As our spirits wax with the new year, the Rowan Moon compels us to achieve the inner strength that allows us to triumph over enemies and danger. The rowan has been used for protecting dwellings, barns, and graveyards; to enhance healing and divination rituals; and to increase our own sense of inner power so that we can flow with - never against - the spiral forces of the universe.

Close your eyes and spread your arms, reaching high. Visualize them as the branches of the rowan. Imagine that your feet are projecting anchoring roots deep into the center of the earth. Your body is the rowan's trunk. Feel it grow stronger, holding firm against whatever onslaught the elements can produce. Know that with each passing year your trunk grows stronger. A bulwark against anything the universe can hurl at you. Each year it is easier to cope with adversity, easier to turn back ill-will and deflect danger. Know that you are the rowan, sturdy and confident, rooted in Mother Earth while reaching for Father Sky.