Listen
to the Trees
“We
stand outside the walls of Eden and hear the trees talking
within,
and their talk is sweet in our ears.”
W.B.
Yeats
When I
worked with Lakota shaman, Carol Proudfoot, we spent time with trees and stones.
We asked questions and listened for answers; and answers came—not audibly, but
within. In dreams, we sometimes talk with animals, or animals come to deliver messages and we understand what it is they have to say. In fairytales, there are
frequently talking birds, animals, and trees. I think of Tolkien’s Lord of the
Rings trilogy in which Graybeard the Ent, one of the ancient trees, could not
only speak, but could walk about. Almost always, these non-human entities are
helpers. They provide protection and necessary advice or assistance to the
protagonist.
I
wonder how many of us talk to trees now. Do you ever stop to touch a tree and
to tell it how much you appreciate it? Think of all the things we would not
have if we had never had trees. I’m sitting on a screen porch right now. It’s
completely constructed of wood--floor to ceiling, and all the furniture on it is
wooden, too. Trees were sacrificed to build this wonderful porch overlooking the
lake. Back in the 1990’s, a book was published about the Findhorn Garden on the
northern coast of Scotland—not the most hospitable place on earth. In this
garden were plants from all regions of the earth—tropical as well as native. A
woman named Eileen Caddy, grew the Findhorn garden, which produced plants and
fruits of unimaginable size. Her explanation was simply that she talked to them;
she got to know them as friends and companions. Botanists and horticulturists
came from all over the world to test the soil, take samples, and gaze at the
garden in disbelief. What would happen now if we talked to our plants, and
praised our gardens for their delicious fruits and vegetables?
As
anyone who has a pet knows, every animal has its own personality and its own
way of communicating. I’ve never had a dog or cat that didn’t learn
human-speak, or who couldn’t send me a clear message through their eyes. Horses
become so in tune with their human companions, that no words are necessary—just
a tap of the heel, or a twitch of the crop. We could have the same relationship
to other living beings on this earth if we wanted. We may stand outside the
walls of Eden now, but we can still talk to the trees and ask their advice. And
they will always give it.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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