Palm
Keywords
Abundance, Fertility, Love, Potency, Protection, Strength
Historical
Background and Folklore
Native to North Africa, date palm branches were used in Egyptian
Winter Solstice celebrations. It appeared on Egyptian coins, Carthaginian
monuments, and its leaves were carried in Greek and Roman pageants.
Ancient depictions of the goddess Diana show her merged with a palm
tree with abundant dates as multiple breasts. In The Bible the palm
is the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, and its leaves symbolize
peace. Its fruit was called “the bread of the desert”.
The timber was occasionally used for roofing.
The coconut palm is a versatile tree: Its nut is highly prized for
“milk and meat”. Charcoal is made from the coconut shell
while brushes and rope are produced from the husks. The trunk is
used for lumber. Its name comes from the Spanish cocos, meaning
“monkey” or “eerie face” and nucifera, Latin
meaning “nut-bearing”. |
Fan palms can withstand extended periods of cold weather. They do
not grow in hot tropical areas but do well in the southern United
States and on the West Coast up to Vancouver. Native Americans used
the berries for food and the seeds for grinding into flour.
Associations
Element: air, fire
Energy: masculine
Goddesses: Aretmis, Ashtoreth, Diana; Ishtar, Isis, Tamar |
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Gods:
Apollo, Damuzi, Tammuz
Other Beings/Characters: archangel Ithriel, phoenix
Zodiac: Leo, Sagittarius
Color: purple, indigo
Celestial Bodies: Mars, Moon, Sun
Miscellaneous: attract abundance; increase inner strength; sabbat:
Yule/Winter Solstice
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