A murmuring Choir
with rushing voices
mimicking the Sea,
Speak to us of
Lessons
Wisdom and
Choices...
Who could they be?
"You hear our voices
in the Winds
Yet you heed
our Choir
not.
Selflessly we give to thee
only to be forgot."
Sighing harps
and laughing violins
"We teach best in quiet ways
Dreams, inspirations and portents
have been found within our verdant maze...
We will
show
you
how
to
Bend
in the
Winds of Change.
Surrender!
Sacrifice!
Selflessly...
Willingly...
With Love,
Patience, and
Generous Spirit.
Three worlds are but one
to we who Sing...
Messages and Wisdom
we can take
or bring
from Underworld
to vaulting Sky.
Our faces appear
to the loving eye.
Glory in the light of Sun!
Drink the healing Waters of Life!
Being content as you are
will banish strife.
Anchored by our Mother's loving embrace
We sing of humble grace."
Window, door and prow...
Who Sings Now?
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I'm especially curious to see what you folks make of these Teachers, and look forward to your best guesses...
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If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. ~Henry David Thoreau
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I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do. They go wandering forth in all directions with every wind, going and coming like ourselves, traveling with us around the sun two million miles a day, and through space heaven knows how fast and far! ~John Muir
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We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved. ~Author Unknown
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For as long as I can remember, Trees have been my greatest friends, most inspiring muses and dedicated Teachers. Each one is unique, but they share certain wisdom. They show us the importance of staying properly grounded for a long and productive life. They need only Sunlight, Soil, and Water to sustain themselves. They are Generosity embodied, providing us with welcome shade, tasty fruits and nuts, medicines, and the means to make everything from the books we read, the homes we live in, and ships that have carried around the World... asking nothing in return except perhaps that we return some of that Love to the World around us. They teach lessons in Patience, Perseverance, Harmony with Nature and the changing needs of the Seasons, Transformations, Self-Reliance, and Contentment with self. They live in three worlds at once, the Underworld, our World, and the Sky. I love them all with a love unique to itself that I scarcely understand myself, the depth of which continues to amaze me even as I feel it well inside me looking at the Trees outside my window. Bursting with Knowledge, each Tree has it's own message for us if we only take the time to listen...
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"It is well that you should celebrate your Arbor Day thoughtfully, for within your lifetime the nation's need of trees will become serious. We of an older generation can get along with what we have, though with growing hardship; but in your full manhood and womanhood you will want what nature once so bountifully supplied and man so thoughtlessly destroyed; and because of that want you will reproach us, not for what we have used, but for what we have wasted." ~Theodore Roosevelt, 1907 Arbor Day Message
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"Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved. You ever notice that trees do everything to git attention we do, except walk?" ~Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982
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There are countless Trees out there and I couldn't possibly touch upon all of their symbolism. However, I have selected a few old friends to discuss here to get you started. If the particular Tree you were hoping to see discussed isn't here, I'm sure you could find out a lot about their symbolic lessons if you take the time to do a little research and devote a little thought to the matter. Trees are great ones for thinking things over, living in harmony, taking the time for everything from Sunlight to the shape of a Hill, not being hasty, and they especially like looking for the connections between all things. It is not surprising that cultures and religions around the world involve a great respect for Trees.
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The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil are believed to grow at the center of the Garden of Eden, Odin hung from an ash tree to gain his phenomenal wisdom, and Buddha meditated for days and nights under the Bodhi tree. Egypt, China, Aztec...many cultures have a Tree of Life within their legends or religions. While varied, most often the message found within this symbol is that we must progress on many levels in order to attain enlightenment, balance, power, harmony...all good things in life. Like a spiritual road map, once we have learned the lessons upon one wheel of the Tree we can climb to the next branch. Looked at another way, the Tree of Life teaches us that all things are connected and have purpose.
