Like, this is the land that I live on and was born on and I should honor and support it and the indigenous people who are rooted in the land instead of reaching for some European connection that vanished with the assimilation of my euro ancestors into whiteness.

THE ALDER BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Between the field and the river,

between woodland and water,

there is a place that no path

can truly name.

A place between two lands,

between two breaths,

where the world hesitates

before choosing its shape.

The river has changed its course.

It is neither flooding,

nor raging,

nor defeated.

It has simply found

another way through.

Clear now,

it slips between the grassy islets

like an ancient thought

that has found its course again.

And upon these fragile islands,

held together by roots,

the Alders rise.

O Alders of moving waters,

trees of silent boundaries,

you who hold the earth

where the water would carry it away,

your roots intertwine,

grip the soil,

descend into the mud,

and hold a little piece

of the world together.

Around you,

ivy clings.

Water clover bends

above the current.

Moss covers the naked earth

with the patience of ancient things.

Everything seems fragile.

And yet everything holds.

Here, the liminal teaches.

The earth is no longer entirely earth.

The water is no longer simply river.

The field is already becoming

something other than a field.

The woodland begins

without quite having begun.

And the Alder remains

within this uncertainty,

root in the earth,

feet in the water,

branches in the sky.

August moves gently onward.

The sun remains hidden

behind a pale veil.

In the west,

clouds carried from the Atlantic

move slowly across the sky.

The wind brings with it

the distant scent of the ocean,

a trace of salt and iodine

mingled with the dark fragrance

of petrichor,

the memory of morning rain.

Then the crows pass.

They cry.

They wheel.

Black strokes of ink

across the grey sky.

Messengers of the boundaries,

they seem to know

the paths we cannot see.

A moorhen leaps

from one little island to another,

a small traveller

upon shifting ground.

Farther on,

the Grey Heron stands motionless.

It watches the edge of the water.

It waits.

It knows that the river speaks

to those who know how to wait.

And I remain there,

between field

and current,

between earth

and woodland,

between what remains

and what departs.

Then I understand

why the Alder grows here.

It did not choose

the solid earth.

It did not choose

the flowing current.

It chose

the in-between.

For there are trees

that guard the boundaries,

and waters

that erase them.

There are roots

that hold the earth,

and currents

that teach the earth

that it may change its shape.

O Alder of the liminal places,

you who drink

from both earth and water,

teach me your wisdom.

Teach me to stand

without becoming still.

To be rooted

without becoming imprisoned.

To change my course

without losing my source.

And when the time comes

when the boundaries become mist,

teach me to recognise

within the whisper of the water

the path that leads

from one world to another.

Druid Hoc'hGouez-Nerzhus /|\

L’AULNE ENTRE DEUX MONDES

Entre le champ et la rivière,

entre le bois et l’eau,

il existe un lieu que nul chemin

ne nomme vraiment.

Un lieu entre deux terres,

entre deux souffles,

où le monde hésite

avant de choisir sa forme.

La rivière a changé son chemin.

Elle n’est ni débordée,

ni furieuse,

ni vaincue.

Elle a simplement trouvé

un autre passage.

Claire désormais,

elle glisse entre les îlots d’herbe

comme une pensée ancienne

qui aurait retrouvé son cours.

Et sur ces terres fragiles,

retenues par les racines,

se dressent les Aulnes.

Ô Aulnes des eaux mouvantes,

arbres des frontières silencieuses,

vous qui tenez la terre

là où l’eau voudrait l’emporter,

vos racines s’enlacent,

se serrent,

descendent dans la boue,

et gardent prisonnier

un peu de monde.

Autour de vous,

le lierre s’accroche.

Le trèfle d’eau se penche

au-dessus du courant.

La mousse recouvre les terres nues

avec la patience des choses anciennes.

Tout semble fragile.

Et pourtant tout tient.

C’est ici que le liminal enseigne.

La terre n’est plus tout à fait la terre.

L’eau n’est plus tout à fait la rivière.

Le champ n’est déjà plus le champ.

Le bois commence sans avoir encore commencé.

Et l’Aulne demeure

au milieu de cette incertitude,

racine dans la terre,

pied dans l’eau,

branche dans le ciel.

Août avance doucement.

Le soleil demeure caché

derrière un voile pâle.

