We, in this chapter, are going to learn about the trees from which we harvest wood in order to make our wands. So, to start, which famous wandmaker said these words?

'Only a minority of trees can produce wand quality wood (just as a minority of humans can produce magic). It takes years of experience to tell which ones have the gift, although the job is made easier if Bowtruckles are found nesting in the leaves, as they never inhabit mundane trees.'

If you answered Mr. Garrick Ollivander, you are correct. Some of you may have gone to Ollivander's Wand Shop in Diagon Alley to have a wand choose you, or maybe to the Hogsmeade Branch, run by an associate of Mr. Ollivander. You may have even inherited your wand. It doesn't really matter where you obtained your wand, just that your wand chose you and no one else! This means your wand is able to work with you, strengthening your magic.


Wand Components

Now, does anyone know what are the components of a wand?


A wand is made up of one wood and one core. Some wands do have two cores, but no more, because more can cause a fatal backfire! It is also not possible to blend wood together to make a hybrid wood, however, a wand may contain a handle of one type of wood and a body of another. The handle represents the heart of the witch or wizard, whereas the wand represents their outward appearance.


As you were taught, the best cores are unicorn hair, dragonheart string and phoenix feather. These cores are the most stable, though other cores are used, such as thestral hair and kelpie hair.


Wands come in different flexibility. They are ranked in order from speed to strength. Whippy is the easiest to learn to use and cast spells, but the least powerful, whereas unyielding is the hardest to learn and cast but the most powerful. The scale, from speed to strength is: whippy, swishy, flexible, springy, sturdy, inflexible, rigid, and unyielding.



The Celtic Tree Calendar

As we have discussed the wands and what they made by, let's move on to The Celtic Tree Calendar. This calendar is divided into thirteen lunar divisions, instead of the twelve month calendar that the muggles use. This is because there are 13 full moons in one year! The calendar is based on the letters in the Ancient Celtic Ogham alphabet, where the letters correspond to the name of trees.


Birch (Beth) - December 24 to January 20
Rowan (Luis) - January 21 to February 17
Ash (Nion) - February 18 to March 17
Alder (Fearn) - March 18 to April 14
Willow (Saille) - April 15 to May 12
Hawthorn (Uath) - May 13 to June 9
Oak (Duir) - June 10 to July 7
Holly (Tinne) - July 8 to August 4
Hazel (Coll) - August 5 to September 1
Vines (Muin) - September 2 to September 29
Ivy (Gort) - September 30 to October 27
Reeds (Ngetal) - October 28 to November 24
Elder (Ruis) - November 25 to December 22

Year and a Day

Have you noticed that we are missing a date? You are correct, December 23! It is not ruled by any tree, but is the traditional day of the proverbial 'Year and a Day'. A year and a day is based on early European traditions. In feudal societies (9th to 15th century AD), if a serf (peasant) was absent for a year and a day from his home, he was considered a free man. In Scotland, a couple who lived together for a year and a day were considered married (Handfasting). It is also used in the court systems in Europe and America as a notice of intention to pursue a case or in a jail or probationary sentence