All of us could agree, right at the beginning that Nature, in all of its beauty, is the best teacher that we can ever have; it is just the question of either we believe in it, or notice it.
Now, when we come from this premise that Nature is man’s best teacher, we must add one more thing; and that is that Nature exists and evolves according to natural laws and principles, fulfilling and following cosmic archetypes.
Now, Nature has its manifestations, and all of them carry incredible symbolical powers that are meaningful for human and his growth in this Universe; in the current moment in time.
One of those manifestations are trees that are for many cultures, many different parts of the world the most meaningful parts of the spiritual or religious teachings (think of all those rituals that people have in front of the Tree that for that group has a special meaning).
Now, things are much clearer now – as trees are one of the manifestations of divine power that sincerely worshipped in all cultures and all times, and in the centre of this is one tree in particular; yes we are talking about the Tree of Life.
This is the secret Tree for many cultures, and it has always been firmly linked to human Life, as it is, along with the parts of it that we do not know, that is “in some other dimension”. That other dimension is all that occurs when we are not connected to our material form, the one that is Holy or Pure dimension.
It is, in some common sense represented as the manifestation of the sacred, the expression of the cosmic creative powers and the unity of universal Life. Its name speaks for itself, and it is the representation of Life itself, and He knows everything since it has been a part of our world from the beginning of time.
It is there to remind us on what are those close connections between the Heaven and Earth, and what does the Human has to do, if he wants to learn more about both parts, and his Life, now and forever.
The Tree of Life has been one of the most famous symbols that we can safely say is the basis of their rich and colorful mythology; it is the Tree connected to many magical properties. It is this “magic” tree that has always been considered the first association with the perfect and unbreakable union of Earth and Heaven, in which the power of Nature is most clearly reflected.
It is all known Tree, the one that knows the Ultimate wisdom that is much higher than we are, in our interpersonal relations, and mere existence.
Although the concept popularly referred to as the “tree of life” can be encountered in many other cultures, the fact is that no other nation has been so closely associated with Nature, that is, respecting the tree cult to such an extent as the ancient Celts (for them it truly had a special meaning, and was the centre of their world and religion).
In this piece, read all that is necessary to know, when it comes to the most magical Tree in the world that has ever existed on the planet Earth. Stop questioning what is so special about one ordinary Tree? The answer to this question is, in fact, very simple, and you can find the answer in the sections below.
Meaning of Tree of Life
Since the dawn of time, or the times that have been recorded, like the time when people started to write down historical events or all events that mattered for human species, Europe as the most progressive and well-developed continent was covered with rainforests where rare clearings seemed like islands in the green sea.
In these old times, human civilization was heavily linked to the Life that took part in the forest and trees. Everything that people do, in their Life, any biological or internal need took place in the forest, and also their spiritual needs were also gratified in the woods.
Why this was the case is not hard to guess, and even those people who were not as developed as we are today (or maybe we are not, we just think we are more progressive, while in fact, they knew everything better, who knows) knew that the wood fed the fire. This was such an important resource for those people because, for them, fire meant Life, it was the only fuel that they knew and need.
In some deeper introspection, we come to the conclusion that trees or wood are an ideal raw material, easy to process and usable for a variety of purposes. There were bees in the trees that gave wax and honey; it also provided foodstuffs, not just fruits, but primarily cones that were ground into flour and baked as bread.
And this is all great and useful to know, but we must speak of something, the aspect of trees that are even more important for human beings, the spiritual meaning of trees and in this case the most important of them all – the Tree of Life.
So, as you see for yourself, this is one beloved and a sacred tree that has meanings as much as Life itself, and to say it in some simple words we could say that it is the representation of Life itself, and though it, its universal and even viral principle could be experienced. It is truly important to get to know the significance of this Tree so you can understand, and use all that it has to offer; in any way shape or form you use it.
And one more aspect that we need to know here is its “fruits” – this is also one very relevant aspect of getting to know, cause all that this Tree has to offer is not a waste, it is equally useful and meaningful part of this Holy Tree – and just like in Life, all of his parts have meaning. Branches, leaves, and fruits, along with the beings that live in it; in the same way, all aspects of Life are needed – pain and aggression, suffering and joy, along with Love. When every aspect is put together, then you get the real deal, and you get the totality, that we mentioned before, and that we called the Tree of Life.
To go back to the fruits that are part of this immortal Tree – and this denotation is very clear – life cannot disappear; it can only change its form, because we are created from the energy that does not go away, it just changes its shape.
So, the fruits of the Tree of Life are always hard to come by. It is found all over the world or in the sky – like a Chinese Peachtree for example, whose fruits give immortality – or some other inaccessible place, and is guarded by monsters, as you can see the similarity in some fold tales that you came across.
How can we understand this connotation, and we wonder what does connection has to do with our, human Life? What kind of connection is that? It is very clear – a human, or a hero just like in those folk tales, is obligated to find a way to make things right and to defeat the monster.
So, if a human is able to do such a task, then this is the meaning of the Tree of Life- the victory over bad things in Life, and when you think about it; it is Life. It can be depicted in that way, if you, as we do, believe in such order of things.
According to the beliefs of the ancient people from Europe for example, this Tree, the Tree of Life that represents the image of the world is actually one symbol of Life, and when a person dies, his soul actually moves into that Tree.
