Freethought Nation

I compiled a gallery of artwork of the "Christ + tree" -type and a couple of related works (click the Files-text to bring up a list of the pics).
Man, it was hard to find an image host that was adequate and didn't mangle the file names completely.. although now I noticed Minus apparently changes parentheses to html code when you download the image.. but I can live with that

In spite of how late they are, I was very intrigued by the one that has Jesus turning into the tree, with the bird's nests, and the one with the dude having a tree growing from his phallus. Talk about having a woody.

BTW, I don't know if you realize you slipped one in there that is actually Dionysus, not Jesus.

Yes, Dionysus is covered by my saying "a couple of related works".. I was just too exhausted to give a lengthier description here. The file names are preserved and they contain the sources when possible. The Dionysus vase is from Gandy & Freke's book. I wanted to make a "total compilation" so I can show it to any Christ-tree newbies.
Btw., the phallic dude is Adam from an alchemical manuscript. Compare with Adam in the pic with the mini-Christ hanging crucified as a fruit in The Tree of Paradise. The alchemical version is more explicit, but it's obviously the exact same tree phallus motif!

Veddy interestink!

Reminds me of the cruciform gods thread. Noteworthy, of course, is the inclination towards making Christ into a typical nature god as flourished throughout Europe, such as Esus the Woodcarver or the Green Man.



The depictions are also reminiscent of Odin hanging on the Yggdrasil tree, obviously.



At his feet are the three "Norns," like the three Marys of Christianity.



It is likely the artists or their commissioners were aware that Christ is depicted in Acts (5:30, 10:39, 13:29) as having been hung "on a tree."

In the following image, Christ is placed within a mandorla or vesica piscis, which in reality represents the yoni or female genitalia:

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Why suffer from Egyptoparallelophobia, when you can read Christ in Egypt? Try it - you'll like it:

Yes, the mandorla sure is a regular hangout for Christ. One of the most beautiful stand-alone mandorlas is the "Yoniverse" by Hildegard von Bingen.
Btw., do you have a thread about the sexuality of Christ's side-wound? I might create one in the future after digging out enough data.

I personally don't have any writing on that (gross!) subject, but I'd bet Barbara Walker has discussed it somewhere.

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Why suffer from Egyptoparallelophobia, when you can read Christ in Egypt? Try it - you'll like it:

A little update. Link jumps straight to the new pics.
I guess I forgot to explain what all this tree business brings to my mind, so I'll write a quick summary. In the art I see an equation of the Fruit of the Tree with the flesh of Christ. Even in the mainstream sacrament we have a psychoactive substance, wine. Entheogens, however, are generally better suited to open people's eyes à la the Genesis story. So this paradisiacal, fruitarian mysticism smells like another example of esoteric psychedelia expressed through art.

Found some nice articles while looking for image sources and got more images as a bonus:

Tree of Life as Cross (a presentation in Hungarian).

Trees Of Love, Trees Of Knowledge: Toward The Definition Of A Cross-Confessional Current In Late Medieval Iberian Spirituality By Cynthia Robinson. Cornell University

I make rosepetal beads as a craft and have since 2005. I've used them to make necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. I had read that the original rosaries were made from these.

Late last summer, my boss lost his 13 year old daughter in an ATV accident and this has been so hard on him and all of us who work for him. Her birthday is coming up, so I decided I would make a rosary with some of my beads for him in rembrance of her birthday, since he is Catholic.

I found a company that sells kits to make rosaries and couldn't resist these, they are so obviously pagan. I ordered them just a few days ago, then happened to see this thread tonight. The other rosary parts that this company sells are traditional and I will use a traditional crucifix for his rosary. I had to have these just to have them!

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I am the Wind that blows over the Sea;
I am the Wave of the Deep;
I am the Bull of the Seven Battles;
I am the Eagle upon the rock;
I am a Tear of the Sun;

Thanks Pranique, interesting theme. I am interested in the astrotheology of the tree of life as a cosmic cross - This diagram of the Zodiac and Milky Way helps to illustrate how the 'four living creatures' form a cross in the sky as the origin of the idea of the tree of life.

Here is Adonis growing from a tree, one of the 'dying and rising saviors'. The source for this image is an excellent article http://www.metahistory.org/dynamyth/TreeNymphs1.php


Another theme worth exploring is Osiris and the Djed as archetype for Jesus on the Tree of Life.