The Magic of Trees: A Guide to Their Sacred Wisdom & Metaphysical Properties - Tess Whitehurst 2017
Redwood (Sequoia)
The Trees
The truly magical (and closely related) redwoods and sequoias of California have a heartbreaking history: while Native Americans only used wood from them that naturally fell, Europeans literally decimated the trees for all sorts of architectural purposes, although it could take them a full day to bring down a single tree.
While the tallest tree species on earth is the redwood, the largest and most massive tree on earth is a sequoia. We are talking skyscraper huge. And sequoias can live for thousands of years. When you spend time in their presence you feel like the smallest and briefest of creatures, and yet at the same time you feel you are a part of something that is infinite and omnipotent. It’s a most singular sensation.
Both redwoods and sequoias are in the subfamily Sequoioideae.
Magical Uses
Abundance
The sequoia—the largest tree on earth—comes from the tiniest of seeds. Stumps of redwoods are often miraculously surrounded with a circle of brand-new sprouts, to which they have given birth even in their state of seeming death. Perhaps it should be no surprise, then, that sequoias and redwoods are aligned with the planet of expansion: Jupiter. What’s more, the lushness of redwoods and sequoias, the sense that they will live forever and expand forever, their deep green foliage, and their rich red bark all confer a sense of luxurious and deeply rooted wealth. That’s why the redwood/sequoia can be especially helpful when you really need to shift your consciousness to one of positive expectation and abiding trust in your divinely designed supply.
REDWOOD WEALTH PETITION
To increase your wealth, on a Thursday or when the waxing moon is in Sagittarius, visit a redwood or a sequoia. Take a moment to respectfully tune in to the tree, and then request an infusion of abundance energy and wealth consciousness. Relax and receive. Then, with gratitude, gift the tree with a chrysocolla or carnelian (crystal) by placing it near her base.
Earth Wisdom
Driving into the redwoods confers a feeling reminiscent of being a small child in the presence of grandparents. It’s a lovely feeling of continuity, comfort, and the presence of both unconditional love and unfathomable wisdom.
So, when you want to connect with a living, earthly being that is older than Mary Magdalene and wiser than the wisest human guru on the planet, try spending time with sequoias or redwoods, or calling up a vision of them during meditation.
Healing
While removing parts of the tree is no longer prohibited by law, author Fred Hageneder points out in The Meaning of Trees that “the Pomo and the Kayasha tribes use poultices of warmed, new redwood foliage for earaches and take the gummy sap with water as a stimulant and a tonic. The Houma drink inner bark infusions to treat jaundice and to purify the blood.” As an alternative to working with physical materials from the tree for healing, spending time near redwoods—particularly when consciously tuning in to their energy and wisdom—can provide healing and help prevent health challenges through relieving stress.
Protection
As mentioned above, these ancient trees can give you a sense that you are a small child, protected by wise and loving grandparents. This can be especially useful for those who often feel a lack of safety or a sense of free-floating anxiety. Once you’ve connected with a redwood or a sequoia in person, you can call on her essence and energy to help surround and fill you with protective energy, perhaps by envisioning yourself energetically encompassed by her trunk. You might do this shielding exercise regularly during meditation or as needed.
Protection from Fire
These trees are able to live so long even in fire-prone California because their wood is actually fire resistant. In fact, you’ll often see a thriving redwood or sequoia with a blackened trunk: an indication that the tree has survived a forest fire. Additionally, they are unharmed by lightning and even have something of a symbiotic relationship with it. As such, if you’d like to protect a structure from fire, you could call up the vision of a giant sequoia. Ask her to completely encompass the building with her trunk, and request that she support you in your intention. To keep the energy strong, refresh the visualization at least once a week.
Magical Correspondences
Element: Spirit
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Jupiter