This is the reason behind numerous rituals that occurred in front and around this Tree, because it was believed that it can protect you from all harm and that you can communicate with these souls if you perform a certain ritual around this holy Tree.
And one more addition to this interesting story about the most popular Tree in the world – according to these beliefs, people came from a tree and returns to it after death (the soul returns), which is why the Tree of Life must be respected.
This is kind of respect that is mandatory in some way, because you have to respect the Life as it is, and for that matter, if you do not respect the symbols of Life, you do not respect the life itself.
The Symbolism of Tree of Life
The Tree (any tree that you see on this planet) is born from the Earth, feeds on its juices, leaves its root in it, but at the same time does not negate its equal part made up of many branches that try every day to take every possible drop of water and air of the sun in order to ensure the longest possible existence.
Just as each one of us stands firmly on the Earth, and with his hands he tries to reach the heavens, so the Tree is synonymous with the Earth or the material world, while its crowns symbolize the desire to merge with the other, the mystical world in which there are numerous secrets hidden, and what is more important where you can learn so much about your life and the Universe.
Also, in this sense, we must say that the Tree of Life is our, Earthly connection to the spiritual world.
If you want to look at things from this point of view, that is also amazing and truthful, this observation about the Tree of Life is not just a simple metaphor for the perfect balance and harmony of nature; the basis of every life is fertility and childbearing, whether it is a child emerging from the mother’s womb or a tree emerging from the ground.
This Tree is the symbol of Human also, because you can see how we are born, live and die, but we also continue to live, in some other shape.
Just as a man will grow older and go through many stages of development in his life, so will a tree be prepared for all seasons and daily changes in its environment, but only on the condition that it maintains the connection mentioned above between what’s down, deep and what’s up, high. Here you should have a picture of a tree that has been on the planet Earth for ages and its endured time and nothing can longer hurt him, in any way – he stood the test of time.
So the symbolical value here is undeniable – a man or a hero must find a way, and victory over the monster has to initiate meaning. We find similar or similar settings in many stories.
Do not be surprised with this denotation, cause the Tree of Life teaches us of this valuable lesson – life is all that happens to you, both good and bad, and you are the hero of your write if you have endured all problems that came on your way.
Good or Bad sign?
This Holy Tree is not the category you want to out in the good or bad box -it just is, and for that matter, you should accept it as something that is above these classifications.
What are we trying to say is that you should look at this Tree and worship it, in all of its beauty and glory, because it deserves it, just like the life itself, and for that matter, and you need to accept life for what it is.
With all of its good and bad side, life just is, and it is up to us to find glory and beauty, where we would never look it for.
Old people have one interesting saying, and it goes something like this – they fear from everything that will make them fall on their heads, and this means that they have to take great responsibility and respect for nature.
All that man can (and should) do is to live daily in harmony with nature, because only when we are in harmony with it – are we in agreement with God. This is one valuable lesson that the Tree of Life can teach us – it is a sacred, magical and living creature that represented the boundary between the earthly and the beyond, the divine and the Human.
This is the one Tree that is a special tree located in the very centre of the global community, and of course – no one should ever dare to cut it! Should the enemy still dare to pluck the tribal tree of life – it was a sign of great misery and at the same time humiliation for all members of the community.
It is Life represented in the form of a Tree -the manifestation of the world and was a symbol of life, and it can be “good sign” (we use this term loosely, since there cannot be any classification like this, but for better understanding we have used it) that when a person dies, his soul goes to live in that tree.
Tree of Life or Tree of the World, you can call it with both names, and has the same meaning from whatever side you look for it – some believed that man was made of wood and since that time the tree is revered. It is also respected because the ancestors believed that their dead were in that tree and that these same dead were being guarded and protected.
According to the beliefs of some older European nations, the visible and invisible world is divided into three parts, the underworld where the evil gods are, the earthly world where mortals are, and the kingdom where the good gods are, all these worlds are connected by the ash tree, the Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life consists of three pillars, a female on the right, a male on the left and middle, and is connected by paths – a clear symbolical connection to the human life, and males and females that connect into one.
Summary
The man lived in a close symbiosis with the trees for a long time (since the beginning of time as some like to claim) and believed that he was thanking for his survival, man used a tree as his shelter, and use its elements to help himself to survive. In it, moreover, he saw the origin of the world, form it everything could be created.
Universal cosmic principles were expressed through the trees, embodying the power of life, representing aspects of the divine, the sacred; all that we have in this world, all forces that we could not touch are clear in one simple Tree of Life. It was never worshipped only as a tree, but always because of what was expressed through it and what it meant and intended.
The souls of the dead are still in that tree, and from there they look upon us, guarding and protecting us. With the help of the Tree of Life, in a way, we keep in touch with our ancestors and all those who are no longer with us.
This idea sounds amazing, and this is, if not anything else, idea that is enough to understand and respect this old tree.
The tree is a manifestation of life, through which the universal, vital principle is revealed; this is the principle as we have said in the previous sections, the main principle on which life is based. Some species of trees reach thousands of years old and therefore, for humans, the tree embodies eternal life.
Tree of Life is one of the most popular talismans worn for the purpose of protecting, enhancing vitality and positive energy – used by many people even today, and many people grow it in their homes or have some braches of it close to their homes, or in their homes.
