Apple and Imagination
Malus domestica
Cutting an apple in half horizontally reveals a seed chamber in the shape of a five-pointed star, the symbol of many earth-based spiritual traditions. The five points represent the elements (earth, air, fire, water) and our place in the universe (spirit). Finding meaningful patterns in the shape of a seed chamber—or anywhere in the world—is an act of imagination. Apples have a strong correspondence with imagination.
Apples are often pictured as the forbidden fruit that Eve tasted in the Garden of Eden. The traditional story doesn’t end well for Eve and her companion. However, if we look at the story from Eve’s point of view, she imagined herself with knowledge and wisdom and took a calculated risk.
There are thousands of apple varieties with seemingly endless differences in taste and size. It’s fun to think that apples imagined themselves into these endless varieties. Apple trees do play a part, but it is more of a co-imagining with humans. Apple growers select the taste and other attributes they want in the fruit. Apple seeds embrace a kind of renegade imagination; the seeds don’t usually result in the same variation of apple they came from, and these seedlings are one way that growers discover new varieties.
My dad lovingly tended apple trees throughout my childhood, so apples have a special resonance for me. Each year we’d watch the transformation from bud to flower to tiny apple and then to fruit. From the time the buds appeared, I could envision eating fresh apples, apple pie, apple upside-down cake, and apple fritters even though harvest was months away.
Imagination is creating something in our minds that does not yet exist. Imagination always precedes form, even in the simplest of actions. When we harvest garden vegetables to create dinner or pick flowers to arrange a bouquet, we are imagining the final product. From our gardens to our neighborhoods to our world, everything exists first in imagination.
The world we live in was once part of ours or someone’s imagination. Stop and contemplate that for a moment. Imagination is what lets us ride the wave of moments into the future. It fuels problem-solving and creativity. Imagination allows us to picture hopeful futures and work to make positive changes in our world.
Morning Attunement Questions
• What connections do I have with apples and imagination?
• Where else in the green world or in my life do I observe imagination?
• What does this correspondence feel like?
• How can I describe the energetic attribute of imagination in words or pictures?
• Where does imagination resonate most strongly in or around my body or in my life?
Daily Integration Questions
• In what ways is the world reflecting apples or imagination back to me?
• What nuances and shades of meaning do I notice about apples and imagination?
Evening Reflection Questions
• Where and how did I experience apples or imagination today?
• How did I embrace imagination today?
• What wisdom does the apple’s correspondence of imagination bring to my life?