I have a special oak tree growing in a pasture that's a 5mn walk from my house. I've photographed it in all seasons and I had a stylized drawing of it made as a logo for my regulatory consulting business. I felt that it inspired and supported me when I made the jump from a salaried corporate position to my own consulting business in 2013 (10 years ago this year!). I've placed offerings of tobacco and herbs at its base, in thanks. ❤️🌳❤️
First of all, congratulations on making the leap and your ten year anniversary" What a beautiful endeavour, a wonderful example of our human-tree interrelationship.
Your comment reminded me of a photo mash-up I created quite a few years ago featuring a lone tree.
Great photo creation! Now I'm going to have to go photograph my tree again, the photos are buried in my initial work PC whose hard drive has died & I haven't made the effort to try to retrieve what's on it (yet).
For the past few years, I've felt that I don't rely on the tree as much as I initially did, while still feeling very grateful for all the non verbal support that it provided. This might sound weird to some people - I'm rather sensitive to the state of the plants that surround me; I can "see" very early when my houseplants are thirsty, for ex. Similarly, I feel their presence & it gives me soothing support.
Hope you do manage to retrieve them! I still have photos on an old laptop I plan to sift and sort through before it dies.
I think your connection and sensitivity is far from weird. Something reinforced in the research for this post (and the next couple of posts). Reverence and worship, gifting and adorning trees of particular significance is the norm more than not. How is it that non-scientific traditions know the healing properties of certain plants, which were later confirmed in the laboratory? I could probably go on for a whole post!
Safar, what a beautiful piece. What I value about your work is that while you bring the social and scientific context to these matters, you do so by appealing to our humanity. My sense is that we change minds and behaviors by touching the heart. You do that. Thank you.
Thank you, Renée! I enjoyed writing this once I'd found my angle into Wangari's story, which took me quite a while to find. When I discovered the fate of her childhood fig, I got lost in the world of sacred trees to the point I had to go virtually wandering to find them. The act of doing so was surprisingly connecting - being with them in a way I never could. There's that term again - 'being'!
This is such a special piece, thank you. I love the synchronicity too, that you post about trees at the same time I was also doing so, it is as though the forest is somehow talking, the trees whispering to share their stories. I can't even thank/blame the Hadrian's Wall story, as I had the tree posts planned for weeks before that.
I am also very grateful for the other writers you share too, discovering these voices is an extra gift to the reading of your own words. Thank you.
What a beautiful, moving and informative essay. Thank you. I too love trees, immensely. Another culture that immortalizes a tree is the Maya. La Ceiba is the Maya tree of life. Having lived 17 years in Maya Land, I was fortunate to have seen these giant beauties everywhere. My first sighting was at Palenque in Chiapas. Palenque is like Hawaii with pyramids—the site is surrounded by psychedelic green foliage—an ancient forest. I stood in front of Temple of the Inscriptions which houses the once hidden sarcophagus of the great Maya ruler Pacal, in April. It looked like it was snowing. But no, it was falling tufts of cotton-like seed pods from the Ceiba tree planted at the base of this pyramid. Next to it lay the grave of Alberto Ruz, the archeologist who famously uncovered the hidden sarcophagus' tomb in 1952. It was quite a moment for me. On another note one of my favorite books is The Overstay by Richard Powers. Just call me a fellow tree lover.
I'd love to see an old Ceiba tree in the flesh, their structure is extraordinary, you can see why it was viewed as sacred! You'll probably love @Julie Gabrielli's latest Talking Back to Walden post. She takes you on a sensory and literary journey with a tree.
Thanks for the referral re Talking Back. I'll check it out. Not sure where you're located but Ceibas grow on California's central coast, also in Hawaii. And probably other places I'm not yet familiar with. And they are gorgeous. Some bloom in white, Mexico, and in CA they bloom in a shocking fluorescent pink. There are stands of them in Puerto Morelos botanical gardens. Something to behold.
This is wonderful Duane, thank you for sharing the poem. I love its message - being comfortable 'just as they are'.
The Monroe Institute looks a beautiful place for retreat, I can see why it inspired poetry.
