Trees and Plants – Symbols of Growth, Wisdom & Connection

by | Aug 16, 2025 | Divination

Nature’s language woven through the cards

Sometimes, the most powerful symbols in a reading aren’t the figures or actions — they’re the background.
The roots, the vines, the blossoms clutched in a hand.
The ancient oak. The falling leaf. The lone rose. 🌿🌳🌺

In divination, trees and plants are everywhere — and for good reason. They are more than visual elements; they are archetypes of growth, healing, and sacred relationship with the Earth.

Whether they appear on a card, in your ritual space, or through intuitive imagery, plants carry messages that speak to the soul in a quiet, rooted way.

🌳 Trees – Strength, Lineage & Deep Wisdom

Trees are pillars between the worlds — their roots in the earth, their branches reaching skyward. When a tree appears in a reading, it may symbolise:

  • Strength and endurance over time

  • Ancestral wisdom or family legacy

  • A connection between the seen and unseen

Specific trees carry unique meanings:

  • Oak – Stability, power, ancient strength

  • Birch – New beginnings, purification

  • Yew – Death and rebirth, spiritual guardianship

  • Willow – Emotional depth, flexibility, intuition

  • Ash – Protection, connection between realms (think Yggdrasil)

Ask: What roots am I tending? What legacy am I growing?

🌸 Flowers – Beauty, Transience & Emotional Messages

Flowers are symbols of the heart’s language — beauty, vulnerability, and the sacredness of timing. They bloom, they fade, they return.

In divination, flowers may represent:

  • Emotional expression or relationship dynamics

  • The delicate nature of something new or healing

  • A message from spirit, the heart, or the divine feminine

Symbolic meanings vary by type:

  • Rose – Love, devotion, passion or grief (depending on colour)

  • Lily – Purity, peace, the otherworld

  • Sunflower – Joy, hope, vitality

  • Poppy – Dreaming, remembrance, release

  • Daisy – Simplicity, innocence, truth

Ask: What is blooming in me — and am I willing to honour its pace?

🌿 Herbs & Plants – Healing, Magick & Everyday Wisdom

Herbs carry centuries of spiritual and medicinal symbolism — and when they appear in divination, they often speak to what’s needed to restore balance or empower action.

Some examples:

  • Lavender – Calm, clarity, rest

  • Mugwort – Intuition, dreamwork, the liminal

  • Basil – Prosperity, protection

  • Rosemary – Memory, cleansing, honouring ancestors

  • Mint – Fresh perspective, movement, breath

These may show up as literal plant imagery, be mentioned in a card name, or even come to mind intuitively. Trust that.

Ask: What medicine is being offered here?

Green Language in Your Readings

Plants teach in cycles. They offer subtle, grounded insight.
They remind us that growth takes time, that beauty is sacred, and that healing often begins in stillness.

Next time you notice a tree, flower, or herb in your reading, ask:

  • What is this plant symbolising for me right now?

  • Am I in a season of rooting, blooming, or shedding?

  • What can I learn from how nature moves — slowly, gently, with purpose?

Because plants don’t shout their wisdom.
They simply grow — and invite you to do the same.

With deep roots and an open heart,
Sarah x