Everything is Connected.
One of the core values of Druidism is that everything is connected. There is no separation. Humanity in its so-called wisdom believes that it is the pinnacle of creation and this belief, of course, leads to so many problems.
Wars that pit nation against nation. Complete disregard for the world that sustains us, leading to environmental melt down.
The idea that we are somehow divorced from the rest of creation is of course a fallacy, and one we as Pagans need to admit to. Part of the problem is that we do not see past the superficial and really look at the world.
When we look at the world with our spiritual eyes we see that everything is connected and interconnected. The Native Americans talk of the stone people, the animal people, the tree and plant people, and of course the people people.
As a Druid I see it as my duty to reconnect to these realms of nature as I am made of the same energy they are. The same atoms that flow through the trees of a forest are the same atoms that flow through me. “We are stardust, we are golden”, as the song from the musical Hair so eloquently says.
In the rest of this article I am going to dwell on the relationship we have as Druids with trees. Why does the Druid have this relationship with trees? Why do people who hardly know anything of what a Druid is or does know this one fact that Druids love trees?
Most modern scholars agree that the word Druid is derived from the words Oak and wise with a meaning of one who has the “Wisdom of the Oak.” So without doubt the Druids of old were associated with trees.
What of today? I feel that it is most important for today’s Druid to care for and love trees as they are our lifeblood, and if we lose them we lose so many things not only in the physical realm but also in the spiritual.
Trees are the storehouse of the Sun's energy. They stand upon the earth, their roots going deep into the Goddess's body. The leaves of a tree absorb carbon monoxide and give out oxygen, they are literally the earth's lungs. We use trees in countless other ways as well for our houses, books (and oh, how Pagans love their books), for heating when it is cold and many other ways.
Consider this though, the oldest tree in the UK is a Yew tree estimated to be roughly three thousand years old. Just imagine what this ancient being has seen and what information has been stored in its rings of growth. Each time of drought, famine, and fire has been recorded by the tree.
It is not just the physical benefits of trees that the Druid celebrate, we also venerate trees for their spiritual qualities. As Druids we believe that we can enter into a relationship with trees, but this takes time and commitment. Trees are old beings and do not live in the same time-scale as we do, so whenever you try to form a relationship with a tree it must be on their terms and timescale.
I will end this post with an exercise.
Go for a walk in a forest or park where there are many different types of trees. Walk slowly and thoughtfully. Does one particular tree call to you? If so, go sit with it. Slow your breathing and send your thoughts to the tree. With perseverance, I believe that you will be able to form a relationship with trees.
Pangur-ban
I did find my special tree a few months ago! I was riding my bike on an out-of -town trail with a friend. When I got near this tree I felt it call to me so strongly that I rode over to it and stayed there a minute. My friend was in a hurry to go on so I followed, all the time planning to stop by the tree on the way back. When I did I stayed a few minutes longer, with my friend still bugging to leave. She kept riding and I stayed attached to the tree, until she realized I was still not coming, and returned for me. So when I left the tree I cried because I wanted to stay with it all day! I go back to it alone whenever I can go that far, much easier to drive the 7 miles and then walk for half an hour! ~ Citrine
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