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"Everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don't seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong." ~ Benjamin Hoff
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"When you try to understand everything, you will not understand anything. The best way is to understand yourself and then you will understand everything." ~Shunru Suzuki
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"I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am not grateful to those teachers." ~Kahlil Gibran
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Consider all that you know of Trees, how they are represented in your culture, your favorite tale or painting. As my typical username, Entwife, might suggest Tolkien's Ents and Entwives are particular favorites when it comes to looking at the Plant Nation. Just looking at trees in general teaches us so much. They live on sunlight, soil and water, and are very self-sufficient. They create oxygen and thrive on our exhalations. All manner of creatures live in them and feed on them. This teaches us that we not only need each other to survive but are inextricably entwined. Even in dying to make room for something else, Trees feed other species and eventually help to rebuild the very Earth which houses us all. From them we have created our homes, our modes of transportation, paper on which we express ourselves and keep our histories, medicines to heal, and gleaned from them countless other innovations that ease our lives. Long-lived and full of memories, Trees wait for the day that we will give up our destructive ways and live in harmony; giving and receiving due respect from All Our Relations. Right down to their graceful and colorful acceptance of the seasons, Trees invite us to give to the world around us, to yield lovingly a return of the energy and abundance they so willingly give themselves. Sometimes, letting go is the best way to grow!
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It isn't always easy to be grateful for that "annoying" or "destructive" person in our lives. But we can most often learn more from them than we would from a kinder/gentler/more together soul! While this is, perhaps, a bit more of a Coyote lesson, Trees too say that we must look at all life as a Blessing; Storms and Sun alike. Strong Winds make for strong roots, and it is easier to bend when we can allow for the give and take natural to all life. Look at the definition of allow and you will find something along the lines of, "to assign as a share or suitable amount", to "admit, concede, or permit", "to make a possibility" or "to assign as a share or suitable amount".
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So, we should be looking at ourselves and our World as the best of all possibilities. Work together, as equals, neither superior nor inferior, balanced, unique and entwined like yin yang. Trying always to see a bit of yourself in others and them in you. I find the phrase, "Given different choices, I could have been you." to be very useful in opening that door. When we accept that others may be like ourselves or are as worthwhile and necessary as ourselves no matter how disagreeable we may find their choices in life, then we create the possibility for understanding both more clearly, with greater compassion. "Us" and "Them" become We, and the door to Harmony opens. Nor is this limited to Humans...Trees, Waters, Animals, the World...All Our Relations. This is Beauty...acceptance, sacrifice, love, surrender.
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Through accepting others we accept ourselves, and vice versa. This positive creative energy can counter some pretty amazing destructive forces. Have you ever seen a tree that has grown around something that could have killed it? Or a tree that has been damaged by a storm only to continue growing in a new direction? The things we need in life are seldom what we want, but desire is not necessity. Of course, balance and moderation are just as important as acceptance or awareness. But Trees teach us to plant that hope...that seed of all possibilities... to see ourselves as clearly as possible, to live as balanced a life as possible, to treat others how we wish to be treated and to strive always to do what is right...not because others are watching or because it's the path to riches fame or power...But because in some other life we may have been the lost, the broken, the unlovable that someone else gave respect to, supported, or encouraged. You get out of life what you put into it, and when we cause harm in any way to the World around us...we are only harming ourselves in the end because we are all connected.
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"He who plants a tree- plants a hope...
He who plants a tree- plants joy...
He who plants a tree- plants youth...
He who plants a tree- plants love...
Hands that bless are blessed.
Plant! Life does the rest!
Heaven and Earth
Help who plants a tree
and his work
It's own reward shall be." ~Lucy Larcom
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"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in their way." ~William Blake
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"If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason." ~Jack Handey
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"I think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree.
Perhaps, unless the billboards fall,
I'll never see a tree at all.
~Ogden Nash, "Song of the Open Road," 1933
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Trees have given so much to us and we have given so little regard in return, and that pains me almost every day. We plant trees improperly and in incompatible climates on a whim just as easily as we mow them down to make way for a mall with a life expectancy of maybe a decade or two. It can take up to 50 years for an oak to mature and produce acorns. I'll never forget the picture in my history book of the men who cut down a giant sequoia in order to display it as possibly the oldest and largest living tree. Pollution, strip mining, razing sites to build upon and countless other destructive ventures are depriving us of some of the greatest Teachers we could ever encounter! I'm grateful for all of the Plant Nation, but especially the Standing People.
