We have several apple trees on our land. There is one very large tree beneath which we sit wh
en we have our classes. When I first moved here to this land, I would go out under this tree and my hair would often get caught in the limbs hanging down. The apple was begging me to pay attention to her. I started listening and the tree taught me about self love. Many people have come to our land for classes and individual mentoring and stood under the apple tree and listened to her teachings. She is a beloved part of our family and community here at our farm.
The Breath of Apple, Shamanic Exercise
- Do this exercise with at least three apple trees. If you just have one apple tree do this exercises three times with at least one hour in between.
- Allow your intuition to guide you to choose which apple tree to begin with.
- Sit or stand very near this apple tree.
- Begin to notice your breath, breathing in and out 3 times.
- Now, allow yourself to imagine that when you breathe in you are breathing in the oxygen created by this apple tree.
And when you breathe out, offer your breathe, carbon dioxide to this apple tree. - Breathe in and out with this tree for 7 breaths
Listen…and ask the tree, “What have you for me?”…Listen
Take note - When you feel this is complete give thanks to the tree.
- Do this same exercise with each apple tree you choose.
Embody Apple Tree ~ Shamanic Exercise
- The way that trees offer their teaching is to allow us to embody them.
- Stand near the apple tree that you have chosen.
- Breathe with the tree allowing the breath of the tree to fill your lungs. Breathe 7 breaths like this.
- Imagine that your feet are becoming the roots of an apple tree, growing deep into the earth.
- Your legs, your spine, your torso are shape shifting into the apple tree trunk.
- Your arms reach out to become branches.
- Your head, the top of the tree.
- Imagine your branches filled with large, juicy, ripe apples.
- Now breathe in carbon dioxide, breathe out oxygen as apple tree. 7 times.
- Ask, “What gift lies within?”
- When your receiving is complete, offer gratitude.
- Notice now you are beginning to breath oxygen again. And allow yourself to turn completely into a human again. When you are completely you again, open your eyes.
- Offer gratitude when complete.
Apple’s Initiation ~ Persephone’s Teaching
Allow yourself to enter the story and receive Persephone’s gifts.
I Offer Persephone an Apple
I have learned quite a bit from standing under our Gravenstein Apple Tree. She is a stately home for many birds and insects. She wears garlands of pink blossoms in spring and in Autumn her fruit offers deep nourishment.
Apple is the guardian of the gateway to the underworld, her fruit an offering to the Dark Goddess. We take our first step into the underworld at Autumn Equinox. We are now on the inward journey to our source and center. What will we cast off? What belongings are too heavy to carry on this journey? What will we bring along? What strengths and gifts will nurture this dark journey? And who will be our helpers?
I used to have a difficult time in fall. I carried a great deal of emotional baggage. I felt sorrow for myself as the season’s turned toward the dark. That is when I discovered Persephone. This dark maiden has helped me navigate the inner realms, teaching me how to feel deeply so that I don’t need to carry so much on my back.
I offer Persephone an apple. She in turn offers me a necklace.
Persephone tells me that this necklace will help me find my inner treasures. Each time I encounter a difficulty, return and connect to the necklace of jewels and see this hardship as a treasured gift. As I walk the inner spiral, I encounter many beings. Persephone teaches me that they are here for me for a reason. She says, imagine a mirror held up as you encounter each being. Look into the mirror and ask, “Who am I?”
The gift of apple is an initiation. When we acknowledge and embody the act of nourishing ourselves, we can fully incorporate its gifts. Apple increases the vibration of the inner realms. She stimulates our cells into vibrant aliveness. Connecting, listening, harvesting, crafting and eating apple will set these vibrations in motion so that you may fully experience this journey through the inner realms.
Apple Moon ~ Sweetness and Self Love Shamanic Exercise
- Look on your calender for the next full moon.
- Go outside and stand under your apple tree as the full moon is rising.
- Notice the apple and also notice that within the light of the full moon, the apples are glowing. They are golden orbs of light. Allow this to be, don’t force the image, you will see it if you allow it.
- As you perceive this golden light, allow it to take you inward, to a place of sweetness where there is only love.
- Breathe this in and allow it to fill you.
- Follow the pathway out again until you are under your apple tree with eyes open.
- Offer gratitude to the apple and the full moon for this gift.
- Now, craft your favorite apple dish or herbal preparation. Apple sauce, apple pie etc. or herbs infused in organic apple cider vinegar.
- Place this under the apple tree. (You will probably want to have some kind of protection from critters if you made a sweet apple dish) ☺️
- Let this sit under the apple tree in the full moon light all night long.
- The next day, take in the sweetness of love, eat your apple dish or if you made an herbal vinegar, you can p
our just a bit in a glas of water and drink. - Give thanks again for the moon, apple tree, and the sweetness of love that is always within you.
To make a nourishing herbal vinegar with organic apple cider vinegar, gather herbs from you garden that call to you, dandelion root, mint, lavender (you can make wonderful lavender vinegar from the spent blossoms), lemon balm, red clover, wild rose hips etc. Ask permission of the plants before harvesting, say thank you after harvesting. Cut these herbs up and put them in a small jar ( leave wild rose hips whole). Pour organic apple cider vinegar over this to the top. Put a cap on this and label with name and date. You can partake of a bit of this after the full moon infusion. And let the rest of this sit for at least six weeks and strain. Give thanks again.
Enjoy!
May you love yourself. May this love support a beautiful world.
May it be in Beauty.
Peace and Abundant Green Blessings, Julie
