Articles Directory

Directory of Tree of Life Articles

On this site we provide a comprehensive catalogue of information pertaining to the Tree of Life and its meaning and symbolism, spiritual and otherwise, across many diverse cultures and religions including paganism, and its use in the interpretation of the evolution of the species, and the influence this phenomenem has had on the progress of civilizations through the ages to the modern day.

The following is a list of Tree of Life Articles on this site;

Tree of Life Meaning: The meaning of the Tree of Life is many and varied however it has a commonality among different cultures, both ancient and modern, that is rarely seen in any other significant form of symbolism..... read more

Tree of Life Meaning: Broad Overview: Tree of Life Meaning excerpts from Wikipedia offering explanations of the occurrence of this symbolism in various cultures .... read more

Tree of Life Meaning: Kabbalah - Jewish: a comparison of the Jewish Kabbalah concept of the 10 Sephirot, with their alternative interpretations in non-Jewish Christian Cabala and Hermetic Qabalah .... read more

Tree of Life Meaning: Biblical: Examines the tree of life meaning according to the Bible, e.g. The tree of life (Heb. ?? ????? Etz haChayim) in the Book of Genesis is a tree planted by the Abrahamic God in midst of the Garden of Eden (Paradise), whose fruit gives everlasting life, i.e. immortality.... read more

Tree of Life Mythology: Ancient Egypt: The earliest reference to the concept of the Tree of Life is to be found in the philosophy of the Ancient Egyptians. In the Osiris Legend, Osiris was induced by his wicked brother Set to lie down in a magnificent coffer under the pretext of a game at a banquet. Set and his seventy-two conspirators immediately closed the lid and threw the coffer into the Nile.... read more

Tree of Life Mythology: Bahrain Tree of Life: The Tree of Life (Shajarat-al-Hayat) in Bahrain is approximately 400 year-old, 9.75 m (32 ft) high Prosopis cineraria[1] tree located 2 km (1.2 mi) from Jebel Dukhan. The tree stands on top of a 7.6 m (25 ft) high sandy tell that formed around a 500-year-old fortress...... read more

Tree of Life Meaning: Evolution: presented herein is a collection of videos and articles pertaining to the evolutionary aspect of the Tree Of Life story..... read more

Tree of Life Meaning: Evolution - Charles Darwin: Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life is a 2009 television documentary about Charles Darwin and his revolutionary theory of evolution through natural selection, produced by the BBC to mark the bicentenary of Darwin's birth. It is part of the BBC Darwin Season, presented by David Attenborough .... read more and watch video

Celtic Influence on Tree of Life Jewellery: Celtic culture has had a great influence on the design of Tree of Life necklace pendants over many years - much of this appears often on the circular band around the tree ... read more

Tree of Life In Religion: The Tree of life vision is a vision described and discussed in the Book of Mormon, one of the scriptures of the Latter Day Saint movement denominations published by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830. According to the Book of Mormon, the vision was received by a prophet named Lehi, and later by his son Nephi who wrote about it in the First Book of Nephi .... read more

Tree of Life and Family: The sense of 'Family' is becoming more relevant in today's society filled with the uncertainties of a world traveling at an ever increasing pace..... read more

Tree of Life Tattoos: Body Art and the expression of the symbolism of the Tree of Life. Man has been adding art to the body in the form of tattoos for centuries..... see the tattoos

Tree of Life Movie: From Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director of such classic films as "Badlands", "Days of Heaven" and "The Thin Red Line", "The Tree of Life" is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950's.... read more

History of Tree of Life Jewellery: The following are excerpts of articles that relate the the use of the Tree Of Life symbol in jewellery throughout the ages from ancient civilizations through to the modern era..... read more

Tree of Life Craft: examples of Craft relating to the Tree of Life .... read more

Tree of Life Art: examples of Art relating to the Tree of Life .... read more

A Precis of the Tree of Life Ocurrence in Ancient Cultures

The Tree of Life in its various forms is recognized in all cultures as a symbol of immortality and eternal life.  From ancient Chinese and Egyptian culture to Germanic paganism and Mesoamerica, it has been sought after throughout the ages. And, while depicted in many different contexts, the imagery across all cultures is essentially the same. Not to be confused with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the tree of Life is the tree whose fruit gives eternal life to all who might obtain it. In addition to its religious references, it is a reminder of our past (roots - ancestry), present (tree body - knots included) and future (fruit – labor and posterity). 

The Assyrian Tree of Life was represented by a series of nodes and criss-crossing lines and was an important religious symbol, attended to by eagle-headed gods and priests, or the king himself. In Chinese mythology, a carving of the Tree of Life depicts a phoenix and a dragon – the dragon representing immortality. There is also a Taoist story of a tree that produces a peach every three thousand years; the person who eats the fruit receives immortality.

In Egyptian mythology, Isis and Osiris are the first couple, said to have emerged from the acacia tree of Saosis, which the Egyptians considered the Tree of Life. The Egyptians Holy Sycamore also stood on the threshold of life and death, connecting the two worlds. In Norse religion, the Tree of Life appears as Yggdrasil, a massive yew or ash surrounded by extensive lore. Other examples include Thor’s Oak and the sacred tree at Uppsala.

The Hebrew Bible reference the Tree of Life in the Book of Genesis, in which the fruit of the tree give Adam and Eve Eternal Life. It is important to distinguish between this, the Tree of Life, which fruit they were allowed to “freely eat” and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which was forbidden. Once they had partaken of the forbidden fruit, God set angels and a flaming sword “to guard the way of the Tree of Life, lest Adam should stretch forth his hand and partake of the fruit thereof and live forever in his sins”.

The Book of Mormon gives a detailed account of the prophet Lehi’s dream, in which the Tree of Life is a manifestation of God’s love for all mankind. The fruit of the tree represents Immortality and Eternal Life, which Lehi desires for himself and for his family, and the account explains the difficulties and rewards associated in obtaining it. Depictions of world trees are also found in Mesoamerican cultures, including the Maya, Aztec, Izapan, Mixtec, Olmec and others, relating to calendars, seasons and a representation of the Milky Way.

The baobab, also known as “the Tree of Life” for its vitality and longevity, grows in African and Indian savannas and in Australia. Its height can reach up to 25 meters. Baobabs can live for several thousand years. This tree remains leafless for nine months of the year. Some people describe it like a tree that has been picked out of the ground and stuffed back in upside-down. The secret of the baobab’s surviving in harsh environments is that it has little wood fibre but a large water storage capacity. It is able to hold up to 300 litres of water. In the wet months water is stored in its thick, corky, fire-resistant trunk for the nine dry months ahead. They produce leaves for only a short time during the rainy season, when they also develop huge pink or white flowers. The trees are pollinated by bats and have a fruit as unique as the tree itself. It has a furry coating around a tough, gourd-like shell that shields a soft pulp inside called ‘monkey bread’ and seeds that are rich in citric acid and oil.