Cherry – Sweetness

Genus: Prunus – Family: Rosaceae

Cherry heralds a time of sweetness, love and harmony.

Cherry trees are among the first trees to bloom in early spring. Their sweet and fragrant blossoms announce a time when sweetness is returning to our lives.

In Japan sweet-smelling cherry blossoms, commonly known as Sakura, appear in waves of pink in early spring. They are seen as symbols of renewal, rebirth and reincarnation. Cherry blossom festivals called “hanami” or flower-viewing take place throughout Japan to celebrate the blossom’s sweet but impermanent nature. The cherry spirit teaches us to embrace the sweetness and grace of life while practicing non-attachment. Cherry juice is considered an elixir of immortality most often associated with the feminine aspects of beauty, sexuality and procreation.

In 1912, Japan gave 3,020 cherry trees to the United States as a symbol of friendship. In 1965 the gift was renewed with another 3,800 trees, even after WWII and the events of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima. This symbolic gesture reminds us to release past grievances and to move forward with good intentions. The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Washington D.C. each year to celebrate spring and the renewal of life.

Cherries ripening on the tree are often associated with the sweet innocence of youth and purity. But once plucked the cherry represents the loss of innocence, which can also be sweet if done with loving intention.

In 1931, the song Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries became an inspirational song during the Great Depression that reminded people to enjoy the sweetness of life: “Life is just a bowl of cherries. Don’t take it serious; it’s too mysterious. You work, you save, you worry so. But you can’t take your dough when you go, go, go… The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned. So how can you lose what you’ve never owned? Life is just a bowl of cherries. So live and laugh at it all.”

Sweet cherry, Prunus avium and sour cherry, Prunus cerasus are native to Europe, Middle East and Western Asia.

Message: Cherry encourages us to find the sweetness and grace in every moment of our life and to feel it in our heart. Now is a time to renew past friendships and release old wounds as we acknowledge the impermanence of life. This may signal an upcoming family gathering or holiday with friends. Now would be a good time to create new memories or gather photos together that could be shared with others. Something new is coming forward in our life that will bring unexpected sweetness.

Challenge: Holding onto pain creates more pain: learning from the pain and releasing it allows us to move forward.

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

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Tree Spirit Tarot deck available at: Printers Studio

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