Ash

From very ancient times, the ash has been revered as a sacred and fortunate tree, connected with fire, lightening, and clouds. In some pagan
mythologies it appears as an ancestor of mankind. In Greece, certain families are thought to be descendants from this third race of people, a race
of men from ash-trees. Yggdrasil, the Scandinavian World Tree which supported the entire universe, was an ash; and when the Norse gods desired
to fill the empty spaces of Midgard with a new people, they took an ash and breathed a human soul into it.

Because of it's sacred and magical character, the ash was sometimes considered a dangerous tree to destroy without good reasons.

Moon

Many superstitions about the moon show distinct traces of ancient moon worship. It was considered unlucky to point at the moon. Also if a person
does it nine times in their lifetime, they will not be able to go to Heaven when they die. When the moon is seen for the first time, it should be
respectfully greeted by bowing or curtseying, especially if it is the first time you have seen it that year. In East Yorkshire, women used to go
outside as soon as the crescent appeared in the sky, turn their aprons, and make a secret wish that would only be granted if they told no one what
it was. Many people will only plant certain times because of the moons waxing and waning, same thing with slaughtering animals. Two moons in a
single month are usually said to mean a month's bad weather, but two moons in May mean 'rain for a year and a day'.

Need-Fire

Need-fire is the name commonly applied in Britain to the new fire obtained by friction, which was ceremonially kindled in many European countries,
either as part of the rites of certain sacred anniversaries, such as Beltane or Midsummer, or in order to avert particular evils, like cattle disease,
plague, famine, or similar communal misfortunes. Other names for it were Bale, Wild, Will, or Neat fire. In Gaelic-speaking districts was sometimes
called Forlorn, or Forced fire. In 742 AD the church condemned the use of need-fire as a pagan practice, but the custom continued for many
centuries thereafter. In 1834 a public kindling took place near Carlisle during and epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease. At Troutbeck of 1851, need-
fire was made a remedy for cattle plague. The new fire was carried to every farm in the dale by relays of burning peat's, each farmer lighting his own
by means of the peat received and kindling another from it to send on to his neighbor.

Pagan Superstitions