AC 2722 - Groves and Mountains

AC 2722 [1, 7]

As regards groves:
In the Ancient Church holy worship
was performed on mountains and in groves;
on mountains, because mountains signified
the celestial things of worship;
and in groves,
because groves signified its spiritual things.
So long as that church, namely, the Ancient,
was in its simplicity,
their worship at that time
on mountains and in groves was holy,
for the reason that celestial things,
which are those of love and charity,
were represented by things high and lofty,
such as mountains and hills;
and spiritual things, which are therefrom,
by things fruitful and leafy,
such as gardens and groves;
but after representatives and significatives
began to be made idolatrous,
by the worship of external things without internal,
that holy worship became profane;
and they were therefore forbidden
to worship on mountains and in groves.

As regards groves in particular,
among the ancients they were of various signification,
and indeed according to the kinds of trees in them.
Groves of olive-trees
signified the celestial things of worship;
groves of vines
signified the spiritual things of worship;
but groves of fig-trees, cedars, fir-trees,
poplars, and oaks,
signified various things relating to
what is celestial and spiritual.