Trees
Monday, November 19th, 2012
This morning I felt a strange source of comfort on my early morning walk along the Albert Embankment. With the river Thames on one side and on the other side a long stretch of Plane trees accompanied me on my walk. This morning I could really feel the trees presence and energy. Plane trees were planted all over the city because of their ability to soak in pollution from the air. They survive and soak up the toxic fumes of car fuel and are often referred to as the green lungs of the city.
I love to walk this stretch of the city around 5am or 5.30am just before the Plane trees have to get ready for a days work of soaking up the car fumes that fill this stretch of road each day. As I walk the Plane trees feel quiet and peaceful, protectively watching over me as I saunter by. Their very existence makes my walk all that more enjoyable. What with their height and incredible stature Plane trees are not hard to miss and add such beauty to our London streets, parks and river banks.
You may be interested in the fact that one of the Plane trees planted in1789 in Berkeley Square, central London was valued in 2009 by the Trees Office Association at £750,000. So when you are out and about see when you can spot your next Plane tree. Send us your images of Plane trees from your area to post on our blog page. Images can be sent to: info@jackeeholder.com
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Monday, January 2nd, 2012
Recently I gave myself the challenge of learning a poem off by heart. It’s been over a decade or two since I’ve a poem or a piece of text off by heart.
I made a note in my journal of this beautiful poem by Wendell Berry which I had come across during some random researching on the internet. A Sunday morning lying in bed, reading it through and learning it line by line was deeply satisfying. I typed it out and added one of my favourite tree images to inspire my connection with the piece.
Have a read of the poem and see what you think. The questions at the end may also help you to explore your thinking and reflections about the piece. Use the image of the Tree to visualise and meditate on the words. The visual image really helped me to connect with the words.
I go among trees and sit still.
All my stirring becomes quiet
Around me like circles on water.
My tasks lie in their places
Where I left them, asleep like cattle…
Then what I am afraid of comes.
I live for a while in its sight.
What I fear in it leaves it,
And the fear of it leaves me.
It sings, and I hear its song.
By Wendell Berry from Sabbaths, 1987, North Point Press
- When you look at the image of this tree how does it make you feel and what does it stimulate you to think about?
- Which lines of the poem resonates with you most?
- Which of your own tasks or items on your to do list lie in places that could be best left to sleep forever in your own life right now?
- Where and how do you find stillness in your day or week?
- Is there a tree from your earlier life that causes you to stop, pause and reconnect?
- What are you afraid of?
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Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
There is so much about the life of a tree that draws parallels with the life cycles of humans. I often use metaphors about trees and nature in my work as a coach and trainer and I recently came across a wonderful blog post called ‘Tree of Me’ by Sharon Lippincott.
I was drawn to the ‘Tree of Me’ blog post because of its similarity to the Life Mapping exercise I had used for years in the Self Development Programme which I used to run with women in recovery.
The Life Map exercise involved visually mapping your life experiences on a huge sheet of paper in order to make sense of the life journey you had been on. The aim of the exercise was to be connected physically and emotionally with what you had come through, and in many individual cases, had survived through.
The Tree of Me presents a new and more organic way of recreating the Life Map that I just love. It draws its roots from the tree rings which tell you how old the tree is and records the life of a tree. By using the tree rings as a metaphor we are also reminded that the quality of each ring reflects the cycle of growth of the tree during that particular year. The image above is of Sharon’s personal Tree of Me. You can also read more about Sharon Lippincott in my Coaching Blog.
Tree Action
To create your own version you will need a large sheet of paper (or several sheets taped together), coloured felt tips or crayons and at least 20 minutes to get you started. This is the kind of personal development activity that might take several sittings. Take your time with it, there’s no rush.
It might be helpful to find an image of a tree that you like and paste it in the centre of your ring, or draw your own. Starting from the centre, map the first ring from your birth. Then, using a series of rings moving outwards, map the following years up to your life right now.
In each ring capture memories, lessons, significant experiences that signify that time in your life. Once you have completed the exercise, take a moment to take in what you have created. You might want to write about it in your journal or talk it through with someone you trust. Often, when we sit still long enough, knowing what to do next becomes clear. In Africa there is an old saying based on the mythical Sankofa bird. It tells us that before going forward, one has to look back. Seeing the footprints of the life we have already walked can help us decide on where we would like our feet to guide us in the future.
You might also like to work through my Acorn To Oak worksheet which you can download with this post. The worksheet takes you through a series of questions that allows you to review and celebrate your life and what you have come through.
Here is the link to Sharon Lippincott’s Tree of Me Blog.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
The Purple Tree by Marie Binder©
Sometimes there is nothing to say about an image other than to drink it in.
What do you see and feel when you look at this image?
Free write for 7 minutes.
