The Alder Moon brings out our inner psychic. European folklore tells us an alder's energy is eternal, and it should never be cut down. Alder has been used to assist in divination rituals, and wind instruments made of the wood have aided in summoning spirits and working with weather magic. In Celtic mythology the alder is sacred to the God Bran, Whose severed head became an oracle.

Open your psychic channels by lying flat on your back. Place a sprig of alder at the top of your head to bridge the path to Bran. Place alder leaves or bark chips on your forehead and near your mouth, and another on your belly to help you have the right "gut reactions" to psychic images.

Ask Bran's assistance, relax completely, and focus on receiving impressions from the Otherworld. Wait to interpret what you see or hear until later. Sleep with some of the alder from your ritual under your pillow to dream prophetically and perhaps, to clarify your psychic visions.

- By Edain McCoy