Arbor Day or Earth Day is all about Trees. It celebrates the fact that they are the lungs of the world. Without them releasing oxygen there would be no life on Earth. On Earth day millions of trees are planted all around the globe to celebrate and honor this essential part of the cycle of life.
Many Heathens take time on Earth day to celebrate the tree that binds the nine worlds of Norse Mythology together. Celebrated in myth and song as as the greatest tree that ever grew means that taking time out to honor this embodiment of the link between the spiritual and the physical is entirely appropriate for Earth Day and every day.
Yggdrasil is the Tree of Life in Norse Mythology. A giant evergreen Ash tree with three roots. The first of these roots resides in Asgard, the home of the Gods. The second in Jotunheim, the land of the Giants, and the third lives in Nifheim, the origin place of the Cold Rivers. The branches of Yggdrasil bring together the nine worlds of Norse Mythology, rising up through the lands of the humans, the Giants and the Gods and tying the Universe together into one cohesive whole, the living bridge between all the worlds of existence.
Yggdrasil Day is a relatively new holiday in the Neo Pagan traditions. On April 22nd, Heathen Pagans will spend time honoring Yggdrasil and its role as the source of life. This effectively marries the secular Earth Day celebrations of tree planting with the spiritual honoring of the Tree that is the core of the Norse Myth.
Yggdrasil Day is a perfect time for everyone, no matter what their beliefs are, to pause and give back to nature. Taking time from our modern lives to recognize that we are dependent on each other and the world around us for our existence.
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