“I received a draft of a beautiful Tree penciled on a large sheet of white paper bearing ripe fruit I saw it plainly it looked very singular and curious to me. I have since learned that this tree grows in the Spirit Land. Afterwards the spirit showed me plainly the branches, leaves, and fruit presented or drawn upon paper. The leaves were checked and the same color you see here. I entreated Mother Ann to tell me the name of this tree which she did by moving the hand of a medium to write twice over Your Tree is the Tree of Life.”
– Hannah Cohoon, 1845
The Blazing Tree
Between 1837 and 1850 the Shaker’s of Massachusetts were going through a spiritual revival. Called the Era of Manifestation, the usually reserved Shakers would receive visions, which they called gifts, that they expressed in song, dance and drawings.
One of these Shakers, Hannah Cohoon, received a vision of The Tree Of Life. Having never seen this plant, she drew her vision.
Interestingly her vision of the Tree Of Life had groups of leaves resembling the cannabis leaf complete with red hairs coming from the flowers.
Hannah named her painting from her vision the Tree Of Life but gave the painting a second name…
The Blazing Tree…
The Tree of Life aka The Blazing Tree by Hannah Cohoon, 1845