The Flowering Tree

When I ascended into the heavens I saw the holy sons of God moving in flames of fire, wearing white clothes, whose countenances shone like snow. 

the brother of Moses, was chosen to be the first High Priest because his staff of almond wood miraculously flowered when left overnight in the tabernacle. Those of the other candidates remained dormant. Aaron was anointed and arrayed in the high-priestly robes of glory (representing the inner vehicles of the Upper Worlds) and he 

1 Ethiopian Book of Enoch, in Z ev ben Shimon Halevi, Kabbalah The Divine Plan (San Francisco HarperSanFrancisco, 1996), p. 15. 

In the system of theurgy known as The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, practitioners are directed to fashion a rod or wand from almond wood. The purpose of the Abramelin system is to achieve knowledge and conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel in other words, to enter into conscious union with the Higher Self. 

Because the Stone is also the opened third eye, we are taught If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light (Matthew 6 22). Tibetan sacred art depicts tantric deities as having an open third eye upon the forehead. Again, The Eye of YHVH is upon them who hold Him in awe. And, in Isaiah 53 8, Thy watchman shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see 

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In West Hollywood, the Flowering Tree (8253 Santa Monica Blvd., o 323-654-4332) natural foods cafe serves a small selection of veggie burgers, soups and salads. In a seedy part of North Hollywood, Leonor s Mexican Food (11403 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, s 818-980-9011) may be the only vegan Mexican hole-in-the-wall on the planet. Beans and more beans are the theme. 

Sandalwood Oil, East Indian. The use of sandalwood oil for its perfumery value is ancient, probably extending back some 4000 years. Oil from the powdered wood and roots of the tree Santalum album L. is produced primarily in India, under government control. Good quaUty oil is a pale yellow to yellow viscous Hquid characterized by an extremely soft, sweet—woody, almost ariimal—balsarnic odor. The extreme tenacity of the aroma makes it an ideal blender—fixative for woody-Oriental—floral fragrance bases. It also finds extensive use for the codistillation of other essential oils, such as rose, especially in India. There the so-called attars are made with sandalwood oil distilled over the flowers or by distillation of these flowers into sandalwood oil. The principal constituents of sandalwood oil are shown in Table 11 (37) and Figure 2. 

The coffee plant is a relatively small tree or shmb belonging to the family Rubiaceae. It is often controlled to a height of 3 to 5 meters. Coffea arabica (milds) accounts for 69% of world production Coffea canephora (robustas), 30% and Coffea liberica and others, 1%. Each of these species includes several varieties. After the spring rains the plant produces white flowers. About sis months later the flowers are replaced by fmit approximately the size of a small cherry, hence they are called cherry. The fmit on a tree can include underripe, ripe (red, yellow, and purple color), and overripe cherries. It can be selectively picked (ripe only) or strip picked (predominantly ripe plus some underripe and overripe). 

The authot has Ptamined an oil distilled (com the flowers of ihe IialiaD lime tree, and foDiid ir to have the [ollowiug charaoLccs —... 

The perfume of the flowers of the Philippine Champaca is stronger aud sweeter than that of the Singapore, Penang, Colombo, and Pera-deniya flowers. It wonld appear that it is the same with this tree as with the ylang, which doiss uot yield tbe same essential oil in Java, Ibc Straits, or Ceyloo, as in Ibe Philippines. ... 

The flowers suooeed each oilier on the tree oontinuoiisly, so that it is possihlc, so lo speak, to pluck them all the year round. But it is during the winter season that they are parliculiirlv pleniilul, ihal is from Nov-ember to March m the tropical countries of Die Bouihem hemisphere. 

The cacao tree is a "cauliflorous" plant in that the flowers grow on the old wood of the trunk and main branches. Trees may produce 10,000 or more flowers in a year however, only 10 to 50 eventually develop into ripe pods 4 to 6 months later. Two standard crops are harvested each year although fruits in various stages of development may be continually on the tree. Cacao trees begin to bear significant amounts of fruit when they are 4 to 8 years old, and continue to do so for 50 years or more. 

Hans Christian Anderson wrote a delightful story entitled, "Elder Tree Mother." In this story a young boy is told a tale about an elder tree in a teapot. Through the elder tree the boy visits the future and the past. The boy is not sure what part of the story has been real and what part a dream. When the story is over, the boy exclaims to his mother, "How beautiful it was Mother, I have been to warm countries." She replies, "I can quite believe it. When anyone drinks two full cups of elder flower tea, he may well get into warm countries."... 

ILLUSTRATION 4 Red ruffed lemurs depend on traveler s tree nectar as an important food source and drink it without destroying the flowers. 

Spring beauty Apple, pear, and plum trees and their ornamental relatives In the genera Malus, Pyrus, and Prunus are some of the first trees to blossom In spring, usually flowering In profusion. This provides a welcome treat not only for the gardener, but also for hungry flying Insects such as bees that have ventured out early In the year. 

Flowers must be pollinated for fruit to form (see alsop.290). Some apples are "self-fertile"— pollination is achieved by bees flying from flower to flower on the same tree. Others cannot set a crop on their own and need to be planted within bee-flying distance of another cultivar that is both compatible and in flower at the same time. Your neighbors yard is usually close enough. A crab apple can also make an effective pollinator. 

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