Tree

Trees are a complex symbol that represents the “living contents of the unconscious,” where individual, remarkable trees possess a personality; in dreams, they serve as an image of human life and (personal) development on an autonomous, unconscious level—an expression of the individuation process (or the Self).

Jung states that “the tree is an archaic symbol that always pertains to an inner development process” (Dream Symbols of the Individuation Process, p. 272). Since this content is represented by a plant, it resides deep within the unconscious; it has its roots in the earth, possibly signifying that the process is rooted in the physical body, yet it also grows toward the spiritual domain.  

Inner Development  

One could say that human inner development grows like a tree in an inner garden, a concept often illustrated in dreams. This “tree of development” lives its life largely independent of the ego. In other words, the tree in some contexts symbolizes the individuation process (and was, in alchemical tradition, a “beloved symbol” of their opus; Mercurius was also symbolized as a tree). One cannot "force" one’s own development; rather, it is something that occurs, growing like a tree according to an individual pattern. However, it is certainly possible to nurture and care for one’s tree, just as there is a risk that it might suffer. Alchemists sometimes portrayed their work as planting and tending a tree until it bore fruit—golden apples.  

The very shape of the tree can be seen as an expression of development—the trunk rises from the earth and unfolds into the crown. Then the leaves fall to the ground, decompose into soil, and nourish the tree, which absorbs the nutrients and forms new leaves that fall again, and so forth, creating a cycle, a circulation.

Just as human life undergoes cyclical changes, the tree experiences seasonal transformations, and each phase forms growth rings as a kind of record of its maturation process. In the same way, we carry our "growth rings" within us, in the form of the ages and periods of life that we bear with us.  

In alchemy, the tree is an expression of the work and philosophy—the arbor philosophica, symbolizing spiritual development and enlightenment.  

In some traditions, it has been believed that all have their own tree, which is “born” at the same time as they are. What happens to the tree also happens to the person. If they live a good life, the tree flourishes, and so on, but if the tree is harmed, the person is harmed, and vice versa.

Felleing and Pruning

A tree that is felled can symbolize the end of a certain life phase or stage of development, thereby suggesting the beginning of something new.

Pruning a tree might reflect the dreamer consciously tending to his or her individuation process.

On the other hand, a sick or dead tree might point to a negative biological condition—possibly even an undiscovered disease—or to spiritual or psychological “death.”

Primeval Tree and Death

The tree, as a symbol, is paradoxical, but it is generally a feminine image. In many cultures, humans originate from a tree (or as trees, like Ask and Embla), and trees are also mythologically (e.g., Osiris) or literally (e.g., in Native American traditions) associated with graves; linked to maternal origins and the return to the maternal end. According to some Northern European traditions, unborn children resided in a sacred tree at the center of the village.  

The tree, like all symbols, is ambivalent: on one hand, an expression of life, and on the other, of death—just like the Great Mother.  

Mother  

The tree is thus a feminine symbol, associated with particular women in both dreams and stories. There is something soothing and enveloping about the tree symbol, which is especially prominent in The Lord of the Rings (the Old Forest and Lothlórien). The tree can symbolize an absent mother figure, both in dreams and tales, as in Cinderella and many other folk stories.

Leaves  

The leaves of trees sometimes represent people as mortal beings, emerging fragile and fresh in spring, growing only to fall in autumn.  

The Spirit of the Tree  

A tree is often associated with a "spirit," such as a snake in religion, folklore, and dreams, which represents its numen—“this living entity that accompanies the psyche’s objective reality” (Mysterium Lectures, p. 76).  

World Axis  

Despite its aforementioned feminine connotations, the tree also possesses a phallic quality and, in certain respects, is synonymous with the world axis. The mythological tree has its crown in the heavens and its roots in the underworld. Yggdrasil is a well-known example of this. The tree functions as a bridge between worlds, a union of opposites.  

In Northern Europe, there has been a tradition of having one’s own guardian tree on the homestead, much like in Germany where villages often had a tree at their center. This can be seen as an expression of—like the pole in ritual contexts—the center of the world. (See also Plant.) 

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