The Dream Book of Self-Knowledge

Tree

an embodiment of life, also a symbol of unification of three kingdoms (of earth – roots, of water – flowing sap and of the sky – the crown reaching into the sky) and also an axis around which the entire world is arranged.
one of many synonyms of the ego, which is why it is possible to tell from its appearance or state how free the dreamer is from his ego.
some fruit trees with fruit in the top branches: symbolize safe emotional relationships and usurping love (fig); others symbolize the promise of a romantic experience (olive tree).
in water: a period full of emotion is upon the dreamer; this period does not necessarily have to be as positive as it may first appear.
evergreen: symbolizes long-life and immortality.
deciduous: symbolizes renewal and rebirth.
drying up: the unconscious is advising the dreamer to realize the impermanence of all things material, the impermanence of all feelings and ideas so that he understands in the cycle of nature, as in his own life, that death gives strength and life to other forms, just as the death of the ego brings to the dreamer a new life and new existence.
a tree standing in the middle of a dream image, in the middle of events: the tree of life.
a tree with roots growing around the Earth and branches reaching to the sky: a tree of the world that symbolizes a person's possible rise from the earthly level (material realm) to the exclusive heights of the Spirit.
with a snake wrapped around the trunk or with the possibilities of tasting the biblical fruit: the tree of knowledge.
in the form of a green woman: symbolizes Mother Earth or the mythological being (e.g. Chloe of Greek mythology); this less frequent image can also enter the dreams of spiritual people during the unification process (see Anima – Animus archetype); Greek mythology (Persephone) and Japanese mythology (the divine virgin Hainuwele*⁸⁹).
identifying with a plant (usually with a tree): one of the less frequent mythological images can also enter the dreams of spiritual people (more on this phenomenon in the Anima – Animus archetype); such identification is described in Greek mythology (Persephone) and Japanese mythology (the divine virgin Hainuwele).
in the form of a green man (or a human head overgrown with leaves): the forgotten cult of fertility, as the male counterpart to Mother Earth, symbolizes the renewal and cycle of nature in autumnal death and spring renewal; in the spiritual process this vegetative symbol is subordinate to spiritual aspects, which is why a green man was sometimes depicted at Christ's feet or beneath sculptures of the Virgin Mary.
tree sap: symbolizes the blood of vegetative nature and therefore can have in some interpretations the meaning of blood.
trees growing in geometric shapes, or trees growing in precise rows: the dreamer's strong will has the power to engrave order even in the mind's unconscious instinctual content.
becoming aware of tree parts that possess curative powers: approaching illness.
trees growing out of the sidewalk: sexuality will burden the dreamer's further journey.
trees obstructing a clear view of the starry sky: eroticism and sexuality hinder the dreamer's view of the spiritual level.
uprooted even with the roots: death (usually within 9 months) in the dreamer's surroundings; we can easily recognize the emotional consequences of the death on those surviving the deceased based on the damage caused by the fallen tree.
planting, enabling the tree to take root again: in his action the dreamer enables himself or someone he knows to build a life on a new foundation, to grow in a different environment and begin a new life.
the shape of the tree's crown (see individual shape) or the shape of other parts of the tree (fruiting bodies, anthers, blossoms etc.) that the dreamer noticed in the dream can be important for the dream's interpretation.
picking fruit: well-deserved reward for self-improvement work.
trees heavy with fruit: also in bloom: one of the strongest symbols of a deserved reward for performed self-improvement work.
if fruits that normally grow on trees (e.g. apples, cherries etc.) grow on bushes, then this symbol is degraded in the subconscious and does not have such an influence on the dreamer.
if fruits that normally grow on bushes (e.g. gooseberries, blueberries, raspberries, currants etc.) grow on trees, then this symbol is enhanced in the subconscious and has a much greater influence on the dreamer.
blueberries growing on a tree: patience is becoming part of your life (patience grown into the tree of life).
flowers growing on a tree or placed in a tree top: feelings woven into the tree of life.
blossoming trees bearing edible fruit in the future: hope; other blossoming trees symbolize joy.
blossoming in the autumn: this important image of the unification of antitheses is proof of ascension to the spiritual level of experience; it can appear in the Active Imagination archetype.
tree of roses: a greatly intensified symbol of the rose; the emotional level has a solid foundation and the dreamer is firmly rooted to it, but only so he soon sets out further on the journey for knowledge.
cutting off a branch: in almost all dreams this image indicates that the dreamer has wilfully separated himself from another scenario of his own life or distanced himself from people with whom he had previously lived or worked.
breaking off dry limbs from a tree, cutting off tree limbs: a very positive symbol since the dreamer is voluntarily ridding himself of inanimate content of his own psyche and providing strength and space for new growth.
cutting down: an active attempt to eliminate the dominant power of sexuality over one's life; the eradication of erotic-sexual symbols (trees) in the unconscious inevitably leads to the discovery and later also to the healing of the dreamer's spiritual anima (the princess); a well-known tale about a lumberjack who heals an ailing princess by cutting down a forest can be interpreted in this light.
hewn, without branches: a phallic symbol.
a crawling bug hidden under the tree bark (earwigs, beetles): thoughts and remorse that bother, bite and hurt the dreamer are emerging from the subconscious.
the tallest tree in the forest: the phallus as the central symbol of the subconscious mind.
tree crown, hiding in a tree crown: see Tree crown.
tree roots: see Roots.
tree bark: see Bark.
tree in a forest: see the very meaningful symbol of the Forest.
tree stump: see Stump.
tree branch: see Branch.
Christmas tree: see Christmas tree.
a fire (often shaped as a sphere or disc) inside a tree: usually relates to the state of being (the inner fire of the spiritual heart, the state of the psychological center); an inner fire can also rarely be experienced by a burning sensation within one's body and it depends on the state of the dreamer's mind whether this is experienced as a joy or as a pain if the dreamer is unable to handle the growing energy within; a fire of a spiritual nature is able to transform the dreamer's sinfulness (very rarely even the sinfulness of the world) and then reveal symbolic shapes of unification (spheres, mandalas*²¹, discs etc.) of the consciousness on an emotional and spiritual level, which is why this image can be an interesting part of the UFO – Initiation Ceremonies archetype.