We've seen it become fashionable and look on earrings, bracelets, rings or pendants. But what does that wonderful tree really mean? Join us to know the Tree of Life, its meaning and its legend.
What is the tree of life
The concept of the tree of life is a "Mitema" or constant element in mythologies and religions from all over the world. Is a religious and philosophical archetype . We find it with slight variations from ancient Mesopotamia, through Egypt, to Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam.
Meaning of the tree of life
The tree itself it represents spirituality, the connection between heaven and earth, between the divine and the human.
In the tree of life the 4 elements are combined -fire, water, air and earth- to give life. He fire is the sunlight that gives energy to the tree, the Water it is the vital essence that keeps it alive, the earth it is the base where it is endured and nourished and the air it is the medium through which the tree communicates with the environment.
The tree of life also represents the ability of each person to grow in harmony with the earth and with the elements and obstacles that hit us, as well as the trees. They bend and modify their growth according to how their environment affects them and if they break, their branches grow back, giving rise to new forms in their body. In short, this tree also means our ability to adapt to everything and overcome what comes, growing and learning with it.
The parts of the tree of life and their meaning
Symbolically, its parts have a meaning that is common to many beliefs:
Leaves
The leaves represent the food by its approach to the sun. Absorb and accumulate energy that results in physical, emotional and spiritual healing.
In addition, they also represent the capacity of rebirth after harsh conditions, as it is for trees in autumn. Despite losing their leaves, once spring arrives they spring up again. From that regeneration we must obtain the strength to rise after the fall.
Branches
Through the branches the tree extends outwards, provides food and is the basis of the subsistence of the tree.
Getting the leaves to approach the sun and feed the entire tree.
We could say that the branches represent the opening towards the positive of the world, which benefits us in a healthy way.
Estate
The deep roots of the tree of life are the anchoring of the trunk that supports everything, the whole plant.
These roots symbolize the connection with the Earth, the acceptance of all that it offers us in exchange for great respect for it.
Fruits
The fruit represents the joy that is given to others.
It is the dedication to the neighbor, the possibility of sharing the positive energy with the rest. The fruit of our learning and growth.
Legends of the tree of life
The legends attached to the tree of life are usually linked to the immortality or fertility. Next we present some examples of stories of different cultures about this powerful tree that, as you will see, although they are very different, maintain that idea of connection with other worlds and of something beyond life and death. Even in one of them it is related to destiny!
1. Persian legend of the tree of life
There are many stories, but one of the most curious and ancient is found in pre-Islamic Persian mythology.
In the Persian mythology there was a tree of life, a tree of the world, it was known by the name of Gaokerena . It was him carrier of all the seeds of the world and when it they ate their fruit or drank their juice cured all diseases, increased the fertility and even provided immortality and perfect happiness to the dead when they are resurrected. Ahriman, the god responsible for all evils of the world, including death, wanted to prevent that through the seeds of Gaokerena, the Earth was inhabited by trees and he created a toad that he sent to the tree to invade and destroy it . The God Ahura Mazda, responsible for everything good, including life, he created two magical fish s to watch over the tree of life and keep the toad away from him. Since then the two fish hold the gaze of the batrachian and prevent it from destroying it.
2. Nordic legend of the tree of life
The name given to the tree of life in Norse mythology is Yggdrasil. It is the tree of the world, that is why it is always conceived as a gigantic dimension between the nine worlds of the Nordic cosmology.
It is thanks to this tree that in ancient Nordic folklore different trees were worshiped, considered sacred. Perhaps that is why the figure of this great plant has survived to this day in Europe as a protective "magic" element.
You may like to know that at the foot of the Yggrasil there are nornas , who water the tree of life or the world with water from the well of Destiny or well of Urd. They do it to keep this entity green and alive. They decide the fate of people, whose lives are threads in their loom.
3. Chinese legend of the tree of life
In the mythology China the representations of tree of Life they also include a dragon that represents immortality and a phoenix . In fact, there is a Taoist legend that mentions a tree, which could well say this magical entity, in whose branches grow peaches of immortality. These arise every 3000 years and those who try them ... will be immortal!
As you see in this culture, the tree of life is just that, a tree that grants the opportunity to exist eternally.
Did you know the meaning of the tree of life ? Do you have any decorations with him? If you have been interested in this article and you like to know what the symbols mean, you may want to read the post:
- 14 symbols used in Alchemy and its meaning