I will be the first to admit that I am prone to dramatics. I love to embellish a story, especially one that involves me doing anything even remotely “sporty.” And yet I am being totally honest when I say my hike on Mount Olympus was perhaps one of the most physically and emotionally demanding hikes I’ve done in the past ten years.

The Poplar is a fast-growing, deciduous tree in the Willow family found near freshwater rivers and streams. Sacred to Hades, as well as to Herakles and his father, Zeus, in relation to the hero’s success in an Underworld trial, the Poplar is said to grow at the entrance to the Realm of the Dead. Not only tied to death, the Poplar is also connected to many stories of metamorphosis and freshwater, particularly the nymph Leuke and the grieving Heliades. With ghostly bark — whether white or black or both — this liminal tree indicates the location of life-giving waters, while also appearing burnt or parched. Able to survive both flood and drought, the Poplar reminds us to seek the Source: to reach deep to the flow of groundwater that nourishes the root of being.

The Oak is a polymorphic evergreen or deciduous tree that produces acorns; four main species are found growing throughout Greece. Associated with Zeus, god of the sky and just rulership, the Oak is a steadfast ally in our search for wisdom and strength of conviction. One of the most important sites of the sacred Oak is the Oracle of Dodona, where pilgrims sought its wise counsel. The Oak is a formidable elder and can be called upon when we are unsure of — or are doubting — our values.

What stories do the ancient Greeks have to share with us about the power of flame? What Greek gods and myths have arisen from the ashes of their interaction with the element of Fire? And, of course, which plants, trees, and aspects of the Greek landscape are linked to those burning stories?

For the ancient Greeks, the Olive was a sacred symbol of divine blessing and wisdom associated particularly with the goddess Athena, as well as with Zeus and the patron of human culture, Aristaeus. In this podcast episode, we discuss the ancient uses of the Olive, as well as discuss the Olive as a teacher of perspective and a reminder of the ancestral gifts of awe, gratitude and humility.

Despite over 5,000 years under human cultivation, the Olea europaea remains wild-looking and ancient, with some trees surpassing 1,000 or 2,000 years of age.  Surviving fires, drought, and even a complete cutting back to the stump, the olive tree will just not give up. This is a formidable, primordial, and powerful tree, a teacher of perspective, and a reminder of the ancestral gifts of awe, gratitude and humility.  Associated with the goddess Athena as well as Zeus and the patron of human culture, Aristaeus, the Olive was a sacred symbol of divine blessing and wisdom.