Listen to the trees

[jcldragon]

Monday night I parked my car on the hill above the Comedy Store, (the only free parking around there), and walked down the hill. I stopped for a few minutes, as I always do, to commune with a favorite Jacaranda tree.

Trees usually don't attempt to communicate with me using the mental impressions of our words, but that night it did. The tree said, "Move over into the driveway now!" I wondered what was up, but also stepped over into the driveway on the narrow street on the steep hill. Ten seconds later two cars zoomed by with only inches between them & the curb.

Anyone else would have been dead on the spot.

I made friends with this tree a couple of years ago, when one of its major trunks broke off. I always stopped there to comfort it, as best I could.

See what unconditional Love can bring?

[AuntieM1957]

1. I love my trees, too.

Sweet little house - but a money pit. Built in the 1950s, and riddled with more problems that I can afford to fix.

But surrounded by about 10 oaks trees - all 50 years old or more.
Some pecan, sweetgum and holly thrown in for good measure.

Now, as Rita comes in to the Gulf Coast, I expect winds of up to 70 mph. My trees are singing.

I hope we keep each other safe from the storm.

[texpatriot2004]

2. God speed to you and your trees. n/t

[texpatriot2004]

3. Once in college I was sitting under some old trees on campus

and these words came to me...

As I sit beneath the tree
it's leaves and branches speak to me
be strong...

Hmm, it was years ago, I will have to see if I can remember the whole thing.

[IvotedforKodos]

5. Huggin It up...

While trees can be both romantic and tranquil I don't really see any religious purpose to them...except making bibles out of them possibly.

[Politically_Wrong]

6. What you smoking?

No religious purpose? Trees are one of God's glorious creations! Hug a tree, dude! Our love for trees unfortunately is covered up by the bastards who cut them down for whatever reasons...We should show our love to trees much like the Lord has...So...please...hug a tree...for me...

[Bellamia]

10. Hug a tree, you bet!

I taught my grandson that as soon as he could walk across the lawn.!

[Callalily]

12. Just for you Jor

I'll hug a tree!
Yes, they are our friends, although I do not talk to them nor do they talk to me!

[AuntieM1957]

7. It's an earth spirit thing

I've always thought that whole "dominion over" stuff in the KJV was an anti-druid bias.

No problem reconciling Christianity and tree hugging.

Every living thing contains the spirit of God, IMHO.

[crikkett]

11. what an icky thing to say. Blech!

*So* insensitive you are, saying there's no religious purpose in the tree that this person says saved their life.

You really did a great job of diminishing the sanctity and interconnectedness of all life - at the very least your reply shows no respect for this obviously sincere poster.

:grr:

As I continue to self-edit, let me end my outrage with this statement: Nobody's saying that you're no good for anything but cosmetics. Although, considering the astounding superficiality of your post...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1230036.cms
China Exports Skin from Death Row?

LONDON: Exactly one week after Europe's political and corporate heavyweights schmoozed with 'the inscrutable Chinaman', as part of the EU-China summit, Western capitals and human rights campaigners have recoiled with horror at news reports alleging a Chinese cosmetics company is harvesting skin from the corpses of executed convicts to develop beauty products for sale in the UK and Europe.

Agents for the Chinese company, reportedly based in northern China, have been boasting to an undercover British journalist that skin taken from hundreds of executed Chinese prisoners was used to develop collagen for lip and wrinkle treatments.

[Wilms]

4. .

[IvotedforKodos]

8. Druids...

I love trees and all and don't get me wrong...it can be awesome....I love the plantlife...if maybe we weren't so rushed with things we could enjoy more in life. like pizza.

[jcldragon]

9. It was 30 years ago today...

I just realized that I've been talking with trees for a good 30 years now. In 1975 I was in New Hampster, hanging out in the woods. I sat down leaning against an Oak, just to meditate. After awhile I began to feel this Life in the tree, and then I started getting mental images from it.

First the tree directed my attention to a hole in the ground, and a few moments later, a groundhog emerged from it. Then the tree directed my attention to a bird's nest it was carrying. It was very pleased that a new generation of singers was hatching, and growing up.

By that time I was very much in tune with the tree's thoughts. So much so, that a skunk walked by & didn't notice me there at all. I hadn't brought any water with me, and since I was getting thirsty, the tree planted an image of a bit of water flowing out of the hill just about 200 yards off to my right. I walked over there, and found this spot, exactly as the tree had imaged it to me, and drank some. It was very, very good

[eleny]

13. An excerpt from "In Lithuanian Wood" by Wendell Mayo

" "Well," the interpreter laughed, "since we now find ourselves in this Lithuanian wood, you might begin by hugging a tree." The American walked straight to the nearest tree, flung his arms around it, pressed his cheek to the smooth black, and closed his eyes. "No," the interpreter said. "Not that one - it is an oak tree, and if you hug it you will be too strong." The American opened his eyes and ran to another, slightly smaller tree trunk, and wrapped his arms around it. "No, no, no," the interpreter shook her head, "that one is a maple and it will sap your strength." The American's arms fell to his sides. His shoulders slumped. "Then, which one?" The interpreter pointed. "Before you leave Lithuania, you can hug that young birch and say to it, 'Thank you.'" The American did exactly as the interpreter commanded, then said, "So why have I hugged this birch and said to it, 'Thank you?'" "In Lithuania, the birch is best to hug," the interpreter replied, "because you will learn to bend without breaking. And you must tell this tree, 'Thank you,' because it is the polite thing to say when you have been taught such a valuable lesson." "
http://personal.bgsu.edu/~wmayo/wood.html

Ancient Lithuanian pagans held oak trees as sacred. If you do some Googling for Lithuanian pagans or Romuva, you'll turn up some interesting links. Lithuanians were the last pagans in Europe to become Christians. Now, the old religion is being revived. It's called "Romuva".
http://druidry.org/obod/deities/lithuanian_paganism.html

Btw, we have two gigantic cottonwood trees in our yard. I named them Mildred and Madeleine. :)

[jcldragon]

14. Have you ever stood in a circle of Redwood?

The parent tree would have died thousands of years ago, but from it sprang a circle of new redwoods. These were quite old when I encountered them... perhaps several thousand years old themselves. The ancientness pervades that place, a perspective on Time few generally regard. They grow there observing the passing of days, seasons, years. Millennia come & go, and they know all the doings of the creatures of the forest. They know every visible star in the sky, marking the flare-ups of supernovas, and even the positions of far off galaxies...

A few weeks ago, I am certain that somebody was near this place in the Muir Woods, talking on their cellphone to get the latest scores on their favorite sports team...

And just to be fair, I should also point out that despite the Wisdom within trees, they also have their mundane side. Often, all they want to talk about, is the weather. ;)

[eleny]

15. Funny you should mention Redwoods...

Hubby and I went camping along the west coast on our honeymoon way back in '78. I have a picture of me from that trip hugging a Redwood. It's the one thing I so wanted to do when we got to that forest north of San Fran. And there's nothing like it!

Did you know that there's an Ancient Wisdom and Pagan Spirituality group here at DU? Here's the url.

[jcldragon]

16. Instead of hugging trees, I usually HY-Five them while walking by...

*comic moment warning*

"Remember Isengard!", say the trees, as they register to vote with the GREEN Party.

*/comic moment*

I bookmarked that group, but I'll have to deal with the bandwidth charges on my increasingly popular website, before I can make a donation here...

http://www.jamesclairlewis.com