The "Celtic Tree Calendar" – Development and Reception of a Myth

Abstract

Factual and putative documents of "Celtic" life play a crucial role in neo-paganism. Taking a singular phenomenon, the "Celtic Tree Horoscope" which gained high popularity in the German-speaking countries in the 1980s, this paper tries to document its origin in the 20th century and its further reception. In addition, we discuss some of the topoi on which the tree horoscopes are basing, such as druidism, "Celtic" love for nature, and the homogeneity of "Celtic" culture.