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Aside from straight out destruction, perhaps one of the worst things I see every year is the practice of "topping" a tree. Anyone who takes two minutes to educate themselves on proper tree care will quickly learn that this is mutilation and not proper pruning of a tree. Please stop! Cutting the top off of a tree will make the tree vulnerable to storm damage, disease, and insects. It will not cause a tree to become "bushier", or keep it small in size. Topping will cause a Tree to panic and grow twice as fast in order to save itself! Nor is it acceptable to me to plant a tree without allowing for it's eventual size and then further punish it by hacking off it's head! Please! Spread the word about this, express your outrage when the city you live in mutilates it's trees, or even take the time to print out this vital information from the National Arbor foundation or Plant Amnesty and post it where others can find it. If we could stop torturing my much beloved friends, I would be most grateful...and so would they! Encourage others to stop this practice...
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I could describe these next two activities in a number of ways, but ~ Don Mcleod (Copyright © 2000 Spiritual.com) put it very well. "Here is a small ritual for finding your own personal healing tree. Enter a quiet park or forest that has a variety of trees. Stand quietly amongst the trees and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths and release all thoughts from your mind. Then allow your consciousness to drop through your body, and to settle within your heart chakra. Now, with your eyes open, but unfocused, start walking through the trees. You should be able to feel the energy of each tree as you enter its aura. When you find an energy that feels right for you, mentally ask the tree for permission to physically make contact. If you then feel that it is alright to do so, approach the tree and place your back against it. Feel the energy of the tree resonating within you. Which one of your chakras does this tree seem to affect the most?
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It is said that trees can also absorb negative energy from our bodies, without it doing the tree any harm. To clear yourself of negativity, find another tree that you are intuitively drawn to, and ask permission to give it the negative energy that you have unwittingly stored in your body. Trees can transform and use this energy for their own enhancement. To gather and release negativity from your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self, run the palm of your left hand from the top of your head, and down the right side of your body, visualizing the collection of negativity into your hands. Do the same with your right hand on the left side of your body. Then rub your hands on the trunk of the tree, thereby releasing all the toxins that you have gathered. Also run your hands down the front and back of your body and pass this onto the tree as well. Do this three times, and when you are finished, thank the tree for taking the negative energy from you."
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Whenever we ask anything of Trees, or other Relations, for help we should always be grateful and show that gratitude. Sometimes all the Tree wants in return is love or a little time and company. Other times tobacco tucked into the earth around it's roots, a drink of water, plant food, or other welcome offering is expected for the aid given. You'll have to learn to trust and develop your own instincts. All Our Relations can be approached for aide if we do so with respect, gratitude and love.
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In a moment I'll share a closer look at some of my leafy friends, The Standing People, with you. They have many associations through history, literature, tradition, culture, medicine and other direct benefits. Fire would likely be a balancing energy for Trees and Tree people, although many insects could also be considered. Tree people should be particularly careful where they put their feet and their heads, what they eat and drink, and strive for balanced living. Prone to back, feet and leg problems, these issues can fell a Tree person. "Treehuggers" was a label used rather recently and intended to be a slur. I've never really understood that attitude. Honestly, can you think of someone more deserving than these generous and patient beings?
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Pine: Pine trees are often the first trees that children in our country learn to identify. Aside from being uniquely green when all other trees shed their leaves, the Pine is typically brought into homes every Christmas season, even by people who aren't Christians. Pines, especially White Pines, are associated with peace, but they also have connections to prosperity, healing after surgery, renewal of energy, courage, hex-breaking, strength, purification and cleansing (especially guilt), fertility, and leadership. Tall trees, they often indicate an ability to "see ahead" or over long distances.
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"Ailm" in Ogham, Pine is the "sweetest of woods". Pine cones can be used to gauge weather, several varieties of pine nuts are a potential food source and pine needles are an excellent source of vitamin C when steeped in hot water. Pine trees are excellent companions if you are looking to relieve stress, guilt, or release negativity. Simply sitting beneath the branches of a willing pine tree will help wash away these life pollutants. I had a great Pine tree friend that I spent many hours sitting with, and he was always willing to help wash away the negative build up of my life. God/Goddess connections: Dionysus, Adonis, Jesus, Astarte, Attis, and Poseidon.
