Inspirational Lessons From Trees

Door Niina Niskanen

Wat je zal leren

Welcome to this course about tree lore. A long time ago Finns, Finno-Ugric tribes and Baltic tribes practised animistic nature-based belief, where everything in nature had its own place and spirit. Trees were widely worshipped. Some trees, holier than others were called spirit trees. In this course, you will learn about ancient tree worship and mythologies and stories told about different tree species and gods, goddesses and magical creatures related to them. How these trees were used in folk magic and how people saw them. Sacred groves were very common. These special places were thought to harbour gods and goddesses, so they were also worshipped and given sacrificial gifts of food, drink and treasures. Altars were built in these groves for the purpose of worship. An altar was usually a large stone or a wooden table holding a statue or an image of a particular deity. Sacred groves were communally owned by an entire village and were generally located in the woods near the village. People could visit a grove alone or in groups to show reverence to the gods. It was believed that trees understood humans, especially women. People told their troubles to trees and felt certain that the trees kept their secrets. In the old days, people relied more on the forest than they do today. The entire forest ecosystem offered almost all of the materials needed for life: shelter and abundant food like berries, plants, mushrooms and animals. Learn about the Christmas tree tradition and how it arrived in Finland and the tree emuu's, these were spirits that created the different tree species. This course also includes tips for those of you who are interested in grounding and building better spiritual connections with nature and your surroundings. Niina Pekantytär aka Fairychamber is known for her passion and knowledge of Finnish mythology and folklore. Born in northern Finland, Niina grew up listening to these stories from a very young age.

Niina Niskanen

Oulu, Finland

With a great love for mythology and folklore, Niina is a known lecturer on mythology and stories. She is specialized in Finno-Baltic folklore, chanting, and storytelling which she likes to combine with mindfulness exercises and guided meditations. Niina offers an engaging and insightful exploration of tree stories within the rich tapestry of...

Les 1

Lessons From Birch And Spruce

Birch twigs were used as wands to cast protective spells over the cattle in Finland and Russia. These "wands" were used to guard cows, and the milk they produced was thought to be superior to birch sap. Some nations in Southern Europe also followed a similar tradition. In Finnish folklore and mythology, the spruce tree is connected to the moon and night and pines are trees of the sun and the day. Perhaps this has something to do with the Finnish word for the moon - kuu. The Finnish word for spruce, kuusi, is a proto-Finno Ugric word.

Les 2

Lessons From Apple And Larch

Apple tree is connected to the elements of earth and water. Apple tree is a feminine tree and connected to the planet Venus. Apple symbolizes fertlity, love, beauty, nature and wisdom and it is a sacred tree for multiple goddesses such as Aphrodite, Selene, Freija, Tawret, Saraswati and mother nature. Larch is a masculine tree, connected to the elements of fire and earth and to the planet Mercury. It is connected to the gods of wisdom and often to different ruler gods such as Ipmil, Odin, The Bear in Finnish mythology, Veles and Perun from Baltic countries, and Wotan the old Germanic god.

Les 3

Lessons From Linden And Pine

Linden is pretty easy to recognize from it's beautiful heart-shaped leaves. The tree blooms between July and August and it's flowers has a sweet scent. From all broad leaved trees in Finland, linden is most wide spread. It can grow also in much northern areas than many other broad leaved trees. Linden was a sacred tree for druids, slavs and different Germanic tribes. It grew many holy groves. A pine was a common merkkipuu - mark tree. When a person passed away a large piece of bark was removed, and person’s date of birth and date of death were carved into the tree. These trees worked like gravestones; they also reminded deceased people that they belonged to the world of the dead, not to the world of the living.

Les 4

Lessons From Lilac, Willow And Oak

Lilac is a feminine tree connected to the water element. It symbolizes peace and serenity. Scent of the lilac is believed to drive away malicent people, thieves, witches and tricksters. Many years ago, men who tricked ladies used to give them lilacs, so that they would not raise doubts. In England lilac is also known as ”fox's tail because of this very reason. Folk magicians and shamans made tea with willow bark. It was used to heal rheumatism and headaches, and to reduce fevers. Before the spread of Christianity, in Western Finland, there was a custom to collect willow branches in a bowl and the position of the branches was used to forecast the weather. Oak has been a sacred tree in many countries and cultures. Oak leaves have appeared in flags, coins and coats of arms. It was a sacred tree for many germanic and Celtic tribes. Oak symbolizes wisdom, stability, loyalty and inner peace.

Les 5

Christmas Tree And The Forest Blanket

The earliest tale of the forest blanket is a cautionary tale. Avoid becoming lost in the forest if you can, as fairies and elves will curse you and make it impossible for you to find your way back. Someone becomes sidetracked by something. Maybe they spot a wisp of willow and choose to follow it. They enter the magical world, where everything is turned around. 50 years may have elapsed by the time they find their way back to the human world. For the winter solstice, homes were decorated with evergreen branches. They were a promise of the returning spring. Germanic tribes cut down a tree to make a Yule log and the leftover pine cones and branches were used for decorating.

Recente Beoordelingen

4.9

Mattman

November 15, 2024

This course was so awesome! I loved learning about the mythology and insightful information on our beautiful forests and trees! 🌲🌲🤍🌲🌲 thank you so much, Niina! So inspirational! 🍁🤍🍁

Melissa

January 6, 2024

Trees are wonderful living entities to share our world with daily. Much gratitude for sharing the fabulous information you have in your graceful and peaceful voice!

Robin

October 27, 2023

So much information and learning on all these different treats it was amazing. I loved the folklore and learning more about cheese, both native to my own country but also in other places. Thank you for your wealth of information and for this course on Insight Timer brightest blessings

Anne

October 16, 2023

Very interesting course. Found the myths very informative. Will listen often

Niina Niskanen's Collection

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