Levensboom (tree of life)

This is a beautiful Iroquois Steatite Stone Symbol featuring the tree of life, or the tree of peace. Native people lived in spiritual harmony with the natural world. They believed everything possessed a soul or spirit and that they were given a special purpose by the Great Spirit. It is said that at the beginning of time, the tree of life grew up from the back of Mother Earth the turtle. The roots of his great tree grew around her shell. From that time forward, this tree has lived within us all, and its’ roots spread in many directions, always providing a path for us, and others, to follow. The concept of the tree of life is central to the Iroquois. They believed that all things were connected and that in our “connectedness” we find great strenght and peace. This tree resides within us all and under these boughs, others may find shelter. The words for “Life” and “Peace” were the same, indicating that one encourages the other-they are key to each other.