What Your Celtic Zodiac Sign Says about You

Discover what each zodiac sign in the Celtic tree calendar represents

Co-authored by Janice Tieperman Reviewed by Stina Garbis

Last Updated: May 1, 2024 Fact Checked

According to ancient Celtic beliefs of the Druids, the universe we exist in can be compared to a tree with deep roots and endless expanses of branches. Celtic astrology, in turn, takes a page out of this majestic imagery by assigning 13 trees/signs for every phase of the Moon that passes through the sky.^{[1]
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Research source} In this article, we’ll break down which trees correlate with which dates, as well as which animals, colors, gemstones, and letters of the Ogham (Celtic) alphabet go with your Celtic astrological sign.

What is the Celtic zodiac?

The Celtic zodiac is a Moon-focused astrology system that’s distinctly different from the Earth-focused system of Western astrology. In the Celtic zodiac, specific trees are assigned to specific date ranges/Moon cycles—and so, whichever tree your birthday falls under is your Celtic zodiac sign.

1

Birch (December 24 - January 20)

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Birch signs are fired up and ready to go and are even ready to give other people a motivating push in the right direction. They know what they want and they’re not afraid to go the extra mile to get it. Leadership comes pretty naturally to them, and they’re happy to take the reins of any given situation when a leader is needed.
- Nickname: The Achiever
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Beithe (represents transition, new starts, and new chances)
- Color: White
- Animals: White stag, golden eagle
- Gemstone/Mineral: Clear quartz

2

Rowan (January 21 - February 17)

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Often known as the “Thinker” of the Celtic zodiac, Rowan signs are famous for their sense of creativity and imagination. Sometimes, Rowan signs might not be on the same wavelength as the people around them because of their ideas—but that’s okay! Through it all, they walk through life with a clear idea of what they want to do and who they want to become. In fact, some people may even come to depend on them and their special insights and thoughts.^{[2]
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- Nickname: The Thinker
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Luis (represents perception and understanding)
- Color: Gray
- Animals: Green dragon, crane
- Gemstone/Mineral: Peridot

3

Ash (February 18 - March 17)

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Ash signs are naturally intuitive, creative, and even innocent individuals who find inspiration in the natural world around them. It’s common for an Ash sign’s sense of inspiration to inspire and stir the people around them, too. With their natural sense of charisma and fantasy, it’s no wonder that other people want to spend time around them.
- Nickname: The Enchanter
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Nuin (represents peace and calm)
- Color: Green
- Animals: Seagull, seal, seahorse
- Gemstone/Mineral: Coral

4

Alder (March 18 - April 14)

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Alder signs have their eye on the prize and are great at forging paths to their various destinations in life. Their social skills are nothing short of magnetic, and it isn’t hard for them to make friends or recruit people to join a specific cause. It’s no wonder that Alder signs have so much confidence in their skills and capabilities—it’s well-earned!^{[3]
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- Nickname: The Trailblazer
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Fearn (represents courage, in a physical sense)
- Color: Red
- Animals: Bear, hawk, fox
- Gemstone/Mineral: Ruby

5

Willow (April 15 - May 12)

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Willow signs tend to stay behind the scenes rather than taking center stage—but that hardly makes them incapable. Much of a Willow sign’s greatest strength comes from their innate creativity and ability to observe and remember details about the world around them. Once this sign learns how to step out of their comfort zones, they’ll be truly unstoppable.
- Nickname: The Observer
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Saille (represents imagination and intuition)
- Color: Yellow
- Animals: Sea serpent, hare, European viper
- Gemstone/Mineral: Moonstone

6

Hawthorn (May 13 - June 9)

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Hawthorn signs often live something of a double-life. On the surface, Hawthorn signs are great at presenting themselves in a rather ordinary way. Beneath the surface, though, Hawthorns hide the passion, creativity, and curiosity that fuels and guides them throughout the world. Their perception skills are great, and their adaptability makes them great friends to vent one’s problems and concerns to.^{[4]
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- Nickname: The Illusionist
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Huathe
- Color: Purple
- Animals: Owl, bee
- Gemstone/Mineral: Topaz

7

Oak (June 10 - July 7)

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Just as oak trees are known for their large size and long lifespans, Oak signs are also known for the natural durability and dependability that they bring to their day-to-day life. Oak signs are always happy to lend a hand to others, and will go out of their way to be a champion of the people around them.
- Nickname: The Stabilizer
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Duir (represents protection)
- Color: Black
- Animals: White horse, wren, otter
- Gemstone/Mineral: Diamond

8

Holly (July 8 - August 4)

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Holly signs are born with the taste of victory on their lips, and spend their lives approaching challenges and struggles with quiet domination. The word “defeat” isn’t in the vocabulary of a Holly sign; in fact, these signs often find it easy to sail ahead of their peers and achieve success. Don’t be intimidated by their high goals though—at heart, Holly signs are some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet.
- Nickname: The Ruler
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Tinne (represents physical strength)
- Color: Silver
- Animals: Unicorn, cat
- Gemstone/Mineral: Carnelian

9

Hazel (August 5 - September 1)

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Hazel signs tend to know their stuff, especially when it comes to academic knowledge. This Celtic sign takes to memorization like a fish takes to water, and always seem to be informed about whichever conversational topic they’re discussing. Despite all their knowledge, though, Hazel signs prefer to follow the path laid out before them rather than create a path for themselves.^{[5]
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- Nickname: The Knower
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Coll (signifies wisdom)
- Color: Brown
- Animals: Salmon, crane
- Gemstone/Mineral: Amethyst

10

Vine (September 2 - September 29)

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Vine signs aren’t always the easiest to understand—it’s hard to predict where they’ll stand or what they’ll believe in a given conversation or debate. Still, the Vine sign isn’t known as the “Equalizer” for nothing. Despite their lack of defined opinions, Vine signs are great at understanding multiple perspectives rather than sticking to just one side.
- Nickname: The Equalizer
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Muin (represents distant thought and prophecy)
- Color: Pastel tones
- Animals: Hound, lizard, white swan
- Gemstone/Mineral: Emerald

11

Ivy (September 30 - October 27)

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Equal parts smart and compassionate, Ivy signs are truly a force to be reckoned with. They don’t care if the odds are stacked against them—they’re great at toughing things out when life gets rough, and they’re okay with patiently waiting for their circumstances to get better. In fact, some Ivy signs will lean pretty heavily on spiritual beliefs to get them through these tough times.
- Nickname: The Survivor
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Gort (represents advancement and perseverance)
- Color: Pastel tones
- Animals: Goose, boar, butterfly
- Gemstone/Mineral: Opal

12

Reed (October 28 - November 24)

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Reed signs are often defined by their sense of curiosity and investigation, and their ability to understand the heart of a matter. It doesn’t take much for a Reed sign to get invested in a new fantastic tale or narrative, and they have no trouble digging up more information but the people around them.
- Nickname: The Inquisitor
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Ngetal (represents harmony)
- Color: Orange
- Animals: Owl, dog
- Gemstone/Mineral: Jasper

13

Elder (November 25 - December 23)

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Elder signs thrive on a sense of independence and cherish their freedom—even if makes them look a bit strange or unconventional to the other members of the zodiac. At first, Elder signs might seem more solitary and like they want to keep to themselves; but beneath the surface, they have many thoughts about the world (some of them philosophical), and they love spending quality time with others.
- Nickname: The Seeker
- Ogham Alphabet Letter: Ruis (symbolizes maturity)
- Color: Gold
- Animals: Raven, black horse, badger
- Gemstone/Mineral: Jet