The World Tree

[brtarot]

Trying to learn the Wildwood Tarot at large. Descriptions are quite vague but I understand they are wanting a lot of intution to come out to interpret. Wanted to discuss this card.

 

[brtarot]

You think this card is about having learned all the wisdom throughout the journey *(in the labyrinth) OR do you think it refers to having gone through your journey and entering into the tree and THEN understanding what your journey meant? Is there a step that needs to be taken (symbolized by going through the door) to understand how the pieces fit together in your journey and their relation to the collective universal consciousness?or is it gradual and going through the door is just completion? or is going through the door where the understanding and wisdom all come together? thoughts?

[Wanderer]

Sorry for the delay,  - I've just spotted this!

My take on it is that the labyrinth is where we take in everything we have seen, let it settle, and prepare for it all to fall into place. The purpose of a labyrinth is mostly ritual, as I'm sure you know: it's not difficult in itself, but it's the process of following it that matters, and allows us to reach answers for what troubles us. Once we have completed the process, we arrive at the World Tree itself, and enter into the state of unity with everythng. Time no longer passes in the same way (hence the seasons all occurring simultaneously), and the distinction between the earth, the underworld, and the skies is broken: the tree lives in all of them. The labyrinth is preparation, and crossing the threshold is the moment when we understand. The completion of the journey of discovery happens at the door, for me.

 

It's amazing how widespread the concept of the World Tree is, throughout almost all of Eurasia, and even the americas. It's probably related to the biblical 'tree of knowledge', with the serpent representing wisdom in many ancient cultures. Once you start diving into the parallels between cultures, it's a very deep rabbit hole!

[gregory]

Yggdrasil, the thing I think of first when looking at a world tree, has nothing to do with the bible. In Norse mythology it has been suggested that it refers to the tree on which Odin hanged himself.  It is also at the centre of the nine worlds. Just adding this as an alternative to the bible thing.

 

[Wanderer]

14 minutes ago, gregory said:

Yggdrasil, the thing I think of first when looking at a world tree, has nothing to do with the bible. In Norse mythology it has been suggested that it refers to the tree on which Odin hanged himself.  It is also at the centre of the nine worlds. Just adding this as an alternative to the bible thing.

 

I suspect it depends how far back you go, gregory! Although the forms of the lore we see in Yggdrasil and the biblical, or Yakutsk, or Mongolian (etc., etc.) are quite distinct now... did they share a much deeper root, as it were? That's where knowledge fades away, of course, but it's interesting to speculate if we want to follow it back even further...

 

[Teemu]

1 hour ago, gregory said:

the tree on which Odin hanged himself.  It is also at the centre of the nine worlds. Just adding this as an alternative to the bible thing.

 

which found its way into the christian Tarot, in the form of the hanged man.

 

The imagery of the world tree fits me better than the (RWS) dancing girl. At the end of my journey - well, I am pretty sure that I will/would more likely sit quietly like a tree, not dancing wildly like a young girl 😉

[gregory]

2 hours ago, Teemu said:

which found its way into the christian Tarot, in the form of the hanged man.

 

I don't think so. Norse mythology is very separate from Christian, and Odin would not be acceptable to most Christians. The Hanged Man shows the traditional punishment for traitors in Italy at the time, and if referencing the bible, would more appropriately refer to Judas, who hanged himself after betraying Christ,.

 

You may find this useful:

https://tarot-heritage.com/from-trionfi-to-majorarcana/lappeso-le-pendu-the-hanged-man/

[Teemu]

Oh I see, thank you for the clarification! Right, Tarot was an invention around 14th century, not by RWS hehe

[gregory]

More to the point, its origins never tied into Norse mythology. We can lay all we like about the World Tree on it - but that's us doing it. Like all these people who rename the Death card as Transformation...... never mind the Devil as "Ego...."

 

 Glad to meet someone who agrees with me about dogs.....