In years past, this special holiday has been celebrated by the students of 22 Teachings with our Hebrew Teacher Tami. This year, Andra shares some teachings here about the “New Year of the Trees”. Read on for connections of the fruits and grains to the tree of life, and a special Tu BiShvat prayer.
In 2025, this holiday begins in the evening of Wednesday the 12th until the following sunset.
The Seven Species and the Tree of Life: A Tu BiShvat Reflection by Andra Brosh:
At the core of all of us is the essence of a tree, whether it lingers in our
memories from childhood, or through our engagement with the natural
world. As students of 22 Teachings we also hold a special place in our
hearts and minds for the symbolic Tree of Life, which we individually and
communally climb in pursuit of greater wisdom and deeper connection
with the divine.
In line with Qabalistic teachings, and its connections to Jewish
mysticism, we have the opportunity to celebrate both the exoteric and
esoteric tree on February 15th, the holiday of Tu BiShvat.
Tu BiShvat has an ancient and storied history that encompasses early
Jewish farming. It also intertwines with the legendary arrival of Jews in
India, medieval kabbalah, and modern ecological activism. Nowadays,
many practice Tu BiShvat by holding seders, eating fruits symbolic of the
spring harvest across the Levant, and planting trees.
This beautiful holiday also aligns with another important birthday and
celebration – the dedication of the Arboretum Mysticum Occult Lodge in 2017, and the very first Lodge convergence upon Tu BiShvat.
As with most correspondences, this makes magical sense as the
Kabbalists of the 16th century imbued what was essentially an
agricultural holiday with deep religious significance, and elaborate
symbolic rituals. To the mystics, Tu BiShvat was an invitation for self-
reflection, an opportunity for repair (tikkun), and a time to connect to the
divine through the natural world.
As with most Jewish holidays, Tu BiShvat integrates sacred foods with
the natural world focusing on abundance and gratitude. The specific
foods eaten at the Tu BiShvat celebration vary, but there is a focus on
the seven species of Israel which includes wheat, barley, grapes, figs,
pomegranate, olives, and dates. Each of these foods correspond to a
specific sphere on The Tree of Life, and thus they can symbolize
aspects of our personal development, and attributes we aspire to
strengthen.
Whether we are filling our tables with the bounty of these fruits or placing
them carefully on our altars, each species invites us to explore and
embody its qualities. Through blessings, prayers, and meditation, we release the divine attributes contained within these fruits, elevating these
qualities and spreading divine light throughout the world.
The Seven Species and Their Correspondences and Symbolic
Meanings:
Wheat (Chesed): As a universal grain, wheat represents
generosity, kindness, community, and nourishment. It embodies
the expansive, giving energy of Chesed.
Barley (Gevurah): Barley symbolizes resilience, communal
support during hardship, and the strength we summon during
difficult times, aligning with the energy of Gevurah.
Grapes (Tipheret): Grapes represent the sweetness and joy of
life. They are a reminder of beauty, harmony, and balance,
resonating with the sphere of Tipheret.
Figs (Netzach): Figs symbolize fertility, peace, and abundance, as
well as the primordial goddesses Nut and Isis. They are linked to
the energy of Netzach, which is associated with endurance and
victory.
Pomegranates (Hod): Pomegranates represent the cycles of life,
death, and rebirth, and they carry a deep connection to power and
strength, aligning with Hod.
Olives (Yesod): Olives, universally recognized as a symbol of
peace, correspond with Yesod, the foundation of life and the
connection between heaven and earth.
Dates (Malkhut): Dates symbolize prosperity, hospitality, and good
health. They are tied to Malkhut, the sphere of manifestation and
physical presence.
As we celebrate the trees in our lives, and as we honor these seven
sacred foods, may we reflect on the divine attributes they symbolize and
allow them to guide us toward personal growth and deeper spiritual
connection.
A prayer from the original Tu BiShvat Haggadah
May our divine blessings renew and ripen the fruit trees, to bring forth
the fruit of ‘the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden.’
May it be our will that our eating and blessing and meditating on these fruits will
strengthen the flow of love and blessing over the trees, to make them
grow and bloom, for good life, for blessing and for peace.
May all Creation return to its original strength and may all the sparks of divine
energy, whether scattered by our hands, or by the hands of our
ancestors, be returned and included in the majestic might of the Tree of
Life. LeOlam, Amen.
– Andra Brosh
Andra is a passionate student of 22 Teachings, and the founder of Psyche & Salt, an integrative psychology practice providing psychotherapy that blends modern science with ancient wisdom to the mystically minded. As an eternal student and seeker of knowledge, Andra loves to write, study, and explore the natural world through the lens of the esoteric and occult.