À l’ouest,

les nuages venus de l’Atlantique

roulent lentement dans le ciel.

Le vent porte avec lui

l’odeur lointaine de l’océan,

une pointe d’iode

mêlée au parfum sombre

du pétrichor,

mémoire de la pluie tombée au matin.

Alors les corbeaux passent.

Ils crient.

Ils tournent.

Noirs traits d’encre

sur le ciel gris.

Messagers des frontières,

ils semblent connaître

les chemins que nous ne voyons pas.

Une poule d’eau bondit

d’un îlot à l’autre,

petite voyageuse

sur les terres mouvantes.

Plus loin,

le Héron cendré demeure immobile.

Il inspecte la bordure de l’eau.

Il attend.

Il sait que la rivière parle

à ceux qui savent patienter.

Et moi, je demeure là,

entre le champ

et le courant,

entre la terre

et le bois,

entre ce qui demeure

et ce qui s’en va.

Je comprends alors

pourquoi l’Aulne pousse ici.

Il n’a pas choisi

la terre ferme.

Il n’a pas choisi

le courant.

Il a choisi

l’entre-deux.

Car il existe des arbres

qui gardent les frontières,

et des eaux

qui les effacent.

Il existe des racines

qui retiennent la terre,

et des courants

qui enseignent à la terre

qu’elle peut changer de forme.

Ô Aulne des liminalités,

toi qui bois

à la fois la terre et l’eau,

apprends-moi ton enseignement.

Apprends-moi à rester debout

sans devenir immobile.

À être enraciné

sans être prisonnier.

À changer de chemin

sans perdre ma source.

Et lorsque viendra le temps

où les frontières deviendront brume,

apprends-moi à reconnaître

dans le murmure de l’eau

le chemin qui mène

d’un monde à l’autre.

GRIMOIRE OF PLANTS

FIRST TRIAD OF ALBAN ELFED

The Bearers of the Knowledge Collected

Opening Triad — The Time of Inner Fruits

Three things ripen when the harvests come to an end:

Knowledge that becomes wisdom,

Memory that becomes transmission,

The path that becomes inheritance.

At Alban Elfed, the fields offer their final riches.

The trees become heavy with fruit.

The seeds slowly return to the Earth.

The light begins to decline, not as a loss, but as an invitation to turn inward.

The Poet Wanderer then crosses the first gate of Harvested Wisdom.

The gate where the experiences of the year become teaching.

The Bearers of the Knowledge Collected

Wood Avens opens the ancient paths of transmission.It teaches that true knowledge only gains its value when it is offered with humility.

Rowan watches over the passages between the seasons.It protects the memory of the living world and reminds us that every ending is already preparing a new beginning.

Alder remains beside the silent waters. It teaches the Poet Wanderer that stability is born from the alliance between deep roots and the currents of the world.

Triad of Wisdom — The Art of Transmission

Three things allow the harvests to become inheritance:

Memory that preserves,

The word that transmits,

Wisdom that illuminates.

Teaching of the Poet Wanderer

When the fruits have been gathered, do not look only at what you have obtained.

Look at what you have become.

Wood Avens reminds us that all knowledge is a responsibility.

Rowan teaches that memory protects future generations.

Alder reveals that the deepest roots nourish the greatest transformations.

Thus begins the first lesson of Alban Elfed:

The true harvest is not the one we possess.

ALDER

GRIMOIRE OF PLANTS

GUARDIANS OF HARVESTED WISDOM

The Bearers of the knowledge collected.

ALDER

Alnus glutinosa

Traditional Names

French: Aulne glutineux

Latin: Alnus glutinosa

English: Alder, Black Alder

Welsh: Gwernen

Irish: Fearn

Botanical Family

Betulaceae.

Description

A deciduous tree of wetlands, riverbanks and damp woodland, Alder grows where water and earth meet.

Its dark green leaves remain fresh late into the season, while its small cones persist upon the branches long after the leaves have fallen.

Its roots are closely associated with waterlogged soils and contribute to the stability of riverbanks and wetland ecosystems.

Alder is a tree of adaptation, continuity and the passage between worlds.

In the Grimoire of the Poet Wanderer, it teaches that wisdom is not only preserved in stillness: it must also remain capable of adapting to the changing currents of the world.