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Willow: Willow trees are often associated with deep emotion, flexibility, dreams, fertility, the Moon, intuition, and healing due to their strong connection with Water. Other associations include: sorrow, tragic romance, cycles, witches, beauty, fidelity, initiation, wishes, beginnings, femininity, and adding vital energy to the elderly and the sick. Willow bark contains Salicin which is used in the treatment of rheumatic fever, various damp diseases like rheumatism,and a decoction can be used for gum and tonsil inflammations. Willow is often referred to as "witches aspirin" as it was used for all the same purposes as modern synthetic aspirin for over 2,000 years. White willow or sallow bark tea is recommended for indigestion, whooping cough and catarrh. It can also be used as an antiseptic and disinfectant.
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This tree is notorious for pushing roots over amazing distances in order to find enough water, bursting water pipes, and just normal growth of a willow can be six to eight feet or more a year! In the ogham alphabet, the willow is Saille which became Anglicized to "sally" which means a sudden outburst of emotions, action or expression (to "sally forth"). The Old French "saille" also means to rush out suddenly and the Latin "salire" means to leap. An excellent friend for anyone needing to relieve grief, heighten intuitions and dreams or heal in general! God and Goddess connections: Osiris, Venus, Hecate, Brigid, Demeter, and Crone aspects of triple goddesses.
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Oak: Oak trees are associated with strength, wisdom, lightning, longevity, protection, stability, sun energy, success, vitality, and matters of law. The burning of Oak leaves was once regarded in the same manner as the burning of Sage is now. Acorns can be prepared as food in a variety of ways, and "cakes" or bread from this nut are particularly tasty. The leaves and bark of the Oak are the main parts to be used medicinally. Oak has been used to treat wounds, inflamed eyes, cuts and burns, as a mouthwash for bleeding gums, hemorrhoids, varicose veins and as a gargle for sore throats. A decoction of the bark can be used for reducing fevers, diarrhea, dysentery, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and laryngitis.
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Oaks are particularly susceptible to lightning strikes, due to their size. This is why they have so often been associated with lightning, thunder and sky deities. This "King of Trees" in Ogham could be translated as "Duir". Found in both Gaelic and in Sanskrit, this word means "door". Oaks are not only a most popular choice as the door to our homes, but also represent doors to new understanding, enlightenment, visions, strengths, wisdom, or other worlds. An excellent friend for anyone needing strength, I always walk away from my Oak friends feeling centered and brimming with fresh strength of purpose. God/Goddess connections: Dagda, Zues, Thor, Pan, Herne, Rhea, Cybele.
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Apple: Apple trees are associated with love, wisdom, creation and death, healing, choice, natural magic, beauty, temptation, gratitude, and abundance. The sheer amount of apples at harvest time invites us to open our own hearts with the trust that we are using a replenish-able energy. We will receive as much as we give! Apple is a reminder to be thankful for everything worthwhile in life.Apples are a natural remedy for the stomach, bowels and heart, the main organs of giving and receiving. The malic and tartaric acids of the apple particularly benefit people of sedentary habits as they neutralize the acid products of indigestion, and an excellent aide for constipation. This is why it is so commonly used as a child's first fruit or as part of the BRAT diet familiar to all mothers (bananas, rice, applesauce, tea and toast!). "Nature's toothbrush" is wonderful for cleansing our teeth as we eat too!
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Edred Thorsson in The Book of Ogham suggests that Quert (the Apple) is a sign of beauty and eternity, a kind of eternal perfection and symmetry. The spiritual warrior, one who is unafraid to make the journey to the Otherworld and back, one who is unafraid to face death or madness is drawn to Apple. Apple has a long association with wise women and shamans for this very reason, and the Raven who embodies this sensitive and wise soul is often found perched among it's branches! In Norse traditions it was the Apples of Immortality that kept the Gods young and vital for all times, and in many traditions it is the apple that most commonly represents the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. This reminds us that "with great power comes great responsibility." The true road to Knowledge is a long and rocky one, full of temptations, but when we walk the path with heart, carrying beauty and gratitude in our hearts, we will reach the true lessons of the mighty Apple tree. I've spent an entire day in the branches of an Apple; great friends for those seeking knowledge, especially of natural magic! God and Goddess connections: Bridget, Indunna, Hera, Eris (goddess of dischord)
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Ash/Rowan: This "lady of the mountains" represents protection (especially against enchantment and the Fae), wisdom and knowledge, luck, tenacity, vitality, divination (especially of metal), communication with spirits, and location, Yggdrasil the "World Tree" is where Odin hung for days and nights to gain wisdom over all things, and it is most likely the Norse connection to the Celts that brought about it's reputation there as the Tree of Life. Some tales say that the first woman was a Rowan tree and the first man an Alder. A sprig of Rowan was worn to ward off evil, enchantments of all sorts (especially Faerie), and lightning. Likewise, a cross or sprig of Rowan was placed over the doors of a home or whole trees grown in graveyards. "Quickbeam" is another name for these trees, just like the young Ent of Tolkien's imagining.
