Apple – Shadow

Genus: Malus – Family: Rosaceae

Apple signals a time of breaking through our negative self-talk to face the fears that hide within our shadows. By seeing that we are our worst enemy we empower ourselves to release the self-judgment that harms us. Apple reminds us to make peace within our self.

The genus name for apple is Malus, derived from the Latin word malum, used to describe tree fruits and the concept of evil. When malum was used in context with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the beloved apple was seen as the “forbidden fruit.” The archetype of evil is the Devil, evil is seen as the opposite of good. Devil, comes from the Greek word diabolos – meaning slanderer.

The word Satan, Hebrew for adversary, was influenced by the Zoroastrian forces of good (Spenta Mainyu – creative & inspired) versus evil (Angra Mainyu– angry & adversarial). Internally these forces were dynamic aspects of our mind and spirit. Externally they were demonized as supernatural entities beyond our control.

Christianity associated the Devil, with Lucifer “the fallen angel.” Lucifer, is Latin for “light-bringer,” or morning star. Its opposite was Vesper, the evening star. In fact, they were both aspects of the planet Venus.

As the brightest planet, Venus was associated with Mesopotamian deities such as Inanna, Ishtar and Astarte, which inspired the word “star”. In Egyptian hieroglyphics, five-pointed pentagrams symbolized stars. This same star-like pattern is found in the core of an apple, which made the apple a symbol of health, magic, prophecy and protection. When turned upside down, pentagrams were seen as satanic symbols.

This ability to flip between good and evil, sheds light on our collective shadow of separating ourselves from nature and one another. By seeing the “other” from a place of duality we forget that we are all “one.”

For more in-depth insights on Apple trees visit my blog-post: April – Apple

There are 30-55 species of apple. Malus pumila, native throughout the northern hemisphere has more than 7,500 cultivars. Wild apples, Malus sylvestris, grew in Asia and China over two million years ago and were cultivated by grafting around 2000 BCE. Europeans brought apples to North America in the 1600s.

Message: It is time to heal the old stories that we consciously and unconsciously carry within our personal and collective memory. By shedding light without judgment into the darkness of our shadows we can see the original wounds we hold. At first these wounds may not want to be known, but by realizing it is us who we are seeing we can begin to understand that we are also the one perpetuating our fear. By having compassion for our pain, we can begin to see the wisdom hiding within the wounds. By making peace with the light and dark aspects of our wounded stories we will gain the strength, courage and wisdom to love our self and feel whole. We can then rewrite these stories for future generations to come.

Challenge: Feeling enslaved, backsliding into self-loathing and fear. Experiencing power struggles, jealousy and lustfulness. These are all signs that we are living in our shadow and allowing it to rule our lives. We are trapped in old and wounded stories that want to control us. We think it is everyone else’s fault. Break through the labels and names to face the fears that hide in our shadows.

If you liked what you read and want more... you may be interested in having the actual guidebook and card deck. The 204 page full-color book is sold separately from the cards. My goal is to find a publisher who can offer this as a set. In the meantime, you can purchase either the book or cards via these links. Thank you for you support. Laural

Tree Spirit Tarot – Return to the Garden of our Soul

Tree Spirit Tarot book available at: Amazon

Tree Spirit Tarot deck available at: Printers Studio

For more information visit: lauralwauters.com