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Sycamore

Keywords
Abundance, Communication, Harmony, Immortality, Love, Perseverance, Purification, Rebirth, Shelter, Vitality

Historical Background and Folklore
Through misidentification as the tree of life in ancient Egypt (Ficus sycomorus which is not related), sycamore has maintained its association with Egyptian deities.

In India the Trees of the Sun and of the Moon were possibly sycamores. These fabled trees were said to have given prophecy to Alexander the Great and Marco Polo. An Oriental planetree (sycamore) was considered so beautiful by King Zerxes of Persia (519-465 B.C.E.) that he had gold ornaments hung from it and posted guards to keep watch over it. The king is said to have worn a gold amulet with an image of the tree. An Oriental Planetree of Kashmir was mentioned by 12th century travelers.

The American sycamore has the largest leaves of any native tree and the largest circumference with some measuring up to 49 feet around. It is a favored shade tree, especially in cities, because of its resistance to pollution as well as the amount of pollutants it can remove from the air. Sycamores can live for 500 to 600 years. At around 200 to 300 years it is common for the trunks to become hollow, which in past centuries have made them convenient shelters for travelers caught in sudden bad weather. New trees will grow from the stumps if the original trees are cut down when they reach ten feet in height.

Associations
Elements: air, water
Energy: feminine
Goddesses: Bhawani, Hathor, Isis, Nut

God: Osiris
Other Being/Character: Ani Hyuntikwalski
Celestial Bodies: Jupiter, Venus
Color: pink
Miscellaneous: winter; summer; sabbat: Imbolg

© Llewellyn - Whispers from the Woods


For more information, refer to the full text in Whispers from the Woods.


More About Trees

Our Relationship with Trees

Tuning into the Energy of Trees

A Seasonal Tree Meditation

Woods Oracle - Wisdom from the Trees

Ogham – A History

Ogham – Introduction to the Alphabet

A Calendar of Trees and Seasonal Rituals

The Trees

      
Alder Elm Juniper Pine
Apple Fir Laurel Reed
Ash Gooseberry Linden Rowen
Aspen Gorse Locust Spindle Tree
Bamboo Hackberry Magnolia Spruce
Beech Hawthorn Maple Sycamore
Birch Hazel Mesquite Vine
Blackthorn Hearther Mimosa Walnut
Cedar Hickory Mistletoe Willow
Cherry Holly Myrtle Witch Hazel
Chestnut Honeysuckle Oak Yew
Cypress Hornbeam Olive  
Elder Ivy Palm  
       
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