This guide is intended as a "quickie", reference for use in such things as decorating capes, jewellery, etc. It should NOT be used in ritual except with caution. There are NO one-to-one equations, NO "system" such as in Hermetic Magic! (e.g. compass points do not form a "cross"). Many attributes or associations "turn on" only in specific contexts. Those marked with "!!!" have the strongest "slants" toward the associations; in all neutral contexts will associate with those listed.

All associations are for Irish Druidism as attested in Irish language texts. Due to the Norse and Christian invasions, many of these have, in medieval folk-tales, or in modern times, drastically different associations (tuathal — counterclockwise, was associated with "tuath", "tribe" — with the idea of the tribe as the basis of society, and "countryside" — nature, not town, as the source of wealth; however, in medieval and modern times "tuathal" means "wrong-headed"). Many "NA" have associations in medieval or modern Ireland.

A final note: in both modern and ancient Ireland a black cat is GOOD, not bad, luck. A WHITE cat is bad luck.

CODE:

entry — % — extremely limited, OR requires additional elements to define, OR important only in specific context. (many cannot be easily given here, due to their many combinations). Unless so marked with an additional "!" these are not highly important by themselves. (as these can be ambiguous, one would not want to use them in most decoration!) In those cases where a "%" is followed by a definition, this represents only a general idea of the most frequently encountered association.

entry — !!! — very majorly important.

entry — NA = not applicable, symbol is not used (the large number of these are supplied because it is as important to know what is not a symbol as it is to know what is one!).

