For many years my way of living has been inspired by the Tree of Life and the teachings it evokes, and I often incorporate the Tree of Life symbol into some of my handcrafted jewellery and other items I produce. It is probably true to say that the ancient Tree of Life symbol has captured the hearts and minds of people for millennia, as far back as 3000BC, if not earlier.

The Tree of Life has been used to represent many different viewpoints, whether that be the interconnectedness between all living things or as a symbol of eternity. Some ancient cultures including the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Celts also used the Tree of Life as an icon of life and fertility, often depicted through artworks from elaborately-carved stones or tombs to delicately-stitched embroidery to rich tapestries.

The Tree of Life has always been closely associated with the spiritual realms and is honoured for its magical properties, offering protection and guidance for those who seek it out. It also symbolizes abundance and reminds us that we all belong to one universal energy and unified by the Divine Spirit, or Source. In this way we need to remember that we are as one as the human collective connected to the Universe, no matter what differences and diversities we may have. For example, Native American faiths use the analogy of a colossal World Tree as a source of ageless wisdom which supports the heavens, encompassing the heavens and the earth plane among its trunk and leaves and branches, as well as the underworld through its roots.

Another example is the Australian song “We are one, but we are many”. This song was written in 1987 by Bruce Woodley and Dobe Newton and perfectly captures the spirit of the ANZACS, and has become a popular anthem of the Freedom Movement in Australia over the last couple of years; despite any differences we may have – great or small – and wherever we may be, we are stand in our power sovereign human beings belonging to one nation and one Universe, and our voices will be heard, united in the face of discrimination and adversity.

From a religious and spiritual viewpoint, the Tree of Life represents a number of things:-

• Abundance of life, in all its forms. Abundance is not one-dimensional and shows up in many ways, and each day we have the opportunity to give thanks for what we have, even if to some that may seem very little. For example, we may have a roof over our heads, food on the table, nature’s bounty in the fields and hedgerows and on the trees, there are fish in the sea, clear water in the rivers and streams, the love of family and soul tribe, dear friends and neighbours, and indeed the gift of life itself;
• Eternal life with God;
• Jesus Christ, or Master Jesus the Ascended One;
• The cycle of life and a new beginning. The leaves fall from the stark branches of the trees in their dead of winter’s sleep before new buds appear and the trees awaken in the breath of early spring, fresh leaves softly unfurling with their sweet-scented blossom in the gentle warmth of the sun symbolizing the beginning of a new life and a fresh start, or rebirth.
• Good health and vitality. It is believed that the tree has healing properties and the fruit it bears bring immortality. Whether or not you are a tree-hugging hippy, there is more and more evidence to suggest that trees are indeed good for our health and wellbeing so why not go hug a tree?!
• A sacred embodiment of life. God created the tree in the Garden of Eden, making every tree burst forth that was pleasant to look at and could produce food. The Tree of life was in the middle of the garden with the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. God created man in his image and he created male and female, we are all God’s children and life is sacred. He said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28).
• Enlightenment. In Buddhism, the Tree of Life is known as the Bhodi-tree and is said to be the Tree of Enlightenment. Beneath the Bhodi-tree Buddha attained enlightenment and therefore it is a highly sacred symbol;
• Reaching a higher level of inner light;
• The Tree of Life is a direct link to the spiritual world;
• An interconnectedness, or oneness, of all things in the Universe and between the physical and spiritual worlds.

In the Kabbalah and other traditions of mysticism, the Tree of Life diagram is drawn into 10 different nodes or spheres, each denoting a particular archetype presided over by an Archangel or other deity, for example, and connected by 22 lines, or paths, and arranged into three columns to show that they belong to a common category. This unique concept is known as the Khabbalistic Tree of Life to distinguish it from other Tree of Life concepts, and modern-day philosophers suggest that the concept of a tree with different spheres containing comprehensive aspects of reality (energy intelligences, or ‘Sephirot’) can be traced back to Assyria (an ancient Mesopotamian kingdom) in the 9th century BC.

From the top, then right to left, downwards:

1. Crown (‘Keter’) – Archangel Metatron is the Angel of Life and sits at the top of the tree. Like Archangel Sandalphon, once upon a time he was a human being who ascended to the angelic realm due to his faith in God and perfectly pious behaviour during his earthly incarnation as the Hebrew prophet Enoch. He often appears on a purple-orange ray and channels God’s living energy throughout the Universe created by God, bringing balance and helping people to direct the sacred energy through their lives in order to reach spiritual enlightenment. Metatron is also associated with the sacred geometric, tetrahedronal pattern of the Merkabah and its origins to the Flower of Life, which holds the structure of the whole energy systems of the body in its shape connecting us with the fundamental forms of space and time. Activate and align the Merkabah with your Soul’s truth, to enable you to become the best version of yourself, as it encompasses the eternal flow of the Divine Trinity and the four elements of earth, air, water and fire – “as above, so below”.

