Do The Trees Call You?

I have a Living Tree Labyrinth and many people who visit to walk this discover that their personal 'intuition' volume increases.


Perhaps you discover this too in your chosen spaces?


Our senses were strong and magical when we were children, and then they faded through the demands of education and career. As we mature we seem to discover these 'sacred' senses becoming stronger again, more amplified, and even become a 'Calling'. Do you agree?


As I talk about this I am not thinking about about New Age style “manifestation” rituals, wonders and experiences. I personally feel most of the New Age industry is really dressed up narcissism using techniques posing as spirituality to lure others, wind them in, and extract from them.

You'll know the ones, the folks who use a dynamic language of spirituality to charm their superiority over others and, of course, intimidate other people into feeling that they are lesser, incomplete, and even sinful beings.


Many people who visit our Living Tree Labyrinth or join in our Bards In The Woods, find themselves walking among the trees with their intuition and inspiration being present again.


They ask me, and each other, if there is a 'tool', or 'special tool', ritual, or even divine charm, that can arouse their inspirations at any time to enable them to make more comfortable decisions with relationships, resources, and health.


More profoundly, these people also wonder how they could be part of the 'medicine' that could be active in the wider healing and protection of this challenged world, this challenged environment?

These people talk with each other, for awhile, over tea, scones, or maybe a wee picnic in the woods, about their longing for future days. They talk and dream of when our world could be full of people and cultures who revere the basic sacred ebbs and flows of nature.


They do believe in the spirit of nature guiding us into being creative, meaningful, enhancing, considerate and tolerant.

They talk about how our actions and consumptions can become more sustainable and more friendly for this earth.

Who of us collapses in bed at night, after a busy, productive day, and travel into a silent prayer?


Are these silent prayers wishes to be shown some way of how to be a better contribution to all things? To be of better service to our land and the people around us?

When the morning light returns, sometimes before, we rise ... but walk back into that tick-tock world that is our routine, maybe a lifestyle we have been raised in or groomed into over several years.

Where are the signs of change? Is anyone listening?
Are we different? Are we crazy?

Think of the 1951 movie 'Harvey' with actor James Stewart, with his pooka invisible friend and the luring into believing he was insane ... and then the discovery that he is not the only one with an invisible friend, that he is not alone and indeed he is not crazy :-)


Allow me to recall the opening title 'Do The Trees Call You?'.

May I offer the idea of being among The Trees in a wood or forest at least once a week?


Here in North West Ireland we host our Bards In The Woods and I host Living Tree Labyrinth walks.

Other people sometimes offer Plant and Herb Walks in the woods. Others offer Forest Mindfulness, Shinrin Yoku, Forest Bathing and what I call Boladh na SiĂłga, Bathing In The Fae's Breath.

I find the presence of trees, especially when they are among the presence of natural water from a spring well, river, or shoreline, are a powerful guide.


I find that a combination of trees and water is the most honest and most unconditional guide we can have.

To me, it seems as if people are passionately looking for and longing for some spiritual language to speak to them to unlock their 'knowing'. Yet for some reason they avoid this natural presence that has been here long before humans were on this earth?

Why do we need to turn towards other 'spiritual' humans who's real intent is to convince us they are more 'holy' than we are? Why do we pay them a lot of money to get their attention?



Why do we choose sacred spaces that are buildings and structures that 'elite' humans have made, inherited and designated. Why do we believe in them as being more sacred and spiritual than what the naked spirit of nature creates and provides?

Why is it that an ancient human laboured stone circle, or even a modern guru constructed stone circle, can be revered much more than the living gift of a copse of ancient or mature trees?


I discover this on Facebook when I post a stone circle photo and get 100 or more likes, while a living breathing heritage tree photo may be lucky to get 10 likes.

Why do we wake up in a world that seems far, far different than the beautiful world of our silent prayers that we take into our sleep?

Who yearns for a world that embraces the sacred in daily living?

Why do we have a longing to trust in Spirit, our intuition, our inspirations … but discover we hold back that trust, because we are conditional. We have conditions before we give approval?

These are questions that accompany much of the pain of our times.

When we don’t trust, we also lose trust of ourselves. I believe this is why we get drawn into someone else’s vision to believe in. We sacrifice ourselves into this ... and we forget ourselves.


We become glued into in unhealthy patterns that we yearn to escape from, knowing something is missing. We believe that somewhere else, maybe alone in isolation, maybe through someone else, there is a way to something more that can fulfil that missing something.

We can spend years searching for that 'Holy Grail' that can help us to be calmer and clearer in vision, yet it is near us always.

Where is that place where we may trust ourselves again?


Where is that place where we feel free to follow what we know through our inner voice, follow that intuition, follow that inspiration, follow that guide that asks us to switch on the light?

Where is our personal 'Holy Grail' Challice that we seek to see, touch, smell, resonate and drink from?

How often may we ask and yearn ....

"I wish there was a course on learning ways to tap into and trust my intuitive self and save the pain I have lived by not doing so?"

"I wish I had a coach, a guide, a mentor that gives me clear easy to follow steps for how to actually do mindfulness, divination, unlock inspirations and be creative from my inspirations?"

"I wish I’d had someone with me for a little while daily who is gentle, patient, and encouraging as I explore my inspirations and my spiritual understanding and connection?"

"I wish I had spiritual guidance that could ground me in practical sustainable everyday living that was kind to the land and good for the people around me?"


Well ... I cannot attempt to provide answers to any of those questions as I am not in the Guru, Druid, Shaman or Priest business.

What I discovered, seemingly a long long time ago, is how important it is to always be able to return to some native, or at least near native, woodland at least once a week, and let that inner voice surface unconditionally.

Find an outdoors space and free opportunity to explore your questions. Learn to have the courage to live with your questions rather than try to find the answers, and then revel in your inspired and enlightening responses.


If you happen to live nearby or are heading towards West or North West Ireland, may I offer for you to explore 'Calling Of The Trees' with us

On Saturdays we have Living Tree Labyrinth walks here at Carrowcrory
On Sundays we have Bards In The Woods gatherings with picnics in different forests in several counties.

There are no guru charges at these events either. This is all shared and voluntary with optional donations for wear and tear and passing this message around.

It would be wonderful to explore these together with you.


We can provide you with private space too, if you need this.

There is accommodation nearby if you are a travellers passing by.

To join us with Bards In The Woods click here
or for Living Tree Labyrinth walks click here


We look forward to serving your presence





Comments

  1. Beautiful article, John. I hope someday my husband and I get to join you on one of your walks amongst the trees.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fabulous article John. Wasn't aware that you were such a great writer.

    ReplyDelete

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