Dryads Saddle in Spellwork

I have a beautiful woodland walk not too far from where I live, I take my dog Boo there most days, not a lot of people know about it so I very rarely see anyone else there. I tend to take the same route through the woods, I’m a creature of habit and deviating from the norm is difficult for me. During my daily walk yesterday I had an overwhelming urge to take a different route, I followed that thread of intuition and curiosity and I’m so glad I did as I was rewarded whit the most beautiful Dryad’s Saddle (Polyporus squamosus), growing on the base of a tree, usually I take a little bit for my spellwork but it was so perfectly formed I wanted to preserve it for everyone to enjoy. Sometimes called Pheasant’s Back fungus, this wonderful fungus carries deep magickal resonance.

Dryad’s Saddle – Magickal Correspondences

✨ Element: Earth (with whispers of Air, for its connection to trees and growth cycles)

✨ Planetary Ruler: Saturn (death, decay, and the passage of time) with a touch of Jupiter (expansion, abundance, longevity)

✨ Deities/Spirits: Dryads, tree spirits, woodland fae, Pan, Cernunnos

✨Magickal Properties: Communication with Nature Spirits – deepens connection to dryads, fae, and woodland guides.

✨ Transformation & Renewal – teaches how to draw strength from endings and decay.

✨ Longevity & Endurance – known for returning to the same host tree year after year; a talisman for persistence.

✨ Grounding & Centering – helps anchor scattered energy into the steady rhythm of the forest.

✨ Threshold Work – bridges the seen and unseen, especially between the physical forest and its spirit world.

✨ Divinatory Use: A sign to listen more closely to the whispers of the land. Appearing in pathworkings may suggest patience, persistence, or the need to reconnect with one’s roots.

✨ Offerings & Ritual Use: Placing a token or drawing of Dryad’s Saddle at the base of a tree as an offering to woodland spirits.

✨ Used in spellwork for protection, endurance, and spirit communication. A symbol for walking between worlds—good for pathworking journeys.

✨ Seasonal Alignment: Spring to early summer (when it most often fruits).

✨ Colour Associations: Brown, cream, golden tan, mottled woodgrain.

✨ Key Magickal Wisdom: Dryad’s Saddle teaches that even in decay, there is a gateway to endurance, connection, and renewal—it is the seat upon which the tree spirits rest. ✨