"Ireland's Trees (Myths, Legends and Folklore)" excerpt from Niall Mac Coitir - Pt.2

Before discussing the letter names it is worth examining the compelling notion that Ogham and its link with trees may even have given the Irish their name in their own language. The Irish and Welsh at the time of Ogham's invention spoke very similar languages and they naturally borrowed words from one another. A striking feature of this is the fact that the Irish borrowed the word gwyddel from the Welsh to describe themselves. Most Irish people today are totally unaware that the name Gael or Gaedhil stems from a Welsh source. So what does gwyddel mean? Most scholars believe that it comes either from gwydd meaning 'wild' or gwydd meaning 'wood/forest. A gwyddel then is either a wild man or a man from the woods, neither of which is very complimentary. But if gwyddel is simply a derogatory word for a wild woodsman, why did the Irish adopt it with such enthusiasm? From the sixth century on, Irish genealogists and historians promoted the term to such an extent that Érainn, the original name for the Irish, almost became extinct?

The answer lies in looking at the meanings of other words in Welsh that derive from gwydd. Among them are gwyddon 'scholar/scientist and gwyddoniaeth 'science/knowledge'. Most interesting of all, however, is gwyddor 'rudiment/ element', or more specifically, 'alphabet' (the alphabet in Welsh is called Yr Wyddor). This last meaning is identical to that of the related Irish word fid which also means both 'wood' and 'letter'. Gwydd in Welsh thus seems to combine the meanings of the Irish words fios (wisdom or knowledge) and fid. In other words, far from gwyddel meaning a wild man of the woods, it in fact means something like 'one who has knowledge of tree-letters and is a reference to the use of the tree alphabet Ogham by the Irish. This must have been taken by them as a compliment to their learning and the name gwyddeleg adopted to describe the standardised Irish of the scholars, which was informed by the rules of grammar. Auraicept na nEces or the Scholar's Primer, is quite explicit that gaedelg (or gwyddeleg) is the 'selected language' of the scholars and that its invention coincided with the invention of the Beithluisnin or Ogham.

"Ireland's Trees (Myths, Legends and Folklore)" excerpt from Niall Mac Coitir

But there is a dimension to trees other than their numerous practical uses. There is something about trees that gives them a symbolic importance.

The lifecycle of a tree from seed to sapling to maturity, to withered old age and death, mirrors that of man. Trees, like people, bleed when cut, even if it is sap that flows out instead of blood. The tree is a powerful symbol of our own life in its various forms. Psychologically it is recognized that trees represent 'the living structure of our inner self'.  According to psychological theory, in dreams the roots represent our connection with the physical body, the trunk the way we direct our energies through growth, sex, thought and emotion. The branches represent the abilities and directions we develop in life and the growing tips show our aspirations and personal growth. Taken together these different dimensions to trees have led to them being seen since ancient times as powerful symbols of fertility, and the living abode of gods. The result is that a rich complex of myth, legend and folklore has built up around trees which is still with us today.

This dual aspect, both practical and symbolic, to the significance of trees brings us to one of the most basic mistakes made about tree folklore. Many scholars are uncomfortable with the idea of trees being regarded as sacred, and so try to find a practical explanation to refute such a notion. This approach is incorrect, since presenting practical reasons to oppose the sacred is a false dichotomy. Taking an example unrelated to trees, the Plain Indians of North America regard the buffalo as sacred, since it provides them with food from its meat, clothing and shelter from its hide, and various implements from its bones. It is seen as a gift from the Creator, imbued with supernatural powers, sacred because of its many important practical uses, not despite them. In the same way the oak was regarded as particularly favoured by the gods due to its many valuable attributes. The distinction between the sacred and the practical, therefore, is a very modern approach and it is inappropriate to project the distinction onto people who would not have understood it.

Excerpt from the Excellent Article by Takiwasi on Tobacco

"If Ayahuasca gets caught in the dark with a relatively passive attitude, receptivity, with the acceptance to be guided, Tobacco, on the other hand, requires a more active positioning. Tobacco refers to male psychic functions that are of particular interest to us, in psychotherapy or work on oneself, to discover or bring out in us these male characteristics or functions that are terribly lacking at the moment. Western society is very marked by a relatively destructive New Age atmosphere that gives too much space to women's functions. These are in no way negative, quite the contrary, but their excess induces a harmful imbalance between the masculine and the feminine. By this "male" virtue, the strength of Tobacco assumes a structuring role.

The first thing that will be offered to Christopher Columbus by the Arawak Indians upon his arrival in the New World is Tobacco. This means the importance it had for them, it was their gold, it was the most precious thing they had, it was what allowed them to come into contact with the gods, it was their sacrament.

Tobacco, therefore, universal in its uses, is also universal in its geographical distribution, because it is used all over the world. I have had the opportunity to travel to all continents and meet healers and, in any place, when offering Tobacco, it facilitates conversation: all healers immediately recognize and highly appreciate the power of Tobacco. It's the best gift we can give them, even in regions where it is not widely distributed, such as Mongolia where I went with my "mapachos", pure tobacco cigarettes (Nicotiana rustica).

Tobacco is essential in shamanic practices thanks to its particular power, to the point that, in some societies, the shaman or healer is "the one who consumes Tobacco". Among the Ashaninka, the healer or "sheripiari" is the one who "eats" Tobacco. He absorbs the chewing juice or swallows his smoke in order to "feed", to nourish his energies. In other ethnic groups, the shaman is called "the one who blows Tobacco", the one who is able and authorizes to blow Tobacco smoke on his patients. Certainly, blowing tobacco smoke, anyone can do it, but the shaman has the training and empowerment to blow tobacco smoke in an operative and effective way to balance the energy body. He must acquire a sufficient degree of control of the powers of Tobacco and his own energy body to be able to manage this operation. This earned Tobacco the qualification of "flesh or food of the Gods"3.

Tobacco is for some healers their essential plant and will then be referred to as "tabaquero". However, it is rarely an isolated use. Around the use of Tobacco, many other ritual or care practices can be articulated (baths, massages, etc.) and the spirit of Tobacco can be associated with the spirits of water, earth, air and fire.

Tobacco is the most powerful plant used in the Amazon, more important for example than Ayahuasca. Managing Tobacco requires great psychic, physical and spiritual mastery. If this management of Tobacco is badly done, the spirit of Tobacco, desecrated, escapes the control of the human being and will invest it, dominate it, even to the point of possibly possessing it. For the Indians it is equivalent to becoming a sorcerer. This "possession" is called smoking in the West."

https://www.takiwasi.com/fr/tabaqueros-ceremonie-tabac.php