The Wise Old Man and The Spruce

Spruce - Picea abies

The masculine has many forms, some pleasant, some strange. Let us imagine a man who not only had but understood the experiences of childhood and adult life. Someone who is no longer interested in proving his manhood, because he already has, it was at a different time, and it made him strong. Now he steps back a little and accompanies the younger ones helpfully and protectively on their way.

The Dagara, a people of West Africa, like to leave the upbringing of their children to the grandparents for a special reason: the proximity in time to birth as well as the proximity in time to death mean that both the children’s and the grandparents‘ generation are closer than the parents‘ or adults‘ generation to the beyond, where they meet between incarnations. It is said that children still carry knowledge from the beyond before they forget it, while the elderly already have a premonition. In this way, grandparents and grandchildren can additionally communicate with each other in a special way.

Spruce essence is the link between sunflower and the children’s flowers. It combines male strength with childlike innocence.

The spruce symbolises the patient grandpa who kindly, indulgently and humorously keeps an eye on the grandchild without noticeably restricting their freedom. He can still remember some of the mischief he himself got into as a child. He remembers how annoying his parents were back then, but he also knows that he survived it, everyone got along again and in retrospect perhaps not everything was as bad as they thought back then.

Spruce essence gives you the feeling of having come to rest, of having found peace and serenity in life. It lets you enjoy life, the sensual pleasures from close up, the annoying aspects from a certain distance.

Spruce corresponds to the wise old man of fairy tales, legends and stories. You go to him for advice, you confide in him.

You can give it to children who you would like to feel as if they were in the care of their grandfather on their way to school. It can be given to adults before an exam, when they are to face the challenge and want to be supported by the feeling of knowing someone wise firmly at their side. You can also give it to old people who still get worked up so easily and boss around their children, who have long since grown up, what to do. And you can also take it yourself if you never knew a grandfather and want to add this emotional experience to your biography. Spruce lets you mature internally.

Wisdom, kindness, humor, warmth and serenity - this is how you could briefly summarize the properties of this essence.