Although the lithe and stately linden (Tilia) is frequently called a “lime,” she is in no way related to the citrus fruit. A rare balance of masculine and feminine energies, she is a most wise, mystical, and potentially long-lived tree (some trees and coppices are believed to have lived for one to two thousand years).
Magical Uses
Heart Healing
With her broad, heart-shaped leaves and abundant shade, the linden powerfully soothes grief and broken hearts, shifting and healing old pain at the vibrational level. Attractive to large numbers of bees, linden flowers produce honey, and the linden is therefore associated with sweetness, love, and divine healing. Interestingly, linden’s heart-healing action works on the physical level too, as linden flower tea is believed to be beneficial to the heart and blood pressure. To help speed the healing of grief or a broken heart, spend time with a linden tree or drink linden flower tea daily until the worst has passed.
Protection
Traditionally aligned with the Divine Feminine, the linden has been magically employed to invoke the protection of the Goddess. In Germany, the goddesses Freya and Frigga are both associated with the linden, and shrines to Mother Mary are found near lindens in Bulgaria.
For this purpose, visit a linden tree, light a white candle, invoke the Great Goddess in any form you like, and inwardly request the protection you seek. Then feel yourself receiving an infusion of fiercely loving, protective energy.
Place a linden branch over your front door to protect the home (after lovingly gathering it, of course).
Sleep
Combined with dried lavender and a little passionflower, dried linden flowers make perfect stuffing for an eye pillow to promote deep and restful sleep. Additionally, linden flowers mixed with chamomile make an excellent bedtime tea.
Stress Relief
With her neutralizing combination of masculine and feminine energy and her profoundly cooling vibration, the linden is an accomplished magical stress-reliever. Her name originates from a root meaning “flexible” and “yielding,” and she can support us as we learn to surrender and move with the flow of things, rather than attempt to fight against the present moment. For stress relief, try spending time with a linden tree, drinking linden flower tea, or taking the flower essence.
Magical Correspondences
Element: Water
Gender: Masculine/feminine balance
Planet: Uranus