Trees and leaves have deep-rooted symbolic meaning in virtually every culture on earth. Forests are the abode of the nature spirits, leprechauns and sasquatches. Forests are a refuge from danger, a source of food and ancient healing roots, home to wild animals and singing birds. Forests provide us with wood and paper and oxygen. Forests are alive, mysterious and constantly changing. Trees, with their whispering leaves, are at the heart of Mother Nature.
The symbolism of trees and leaves is apparent in common metaphors such as the Tree of Life, our ancestral heritage depicted in ‘family trees’, how we ‘put down roots’ when we create lasting relationships, and in the phrase ‘turning over a new leaf’ when we experience significant change for the better. Trees and leaves are ubiquitous in the fabric of our lives.
“Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn–that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness–that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling. “ Jane Austin
Mysterious tree, or Red maple leaf meaning
Red maple leaf facts
The beautiful red maple leaf has been the national symbol of Canada for over 150 years. Red and white are the official colors of Canada, proclaimed by King George V in 1921. According to historians, maple leaf began to serve as a Canadian symbol as early as 1700. Long before the arrival of European settlers, Aboriginal peoples had already discovered the food properties of maple sap – which they gathered every spring. Since the 1800s, Canadians have paid tribute to the maple leaf many times.
According to Psychologists, Maple is a tree that helps to find peace of mind for people of all types, brings comfort, and self-confidence. It is a tree of inner strength and steadiness. Therefore, maple creates barriers to Darkness. A solar disk carved from maple and hung over the door, maple steps at the entrance to the house, the doorframes of the entrance door from this tree are all defenses against evil forces. Traditionally, people used Maple to build bridges over running water. Running water is an obstacle to dark forces, and maple did not allow these forces to use the bridge.
Also, maple branches, covering the barn, or stuck in the walls, protect cattle from evil eye and spoilage. By the way, a drink from fermented maple juice is a sacred wine of sun worshipers.
“The first real day of spring is like the first time a boy holds your hand. A flood of skin-tingling warmth consumes you, and everything shines with a fresh, colorful glow, making you forget that anything as cold and harsh as winter ever existed.”– Richelle E. Goodrich
by MShannonHurst
Considered a living fossil, the ginkgo tree has no known living relatives and has endured for millions of years with little change. In fact, ginkgo is the oldest surviving species of tree known to exist, with a botanical history spanning more than 200 million years. This demonstration of resilience, combined with its antiquity, has granted the tree many symbolic meanings throughout the world. It has become a symbol of strength, hope and peace for many
For centuries, the ginkgo tree has served as a symbol of hope and peace in its native land of China, and that representation is widely demonstrated in Chinese literature and art. One of the first depictions of the tree in this capacity exisits on a mural in an ancient tomb. Created late in the 5th century A.D., the image uses the ginkgo tree to represent the end of a politically unstable period in China’s history and a movement towards peace. The artists of ancient China often pictured the Buddha’s Dragon Tree as a ginkgo tree, as well, further cementing its place as a historical symbol. The tree continued to appear throughout Chinese culture and was always associated with an optimistic view of the future. Chinese monks ultimately introduced the tree to Japan, where it remains very popular in temples and tea gardens.
Perhaps the most famous willow tree in recent literature is the “Whomping Willow” at Hogwarts, the school of magic for wizards attended by Harry Potter and his friends, Hermione and Ron. The tree is key to the story in the series of Harry Potter books written by J.K. Rowling.
Ancient healers first discovered the medicinal properties contained in the leaves and bark of the willow tree, They applied these preparations as remedies for aches, fever and rheumatism among other maladies. Salix alba produces salicylic acid, an ingredient in aspirin.
