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Silver Fir (Abies alba)
The firs have much softer, leathery foliage than the spiky spruces. The silver fir has a smooth light grey-green, neatly cracked bark heavy with resin from which turpentine is made. When given space to grow, the lowest branches can swing upwards to grow parallel to the main trunk.
Silver fir is the prominent native forest tree of the Central European mountains and it is the largest fir except for those growing in the American Rockies. The earliest planting in Britain was in 1603 and it became a significant forestry tree, only being replaced when American species with faster and hardier growth were introduced in the 19th century. The American silver firs – the grand fir and the noble fir – have largely replaced the European silver fir as a timber tree.
Silver fir can be recognised by the light coloured clean trunk and quite bright green clumps of foliage. The female flowers, green upright spikes, only grow near the tops of trees and become large, erect elongated cones that cluster together in dense rows.
The Essence:
Keywords: “Enthroned”; empowering; going with the flow; transformation; open crown; brightness; flow of healing and creativity.
With this tree comes the energy to empower and manifest one’s desires with wisdom and skill. It is in essence, deeply protective because it gives practical expression to the individual’s true nature. Going in harmony with one’s inherent abilities and skills automatically ensures greater safety and success.
The Liver meridian is strengthened by this ability to follow the natural flow of energy, accepting the circumstances that arise in life and making changes to accommodate wherever necessary. This ensures that a positive attitude and cheerfulness are easily maintained, which allows for the maximum growth and transformation within the individual life.
Of the chakras, the crown is most activated by this essence. The effect is to firmly root and establish the individual into their universal context. The crown is counted as the seventh chakra, though in fact it functions more as a hologram for the complete human system, including within itself as it does every level and every function of the six body-based chakra centres, the subtle bodies and all other physical and subtle systems of the body.
As the root chakra at the base of the spine links us into the Earth’s greater energy body, so the crown chakra above the top of the head links us into the universal energy web. Between these two links our energy flows as if within the wires of an electric cable. Where one link is damaged the current of life-force is drastically reduced or stops altogether. When the crown chakra is not correctly related to the body it is as if a large shadow overhangs the person, cutting off nutrition from above. Isolation, alienation, dread and confusion are some of the main symptoms of this. Silver fir ensures that the crown is working in harmony with the body and that the personal awareness has maximum access possible to the seamlessness of the universe and to all of its sentient parts. Balance and security, wisdom and love, are the natural experience within this state.
With silver fir there is an increase in optimism and positive action. Impetus is given to those activities that bring personal happiness and contentment. Emphasis is given to doing things, to practical solutions and to dynamic expressions of joy in living.
At its very finest level silver fir enables creative visions to be rooted in practical reality. There is a better ability to achieve personal potential – largely through an increasing fascination in watching the ways that creativity unfolds within the mind and then moves out into the world.
This interest in the pathways of manifestation, in how energy moves, grows and changes, also teaches us the skills to maintain the balance within ourselves, allowing us to heal and protect our energy integrity and to work with the healing potential within other people too.
Signature:
The energy Silver fir brings to the crown chakra is reflected by the prevalence of cones at the very top of the tree.