2. Wisdom (‘Chokmah’) – Archangel Raziel on the indigo ray is the Angel of Mysteries and Keeper of God’s Secrets. He reveals divine mysteries to enable people to become wiser by showing them how to weave knowledge into their lives in practical and inventive ways, thereby reaching their full potential as human beings. We can call on him when we need to find answers to a mystery.

3. Understanding (‘Binah’) – Archangel Tzaphkiel is the Angel of Compassionate Understanding. He leads the angels in sending the spiritual energy of understanding to people helping them to learn more about God, sending them insights and guiding them to make decisions in their daily lives that reflect their core identity as God’s beloved children, for God’s love is unconditional and everlasting.

4. Kindness and Mercy (‘Chesed’) – Archangel Zadkiel is the Angel of Mercy. He and his angels send the energy of God’s mercy to people, inspiring them to be kind to others as God is to them (for example, do as you would like to be done to) and bringing them peace when they pray, so they may be confident that God will answer their prayers in whichever way that is best. This of course does not mean that their prayers will be answered with what people want or expect but with what they actually need and this they will come to appreciate in the fulness of time.

5. Judgment and Strength (‘Gevurah’) – Archangel Chamuel is the Angel of Peaceful Relationships, bringing tough love to strengthen and empower relationships and enable people to experience inner peace and peace with each other and God. Chamuel and his angels test people’s beliefs and motivations to determine whether they are wholly grounded and authentic and to purify them in order to help people build stronger relationships with God.

6. Beauty (‘Tiphareth’) seated at the heart of the tree, Archangels Michael on the blue ray and Raphael on the green ray work together. Michael, angelic warrior, holds steadfast his Sword of Truth as the angelic leader in spiritual battles while Archangel Raphael is the chief Angel of Healing. Together they express the divine energy of beauty, helping people to tap into a higher state of consciousness.

7. Eternity (‘Netzach’) – Archangel Haniel, the Angel of Joy, expresses God’s eternal energy by helping people to trust and rely on God, who is the omnipotent one and eternally reliable, rather than people’s fickle emotions flailing around in uncertainty. He opens the doors to insightfulness that have the potential to bring them joy no matter what.

8. Glory and Splendor (‘Hod’) – Archangels Michael and Raphael again work together to express God’s beautiful glory as they fight sin and wrongdoing to ensure that His perfect design for creation triumphs over sin, which tries to taint and corrupt and permeate that splendor. Good always triumphs over evil and Michael and Raphael are there to help people overcome wrongdoing and to carry out God’s will during their lives.

9. Foundation (‘Yesod’) – Archangel Gabriel, the Angel of Revelation, is paradoxically a mixture of the Divine Masculine energy as a Master of Communication as well a perfect embodiment of the Divine Feminine energy, being associated also with birth. He was the angel who guided the Three Wise Men to the stable where the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem and he also appeared and brought word to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to a son and he would be the Son of God. God put Gabriel in charge of the tree’s foundation and to announce God’s glorious will to people. He brings with him divine love, wisdom, strength and new beginnings, enabling those blessings to flow through their lives by helping people to connect to God through messages of faith and to rely on God to bring changes to their lives that will help them to evolve.

10. The Kingdom (‘Malkhuth’) – Archangel Sandalphon, the Angel of Music and Prayer and Spiritual Ascension is seated here on the turquoise ray. To me, he comes through as a gentle and refined, Divine Feminine energy associated with the astrological sign of Pisces and keeper of the turquoise gemstone. The protector of unborn children, he cares for the earth and takes people’s prayers to God, and directs the music in Heaven. His role is designed to keep the divine energy flowing freely between God in Heaven and people on earth, nurturing the roots of the tree and all areas of God’s great kingdom. Call on him when you have an important prayer you wish him to carry to God or are a musician and need creative inspiritation. He will also help you process your emotions in healthy ways, nurturing emotional maturity and helping us to see the crux of a problem for us to take personal responsibility for our actions and behaviour.

Which of the areas on the Tree of Life resonate with and inspire you the most? Which of the Archangels, if any are you able to connect or seek to connect with? What kind of teachings and guidance might benefit you right now in order to enable you to show up in the world as your authentic self and bring about transformation?

I share more of my thoughts in my Tree of Life video on my YouTube channel below.

Until the next time, blessed be!

Catherine