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 | Tree Wisdom-Willowby Kate Zamarchi - Artist/Naturalist |
Through the ages, trees have been considered sacred and magical. An almost universal symbol – the tree of life has roots reaching the waters of the underworld and branches reaching to the heavens. Going back to a time when trees were thought to be the home of the gods and goddesses, the rustling of the leaves were thought to be messages from other worlds. Trees not only have mythology, legend, superstition, and spiritual meaning, but they have many uses…a true gift from Mother Earth.
Willows have a special quality of gracefulness that makes it a favorite among many. They add considerable beauty to farm landscapes and can encourage bird life. When I was young, I lived on a small family farm for several years in Tivoli New York (Hudson River Valley). We had many willow trees in our yard. I just loved it when their branches grew all the way to the ground because it was wonderful to play under them. There was one that grew on the banks of a small creek not too far from my home. I would ride my blue banana seat bike down to this special spot and spend hours alone with nature. The sun would sparkle through the leaves of the protective willow as I watched the swallows fly around in delight. In the animated movie "Pocahontas", Grandmother Willow is a sentient weeping willow tree that serves as an adviser to Pocahontas. She is depicted as being an ancient and wise figure serving mostly as a spiritual adviser. This tree by the creek in my childhood felt the same.
Weeping willow trees easily grow ten feet per year, and can dominate the landscape. Willows like standing water, and will clear up troublesome spots in the landscape prone to pools, puddles and floods. They also like to grow near ponds, streams and lakes. It is important to keep willows away from any man made things like septic systems because they will spread their roots right into them. Weeping willows aren't fussy about their soil type, and they're very adaptive. While they prefer moist, cool conditions, they can tolerate some drought. They're a great choice to create an oasis of shade, if you have space to grow these gentle giants.
Most willows have pretty, green foliage and long, thin leaves. In the fall, the color ranges from a light yellow-green shade to a pretty blue color, depending upon the type. Trees lose their leaves in the fall, and are ideal to create summertime shade.
The Willow: Culture, Myth and Symbol:
Since ancient times, willows have been associated with moon and the feminine. Willow trees are related to the element of water. Not only do they like to live by streams and lakes, but the silvery color of the leaves combined with the rippling of its delicate branches, make it even look watery itself. The sound of the wind through its branches makes the tree a good one for the practice of phyllomancy, the art of divination from the sound of leaves in the wind. Water divining is carried out using willow wands; the tree is attracted to water, so will hunt it out with ease.
In the western world weeping willow is associated with death and mourning, and it is often depicted in funerary art. This is probably due to it's shape. Willow branches were believed to ease the passage of the soul to the afterlife and were placed on the tops of coffins. Graves were lined with willow branches for the same reason.
In China and Japan however, it is a symbol of spring and of feminine beauty and grace. In taoism the willow, pliable in strong winds, represents strength. In the Tibetan tradition, it is the Tree of Life.
The willow tree is used quite often in mythology, sometimes representing an association with certain gods or goddesses. Native American - Wisdom of the Willow
Some cultures had the belief of the willow's fertility powers. Willows grow profusely. A twig from a tree that seems dead will sprout into new life, even if it planted upside down. Some Native American tribes would lay willow limbs in the marriage beds of newly married couples in hopes that they would help ensure immediately fertility. They also made gifts from both the limbs and the bark of willows and presented them to brides on their wedding day, as a symbol of their blessing upon the union.
The Celts associated the willow with both death and life. According to Celtic tradition, it was common to plant a willow tree on the grave of the dead. They believed that the dead person's spirit would become part of the tree and, thereby, live forever. In America the Irish, weren't often allowed to plant the trees on top of the burial ground. In substitution, they planted the tree in an area that was beloved by the dead family member. In the hole where the tree was planted they would place an object of clothing or an item that they believed still held residual energy of the individual. They felt that the object would draw the spirit of the individual to that sight so that it might merge with the tree to live forever more.
In Irish legend the willow appears in a significant role - as the provider of wood for harps. In the old bardic tradition of Celtic Europe, the harpist was an entertainer/historian and his instrument was a sacred object. Like the druids, the bards underwent rigorous training in many disciplines including natural law, philosophy, language, poetry, verse and grammar, composition and music. Their task was to relate the ancient myths and legends to the people and in doing keep alive an awareness of their ancestors and the invisible realms of the spirits, fairies and other supernatural beings. The harp was the instrument through which they engendered in the people a sense of beauty, belonging, gratitude and respect for all life. The most famous historical Celtic harp dating back to the 15th century, ("Brian Boru") is now exhibited at Trinity College, Dublin.
Some psychics believe that wands or talismans, made from willow bark, can help one connect with their inner intuition and strengthen their clairvoyant abilities as wll as open them to receiving visions. Some even believe that they can help inspire writers by literally drawing a muse to the needed recipient. Willow is used in magical rites at Samhuin since it helps communication with the spirit world.
