Sacred and Magical Trees
Certain trees have always been considered magical and sacred. The myths and folklore of northern Europe are full of stories that involve the powerful spiritual presence provided by trees. Trees are full of the energy and life force provided by Mother Earth. At one time, tree worship was extremely common. People who lived in forested areas observed the mysterious growth of trees, and believed it to be caused by the spirits who lived inside them. Trees were thought to be the homes of the gods, and the rustling of the leaves spoke an otherworldly message. Trees were rooted in the earth but reached up into heaven. The mystery of trees that shed their leaves in autumn, and produced beautiful new leaves in spring, symbolized rebirth and renewal. Evergreen trees symbolized the universal, everlasting spirit. The superstition of knocking on wood for luck dates all the way back to ancient tree worship.
Trees provided shelter and shade, and timber provided heat and building materials. Amulets and talismans were made from their wood, and they were planted in strategic positions to provide protection from the forces of evil. The fruits, flowers, leaves, and roots provided food and medicine. People gained energy and emotional healing by walking through a forest or grove of trees.
The ancient Canaanites deified the tree. Tree trunks were shorn of their branches and erected for worship. These trunks were sacred to the goddess Asherah and shared her name. Chips or splinters taken from an asherah were prized and sought after, as they bestowed fertility and abundance. The saying “a chip off the old block” comes from this belief.
There is even an apparent reference to the magical and spiritual aspects of trees in the Bible. Genesis 21:33 reads: “And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.”
The ancient Celts venerated the oak, ash, and thorn, believing the trio to be an extremely powerful and sacred combination. Groves containing all three of these are particularly magical places. Many people have claimed to see fairies while resting or meditating in a grove containing the triad of ash, oak, and thorn.
The English tell a charming legend about Joseph of Arimathea. When he arrived at Glastonbury in 63 ce, he planted his staff in the ground on Wearyall Hill and it immediately blossomed into a hawthorn tree. This tree, known as the Holy Thorn, bloomed every Christmas. A Puritan cut it down in 1643, but fortunately its descendants survived and bloom to this day. A new Holy Thorn was planted on the hill in 1951.
The maypole dance, still performed in many English villages on the first day of May each year, is derived from ancient fertility rituals. Traditionally, people gathered flowers and greenery to help celebrate this day and to bring fertility to the entire community. Originally, people danced around a hawthorn tree, but over time this was superseded by a pole garlanded with flowers.
The burning of the yule log at Christmas was originally performed to encourage the sun to return and create spring. The yule log is almost always as the Holy Thorn, bloomed every Christmas. A Puritan cut it down in 1643, but fortunately its descendants survived and bloom to this day. A new Holy Thorn was planted on the hill in 1951.
The maypole dance, still performed in many English villages on the first day of May each year, is derived from ancient fertility rituals. Traditionally, people gathered flowers and greenery to help celebrate this day and to bring fertility to the entire community. Originally, people danced around a hawthorn tree, but over time this was superseded by a pole garlanded with flowers.
The burning of the yule log at Christmas was originally performed to encourage the sun to return and create spring. The yule log is almost always oak.
The Tree of Life appears in many creation mythologies, including those of the Zoroastrians, Babylonians, and Egyptians. The belief is that the world is flat and a large tree supports the heavens above.
The Yakut of Siberia tell the story of the first man who set out to explore the world. He came across a huge tree that joined heaven, Earth, and the Underworld. The spirit of the tree used its leaves to communicate with the gods. The first man was lonely and asked the tree for help. The spirit of the tree caused a young woman to emerge from beneath its roots. She offered him milk from her breasts, and immediately the man was filled with confidence, strength, and energy._
The Tree of Life mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 2:9 and 3:22) conferred immortality. People sometimes confuse this tree with the one from which Adam and Eve ate. That tree is called the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Of course, once Adam and Eve had been expelled from the Garden of Eden they left the Tree of Life behind, which meant they were no longer immortal.
Stories of this sort show just how magical trees were to ancient people.
Pre-Columbian cultures saw the world in much the same way. A silk cotton or kapok tree, known as the World Tree, rose from the Underworld and ascended to the heavens. The Mayans believed the souls of the dead climbed this tree to get to heaven. The souls of people who committed suicide rested in the shade of the World Tree, and were protected by the goddess Ixtab.
The ancient Chinese also worshipped trees. Chinese mythology includes a number of huge trees that connect heaven and Earth. People are able to climb them to get to heaven, but to proceed further they need to gain the approval of the guardian deities who sit at the top of the tree. The leaning mulberry tree was one of the most important of these. In Chinese mythology, ten suns rose from the mulberry tree and caused a drought that threatened the entire world. Fortunately, a famous archer named Yu killed nine of the suns with his arrows...