Habitat

Riverbanks

Marshes

Wet woodlands

Lakeshores

Streams and waterways

Waterlogged or permanently moist soils

Parts Used

According to traditional uses:

Bark

Leaves

Cones

Wood

Harvest

Bark: traditionally gathered from young branches

Leaves: during the growing season

Cones: autumn and winter

Wood: according to traditional forestry and craft practices

Traditional Medicinal Uses

Alder bark has traditionally been used as an astringent preparation

Traditional European herbal practices associated the bark with cleansing and toning

Leaves have also appeared in certain folk preparations

Culinary Uses

Alder is not generally used as a food plant.

Its principal traditional importance lies in its wood, bark and ecological relationship with water.

Craft Uses

Woodworking

Charcoal production

Traditional carving

Water-resistant timber

Construction in damp environments

Traditional musical instruments

Alder wood has historically been valued because it performs particularly well in wet conditions.

Ritual Uses

Protection of waterways

Guardianship of sacred springs

Passage between earth and water

Renewal

Adaptation to change

Protection during transitions

Correspondence in the Wheel of the Year

Alban Elfed

Alder is the Third Guardian of Harvested Wisdom.

Wood Avens teaches the Poet Wanderer to root knowledge.

Rowan teaches him to protect and preserve it.

Alder teaches him to carry that wisdom through changing circumstances without allowing it to lose its essence.

Growing at the meeting place of land and water, Alder reminds us that wisdom must remain alive.

It must flow.

Druidic Symbolism

Alder is the tree of the living threshold.

Its roots hold the banks while its branches rise above the water.

It belongs simultaneously to two worlds.

It therefore represents the ability to remain rooted while moving through transformation.

The Poet Wanderer learns that true wisdom is not rigid.

It adapts without betraying its roots.

Mythological Links

Alder holds an important place in Welsh and Irish tradition.

The name Fearn, meaning Alder, appears in the traditional tree alphabet known as the Beth-Luis-Nion, where Alder is associated with protection, courage and the mysteries of water.

In the Grimoire of the Poet Wanderer, Alder becomes a guardian of the wisdom that must cross from one state of being to another.

Acquisition of Knowledge

Empirical

Recognisable by its rounded leaves, persistent small cones and preference for wet ground.

Oral Tradition

Tree associated with water, protection, courage and transformation.

Visionary

It appears as a dark tree standing beside a river, its roots gripping the earth while its reflection moves upon the water.

Precautions

Traditional medicinal uses should not be undertaken without appropriate knowledge.

Correct identification is essential before any use.

Historical Status

Very strongly attested

Alder has been deeply integrated into the landscapes, crafts, folklore and traditional cultures of northern and western Europe for centuries.

Element

Water and Earth.

Season

Alban Elfed.

Colour

Deep green, charcoal grey and dark brown.

Animal Companion

The Otter.

Guardian of waterways, adaptability and the passage between land and water.

Guiding Star

Altair.

A bright celestial traveller symbolising movement, orientation and the crossing of boundaries.

Constellation

Cygnus.

The Swan crossing the celestial river, symbol of passage, transformation and continuity.

Tutelary Deity

Manannán mac Lir.

Guardian of waters, thresholds and the mysterious boundaries between worlds.

Spiritual Teaching

“Wisdom remains alive when it can change its course without losing its source.”

Meditation

Sit beside an Alder growing near water.

Observe its roots touching the wet earth.

Watch its reflection moving upon the surface.

Understand that the tree remains rooted while its image moves with every current.

Invocation

Alder of the living waters,

Keeper of the banks between worlds,

Teach me to remain rooted without becoming rigid,

To change without forgetting,

And to carry wisdom through every current of life.

Triad of the Poet Wanderer

Root.

Adapt.

Flow.

WOOD AVENS

GRIMOIRE OF PLANTS

GUARDIANS OF HARVESTED WISDOM

The Bearers of the knowledge collected.

WOOD AVENS

Geum urbanum

Traditional Names

French: Benoîte commune, Benoîte des villes

Latin: Geum urbanum

English: Wood Avens, Herb Bennet

Welsh: Llys y fendith

Irish: Lus bennet

Botanical Family

Rosaceae.

Description

A perennial herb of woodlands, hedgerows and shaded paths, Wood Avens bears small yellow flowers with five petals.

