The tree is one of the most powerful symbols in our everyday lives. We see trees everywhere. It’s a yoga pose, a symbol of life, we even chart our families with trees and their branches. Trees represent earth’s circle of life. Without the soil and water from our Earth, they would surely die. Without them, animals and beings wouldn’t have air to breathe. The tree is one of the most important life giving plants in almost every culture. A tree is strong, grows tall, and is rooted into the ground.Trees are also symbolic of ritual, forest, spells, and different types of magic or magick.
A card with an image of a tree indicates that you are beginning to spread your branches. It may symbolize a baby that is about to come and that your family is beginning to grow. It may even symbolize multiple babies, children, or twins. A tree may also indicate that you will begin to branch out in your career and in the professional sense. You may be about to step out of your comfort zone and begin accepting new challenges. Additionally, a tree could mean that you need to take a look at the life you’ve built and make sure the roots are sturdy. Do you have a water source that is not the clearest? Have you been true to your faith and yourself? Is your root system strong? Do you have a friend that is untrue?
Tyler Perry is a famous actor and comedian based in Atlanta, Georgia. Growing up, he was raised predominately by southern African-American women, and that’s who many of his characters are based upon. His most famous character, Madea, who is played by himself dressed in women’s clothing, is a combination of everyone’s mother and grandmother. Madea says that friends and relationships are like trees. Some friends, Madea says, are like leaves. They drink our water and hang out on our branches, but they’re gone with the wind. We have thousands of those types of leaves. Some friends are like branches, they’re there for the majority of the time but when things get rough and the storms come, they’re breaking off. We have a couple dozen of those. But our true friends, our brothers and sisters, are our roots. They come few and far between, and they’ll never leave us no matter what happens until our dying day.
The cross is one of the most simple, yet powerful symbols there is in this world. Symbolized as just a plus sign, sideways x, or high letter T, it’s a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, that are perpendicular to each other. The cross is most often representative of Christianity. Jesus Christ carried the cross, suffered on the cross, and died on the cross, and for many the symbol of the cross is often related to that story. The cross can symbolize religion in general, it can symbolize a difficult time, like what Jesus had to go through in the story. It can symbolize making a terrible or hard decision, a sacrifice for others. It can simply symbolize suffering, sadness, pain, despair, regret, guilt. It can symbolize pain. Have you ever heard of the phrase “cross to bear?” A cross can symbolize a great burden, and something you do not want to deal with— but something that has been forced upon you.
As a reading, that’s exactly what the cross card indicates— not necessarily that you will go through a death by execution but that you will face a sudden and heavy burden that is something you have to go through in this lifetime. It is not fair that the cards have been dealt to you but they are so you must prepare for them. Location wise, a cross can symbolize a church, holy place, sacred space, or altar, but it could also be symbolizing a crossroads or place where a decision must be made. It may also be the location for this large decision or action on your part. The timing of this is immediate. You will not get much warning, when this thing happens you will have to deal with it right away and you can not pawn it off to anyone else. It is your trial and tribulation, but you will feel much stronger for coming out of it on the other end. As it relates to color, the cross can be either represent black or white. There is no gray area when it comes to your quest for doing the right thing and being a good person. As it relates to health, the cross can be symbolic of the lower back or any of the parts of you that might hurt if you were carrying a literal burden or heavy cross to bear. A cross may also be indicative that something is going to happen regarding a volunteer, chaplain, paramedic, doctor, priest, or clergyman. The cross will make you think about your life purpose.
In popular culture a cross is often worn by people who are faithful to their religion, or people who associate with Catholicism or Christianity. They may wear the crucifix, with Jesus affixed to the cross, or just a plain cross with nothing or no one attached to it. Crosses are very popular recently and have been put on everything from t-shirts to rings to socks. The word cross was first recorded in 10th century Old-English as “cros” and was used as a reference to Christ’s crucifixion. It was thought to have originated from the Latin word for crux, which was a gibbet where criminals were executed. This is also where the word excruciate comes from, as in “you are in excruciating pain.” Cross symbols have been drawn as early as prehistoric times, due to the simplicity of the design. There is speculation that the points of the cross represent the four elements (earth, wind, water, fire). In Egyptian, the cross is presented as an Ankh (it’s curved on top), which represents life. The sun cross was used in early European cultures, representing the spoked wheel of the Sun chariot, and even the Swastika originally had somewhat of a cross shape, because it was borrowed from the Buddhism sign for prosperity.
When the Tree and the Cross are paired together, it usually indicates that you will be spreading your branches or taking on many responsibilities all at once. When this happens, stress levels can rise and it can sometimes feel like a burden. The burden is usually not as bad as it seems. It could also be that you are about to begin adding more to your current workload. The Cross reminds us that there is support from our family and loved ones. Be sure to talk to them so they are aware of what you may be dealing with so that they know how to best support you.
The Tree is represented by the number 5, and the Cross is represented by the number 36. When we combine them we get the number 41. Since 41 is not a single digit we then add 4 + 1 to get the number 5
Five is the number of days in a standard work week. It’s the number of fingers on hands and feet. Without even one toe, we have trouble walking. Without even one finger, we have trouble using our hands. Our roots are important and our feet are the foundation upon which our body stands and grows tall. Protect them. Five may indicate 5:00, the month of May, Friday, or the letter E. In Chinese culture, the number 5 represents the elements: water, fire, metal, earth, and wood. In the case of the Tree and Cross card combination, the number 5 means a need to look honestly into a situation and seek one’s higher guidance and not merely what one wants to hear.
Do not be afraid to take on more responsibilities or projects. The reward is worth the time spent and efforts you make. If the projects and responsibilities seem to large to handle, break them down into smaller, more manageable parts. Take things one step at a time and make a plan. You will find that the burden will seem less and the projects will meet completion faster than you planned.
“I am strong and confident in my abilities to spread my branches. I will not let fear get in the way of accomplishing my goals. I can do anything I set my mind to and I will do my best to not let the workload become burdensome. Keeping those close to me in the loop will be a priority and I will be sure to show that I appreciate the support from those who care about me.” Say this in the mirror each morning this week.
