Trees in Cemeteries, Part 2

Trees and a headstone in River View Cemetery.

Last time, we talked about trees’ associations with funerals and symbolism for being planted in graveyards. Now, I want to get more complicated and talk about how the tree’s spirits can relate to death work.

Most of us know that ‘tree spirits’ exist in several cultures. Here are just a few:

• Dryads, shy tree spirits in Greek mythology
• Nang Mai, ghosts in Thailand that haunt the local trees (most notable being Nang Ta-khian) 
• Anito spirits, more specifically diwata (non-human), spirits inhabiting trees and other aspects of nature in Filipino folklore
• Kodoma are kind spirits who inhabit trees in Japanese mythology
• Penghou, dog/pig hybrid tree spirits in Chinese mythology

This said, most cultures are not as simple as ‘trees = specific spirit’ in this manner. Many cultures had different spirits inhabiting different kinds of trees. Some folklore describes other spirits inhabiting trees, even spirits of the dead. With all these varying accounts, how do we approach trees in cemeteries?

Based on my research, I have found that tree spirits can relate to the dead or afterlife in one of four specific ways:

1. The trees inhabit the afterlife. According to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, sycamores grew in a soul’s blissful afterlife. In Greek mythology, asphodel grew in the underworld, although the Romans asserted it was cypress instead. 
2. The trees link the souls to the afterlife, or help them travel there. The most popular example of this is the Norse tree Yggdrasil, which branches into the heavens and roots into the underworld. (Some sources say this tree is the ash, though this cannot be confirmed.) The Maya believed that celiba trees were direct portals into the afterlife. 
3. The trees contain souls of the dead, either to send them to the afterlife or simply as an afterlife. This can overlap with #2 depending on the folklore. In Celtic mythology, for example, elm trees contain spirits that guard graves and help souls travel to the afterlife. Lithuanian and Latvian folklore has accounts listing trees said to contain souls of the dead. These are either oak, apple or birch, depending on the source. 
4. The trees originate from chthonic spirits. This one is less common, and but still a possibility. The best example I can give is that when Kerberus was brought up to the earth by Heracles, his spittle is said to give birth to the Aconite. Trees directly resulting from death, as listed in Part 1, can be placed in this category and in #3.

Looking through this information, it’s clear that trees in cemeteries should not be overlooked in spirit work. The spirit within the tree can guard the dead, contain the dead, or link the dead to the afterlife, depending on the tree and its role in the cemetery. 

This also broadens the use for tree bark and leaves as tools in death work. An amulet made of elm, for example, can help the magician cross over into the afterlife. Asphodel can be given as an offering to the dead, or an aid to communicate with them. 

To work with a tree spirit inside a cemetery, you may approach it similarly to how one approaches a grave: give offerings, connect to its energy, and listen. The tree may give you information about the cemetery, or aid you in your magic. I had one tree guard my tools when I accidentally left them near there, and there were still there when I returned. That actually sparked my interest in working with trees in cemeteries. 

~ Offerings for Trees in Cemeteries ~

You may use similar offerings as those for the dead, or ones catered towards tree spirits.

• coins
• berries
• fresh water
• ground eggshells (good for the soil)
• coffee grounds
• herbs such as sage, lavender, and mugwort
• breads or cakes
• singing or other music

To Work with the Tree:

• meditate beneath the tree
• connect with the tree’s energy
• speak to the tree, and listen
• as with graveyard dirt, do not take any piece of the tree without permission

Although working with tree spirits inside a cemetery isn’t necessary to death witchcraft, it can certainly enhance your relationship to the dead and to that specific cemetery. I hope you got some great ideas from this.