Tree Totems

I was updating the calendar with the appropriate Celtic trees when I realized that in some ways that wasn't really magic as I practiced it.   I grew up in California and I've never see a Hawthorn tree in my life let alone a Blackthorn, or an Alder or a Rowan.  So it seemed appropriate to list the trees I really do have a relationship with from a shamanic perspective.   I've listed the trees based on astrological houses, and I've assigned them based on my own chart.   Since I have intercepted signs (Aquarius and Leo) I'll have more water and earth signs on the cusps of houses than is usual. (This was natures attempt to balance our my firery air-head nature but I'm not sure it worked)

	Redwood The Redwood tree is my point of entry into the other world on my shamanic journeys.
	Attributes-Personal First House, Capricorn, Earth	Attributes-Generic Earth, North

	Red Oak The house we own now is surrounded by oak trees.
	Attributes-Personal 4th house, Taurus, earth, north	Attributes-Generic Sun, Fire, Strength, Protection, Potency

	Orange I spent my childhood playing in the orange tree in my back yard.  It's one of the few pleasant memories I have of that time
	Attributes-Personal 5th house, Gemini, Air, East	Attributes-Generic Sun, fire, love, good fortune virtue

	Elm Elm has always been the "shade" tree in my life.  But the lessons I've learned from Elm have been two fold.  One has been that I've never lived any where long enough to see a tree like an elm actually turn into a shade tree.   I've always benefited from someone else's long term planning.  The second is the fragility and impermanence of something even as large as a full grown elm
	Attributes-Personal 6th house, Cancer, Water.	Attributes-Generic Saturn, earth, The ability to overcome faults and make them strengths,

	Magnolia Messy, but they're evergreen in California.   We had one in the front yard.  Other than the orange tree is was the only established flowering tree I've ever shared my life with.
	Attributes-Personal 7th house, Water/fire, Cancer/Leo	Attributes-Generic Water, feminine

	Birch - the Lady of the Woods
	Attributes-Personal 8th house, Virgo, Earth	Attributes-Generic Earth,

	Japanese Red Leaf Maple A beautiful delicate tree.  I plant at least one every place I live.
	Attributes-Personal 9th house --Air,  Libra, Equalibrium, Grounding of magical energy, ambitions	Attributes-Generic Air,  Libra, 7th house, East

	California Scrub Oak These trees dot the California landscape.  Even more than the redwoods I find this tree defines California
	Attributes-Personal 10th house, (Scorpio/Sagitarius, Water/Fire)	Attributes-Generic

	English Walnut The English walnut (the fruit kind) is usually grafted onto the root system of the black walnut in order to ensure hardiness.  Walnuts are messy, very prolific in their fruit production and will stain your hands black if you're not careful.
	Attributes-Personal 11th house, Sagatarius, Fire, South	Attributes-Generic fire, sun, love, fertility, mental acuity. The spell breaker

	Pine I love walking in the woods and California has lots of scotch pines.   The small of them and the dabbled light through the trees is the most relaxing experience I know
	Attributes-Personal 12th house - Earth, Capricorn, West - (for 12th house symbolism)	Attributes-Generic Male, Mars, Purifications, long life. joy, healing, long life. Earth/Air

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