Traditionally, stakes used against vampires, to prevent ghosts arising from those violently killed and the like were made of ash or rowan.
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O ften used in basket and textile weaving, or as spear or axe handles for it's springiness. Forked branches of Rowan or Ash are often used as water divining rods. While the bright red berries are poisonous to us, they feed birds throughout the Winter, and when properly prepared Rowan berries can be made into a tart jelly said to taste much like cranberry sauce. "Luis" in Ogham, could be derived either from luise "flame" or from lus "herb". Its Proto-Indo-European root was either leuk- 'to shine' or leudh- 'to grow'. Rowan reminds us to hold tight to our beliefs, the creative force, and the good things in life. An excellent friend for those seeking better communication, strengthening of self for protection, awareness of enchantments, stronger spiritual purpose, or "quickening" of energy, visions, or abilities. God/Goddess associations: Odin, Brigid, Aphrodite, and Thor..
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Almond: This tree is associated with truth, youth, love, beauty, friendship, communication, fidelity, hope. Almonds are most closely related to Peach trees. Almonds are self-infertile and must be cross-pollinated; because of this, bees or other pollinators are essential to fruit production. Almond trees should be planted early in the year, when low temperatures prevent leaf buds from growing. This gives the roots time to regenerate before budding. Almonds do best in deep, well-drained soil that is reasonably fertile. Almond trees require at least three years to produce, with maximum nut production in six to ten years. Almond trees can continue to produce for more than fifty years.
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From this we can conjecture that Almond people may need many different people in their lives to feel complete, properly balanced, creative, or inspired. Almond people need to get their feet under them and be stable before they think about branching out or starting a family. They profit from a "rich" environment in the space where they sink their roots... without a lot of tumultuous emotion, yet without parching themselves of emotions. Cycles of 3 and ten are common, and Almond people, whatever their talents, will continue to be productive through them for a long time.
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Almonds have been used as folk remedy for cancers, tumors, ulcers, corns, and calluses, and were even thought at one time to prevent intoxication! The bitter almond is a cousin to the sweet almond and contains traces of lethal prussic acid in its raw state. Although the toxicity is destroyed by heat, fifty unprocessed bitter almonds can be lethal to an adult and as few as seven can kill a child. Bitter almonds are successfully processed to make almond extract, essential oil and almond-flavored liqueurs. Almond oil is highly valued for use in cosmetics and creams, and bitter almond oil is used as an essential oil. The oil is used to treat various forms of dermatitis. Almonds are a nutritional powerhouse, packed with calcium, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin E.
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In Greek mythology the almond tree is represented by the beautiful princess Phyllis. Left at the altar on her wedding day, Phyllis waited for years before finally perishing of a broken heart. In sympathy, the gods transformed her into an almond tree, as a symbol of hope. When Phyllis' fiancee returned to find her as a leafless, flowerless tree, he embraced it and the tree burst into bloom. My personal favorite, is the Grimm's Brothers tale "The Almond Tree" in which a son is murdered by his step mother and turns into a bird that reveals the truth to his family and exacts justice. "kee-wit, kee-wit, kee-wit! I cry. Oh what a beautiful bird am I! It was my mother who murdered me, my father who ate of me and my sister who buried me under the almond tree." Truth and Communication in action is easily seen as the common thread in both these tales though, and Almonds make great friends for those seeking better communication or truth. God/Goddess connections: Mercury, Asherah, Phyllis, St. Valentine
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Cherry: This relative of roses and apples is associated with love, kindness, sweetness, playfulness, youth, psychic energy, healing, water, and joy. Cherries have a very short fruiting season but tremendous health benefits. Cherries contain anthocyanins (the red pigment in berries) which have been proven to reduce pain and inflammation. Cherry anthocyanins have been shown to reduce pain and inflammations. Cherries help our bodies to produce a natural pain inhibitor that relieves arthritis! Consuming about half a cup of cherries three or more times a week will make a difference. Anthocyanins are also potent antioxidants, and have been shown to contain high levels of melatonin. Besides being an anti-oxidant, melatonin has also been shown to be important for the function of the immune system. Cherry bark has been used for centuries as a curative for coughs too.
