Yew trees have long been revered for holding the powers of life, death and immortality or eternity. Shakespeare’s Macbeth talks of ‘slips of yew, silvered in the moon’s eclipse’, brewed by his 3 witches, for ‘double, double toil and trouble’. In the ancient Celtic world, when the yew was considered to be of extraordinary importance and central to the tribe’s identity, Celts often preferred death by yew, rather than submit to Rome.
On the other end of the spectrum however, is the Yew tree’s identity as the Tree of Life. No wonder Taxol, an anti cancer drug, derives from it. Naturally though, some yews in particular, are known for their healing properties. The male and female yews, on the right as you go in, at the remote, peaceful and otherworldly Bronze Age site, of the church of Pennant Melangell, in North Wales, are known, on occasion, to work together to enable healing for those who have failed to find it elsewhere. This is one of the most sacred sites in Britain and Melangell would seem to mean ‘sweet angel’. The numinal atmosphere here at this high mountain place, is tangible and pervasive, lifting you out of everyday concerns. Time disappears. People come here to visit the lovely church but also to seek the presence of the yews and ask for the healing of the trees. Visiting yews as a pilgrimage, is a spiritually healing thing to do in any case and taking time out from modern life to reflect and sit with the ancient yews at Pennant Melangell, is very rewarding to those making that journey. The experience I come away with, is always an adjustment of what I think is important. The legend says that St Melangell saved a hare from being hunted, hiding it beneath her skirt and was granted lands for a sanctuary. Today the church is full of carved hares, including those on the 15th century rood screen and Melangell's shrine, said to be the only Romanesque shrine in Britain, I find almost as awe inspiring as the yew trees outside, the female standing like a shrine to the natural world, seems it should hold a statue of the goddess!
Please keep signing and sharing the petition and also visiting the yews.