By Deanna Joseph
sand or drop of rain to the greatest of mountains or glaciers. There is no place that
spirit can’t be. This belief is known as “animism” (which means breath or soul)
and is the belief that spirit exists in everything (whether it appears to be living or
not). This belief dates back thousands of years to a time when our ancestors lived
in harmony with the natural world.
There’s no doubt that we all believe that trees and plants are living things. After
all, they need water and sunlight to grow. And how many of us have witnessed the
demise of a houseplant due to lack of care?
But did you know that it has been proven scientifically that plants can react to the
world around them? A police scientist, Cleve Backster, one day decided to attach
the electrodes of his polygraph machine to a plant he had in his office, just to see if
it was sensitive enough to read a non-human subject. As nothing was happening he
pondered the idea of burning one of the leaves to see if that would change the
reading, and just at his thought of burning a leaf the polygraph went crazy!
Backster went on to experiment even more and found that plants not only show
fear, but also empathy and memory. Houseplants even form a bond to their
owners.
So it’s no wonder that our ancestors turned to the trees for guidance. Trees are
long lived (Yew trees can live up to 2,000 years) and provide shelter and
protection. For the shaman, trees provide a pathway to the three realms – the
Underworld, the Middleworld and the Upperworld. And for any of us who have
had the pleasure of walking along a forest path, we know what a great comfort it is
to be in the presence of trees.
The Celts, in particular, found trees very sacred, and they believed that certain
trees had certain attributes. By walking with the spirit of that tree in meditation or
even by napping against its trunk, we can gain its knowledge and wisdom (that is,
if the tree wants to share!).
Trees have much to share with us, after all, many of them have witnessed the
changing of the ages. It would do us good to sit with their gentle natures in a
moment of peaceful abiding and listen for a change.
