Re: How Does a Druid Talk to a Tree? TopazOwl Wed Sep 13 18:19:17 2000 Searles wrote,*p*:I've heard people on this newsgroup on more than one occasion *br*:say that they talked to trees or that they *br*:communicated/meditated with a tree. How is this done?*p* Well, this time we aren't on the newsgroup, but the answer is the same. <g>*p* It is done by wanting to. Sometimes it is done by consciously trying, as in sitting in meditation under a tree and waiting for the images and thoughts to form. Other times it happens by surprise, as in the time the tree spirit appeared to me out of the tree trunk while I was bringing horses up from pasture. I will tell you about it.*p* It was a fine summer evening, with dusk fast approaching. I wanted my horses up from the pasture before dark, and they were dallying for some reason this night, so I walked down their well-worn sandy trail to round them up.*p* There is a great old aspen tree that stands directly center, dividing the upper pasture from the lower and guarding both. It's been here for as long as I can remember, just as tall and seemingly unchanging...the old grandfather used to say it was a magickal tree. Every time I pass this old tree, I thank it for protecting the pasture and my "kids," and it was no different this night.*p* I found my horses in the gathering gloom as the evening mists began to roll into the lowlands beyond the tree. It was not quite dark yet, but very close; there remained just enough light in the sky to see by. The mists were creeping in, curling chilly tendrils out toward us, so I took the lead horse by his halter and started up the trail with the others following behind.*p* We (the horses and I) approached the old aspen, and I detected a*br*shimmering of light near the base of the enormous trunk...a whiteness, a glow that, as we watched, emerged from the trunk and turned into a softly humanoid shape. I pulled up short, and was keenly aware that the horses had also seen this...they were all staring at the shape that had emerged from the tree trunk, without fear, but standing quite still, with ears pricked forward in curiosity.*p* The tree spirit and I studied each other in silence for some time; we were each marvelling at the other with a strange sense of joy. Then, suddenly breaking the spell, he (?) raised his hand in salute and melted back into the tree trunk. The lead horse then at last tugged me forward impatiently, and we walked on to the barn in the now-complete darkness.*p* Funny thing about horses; they spook at the most mundane things, and yet appearances like this one never phase them...*p* The old tree has since died over the years. (All things have their time, I suppose.) I know that his appearance in spirit form was an attempt to honor me in turn for the reverance and thanks I have given this tree over the years, while he still could. Though he did not say a word, I knew this was why he had shown himself to me.*p* I guess if you are open to the possibility, trees then find it rather easy to communicate with us. So I would say communicating with trees is done by listening. :-)*p* There is a grandmother oak on one of our farms who is ancient. She stands at the doorway to the woods there, a sentinel. I usually bring her gifts when I visit her; some herbs, sacred water, etc., that I put at the base of her enormous trunk. With her, one can immediately feel her comforting presence as soon as one walks beneath her canopy. I like to stand with my back against her trunk and feel her, then she will start feeding images into my head about how she feels, what has been happening since I was there last, any number of things. She directed me once through the woods to find a staff that her partner (who is deeper in and harder to get to) had*br*left for me on the ground.*p* There is a willow that stands next to my little pond. She's not very old, maybe five or six years. I planted her as just a whip from another old tree. She stands about 20 feet tall now and shades the pond gracefully. We have a really special rapport, her and I. She likes to sing. One night, while in vigil near her, she sang me a beautiful song -- words cannot describe how it sounded. It was in a strange language (probably willow language <g>) that I couldn't understand, but the voice was the most perfect and harmonious voice I have ever heard. I like to stand under her and *become* her...her long flowing branches become my hair, her supple trunk*br*and branches, my body and limbs.*p* Willow trees are very good at hiding you, and at opening the doors to the Otherworld.*p*:What are the precedents for doing so among Druids?*p* Trees, like animals, have spirits with unique qualities. The ancient Celts recognized this, and though all trees were sacred by virtue of their spirit, some were considered especially so. The most sacred trees in Celtic tradition are oak, holly, rowan, hazel, ash, apple, alder, birch, willow, and yew. These trees play an important role in folk custom and belief, which is expressed again and again in the tradition. References to these, and other, trees may be found in Celtic poetry. One source is the Buile Suibhne Geilt ("The Madness of Sweeney"), in which the main character addresses trees, noting their qualities and personalities. Another source are the poems of the sixth century bard Taliesin, including Cad Goddeu and a later*br*poem sometimes called "Bright Trees," from The Red Book of Hergest. The loss of five individual trees of unique significance is lamented in the Dindsenchas.*p* Despite a huge lack of archaeological evidence to point to the*br*practices and rituals of the Druids, one thing seems certain: they acted in proximity to trees. Sacred groves were the "temples" of the Druids, and these groves consisted of sacred trees.*p* A venerated single tree known as a bilé was part of any sacred place where Celtic kings were inaugurated. Offerings were frequently hung upon bilé trees. The most common way to honor a special tree was to tie wool, string, ribbons, or rags to it. Usually, but not always, this was done in Celtic lands by those seeking a cure from a holy well near the tree. Other times trees were decorated with precious items.*p* Often marriages were conducted under holy trees, and it seemed that every town or village had a special tree that stood at its center.*p* A tree can serve as a receptacle for an external spirit, and may be inhabited by fairies or other spirits. They may also contain dispossessed spirits of the Land, those who have been expelled from their proper dwelling-places and so have taken up residence in the nurturing environment of the tree. Trees also have personal souls, like humans, which are manifested as special qualities, strengths, and medicinal virtues. Trees may also absorb spirits that might otherwise prove harmful to humans.*p* As a landscaper and nurseryperson, and as a Druid, caring for trees is part of my life and my vocation.*p* Of course, the fact that trees produce oxygen for us to breathe is a significant factor. They clean the air. Without them, we would cease to be.*p*Just a few thoughts from*br*The Topaz Owl*p* How Does a Druid Talk to a Tree? Searles 696 Wed Sep 13 15:16:13 2000