The Tree of Life and the Placenta: Sacred symbolism in birth

Beautiful placenta art using natural food safe dyes on acid-free paper, shared with permission from Mamaseuse.

The placenta is often called a tree of life due to its network of branching blood vessels that are arranged in a tree-like structure promoting the efficient exchange of nutrients and waste between the mother and baby. It is known in medical terms as the villous tree, with fetal blood vessels within the villi, which are surrounded by maternal blood.

This ensures that fetal and maternal blood circulations remain separate, with the exchange happening across a layer of specialized placental cells. The placenta is an organ that develops during pregnancy and attaches to the womb's lining and connects to the baby through the umbilical cord (which acts like a trunk of a tree). This vital organ sustains the baby's life. Blood from the mother flows through the placenta, providing oxygen and nutrients to the baby via the umbilical cord. After the baby is born, the placenta detaches. It can also be referred to as a birth tree.

For the most part in western medical practices, the placenta is discarded as a piece of waste following birth. Yet many cultures around the world have long held spiritual and other beliefs related to the sacred potency of this beautiful life giving organ.

In Maori culture, the placenta, or whenua, holds great significance and is not disposed of as medical waste. Traditionally, it is buried on ancestral land to strengthen the connection between the newborn and the land, symbolizing both a spiritual and physical link. This practice, referred to as whakapapa ki te whenua.

ensures that the child's sense of belonging and identity is deeply tied to the land.

Ritual burial of the placenta has become increasingly popular in other cultures and areas of the world too in recent years. For more information on post natal uses and rituals linked to the placenta, see further down.

What is the tree of life?

The Tree of Life as a spiritual symbol occurs as a motif in various mythologies for example the mighty 'Yggdrasil' in Norse tradition. This 'world' tree connects the nine worlds of the Norse mythological landscape including the realms of the Gods and humans. It symbolises the interconnectedness of life, death and rebirth.

Diagram/interpretation of Yggdrasil and the nine realms of Norse mythology. From 'The Secret Teachings of All Ages', by Manley Hall, 1928.

It also unifies the earthly with the sacred, as an integrated whole. It can be seen as a source of spiritual nourishment, offering stronger connections to the divine. (Placentas can be seen as a source of nourishment by many for the post partum mother).

Trees are deeply rooted in our psyches as symbols of life, hope and resilience. In terms of one's family tree, the roots can be seen as the ancestors, the trunk linked to those who are still living and the branches are the future generations of the family. Trees offer a space to feel part of a greater whole, a larger spiritual ecosystem of sorts. They can help us to feel more connected to Nature and to the landscape's stories.

A depiction of the Crann Bethadh or Celtic tree of life from Gaelic Irish mythology. Courtesy of Vern Tonkin.

For so many mothers and their families, feeling a spiritual connection with the placenta as a representation of the universal tree of life can support this important sense of belonging to the land, to the earth. It can provide a way to respect the sacred part of growing a baby too.

In terms of what happens to the placenta, you can choose to keep it and use it in a meaningful way - in art, burial or encapsulation for example.

The latter is the process of dehydrating the placenta (there are a number of people and businesses that offer this service now in the UK including doulas and birth keepers). The dehydrated placenta is ground up and put into capsules or tablets for consumption. Many people believe it has potent and nourishing qualities that help to support mothers during the post partum period including reducing the risk of post natal depression. (It seems the medical and scientific communities do not necessarily back this as they claim there is not enough evidence to support taking placenta capsules). *It is always best to seek advice and guidance before deciding what is best for you.

Many mothers (and often their families) will choose to eat the placenta raw or cooked instead of encapsulation. This is such an interesting topic that perhaps we could cover it in more depth in a separate blog post?

Would you like to share any experiences connected to this topic? We would love to hear from you.

Placenta tree art - shared with permission from Mamaseuse