to Ireland by the king’s treachery. After Conchobar killed Naoise, Deirdre took her own life to avoid falling into the hands of the king.
Listen to this story on The Bard Site, a compilation of written and oral rendering of Irish myths.
Uses and Lore
Given the alder carrs’ reputation for concealing bandits, lovers, and faeries, the Irish considered it unlucky to pass an alder tree on a journey. Placing alder leaves in one’s shoes at the start of a journey, however, will cool the feet and prevent swelling.
Not only does the alder’s oily timber resist water, but it becomes as hard as stone when left immersed. Since the Bronze Age, it has been used as the foundations for bridges, medieval cathedrals, and pilings in parts of Venice and Amsterdam.
Out of water and out of doors, the timber rots easily, making it a poor choice for heating. But as charcoal, it burns with an intense heat that the Celts used to forge their weapons.
Once the tree has been cut down, its pale wood releases an orange-red sap that resembles blood. Warriors would fashion shields from this wood to prevent them from being wounded. As a dye, alder sap has been associated with fabric making and spinning.
According to The Goddess Tree, alder bark treated inflammations, rheumatism, and diarrhea. Bags filled with heated alder leaves helped with chronic skin diseases and burns. As an antibacterial, a gargle made from leaves and bark cured mouth ulcers and soothed tonsillitis. Fresh alder leaves are a good insect repellent. Alder tree essence is said to relieve nervousness and anxiety, helping individuals face adversity. Alder was also sacred to the Druids. The pith is easily pushed out of green shoots to make whistles.
Not only is alder good for whistles, since 1956, Fender favors the tree to build the bodies of its electric guitars, including the legendary Stratocaster, because, “It has a resonant, balanced tone brighter than other hardwoods.”
The alder was thought to have power of divination, due to its association with water, healing, and the spirit world. According to The Hazel Tree, the tree’s wood, leaves, smoke, the movement of its branches, and the sound of its leaves have been interpreted as omens and used to cast spells.
Alder is also linked to the Celtic deity Bran, who is associated with the dead, making alder popular for connecting with spirits of the Otherworld. It was probably the wood used in the fé, a rod for measuring corpses and graves in pre-Christian Ireland.
It makes sense that the alder is associated with this time of year. Its strong and powerful wood blends strength and courage with spirit and compassion to facilitate transition.
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