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In many Native American traditions one can find "talking sticks" and "question/answering sticks". These important tools helped councils to give and receive attention during meetings in a respectful manner, insuring that all participants could be heard; that their Sacred Point of View would be shared. Unlike the less elaborate Talking Feathers which have been used with the same care, special attention was paid to which woods went into the making of a Talking Stick by those who had called the meeting, as each carries its own Medicine which would be potentially valuable. Cherries would be selected for the inclusion of high emotion, love and expression. Cherries are excellent friends for couples in love, those seeking love, kindness, sweetness, psychic increase, or joy in their lives. I like to keep a cherry branch in my bed room, usually over a door, window, or the bed. It helps me to feel loved and protected while I sleep and sweetens my dreams. God/Goddess associations: Kwan Yin, Aphrodite, Baldur, and any Deity of youthfulness, beauty, love or joy.
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Here is an excellent explanation of these Sacred Traditions dealing with proper communication...
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Cottonwood: Cottonwoods are associated with spiritual growth and awakening, prayers, blessings, purity, creation, truth (especially the seeing of truth), endurance, higher communication, hope, rebirth. Species of poplar or aspen, like Cottonwood, can be found in North America, Europe and Asia. Cottonwoods typically reach a height of 40 to 80 feet! Male and female Cottonwood flowers are in separate catkins, appearing before the leaves in spring. The seeds are borne on cottony structures which allow them to be blown long distances in the air before settling to ground.
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The Fremont Cottonwood has many uses. The active biochemical constituents are salicin and populin, the precursors of aspirin that are useful wherever a fever needs reducing or an anti-inflammatory is appropriate (Moore 1979). The bark is the most effective part for tea but is rather bitter; for this reason the leaves are often preferred. Leaf buds make an excellent ointment for burns and skin irritations. A wash of the bark is applied externally for cuts, bruises, abrasions, burns and fetid perspiration, as well as healing chafing sores on horses. A poultice can be used for sprains, muscle pain, and swollen joints. A salve can be made that cleanses and conditions the skin when used regularly. Internally, it is an anti-inflammatory agent, reduces fever, indigestion, aids coughs from colds, expels worms and intestinal parasites, is effective against scurvy, heart troubles, back pain, excessive menses, urinary tract infections, is a diuretic, and is used to prevent premature birth.
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This tree is also drawn to water, and it grows only in wet soil. They are found along lakes, riverbanks and irrigation ditches and does very well surviving flood conditions. Their leaves are often described as triangular. Personally, they look like spades to me, and I have to say that the sound of their leaves is quite unlike any other tree that I've heard thus far. They "twinkle" in the slightest breeze and turn a brilliant shade of yellow in the fall. While this Tree is not considered high-grade for building or as fire wood as it doesn't split or burn well and rots easily, it is currently being consider as a "fuel crop", along with the Willow. They hope to develop a more efficientand cost effective fuel, cellulosic ethanol, with which to wean us off of oil. It is also favored by artisans for carving.
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To many Native Americans the Cottonwood tree holds great significance and is considered to be the Tree of Life. It is said that to tell a lie under a Cottonwood will bring illness to the liar. The "Shield-maker's" tree, Cottonwoods are associated with old age, the wisdom of our elders, and the many eye shapes found upon it's surface indicate an ability to see truth or perhaps even into the future and dreams. These "quaking" trees are much respected. From my own experiences I can say that Cottonwoods speak clearly and Loudly, and have a great sense of responsibility from a very young age. Tucked away I have four Cottonwood leaves from a very special friend I made one year. She placed them in my mouth herself as if to say, "Shut up and listen already! Close your mouth and look!"