Functional Uses:
Some of humans' earliest manufactured items may have been made from willow. A fishing net made from willow dates back to 8300 BC. Basic crafts, such as baskets, fish traps, wattle fences and wattle and daub house walls, were often woven from osiers (rod-like willow shoots). Willow is the wood of choice for basket making because of its pliancy and strength. The relatively pliable willow is less likely to split while being woven than many other woods, and can be bent around sharp corners in basketry. Willow wood is also used in the manufacture of boxes, brooms, chairs and other furniture, dolls, flutes, poles, sweat lodges, toys, tool handles, veneer, wands and whistles. In addition, tannin, fibre, paper, rope and string can be produced from the wood. Colonists to the Americas valued the willow as a shade tree and for its wood that was good for fence posts and fuel.
Willows produce a modest amount of nectar from which bees can make honey, and are especially valued as a source of early pollen for bees. Poor people at one time often ate willow catkins that had been cooked to form a mash.
Willow is grown for biomass or biofuel, in energy forestry systems, as a consequence of its high energy in-energy out ratio, large carbon mitigation potential and fast growth. Large-scale projects to support willow as an energy crop are already at commercial scale in Sweden, and in other countries, others are being developed through initiatives such as the Willow Biomass Project in the US and the Energy Coppice Project in the UK. Willow may also be grown to produce charcoal.
As a plant, willow is used for biofiltration, constructed wetlands, ecological wastewater treatment systems, landscaping, streambank stabilization, slope stabilization, soil erosion control, and wildlife habitat. If a garden or field tends to flood, try introducing a graceful willow tree. It will dry the soil while adding subtle beauty to the landscape.
Willow is used to make charcoal (for drawing) and in living sculptures. Living sculptures are created from live willow rods planted in the ground and woven into shapes such as domes and tunnels. Willow stems are used to weave baskets and three-dimensional sculptures, such as animals and figures. Willow stems are also used to create garden features, such as decorative panels and obelisks.
Natural Healing and Edibility
The leaves and bark of the willow tree have been mentioned in ancient texts as a remedy for aches and fever, and the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates wrote about its medicinal properties in the fifth century BC. The ancient Celts used the bark of the tree to help reduce fever, to relieve minor aches and pains as well as to soothe rheumatism. The ancient Brits used willow bark to help with the common cold as well as to soothe inflamed tonsils. Other cultures have used it to help indigestion. It has also been used to help perspiration and as an antiseptic and disinfectant. Native Americans across the Americas relied on it as a staple of their medical treatments. It temporarily relieves headache, stomachache, and other body pain.
Willow trees produce an abundant, milky sap. Within the sap is a substance called salicylic acid. In 1763, a British minister named Edward Stone did experiments on willow sap and identified and isolated salicylic acid. The acid caused too much stomach upset to be widely used until 1897 when a chemist named Felix Hoffman created a synthetic version which was gentle on the stomach. His company, Bayer, produced his invention as the first aspirin.
Versatile willow bark is used to treat rheumatic conditions, gout, and heartburn. It is useful as a diuretic, as a gargle for sore throats and gums, and it makes a good external wash for sores, skin problems, wounds and burns. Willow bark is collected in the spring. To make the tea, soak one to three teaspoons of bark in one cup of cold water for two to five hours, then simmer lightly for twenty minutes. The dose is one cup per day taken in teaspoon quantities.
Dr. Bach (Bach Flower Remedies) recommends the willow flower essence as the remedy for bitterness and resentment. People who blame others for their problems would benefit from the willow flower essence. Likewise, people who feel they have been treated unfairly by fate, who alienate others, and who fail to see themselves as the source of their own misfortunes, may also be helped by this essence. As with all flower essences, the willow remedy acts on the subtle, etheric body to remove the negative emotional states that are often the origin of disease.
Willow Wisdom:
Willow is the tree of enchantment and mysteries. She is the symbol for the feminine principle, and is rules by the moon. She promotes and increases our intuitive powers. Willow can teach you to go with the flow of life and be flexible. Once you befriend this tree it is very generous and will provide you with many gifts. Willow encourages us to appreciate the entire range of emotions that rise within us. Willow reminds us that there are times when it is best to surrender completely to the watery wold of emotions and the subconscious, so that we may be carried toward a deeper understanding of our innermost feelings and our true selves. We ask Willow to five us strength in understanding the feminine principles of cycle, creativity, community, cooperation, and receptivity. Willow dryads (tree spirits) tend to be curious. Dreaming of willow mens that a rival may take your love. Weaving baskets of willow in your dream means that you will receive money.
Songs: Willow Tree; Willow Tree; Willow Tree; Willow Tree
Resources:
Flower and Tree Magic, Richard Webster. Copyright 2008- Llewellyn
Trees & Shrubs of Northern New England. Copyright 1975-Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Bradford Angier. Copyright 2008 – Stackpole Books.
The Meaning of Trees, Fred Hageneder. Copyright 2005-Duncan Baird
Tree Medicine Tree Magic, Ellen Evert Hopman. Copyright 1991 Pheonix Publishing
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