I Think I was a Tree...

In a former life.  All my life I have adored trees. They have always been there for me - to listen to my thoughts, to laugh and sing with my joys and to comfort my sorrows. My first tree friend was an enormous spruce tree which stood sentinel outside the house where I grew up. Birds would call his limbs home knowing they were safe and secure even if they would wave to and fro in the winds. My mother and I would gather his cones in the summer months for use later in the year in crafts. He was a dear friend and it saddened me to find out that he had died after our family left the house.

Over the years I have come to know many types of trees, as one would get to know a variety of people. They all had their own quirks, their own personalities. I got to know two distinguished Live Oaks in Louisiana. There age was old - about 150-200 years. They spoke in a slow and deliberate manner - imparting the wisdom gained over the centuries to those who would slow down long enough to listen.

I have met many magnificent Cottonwoods. Their trunks would curve and arch and bend, translating the energies their roots absorbed from deep underground water sources. This is a reason the Hopi like to make their Kachina dolls from Cottonwood roots, because of the trees ability to find water. To the Hopi, the Cottonwood is a spiritual link to water, the life giving essence in a very arid land. 

The woods of Arkansas was a heavily populated area. Sweetgum, Sassafras, Black Walnut, Magnolia, Dogwood, and Oaks were abundant. Their ability to live together was a lesson for us all. Together they were an impenetrable force to many outsiders.

Many ancient cultures and indigenous peoples believe that trees have souls.  The ancient Celts believed that the spirit (soul) of a deceased person could inhabit a tree (or a plant or a place or even a rock). Cultures all across ancient Europe had customs and beliefs which involved trees. In the Americas, many Indigenous People believed that every living thing had a spirit and trees were revered as being wise  and knowledgeable. Trees were often consulted by Shaman on matters of seriousness.

I recently ran across an article about a group of people in Russia who revere Nature. To them a tree contains a soul in a transitional process of evolution. To intentionally fell a tree is to destroy a living being. Check out this article and accompanying photos for an insightful look at the Mari People.

I, too feel this way. Trees do so much for us. They give us shade and air to breathe. They will listen to our woes and give us the calm to quiet our frazzled nerves. Trees have knowledge. Take a walk at your local park or open space and get to know a tree.  Make a new friend.

Honoring Our Mothers

Mother’s Day is a holiday celebrated world-wide, though on various different dates. It is a time to honor and show our love for our mother. But in truth, we all have many mothers.

We are all a compilation of the Mothers who came before us – our mother, our mother’s mother, and her mother and so on. It doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman, the Mothers who came before all had a hand in the making of who we are today. But a mother isn’t always someone who is related by blood but can be someone who nurtured you or had a great influence on your life. And thus, that woman’s mothers will also have become a part of you.

We possess all the knowledge of the women who helped shape us. This knowledge can manifest in our intuitions, our thoughts, our feelings, our dreams. It is part of our very essence and while it may be buried deep within our souls, we may access it through meditation and dream work.

Even the Goddess(es) who we revere are present in our being as well as the Goddess(es) of the women who came before. Brigid, the Earth Goddess or Morrighan, the Goddess of War from Celtic lore. Freya the Goddess of Abundance or Frigga the Goddess of Marriage of Norse origins. Or perhaps the Goddesses of your past are Venus, Isis, or Athena. We honor that connection, that remembrance, with an altar or shrine.  

While we all feel especially connected with a specific woman or deity, Gaia is the mother of all. We connect with her every day; with every drink of water, every bite of food we eat, and every breath we take. Our connection with Gaia is essential to a happy, healthy life. We need to feel her heartbeat, to connect with her life giving essence in order to feel complete and whole. 

Our mothers wanted us to be happy and healthy and to lead a life filled with laughter and love. And what better way to honor this than by loving ourselves. The love of self is not an ego-oriented love but one which connects us to the Divine. We should all embrace each phase of the journey of our womanhood, from Maiden to Mother to Crone. We all have a part to play in the creation of our world. We are needed to nurture and love and embrace those of the world who are in need. We need to pass on the knowledge and beliefs to the next generation lest it be forgotten.

A special ritual held at this time incorporates a white candle, an empty bowl and a handful (or two) of small stones or marbles. Light the candle while meditating on the divine feminine. As the candle burns, place a stone (or marble) into the bowl for each woman who has filled your life with knowledge, love, and laughter. While doing this, speak a short affirmation for each woman. Don’t forget to retain a stone for yourself. And speak an affirmation for yourself. Because we all are the embodiment of the Divine Feminine. We all have the wisdom, power and mystique of the Women and Goddesses of yore.

Originally published in The SundayStew

Upcoming Events & New Venues

October is finally here. The one month out of the year that us Halloween-lovers all look forward to. The month we plan for all year long. The month where bats, and ghosts, and grinning Jacks (short for jack-o-lanterns) adorn all the houses instead of just a few. (WHAT?!?  You don't keep your bats and ghosts and grinning Jacks out all year long??)

And with October comes a flurry of activity. So many wonderful festivals and balls and other events to attend. To start the month, I will be a vendor at the Denver Pagan Pride Festival on October 12th in Denver's Civic Center Park. 

And to end the month I will be a vendor at the Denver Witches' Ball on November 2nd.

And my artistic creations can now be found at the Shops at the Silver Mine in Cripple Creek. Shops at the Silver Mine is a charming collective of Colorado artists and craftsmen. 

If you're in search of that unique something to add to your collection, stop by Clifton's Curios and Antiques Mall in Colorado Springs. I can vouch to the uniqueness of some of the items - Hubby and I are downsizing and our excess can be found for sale there. Along with some of my folk art.

With all the activity this month, I'm not sure how many road-trips we'll be going on. But I will share our trip to the mountains from last month. And there is one event we're definitely planning on attending - the Coffin Races held in Manitou Springs every October!

So until next time..... Happy Haunting!