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I've tried to do just that ever since, and my own spiritual growth since that day has risen by leaps and bounds. Truly, an excellent friend for anyone looking for spiritual awakening, healing, and the strength or inspiration to simply live a good life. Be warned though, that road is never as easy and untroubled as it oft times appears! Cottonwood will help you bear the load and make the best decisions possible though. God/Goddess/Legend associations: Hercules, the Heliads, the nymph Leuce, Inanna, Jesus, Creator
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Sequoia: The giant sequoia, also called "Sierra redwood" and the "Big Tree", were once found almost world wide. Their natural range is now restricted to the moist coastal belt of Northern California, a strip in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and a small group of meta sequoia (Dawn Redwood) in a remote valley in China. These are the only living examples of a tree line that at one time spanned the earth and was growing at the time of the dinosaurs This is one of the oldest (a recorded 2,000 years) and fastest growing species of trees around. Sequoia's have reached well over 200 feet in height! The bark alone can be two feet thick, and is it's main defense against disease, fire, and invasion, although insects seem to find this tree distasteful. The taller and more slender California Redwood has a more conifer-like appearance and can reach over 300 feet in height! Their native areas provide them with heavy rains, cool coastal air, and fog year round. As heavy rains have left the soil with few nutrients, these trees depend on the entire biotic community of the forest, and complete recycling of those that have passed before them.
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Balanced Sequoia people will seem wise or knowledgable beyond their years, quiet, patient, thoughtful...as un-hasty as an Ent on a mild afternoon. Both have an amazing ability to adapt, survive, and thrive in many places and conditions, even after devastating injury! Sequoias support entire ecosystems within their broad spaces, and Sequoia people can have an amazing assortment of people in their lives. Their great hearts require them to be involved on many levels with the World, as this is what feeds and nutures them, and to return those loving attitudes by supporting others. They also, like their leafy cousins, operate best when saturated with healthy emotions (water) and when they keep themselves rooted in reality in a healthy way (rich soil). Associated with: Time, Ancestors, Ancient wisdom, patience, endurance, far-sightedness, strength, harmonious unity, longevity, resilience, perserverance, life, creation, Mysteries.
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Dragon's Blood:Dracaena draco is an impressive tree in it's maturity, but it only reaches that in climates where it does not freeze. It can be raised as a houseplant though, and passed on to future generations. This slowgrowing native to the Canary Islands is related to the Agave, and resembles it when immature. Mature height may be as little as 10', or as much as 30'. Flowering may take 10-15 years to begin, after which the tree begins to branch. The Dragon Tree's "blood" is commonly used to make a thick smoky incense. The berries are about the size of a cherry, and pointed. The flowers break with tree convention by growing along the branches rather than in clusters or catkins. When ripe the berries are covered with a reddish, resinous substance which is separated in several ways, the most satisfactory being by steaming, or by shaking or rubbing in coarse, canvas bags. Uses include: a colouring matter for varnishes, tooth-pastes, tinctures, plasters, for dyeing horn to imitate tortoiseshell, an astringent in diarrhoea, a syphilis treatment, and embalming fluid.
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This tree has strong connections to Ancient Egypt. It was held by early Greeks, Romans, and Arabs to have medicinal properties. Associated with: prosperity, hex-breaking, wound-healing, sensual attraction, sexuality, protection, love, to add strength or energy, and banishing negativity or evil. Like Sequoia, an excellent friend for anybody lucky enough to find one!
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Lemons for energy. Maple for sweetness. Hazel for poetic inspiration. The Trees have languages of their own, as well as the many symbols we have attached to them. We would be wise to listen to them more often! One of my favorite trees, the Cocoa, not only gives us deliscious chocolate , it also produces more than 150 chemicals between leaves, seeds, fruit, and bark that have been used for a wide variety of medicinal uses. The Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs used parts from the Coca to treat anxiety, fever, fatigue, and coughs for example. Recent research has shown that chocolate contains polyphenols, which prevent heart disease. Tasty, and good for you, the Cocoa is a wonderful Teacher. They have been our helpmates and teachers for countless generations. How do Trees appear in your life?
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"High atop a windy hill,
boldly framed by the world's eye.
A maze of roots, a carven trunk,
twig-tipped fingers brush the sky.
