The Pagan Past of
Ireland’s Oldest Symbol
by Edain McCoy
The wee little shamrock, the tiny trefoil clover of vivid green, which grows in abundance on the Emerald Isle, has a long and cherished Pagan history, as well as a legacy of magical uses.
Modern Irish lore tells us it was St. Patrick who brought the shamrock to notice by likening it to the holy Christian trinity of father, son, and holy ghost. Long before he catapulted the shamrock into prominence as Ireland’s principle emblem, it was honored as the symbol of the power triple goddess: maiden, mother, and crone—three separate deities yet one. In Irish mythology, the shamrock is linked to three important goddesses: Airmid, a goddess of herbal healing; Eire, the goddess for whom Ireland is named; and Dechtere, who alternately takes on the images of maiden, mother, and crone throughout her myths.
As a magical herb, the shamrock (seamrog in Gaelic) has been used for a host of beneficial purposes. To add a touch of Irish luck to your magic, try any of these ideas:
- Use the little trefoil as a focus to help you align with or invoke the triple goddess.
- The shamrock can be used as a catalyst for magical healing by helping you draw on the powers of the goddess of medicine, Airmid.
- Fresh shamrocks are irresistible to friendly faeries. Irish lore tells us they also make great bait for capturing Leprechauns.
- The white variety of shamrock makes a superb protective talisman when carried or sewn up into protective charms.
- Shamrocks can be set in windows to psychically purify the room and protect the window.
- The verdant green of shamrocks makes them a natural in money/prosperity or fertility spells. You can efficaciously replace any other herbs in these spells with shamrocks.
- Carry shamrocks in your pocket when going on a job interview to give you a leg up in the job-hunting process. (But beware! They may also bestow upon you the gift of Blarney.)
- The shamrock is the original of the belief about four-leaf clovers being lucky. If you find a four-leaved shamrock—a rare mutation—you should make a wish. Then bury the sprig, sealing the spell in the earth by making three clockwise circles above it.
- Most of all, shamrocks are very, very lucky. Ever heard of the “luck o’ the Irish?”