The Magic of Trees: A Guide to Their Sacred Wisdom & Metaphysical Properties - Tess Whitehurst 2017
Pink Silk Tree
The Trees
My earliest childhood home had a pink silk tree in the backyard. (They’re native to Asia but have made themselves at home in the United States and are cultivated as ornamentals in California.) While my stepmother often cursed the fuzzy mess created by her fallen flowers, it was my view that the tree blessed the space with exotic whimsy, lightness, and joy.
Sometimes called a mimosa (not to be confused with acacia, which is also sometimes called mimosa), you might avoid confusion at the health food store, botanical garden, or nursery by looking for the pink silk tree’s official name Albizia julibrissin.
Magical Uses
Happiness
In Traditional Chinese Medicine the pink silk tree is employed as a stress-reliever and a mood-booster. In fact, simply gazing at a pink silk tree in sunlight—or even just visualizing one—infuses the spirit with a distinctive brightness and calm. If you know of one growing in your area, it’s an excellent idea to visit her often during times of depression or stress. Otherwise, you might seek out a picture of her online and bring her into your mind’s eye during meditation.
Sensitivity
The pink silk tree’s ornate little bipinnate leaves and soft, brushlike blooms are potent visual and tactile symbols of sensitivity. Additionally, the leaves fold closed at night and when it rains, again conferring the distinct sense that the tree is exquisitely sensitive to every nuance in the world around her. Spending time in quiet contemplation with a pink silk tree can sensitize you to the world around you in a way that increases the pleasure and fullness of each moment, as well as your ability to receive intuitive information and guidance.
Interestingly, children who grow up with a silk tree in their yard (like I did) may find that they become particularly open, intuitive adults who cry easily and are naturally able to feel compassion for virtually everyone and everything.
Conversely, if you are already extremely sensitive and/or empathic, it won’t hurt to be near a pink silk tree. But perhaps choose not to work with her in a magical way (unless you are going through a period when you feel deadened or shut off), as this might open you up (spiritually and emotionally) to an uncomfortable degree.
Magical Correspondences
Element: Air
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Venus