Tree of Life

The concept of a Tree of Life is a common motif in science, religion, philosophy, and mythology. It has been a symbol of both a mystical concept alluding to the interconnection of all life on our planet, and for common descent in the evolutionary sense. Living trees have their roots in the ground and their trunk and branches extend toward the sky. Some theologies imagine a tree which links the underworld and the earth and holds up the heavens. Others have images of inverted trees with roots in heaven and branches that extend toward the earth.

My Tree of Life, with its branches reaching into the sky, and roots deep in the earth, dwells in two worlds — a link between the spiritual world and the physical world, uniting both parts of the human being. It is both a feminine symbol, bearing sustenance/ nurturing, and a masculine symbols, representing the procreative powers.

I believe trees — with their strength, resilience, and continual growth — can be a model for us to plant our roots in the ground of a solid and nurturing environment, look beyond ourselves for human and spiritual support, and find our own strength in the hope and possibilities of a staple, joyful life even after a significant storm.