If you have made it this far, you may well be wondering “Why The Willow Tree?”
When trying to think of a business name, I struggled to find something I connected with. My name is fairly long, can be a bit of a mouthful and I didn’t feel comfortable using it, quite simply. I played with a few ideas, but wanted to choose something personal to me and also wanted to incorporate something related to my daughter as she is entirely the reason I have chosen this career route.
The shorter story is… Willow Tree is the name of the paint colour we used in her bedroom! It’s a lovely green, which is my favourite colour, it’s calming and was also the source of a joke regarding a baby predictions game at my baby shower, courtesy of my husband.
Looking into Willow Trees a bit more, the symbolism floored me and it just had to be used.
When looking for the symbolism for the Willow Tree, it can all relate back to pregnancy, birth and the postnatal figure, including fertility, new life, rebirth, female rites of passage and healing. Legends suggest that witches’ brooms were traditionally made from willow branches, which I also love!
On the surface, above the ground, Willow Trees look delicate and gentle. Almost fragile. Pregnant women are often treated as such, with people seeing pregnancy as a vulnerability and women who are pregnant as delicate. Whereas, it is under the surface where all the work is happening.
The way that a Willow Tree grows is very similar to the power of a birthing parent. They are incredibly adaptable and are determined to thrive. With roots that can grow in various soil types and seek to find underground reservoirs, they are able to stretch up to 4 times that of the canopy of the tree in order to find nourishment. In the absence of moisture, the roots can grow aggressively in order to survive. For this reason, Willow Trees can become destructive if in the wrong environment or not cared for properly. Similar to the postnatal period, if we don’t nourish and nurture a new parent, survival can feel messy and out of control, but the tenacity to survive for the sake of the family unit is unmistakable.
It is recommended that in order to care for a Willow Tree effectively, we are to nourish the tree regularly with water in the first year of its growth. It is this first year which is the most important for its future life and can promote thriving outcomes for the years to follow. After this first year is when the roots can grow far and wide to seek water for life. Taking care and nourishing a postnatal parent in this first year will ensure that they feel confident and able to thrive as the figure they want to be going forward. It will establish a healthy network underneath the surface to ensure that they can thrive alone, but also that they know what support is available if needed in the future.