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The Sacred Lives of Trees Danu - 19/04/2004 12:38:03 PM

Through out history trees have held a special place in the human imagination,
trees were seen as living entities endowed with conscious spirit. Tree worship was common among many peoples the world over. Certain trees become oracular gods or goddesses. Many myths speak of the World Tree or Tree of Life, and European pagans used the tree alphabet for divination and the transmitting of secret messages.

I thought it would be fun and interesting to share some of the mythology of trees with you and get your thoughts. I’m starting with the oak tree and will do more later if people enjoy this one.

OAK
The king of trees, has been widely revered. Classic component of the Dianic grove or nemeton, resident of the god who controlled thunder and lightning, deity of druids and dryads, the oak was duir in the druidic alphabet and represented power.
The biblical shrine Mamre at Hebron included a sacred oak in a female-symbolic grove. Although even to the fourth century AD it was still a pagan site dedicated to the worship of “idols” Old Testament scribes pretended it was the home of Abraham. Similarly England revered its “Herne’s Oak.
The oak stood for Diana and her lovers the Kings of the Wood well into the Christian era. Roman solders where awarded a crown made of oak leaves and acorns for saving the life of a citizen.
Medieval Europe credited the oak with magic over the weather and nearly everyone believed that oak trees were residences of the lightning god.
The Oak King was the god of the waxing year battling with the Holly King at Midsummer and Samhain, or Halloween. The Oak and Holly kings are two halves of the same being, the polarity of light and dark, just as summer and winter are two halves of the year.



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The Sacred Lives of Trees - 19/04/2004 12:38:03 PM 124 Views
I like trees - 19/04/2004 12:42:15 PM 12 Views
Me too. *NM* - 19/04/2004 12:44:07 PM 4 Views
DIRTY TREE HUGGER! - 19/04/2004 12:44:03 PM 16 Views
- 19/04/2004 12:45:40 PM 9 Views
*Thumps you HARD with a branch* - 19/04/2004 01:13:55 PM 11 Views
You be nice to Danu! - 20/04/2004 12:16:19 AM 5 Views
I'm allowed to say stuff like that! - 20/04/2004 12:30:38 AM 5 Views
Says who? *NM* - 20/04/2004 06:04:12 PM 5 Views
I am sorry... Forgive me? *NM* - 21/04/2004 12:48:15 AM 4 Views
Of course. *NM* - 21/04/2004 06:56:56 PM 5 Views
Me - 21/04/2004 05:15:23 PM 5 Views
So yeah... - 19/04/2004 01:12:21 PM 14 Views
Oh! I like your tree smilie thingy. *NM* - 19/04/2004 01:14:46 PM 5 Views
*chop, chop* - 19/04/2004 01:19:44 PM 9 Views
! - 19/04/2004 01:39:43 PM 7 Views
I like trees - 19/04/2004 01:22:53 PM 13 Views
That isn't surprising, either - 19/04/2004 01:29:27 PM 9 Views
nope - 19/04/2004 01:32:02 PM 7 Views
I believe that came later - 19/04/2004 01:30:08 PM 9 Views
Ygdrasil, the sacred oak - 19/04/2004 02:28:30 PM 14 Views
Re: Ygdrasil, the sacred oak - 19/04/2004 02:34:29 PM 9 Views
Yggdrasil was an ash, not an oak *NM* - 19/04/2004 06:36:46 PM 5 Views
Oops you're right *NM* - 19/04/2004 10:02:16 PM 4 Views
I do love trees. *NM* - 19/04/2004 09:25:41 PM 4 Views
Thanks Danu! - 19/04/2004 11:19:56 PM 7 Views
Re: Thanks Danu! - 19/04/2004 11:23:20 PM 5 Views
Thank you that would be great! - 20/04/2004 07:28:25 PM 5 Views
Re: Thank you that would be great! - 21/04/2004 06:38:05 PM 5 Views
*NM* - 20/04/2004 12:15:36 AM 5 Views
*hugs* *NM* - 20/04/2004 12:26:49 AM 4 Views
*NM* - 20/04/2004 06:19:40 PM 5 Views
I love trees. I like to talk to them. They make good listeners. *NM* - 21/04/2004 12:47:18 PM 5 Views
I like talking to trees too. *NM* - 21/04/2004 05:16:28 PM 3 Views