Its fruits are equipped with tiny hooked bristles that readily attach themselves to clothing and animal fur, allowing the plant to travel far beyond the place where it first grew.

Its root gives off a distinctive clove-like fragrance when fresh or dried.

Wood Avens is a plant of memory, transmission and continuity.

It teaches that true knowledge does not disappear when it changes form: it is passed on, takes root, and continues its journey.

Habitat

Open woodlands

Ancient hedgerows

Woodland edges

Shaded paths

Gardens and disturbed ground

Rich, moist soils

Parts Used

According to traditional uses:

Roots

Leaves

Aerial parts

The root is traditionally the most valued part.

Harvest

Roots: mainly gathered in spring or autumn

Aerial parts: during the growing season

Harvested in dry weather

Roots traditionally cleaned and dried after harvesting

Traditional Medicinal Uses

Traditionally associated with digestive comfort

Traditional support for the mouth and throat

Popular use as an astringent herb

Aromatic root used in certain traditional preparations

Culinary Uses

Aromatic root

Traditionally used as a seasoning

Sometimes used to flavour traditional beverages

Young leaves may be used as a wild edible in some traditions

Craft Uses

Root used as an aromatic material

Traditional herbals

Botanical preparations

Preservation of the plant in dried form

Ritual Uses

Transmission of knowledge

Memory of the Ancestors

Protection of acquired wisdom

Continuity between generations

Grounding in inherited teachings

Correspondence in the Wheel of the Year

Alban Elfed

Wood Avens is the First Guardian of Harvested Wisdom.

It opens the cycle of Alban Elfed through the memory of what has been learned.

After the harvests and experiences of the passing cycle, the Poet Wanderer no longer seeks merely to receive.

He seeks to understand what must be preserved and transmitted.

Wood Avens teaches that every true form of knowledge has a root.

Druidic Symbolism

Wood Avens is the plant of rooted knowledge.

Its flowers may appear modest, yet its root carries a powerful fragrance.

It reminds us that wisdom is not always visible at the surface.

What truly nourishes the mind often remains hidden in the depths.

It also teaches transmission: its fruits cling to passing beings and travel with them.

Thus knowledge may leave the place where it was born without losing its roots.

Mythological Links

Wood Avens does not possess a firmly documented ancient Druidic association.

Its connection with memory, transmission and wisdom therefore belongs primarily to the symbolic cosmology of the Grimoire of the Poet Wanderer.

In later European traditions, however, the plant was valued for its popular medicinal and aromatic uses, particularly its root.

Acquisition of Knowledge

Empirical

Recognisable by its small yellow flowers, deeply divided leaves and the characteristic fragrance of its root.

Oral Tradition

A medicinal and aromatic plant of the European countryside.

Visionary

Its hidden root and travelling fruits evoke knowledge that remains rooted while being carried from one place to another.

Precautions

Traditional medicinal uses do not replace professional medical advice.

The plant must be correctly identified before any use.

Historical Status

Very strongly attested

Wood Avens is a well-known European plant in traditional popular medicine and older herbals, particularly for the uses associated with its aromatic root.

Element

Earth and Air.

Season

Alban Elfed.

Colour

Golden yellow and deep green.

Animal Companion

The Robin.

Messenger of hearth-memory, ancient paths and the continuity of the living world.

Guiding Star

Mercury.

Principle of transmission, memory, language and the circulation of knowledge.

Constellation

Gemini.

Symbol of transmission, dialogue and the passage of knowledge from one mind to another.

Tutelary Deity

Ogma.

In his aspect as master of speech, knowledge and transmission.

Spiritual Teaching

“What is truly learned takes root before it is passed on.”

Meditation

Observe a Wood Avens beside an ancient path.

Look at its small yellow flowers.

Then imagine its hidden roots beneath the earth.

Contemplate the contrast between what is visible and what remains concealed.

Understand that every form of wisdom possesses an invisible depth.

Invocation

Wood Avens of the ancient paths,

You who keep knowledge within your roots,

Teach me to receive without forgetting,

To understand without possessing,

And to transmit without betraying.

Triad of the Poet Wanderer

Root.

Understand.

Transmit.

C.O.R.D. Biquarterly Druidry newsletter is live for Lughnasadh! Highlights: • Two new protogroves • Two new Second Order Druids • Book review of "The Book of Cernunnos" • Contributions from a number of readers