Tree of Life Bracelet, Natural Stone Chips

Tree of Life,

handmade bracelet, natural stone chips, 5-9 mm –  Clear Quartz, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Aventurine, Citrine, Coral, crystals

The tree is a symbol of life, power, longevity, generosity, patience and protection. Its symbolism and veneration reflect the deification of nature. Every culture has its own Tree of Life. And every god has a sacred tree.

It is hardly accidental that throughout the world trees can be seen transformed into shrines and decorated with various totems, talismans, threads, pieces of cloth and garlands of flowers.

For many peoples, the tree is an image of the world and of the world axis around which the universe is organized. Such is the Ceiba or Yaxche tree, which according to the Maya grows at the centerof the world and supports the layers of heaven. They believed that in each of the four zones of the world, one such tree rose as a cornerstone of the firmament. Yggdrasil, the cosmic tree of the Scandinavians, was a huge ash tree. Every day the gods gathered in council beneath its shade. And for the Phoenicians, the cypress was the Tree of Life.

The tree embodies the union between the earth, into which it drives its roots and from whose riches it feeds, the water it absorbs and releases, the air into which it stretches its leaves, and the fire of the sun under which it grows and bears fruit. It is also a symbol of diversity within unity, with its many branches emerging from one root and returning again to the one – the seed from the fruit on the branches, from which a new tree will be born. The whole is manifested in it, because its roots are in the earth and its branches stretch toward the sky, thus connecting the two worlds into one – just as in the human being. The tree also symbolizes the feminine principle, the Great Mother – nature, the source of life in all its forms. That is why it is often depicted as a stylized female figure. The evergreen tree represents eternal life, the immortal spirit, eternity. The deciduous tree, which changes with the seasons, is a symbol of the constantly changing and renewing world – life, death, resurrection, reproduction and the life-giving principle.

The Tree of Knowledge In the Christian paradise grows the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Its trunk was later used to make Christ’s cross and from then on it became the Tree of Life. In “Genesis” it is not specified what kind of tree the Tree of Knowledge was, which gave a certain freedom of interpretation among different peoples. Italians and Greeks hesitated between a fig tree and an orange tree, while the French chose the apple tree. But it is certain that it was a true Tree of Knowledge especially for Newton, who formulated his idea of universal gravitation beneath it.

The tree carries the symbolism of resurrection, because in autumn its leaves fall, while in spring new life sprouts from its bare branches. It carries this meaning as well when its changes through the annual cycle are depicted in Christian iconography. When barren or withered, however, it represents the sinner.

The tree also plays an important role in other religions. Indian ascetics and holy men, sadhus, gather beneath the huge crowns of banyan trees, where small shrines are often created. Buddha attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree, and it became a symbol of great spiritual growth.

According to Islam, the names of human beings are written on the leaves of the universal tree, and the angel of death gathers the leaves that fall by the will of Allah and takes away those destined to die. From a tree, the Egyptian goddess Hathor offered drinks and food to the dead or to their flying souls to sustain them. The Sumerian god of vegetation, Tammuz, was also worshiped as a Tree of Life. The oak was a sacred tree of the thunder god for the ancient Germans, and of the supreme god Zeus for the ancient Greeks.

Every people has its own preference for a particular tree. In China, the peach is especially revered as a symbol of longevity and immortality. In East Asia, the pine is also a tree of life, remaining fresh and green even in old age. The most traditional symbol of wisdom and peace is the olive tree, while winners are famously crowned with laurel wreaths. Cedar, whose rot-resistant wood was used to build Solomon’s Temple, is a symbol of strength, nobility and incorruptibility.

Palm treeIn Egypt, the palm is a symbol of happiness, abundance and fertility and can often be seen in the hands of the goddess Isis. The Greeks gave a palm branch to victors, and Jesus was welcomed in Jerusalem with palm branches and “Hosanna!”, so they became a symbol of spiritual triumph.

And all trees that bear fruit are sacred everywhere. It is no coincidence that they are also present in the paradise of every religion.