Silent scholar of the ages
anchored by matters of mortal weight,
Yet like a guardian and guide,
stretching toward Celestial gates.
Adorned with Muses' hidden gems,
swaying branches bloom with thought.
Holding tight to realms above
where every dream is gently caught.
Thrumming, like an ancient harp,
Inspiration quivers along its limbs.
Stifled not by mundane cares,
bowing only to Nature's whims.
'Twixt mortal and immortal realms,
as all of Life hurries by,
'neath Sun or Stars or Storm's dark wings
dwells this quiet sage, you, and I ... "
boldly framed by the world's eye.
A maze of roots, a carven trunk,
twig-tipped fingers brush the sky.
Silent scholar of the ages
anchored by matters of mortal weight,
Yet like a guardian and guide,
stretching toward Celestial gates.
Adorned with Muses' hidden gems,
swaying branches bloom with thought.
Holding tight to realms above
where every dream is gently caught.
Thrumming, like an ancient harp,
Inspiration quivers along its limbs.
Stifled not by mundane cares,
bowing only to Nature's whims.
'Twixt mortal and immortal realms,
as all of Life hurries by,
'neath Sun or Stars or Storm's dark wings
dwells this quiet sage, you, and I ... "
~ Quinn Blackburn 2000
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"I stand like a Tree
surrounded by City.
Harsh, cold concrete binds my roots!
I shift uneasily in this
Unwelcoming ground,
while the fumes from the constant stream
of snarling metal beasts keeps me from breathing deep.
I find it only brings the despair and anger
of the City deeper into my Heart.
I fear the awesome bite of these gleaming brutes,
yet far worse is the bitter miasma that constantly seeps
from their Masters and Mistresses...
The Walkers, the Pourers of Concrete,
the Lost, the Despairing and the Murderous.
The Wind runs wandering fingers through my emerald hair.
She's trying to comb away some of the worry and thoughts
that lie so heavy on my head in these troubled times.
With a sigh, I turn my face towards the glittering Sun.
I drink in His Light and dream....
I Dream...
I dream of a time when the Air was not thick
with the accumulated sludge of raw emotion;
A place where my roots can hold tight
to Mother Earth, without fear,
without regret,
or imposed control.
No walls of iron, no poisoned elements...
Somewhere free of this constant assault,
Endless noise,
And the torturous errosion of overwhelming Misery!
I bathe in the comforting warmth and
Beauty of the day
and Dream
Of Joy,
Security,
Freedom.
I cling to the moment,
And dwell not on the coming of the Night...
I stand,
Like a Tree...
Surrounded by City."
~Quinn Blackburn 2006
"Only after the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Then will you find that money cannot be eaten."
~ Cree Prophecy
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Who Sings Now? XI
Who Sings Now? X
Who Sings Now? IX
Who Sings Now? VIII
Who Sings Now? VII
Who Sings Now? VI
Who Sings Now? V
Who Sings Now? IV
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976851994
Who Sings Now? III
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976843443
Who Sings Now? II
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976832647
Who Sings Now?
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Comments: 18
~ Faith B.
"Everything" Content Co-Moderator
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U
Very nice poem. Thought provoking.
A favorite Tree?! Impossible! I have a particular fondness for all Trees and Green Cousins. I could name you a favorite flower, Sterling Rose, much easier than pick a single tree as a favorite! I guess, I've always been especially drawn to Oaks though, and the Sequoias...'course I've had special Treefriends of all species really...Pine, Cherry, Apple, Maple, Birch, Chesnut, Willow, Black Walnut, Apricot, Orange/Lemon hybrid, Cottonwood, Cedar, and English Plane to name just a few. My favorite species of Tree is... living! lol I've spent many hours up in their branches (yes, as an adult too lol) and sitting on their roots with my back against their cradling trunks. Which is part of why it is taking me so long to write this Totem piece lol... that and finding the time. I'm forcing myself to narrow it down to just a few Trees in specific, and Trees in general. Tough going for this Entwife!
I remember having a dream several years ago in which I was inside a room inside the base of a huge hollow tree. There's little I remember about the dream otherwise, but the treehouse was very cool.
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U
No, I didn't know that about gold--but I do know that you are high grade gold!