The Story of the Willow Tree as told by Sandy Herbert-Simpson

Artist's page on Etsy

"Blessings to you Idun.

My oldest daughters name is Willow and when we told my parents of our choice in names my father told me a story that he knew. We have Celtic ancestry so it may be a Celtic story but it also may be Dene Native from up in the north of Canada because my father spent many many years working up there ( I wish I knew its origins, sorry). I thought you would like to hear it.

The story goes that the Willow tree was once a young woman who could not bear a child, she tried and tried and always her babies would never take breath or be born at all. So sad was she that she prayed to the Great Mother for an answer. She sat on the river bank and wept for days waiting for her answer. The Great Mother came to her and told her that sometimes this is the way of the world and that is was not because of her or to punish her it just was. Well the woman could not understand this or why it must just be, so she told The Great Mother how unfair she was to be so cruel to the woman, The Great Mother replied that she was not being cruel and unfair to the young woman that many women live this truth. The woman told The Great Mother that she just could not bear this knowledge at all and that she would always be consumed with sorrow and grief for those women and herself and so the Great Mother turned her into a Willow tree to weep for all of the unborn children and the grief that their mothers have for them for eternity.

When you said you had named your daughter Willow I remembered this story and thought it was so fitting :) that she be named for the tree that stands and weeps for all of the unborn children. I hope this story helps a little.

May the Goddess always smile upon you and yours.
Sandy
Avalonschild"

Sandy - Thank you so much for sharing this with me and for giving me permission to share it on the blog!