My mother’s best friend passed away over the weekend and they had one
of those incredible relationships you rarely hear about.
They talked every day, mostly on the phone, but
also saw each other often. I realized it would be a lovely tribute to my dear
mother’s beloved friend to plant a flowering tree she can see to remind her of
the gifts of that special bond. I have planted trees for people who passed and
confess I even planted one for Michael Jackson which I can see right now out of
the window by my writing desk. Michael’s tree is showy and is exploding in bountiful,
beautiful purple flowers.
In much the same way
that animals, stones, and stars were totemic to early peoples, so were trees.
Greco-Roman spirituality had sacred groves, as did the Aborigines in Australia,
Hindus in India, Germanic tribes, and the Celts of Europe. To the Celtic
Druids, the oak was the major sacred totem tree. Pliny the Elder pointed out
that groves of trees were the first temples.
A wonderful way to
celebrate our planet, our tribe and engender the ideals of preservation and
ecological sanctity of our precious resources is to return to the sacred grove.
Essential elements necessary for the ritual are Tibetan Prayer Flags or colored
ribbons and colored markers.
Gather your friends and
go to a mutually agreed-upon home, park, farm, or forest. Find the largest oak
or largest tree with low-hanging branches and circle around it, holding hands
while chanting:
We are the wisdom of
the stars.
The beauty of this
green Gaia.
To the planet that
gives us life, we return the gift.
We are one
We are the stars and
the stones and the sea.
We are one.
By casting the circle with voice and action, you create a
boundary within which magic can take place. One by one, each member of the
circle should speak a wish for universal healing, write the wish on a ribbon,
and tie the ribbon on the tree. Each flutter of the breeze will speak of your
hope and good wishes for our planet. If you are lucky enough to be on the
property of a member of your circle, ask if you can leave the ribbons there as
the mark of the sacred grove. If you are lucky enough to have gathered at someone’s
home or farm and can plant a tree, do plant one and name it and care for it. I
am excited to surprise my mother with her tree dedicated to the life and memory
of her devoted friend, Marylyn,
Blessed be.
No comments:
Post a Comment