I have a special oak tree growing in a pasture that's a 5mn walk from my house. I've photographed it in all seasons and I had a stylized drawing of it made as a logo for my regulatory consulting business. I felt that it inspired and supported me when I made the jump from a salaried corporate position to my own consulting business in 2013 (10 years ago this year!). I've placed offerings of tobacco and herbs at its base, in thanks. ❤️🌳❤️
First of all, congratulations on making the leap and your ten year anniversary" What a beautiful endeavour, a wonderful example of our human-tree interrelationship.
Your comment reminded me of a photo mash-up I created quite a few years ago featuring a lone tree.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/safarfiertze/15377538949/in/photolist-pqRUzT If you take a look, the explanation is below the image.
Great photo creation! Now I'm going to have to go photograph my tree again, the photos are buried in my initial work PC whose hard drive has died & I haven't made the effort to try to retrieve what's on it (yet).
For the past few years, I've felt that I don't rely on the tree as much as I initially did, while still feeling very grateful for all the non verbal support that it provided. This might sound weird to some people - I'm rather sensitive to the state of the plants that surround me; I can "see" very early when my houseplants are thirsty, for ex. Similarly, I feel their presence & it gives me soothing support.
Hope you do manage to retrieve them! I still have photos on an old laptop I plan to sift and sort through before it dies.
I think your connection and sensitivity is far from weird. Something reinforced in the research for this post (and the next couple of posts). Reverence and worship, gifting and adorning trees of particular significance is the norm more than not. How is it that non-scientific traditions know the healing properties of certain plants, which were later confirmed in the laboratory? I could probably go on for a whole post!
🙂❤️
What an absolutely beautiful and heartwarming piece!
Happy you liked it ☺️
Thank you for including a link to The Street Tree Safar. And thanks for such an all-encompassing tree piece!
I love visiting your trees, Paul, even though vicariously :)
Safar, what a beautiful piece. What I value about your work is that while you bring the social and scientific context to these matters, you do so by appealing to our humanity. My sense is that we change minds and behaviors by touching the heart. You do that. Thank you.
Thank you, Renée! I enjoyed writing this once I'd found my angle into Wangari's story, which took me quite a while to find. When I discovered the fate of her childhood fig, I got lost in the world of sacred trees to the point I had to go virtually wandering to find them. The act of doing so was surprisingly connecting - being with them in a way I never could. There's that term again - 'being'!
This is such a special piece, thank you. I love the synchronicity too, that you post about trees at the same time I was also doing so, it is as though the forest is somehow talking, the trees whispering to share their stories. I can't even thank/blame the Hadrian's Wall story, as I had the tree posts planned for weeks before that.
I am also very grateful for the other writers you share too, discovering these voices is an extra gift to the reading of your own words. Thank you.
What a beautiful, moving and informative essay. Thank you. I too love trees, immensely. Another culture that immortalizes a tree is the Maya. La Ceiba is the Maya tree of life. Having lived 17 years in Maya Land, I was fortunate to have seen these giant beauties everywhere. My first sighting was at Palenque in Chiapas. Palenque is like Hawaii with pyramids—the site is surrounded by psychedelic green foliage—an ancient forest. I stood in front of Temple of the Inscriptions which houses the once hidden sarcophagus of the great Maya ruler Pacal, in April. It looked like it was snowing. But no, it was falling tufts of cotton-like seed pods from the Ceiba tree planted at the base of this pyramid. Next to it lay the grave of Alberto Ruz, the archeologist who famously uncovered the hidden sarcophagus' tomb in 1952. It was quite a moment for me. On another note one of my favorite books is The Overstay by Richard Powers. Just call me a fellow tree lover.
I'd love to see an old Ceiba tree in the flesh, their structure is extraordinary, you can see why it was viewed as sacred! You'll probably love @Julie Gabrielli's latest Talking Back to Walden post. She takes you on a sensory and literary journey with a tree.
https://buildinghope.substack.com/p/talking-back-to-walden-4cb
Thanks for the referral re Talking Back. I'll check it out. Not sure where you're located but Ceibas grow on California's central coast, also in Hawaii. And probably other places I'm not yet familiar with. And they are gorgeous. Some bloom in white, Mexico, and in CA they bloom in a shocking fluorescent pink. There are stands of them in Puerto Morelos botanical gardens. Something to behold.
I'm on the other side of the ocean, in Portugal.