• acorn — abundance
• adza — St.Patrick
• alder — %
• apple — love, happiness
• arrow — NA
• ash — !!! — battle, austerity, asceticism
• aspen — %
• axe — NA
• bag — treasure, misfortunate, lottery
• bat — NA
• bear — NA
• bee — prosperity
• beech — % — potency, thanksgiving
• bell — Christianity
• belt — % ("in my belt" means challenge)
• berry (general) — health
• birch — % — cleansing
• black — %
• blackthorn — %
• blindness — % — musical/poetic ability, prophacy
• blue — !!! — protection (dark blue, light blue — NA)
• boar — !!! — warrior
• bodhrán — %
• bonfire — see fire
• book — NA
• brown — % — strength
• bull — !!! — war
• butterfly — NA
• calf — sexually attractive/active young man
• cape (only rainbow/blue, hoodless) — druidism
• cape (with hood) — Saint Patrick
• cat — %
• cauldron — %-! — abundunce, healing, poetic insight
• cave — the Otherworld
• centre — see east
• chalice — NA
• chariot — warrior
• chicken — stupidity
• circle — NA
• cliff — magical borders
• clockwise — !!! — opening
• cloud — %
• cord — NA
• counter-clockwise — !!! — binding, return to source
• cow — !!! — female beauty, abundance
• crane — danger
• cross — NA (a cross for Christianity was introduced, see cape, staff, bell)
• crossroads — NA
• crow ("hoodie") — death
• cup — NA
• deer — wilds (see also stag)
• dog — see hound
• dolmen — %
• door — %
• dragon — NA
• eagle — NA
• earth — %-! — (only combined with sea/sky) binding/breaking the worlds
• east (at) — stability, centre [sic]
• east (from) — NA
• eel — % egg — NA
• eight — NA
• elder — shape-shifting, hosting (of Sídhe)
• equinoxes — NA
• eye — see one-eyed-ness
• fire — !!! — membership in tribe
• five — social/mundane fulness
• flower (in general) — beauty
• fog — !!! — magic, the Otherworld
• four — NA
• foxglove — beauty, the púca
• furze — see gorse
• garlic — NA (used only as food)
• goat — NA
• gold — % (magically far less important than silver)
• gorse — difficulty
• green — % (the colour spectrum is divided differently in Irish)
• grey — %
• grove — NA (except as "wildwood"; generally isolated trees had more power)
• hare — sexual potency
• harp — !!! — Ireland, music as magic, authority
• hawk — freedom
• hawthorn — quest, trial
• hazel (nut) — !!! — poetry, magic, wildwood
• hill — % — (isolated — authority, as part of group — NA)
• holly — % — trickery
• honey — see bee
• horse — strength
• hound — !!! — valour
• hurley (stick) — youthful warrior
• island — %
• ivy — NA
• knife — NA
• knot (as opposed to "knotwork) — NA
• knotwork — % (must be asymmetrical, ideally composed of 1 or 3 bands)
• lame-ness — % musical ability
• left-hand — see counter-clockwise
• lightning — %
• magpie — druidic magic
• mirror — NA
• mistletoe — NA (this plant is not native to Ireland)
• moon — % — night
• mouse — NA (except as "little thing")
• mugwort — protection
• mushroom — NA
• nine — !!! — magic fulness
• north (at) — NA
• north (from) — magic origin (not arrival)
• nut (general) — wisdom
• oak (common only) — hospitality, tradition
• oak (sessile only) — law
• one — NA (although three, five, and nine relate to wholes)
• one-eyed-ness (esp. left) — !!! — magic prowress
• one-handedness (esp. left) — magic prowess
• otter — % — (loosely Otherworld)
• owl — %
• ox — % — labour
• passage grave — the Otherworld
• pentacle — NA
• pentagram — NA
• phallus — %
• pig — see boar, sow
• pine — %
• pipes (music) — %
• plain — % — civilisation
• plough (star constellation only) — Fianna, magical origin (se North)
• plough (tool) — NA
• poplar — %
• quartz — %
• rainbow — NA (rainbows are a common daily occurance in Ireland)
• raven — !!! — battle, death (% favourable)
• red — !!! — war, political authority
• right-hand — see clockwise
• ring (finger only) — % — (on thumb for king, middle-finger for druid)
• ringfort — authority
• rose — NA
• round tower — NA
• rowan — !!! — protection, magic, rejuvination
• salmon — !!! — poetic wisdom, life-force
• salt — NA
• scythe — NA
• sea — %-! — (only combined with earth/sky) binding/breaking the worlds
• seven — !!! — hierachy
• sheep — NA
• shield — protection
• ship — %
• sickle — NA
• silver — authority
• six — NA
• skull — NA
• sky %-! — (only combined with sea/sky) binding/breaking the worlds
• snake — NA
• solstice(s) — %
• south (at) — NA
• south (from) — mortals (origin, not arrival)
• sow — greed
• spear — %
• speckledness — !!! — druidism, the Otherworld
• spider — % (called "little wild ox")
• spindle (tree) — %
• spiral — see clockwise, counter-clockwise
• St. Johnswort — protection
• staff (only with "cane"-like handle) — Christianity
• stag (7-tines) — !!! — mastership, kingship
• stag (other than 7-tines) — % — wildwood
• star (in sky) — % — night (see also plough)
• stone (small, etc.) — %
• stone circle — %
• stone, standing — % — memorial of glorious death
• sun — % — (the sun is female in Irish)
• sun-burst — Fianna
• swan — !!! — Tuatha Dé Danann
• swastika — NA
• sword — % — warrior
• symmetry — stagnation, impoitence
• ten — NA
• thirteen — NA
• thistle — NA
• three — !!! — binding
• thumb — %
• thunder — %
• tides — %
• toad — NA
• tooth — %
• torc — authority, freedom
• tree — no meaning by itself, see by species
• triangle — NA
• trident — NA
• triscele — see clockwise, counterclockwise
• twilight (esp. evening) — !!! — the Otherworld
• two — NA (all even numbers are viewed as "weak" — see symmetry)
• unicorn — NA
• valarian — health
• wand (hazel only) — magic
• water — crossing borders
• waterfall — %
• wave — %-! ("Ninth Wave" only — eternal return)
• weasel — the Otherworld
• well (spring) — health, inspiration
• west (at) — entrance (but doors were on the east — see east)
• west (from) — NA
• wheel — NA
• white — baren-ness, empty-ness
• willow — %
• wind — %-!
• woad — %
• wolf — %
• wren — hidden-ness
• yarrow — health
• yellow — !!! — thanksgiving
• yew — !!! — primordality, life/death