In Celtic myth, trees played a central role in daily life. The Celts believed the Irish wooded landscape was full of spirits. They also associated the spirit or heart of the great oak with fertility and centered with wisdom. Often Celtic clans gathered socially underneath the mighty oak to discuss clan issues like a meeting of public officials today. Like Native Americans, the Celts revered nature and the cycle of life. They valued their relationship with the earth and gathered within nature in honor of it instead of building great temples of stone. The Celt's love of nature and its bond to the earth lead to their many beliefs revolving around trees.

What does the Celtic Tree of Life Symbolize?

The commemorated oak tree also called the Celtic Tree of Life has been an ancient symbol of life, fertility, and wisdom revered by many cultures like the Greeks, and Romans in addition to the Celts since ancient times. There are many symbols of the oak tree with spiritual meaning.

Tree of Life in Gaelic

The Celtic tree of life in Gaelic is called “Crann Bethadh”. The Tree of Life is a complex element of Irish culture and customs. The Celtic Tree of Life is one of the most admired and recognizable Celtic symbols. The Tree of life is symbolically important in both history and religion. It symbolizes faith, the strength of coherence, and stability.

The Meaning of the Celtic Tree of Life

The Celtic Tree of Life's meaning varies. Rebirth is one of the most popular meanings for the Tree of Life.  The belief stems from the theory that trees experience renewal throughout the changing of the seasons. Its leaves fall in autumn and regrow in spring is symbolic of rebirth. Another meaning of the Celtic Tree of Life is that it is also a symbol of wisdom and strength. The most sacred of trees was the oak, called ‘daur’ in Celtic.  It is where the modern word ‘door’ is derived. So, the oak tree literally would have been the door to the other world.

The Celtic Tree of Life has been an inspiration to various artists for centuries. Remember that great scene in Game of Thrones? The one where Bran, Hodor, and Ellie are in the cave root system of the weirwood tree when Bran was becoming the Three-Eyed Raven?  I believe it was kind of symbolic of the Tree of Life, the all-knowing tree. Remember then while they were escaping the cave root system, Ellie shouted to Hodor to “hold the door to give them a chance to escape. The words flashed back to the past, causing Wylis to fall to the ground and seize while yelling “hold the door!” repeatable until brain damage set in and the phrased “Hold Door” slurred into one: “Hodor.” Are you seeing the connection?  

Knowledge of the fundamental meaning of the Tree of Life symbol gives an insight into ancient Celtic. The Celtic Tree of Life Knot has roots and branches woven into a Celtic knot together without end, illustrating the uninterrupted cycle of life on Earth. The Celtic Tree of Life knot is a popular design for tapestries, throws, Celtic jewelry, and the Tree of life tattoos because of its positive energy.

Tree of Life Origins

It is without reasonable doubt that the Tree of Life existed long before the time of the Celts. Among other places, the Tree of Life plays an important role in the mythology of ancient Egypt. There are a number of other designs that are connected to this emblem, but the form is Celtic and goes back to at least 2,000 B.C. During this time period, carvings of the pattern were discovered in Northern England that dated back to the Bronze Age. Evidently, this too predates the Celtic people by more than a thousand years.

It would seem as if the Celts took their emblem for the Tree of Life from the Norse, who thought that the Yggdrasil, a global ash tree, was the origin of all life on Earth. The Norse dubbed this tree the World Tree. According to Norse mythology, the path that went from the Tree of Life to the nine distinct realms included the land of Fire, the realm of the dead known as Hel, and the realm of the Aesir (Asgard). Both Norse and Celtic civilizations placed a significant emphasis on the number nine.

The design of the Tree of Life in Celtic culture, which is wrapped with branches and forms a circle with the tree's roots, differs from its Norse counterpart. The Celtic version of the Tree of Life is seen here. If you look at the pattern carefully, you'll see that it's really just a circle with a tree planted inside of it.

Different Societies' Interpretations of the "Tree of Life"

You probably already know this, but the Celts were not the first people to give the emblem of the Tree of Life is significance in their culture.

China
In Chinese mythology, there is a tale told from a Taoist perspective about a miraculous peach tree that bears fruit once every three thousand years but never more often than that. The person who happens to eat this fruit will attain immortality. This particular Tree of Life has a dragon at the bottom and a phoenix at the very top.

Maya civilization
The people of this Mesoamerican society believed that Heaven was concealed behind a mysterious mountain on Earth. At the beginning of creation, there was a World Tree that grew to connect the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. From that juncture, everything streamed out in each of the four directions (North, South, East & West). A cross sits at the very heart of the Mayan Tree of Life, and this cross is believed to be the origin of all creation.

Islam
Only one tree is mentioned in the biblical narrative of Eden, and that tree was the one that Allah forbade Adam and Eve to eat from. However, the Tree of Immortality is referenced in the Quran, and it differs from the biblical version in that it is stated in the Quran. Even though the tree sign only plays a tiny part in the Quran, it has become an important symbol in Muslim art and architecture and is also one of the most developed symbols in Islam. The Hadith does mention other trees in paradise. The Infernal Tree (Zaquum), which is located in Hell, the Lote Tree (Sidrat al-Muntaha), which is located at the Uttermost Boundary, and the Tree of Knowledge, which is located in the Garden of Eden are the three supernatural trees that are mentioned in the Quran. In the Hadith, several trees are grouped together to form a single sign.

Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians had the belief that the "Tree of Life" was the location where both life and death might be found together. The direction west was associated with death and the underworld, whereas the route east was associated with life. According to Egyptian mythology, the Tree of Life was the source from which Isis and Osiris, commonly known as "the first couple," sprang.

Is the Tree of Life necklace symbolic of anything in particular?

Both as a fashion statement and a reflection of the wearer's values, tree of Life jewelry enjoys widespread popularity. It is a lovely symbol that conveys several beliefs and experiences, including those that are religious, emotive, cultural, and personal.

Does donning Tree of Life jewelry bring good luck?

Your life may be filled with success and plenty if you pay attention to the Tree of Life.