Real English Rowan Cross

English Rowan was considered magickal by the Celts. It was carried for protection. Ogham or runic staves were often carved into rowan branches as messages. There is a famous story recorded by the wife of a Roman Leader about a young Celtic Messenger who was captured by Roman Soldiers. They locked him up but did not confiscate his Rowan staves. The young Celt escaped and the roman soldiers were punished because the magick rowan staves were what must of helped him escape!

Rowan crosses are an ancient protection charm or amulet for the home or travelers. The red thread is used for power, in old school cottage witchcraft red was used for power and lust, green or white for blessings and healing and black for cursing and banishing.

Paul is English and always cuts wood when he goes home. Some of the famous Celtic Ogham woods are not native to the USA. This is why we can proudly sell athames and wands made from Rowan, Blackthorn, Hazel and Graveyard Yew.

There is a type of Mountain Ash that grows in the USA called Sorbus americana which grows straight and tall and has a silver bark and white wood. The English Celtic true Rowan is called Sorbus aucuparia, which is a small tree that grows in twisted shapes, has a gorgeous purple bark and a strong bright orange grain. It is Paul's favorite wood to carve and make witchcraft tools from because of its beauty. You will find rowan crosses for sale in the USA, but if the bark is silver and the wood white then it is not true Rowan.

Paul cuts Rowan from the high moors of Cornwall. He always asks the tree first and blesses it, assuring the tree that its gift will be used to make beautiful heirloom quality tools that will live on. He uses sharp tree snips and always cuts at least two inches above a bud or twig so that the tree will continue to thrive, and grow a new branch to replace that which was taken. The wood is shipped back to the USA and seasoned in a warm dark room for two years.

Paul then cuts the Rowan twigs into staves, cleans them, sands the ends and any rough areas and finally binds them with red thread ritualistically to charge them with the power of protection. 

Each Rowan cross stave is three inches long, so the crosses are 3" high and wide.

Every one is unique, some fatter, some thinner, some straighter, some a little crooked. Therefore the one you receive will not be exactly the same as one in the picture, but it will be a real handmade English Rowan Cross hand crafted by a practitioner of  traditional English witchcraft.

A great protection charm for witches and wiccans! Carry it with you when you travel, put it in your car! Or put it in your house or the home of a loved one!