I AM
First Tree
Mother, Father, Creator
Supreme Being
Hunab Ku
Lord and Lady of the Duality

I AM 
Yaxche
The Spiky One
Protecting my vulnerable growth 
Through seven cycles,
Until full maturity is achieved

I AM
La Ceiba
Axis Mundi
230 feet tall,
with roots descending
Into the nine underworlds of Xibalba

I AM
The Green Tree
Stretching upwards to the 13 heavens
Yet, fiercely rooted
With a 4 buttressed base facing
East, West, North, South

I AM
Silk Cotton Tree
Gentle Spirit
Kapok
Spreading filaments of light
On which to rest your weary soul

I AM
The Tree of Life
Call my name
In times of great change
My presence
Opens the portals of vision

I AM
The Ancient One
I have been called
The Way, The Truth 
and the Light
No-one comes to the Heavens, but by me.

A young Ceiba tree is covered in spiky, conical thorns which are very prickly, making it nearly impossible for anyone to climb its trunk, and commanding respect during its vulnerable stages of growth. It takes a Ceiba tree approximately seven sacred years to mature its deep root system and to achieve a stage of growth in which to flower, at which point the tree will lose its thorns. A huge buttress base of the tree often displays four distinct areas linking this tree to the four cardinal directions.

Meso-American cultural folklore believes this tree is actually the Axis Mundi of the World. With branches reaching up into the 13 heavens where the Supreme Creator resides, and roots diving deep into the 9 levels of the underworlds. The huge trunk, which can reach up to 230 feet tall is believed to center & stabilize the entire Middle Earth; connecting to the heavens above and to the underworlds below, as well as connecting the south & north poles.

It is a well known fact that the entire cosmology of Mayan Deities and other spirits live in this tree, both benevolent and malevolent. In Trinidad and Tobago, this tree is called the Castle of the Devil as their God of Death is captured in the tree. Throughout the Caribbean, in many places, it is illegal to cut down a Ceiba tree due to the unshakeable knowledge that the spirits of the dead reside in the tree. Farmers and builders alike, who may chop down everything in their path, will work around the Ceiba tree, leaving it in its place to grow, lest they release the spirits and accrue the angst of the these beings which is said to bring death.

The Taino of the Caribbean held this majestic tree to be very sacred and would use the trunk to create hollowed out canoes in which to travel the waterways of their lands. In their legends, La Ceiba is female (versus the Spanish word for tree – el arbol) and the daughter of Yaya, the all-powerful goddess. ‘Canoe’ is in fact a Taino word, and this indigenous tribe of Puerto Rico built impressive dugout canoes that could carry over 100 people.

The unusually beautiful pink tinted, colored flower opens by night to be pollinated mostly by the bats. In the early morning, hoards of honeybees will arrive for the delectable nectar that the Ceiba so generously offers. Birds, bugs and a variety of insects & frogs will also thrive on this trees nectar. The five petalled flower will eventually become a large elliptical seed pod resembling an avocado. Eventually the seed will ‘burst open’ and cotton fibers will spring forth from the oval, nut-shaped pod which will spread far & wide, carrying a plethora of Ceiba seeds in its silky offering. Silk that can be used for pillows, parachutes, stuffed toys and other items requiring soft stuffing.

Ceiba has long played a critical role in the spiritual and economic lives of people of the Caribbean. Puerto Rico has the oldest standing Ceiba associated with the town of Ponce’s early settlement, about 500 years ago. After the destructive Hurricane Maria in 2017, the tree flowered offering the locals a symbol of hope that they could continue, that though life may get hard, if they but stand strong, they will survive.

“The trees will tell their secrets to those that tune in.”

– Steven Magee

I had a Ceiba dream recently…

I was on the island Caye Caulker, Belize in the Caribbean with a local family who owned beachfront property & a dive shop which was built at the end of their wood pier which stretched into the Caribbean Sea. They were panicked, sad, angry, and grief-stricken; the waters had risen and their pier was completely submerged, soon their land would be underwater too.  They were having to move hundreds of miles West, to the mainland of Belize, losing all they had worked their entire life to accumulate.  I walked around their property to the backside and I saw 3 huge Ceiba trees: massive, exemplar trees.  Gods! I was awestruck, I couldn’t even begin to imagine leaving these trees.  The trees let me know they would always protect those who honored them.  One of them morphed right before my eyes into an African Baobab Tree.

I went back to the family to show them the treasure of the land. When they came back with me to see what I had seen, the trees were gone, and in its place, rising waters.

I was so confused.  The family got mad at me for offering false hope and fled.  As soon as they were gone, I could see the trees again.  As if we were all in different dimensions entirely.

This was the dream I had after orally ingesting the flower essence of Yaxche after only one day. I set out to take the flower essence for one full moon cycle and this is what the flower of the Ceiba Tree continued to reveal:

Ya’axche Flower Essence:

For anyone who is struggling with ‘belonging’ on the Earth, this essence communicates with all World Tress and can help you find your true place. For those who easily disassociate from their body, this essence will assist you to remain grounded and safe in your body. It can be used for those who are depressed, sad or hopeless due to trauma or hardships experienced in life. For those who are lifeless, listless or without joy, this essence brings the much needed Elixir, the honey of life, to awaken the spirit.

For spiritual seekers, this flower essence can facilitate growth on the path by connecting you with your lineage teachers, vision and other important information needed to grow. For shamans and those who travel the dimensions, this essence opens the portals and gateways to the Otherworlds, while offering the much needed protection to journey.

Further uses:

• *protection in times of adversity when one may feel fearful or unsafe
• *light, for the dark times
• *strength, to survive
• *hope, when life is hard
• *deep sustenance, akin to life renewing honey, for a sad soul
• *deep comfort, like a silky cotton pillow, for a tired soul
• *embodiment, for those not grounded on the Earth
• *shamanic travel, for healers ready to journey
• *connection to one’s ancestors or teachers of a lineage
• *visionary, for those seeking a Vision Quest

My dream continued…

I was partaking in a spiritual healing class being led by my teacher’s current apprentice Eva Sengfelder at Iris Arco Finca in the Valley of Peace, Belize, Central America. Two men were assisting her, both had red eyes (in Mexhica dream trainings, this is a sign that an ancestor (or important person) is visiting you). My teacher, Dr. Rosita Arvigo, surprisingly came up behind me and whispered in my ear that she was really enjoying the Baobab Tree essence that I had previously gifted her.

Wado. Aho. Omeoteotl.

Denai Grace Seacombe-Fuller, Cihuatochtli, is a Mama of five, Tarot Guide, Acolyte of IxChel, spiritual healer, flower essence practitioner, flower alchemist and student of Nahualism.

She can be found at http://www.moonflowermedicine.love

Belizean Ceiba Flower Essence, 1 ounce bottle is available for $18+ ship

(contact me for order at hello@moonflowermedicine.org)

If you’d like to explore ingesting another Tree of Life, consider this essence as well:

Baobab Flower Essence is available with https://africantreeessences.co.za