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
Watch the video for Jackee’s submission to Hay House Publishers for her new book ‘Tree wRites’
Click here if above link does not open: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srnXc1W5MJ0
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Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
“I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree” – source unknown
“Every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver”
– Martin Luther - Theologian
My story began one hot summer’s afternoon in a small park in South London where I live. I was with a friend having lunch when we headed for the shade of a small tree to shelter from the unusual heat of a summers day in London. After about an hour or so of chatting and catching up we began gathering up our stuff when I noticed a small plaque in front of the tree. Something urged me to read what it said – “ This tree is an Elder Tree and is a tree witches turned into to escape persecution.” For no real, logical reason that I could explain I hurriedly copied down the information on a scrap of paper where it laid for almost a year living in several piles of paper on top my desk. Like I said earlier there was no logical reason why I wrote this information down and no strong reasons for why I held onto the scrap of paper. Sometime not knowing why can be more powerful than the knowing itself.
When we write we bring what is on the inside to the outside. I like to think of that day as the day I planted the roots for this story. Roots that I had no idea how deep they plunged from and what stories the branches of this story would bear. Eventually I did type the information up and filed it away.
Meanwhile other parts of the story were beginning to come alive. Following the time after my first visit with the Elder Tree I came across a wonderful book, ‘Tree Wisdom,’ by Jacqueline Memory Patterson. It was a wonderful book, which I still enjoy reading today, which described the sacred and healing energy of trees. The Elder Tree was included in its content. This not only surprised me but intrigued me as well. But again I had no logical evidence about why this was.
Gradually over the next three years I became very interested in the sacred and spiritual energies of trees. Whenever I could I would find out about the trees in my local area. I began including trees a lot more in my spiritual work with women on weekend spiritual retreats and workshops. I would identify the biggest Oak Tree in my local Park or the park closest to where the retreat was begin held and under the shelter of the huge Oak we would pour libations to our ancestors and carry out Forgiveness ritual and ceremonies. Unbeknownst to me I was doing my intuiting gathering of the seeds of this story, which was yet to unfold.
There were lots of changes happening in my life during this time. I felt a strong urge to rename myself as a way of affirming the new identity I felt I was growing into as a woman. The biggest urge was to let go of my Christian name of Jackie and my surname Holder and rename myself with a name that was steeped in the roots of my ancestral belonging, with an African name. However I knew that being given a name was a process and a journey and that I would need to trust, allowing the name itself to be revealed. What I didn’t know was that deep inside me my surname was strengthening it’s roots and holding on and my first name was loosening itself for a small but significant shift.
The name change turned out to be small but significant. Inspired by the name of an African American actress I changed the spelling of my Christian name from Jackie to Jackee. This small change made big waves. The name felt balanced almost as if it contained a strong connection to the good things of my past and good things of my present and my future.
It was not the same for my surname. Though desperate to relieve myself of it, try as I would to let it go it just didn’t feel right. Even the throw away comment from a spiritual teacher a few years earlier who suggested that I get rid of the name because it meant I held onto things wasn’t a strong enough motive. So the surname stayed.
Over the next few years I did not question my curiosity about the Elder Tree. I simply kept searching, discovering and gathering any information I could about that Tree and other trees. I started a growing collection of books about trees, which fed my hunger for more myths, and stories about Trees from around the world.
Finally in 1999 an incident brought the fragmented pieces of this story together. I was entering the last leg of completing my first book Soul Purpose – self-affirming rituals. Meditations and creative exercises to revive your soul. As my deadline to complete the book was fast approaching I would head off to one of the local libraries where I would occupy almost the same spot everyday. This became a daily ritual. However on this particular day I arrived to find that my spot was occupied forcing me to go find another spot to camp out for the day.
Very quickly I found myself engrossed in my writing and editing when I eventually stopped to take a break and without thinking stretch my arms backwards and casually brush against some books on the shelf behind. Probably on the look out for some form of distraction which it is so easy for us writers to engage in. I turned around and grabbed a book to distract myself for a minute or two. One in particular caught my eye. It was a book of names. Almost immediately I started leafing through the book searching for the meaning of the name Jackee. I found nothing but instead of putting the book down I felt compelled to continue my search. I turned it over to look at the cover and realized this was a book of surnames rather than Christian names so I did the next logical thing and headed towards the “H” section to see whether my surname was listed. I really didn’t expect to find much. If you remember earlier in the blog of all my birth names Holder is the name I most wanted to rid of.
So imagine my surprise when I saw Holder staring back at me from the page. I was stunned as my eyes took in the words of print. What became the icing on the cake was when I took in the words of what it said: “The name Holder has German origins and was the name given to people who lived nearby an Elder tree.”
Stories, Myths and legends associated with the Elder Tree – Source Tree Wisdom by Jacqueline Memory Paterson
Elder Tree Stories, Myths & Legends
When you think of the Elder, think Witches and magic. Folklore surrounding the Elder Tree includes the legend of witches turning into the Elder Tree to escape persecution. That’s what was on the plaque next to my first sighting of the Elder Tree. Like the Baobab Tree of the plains of Africa and Australia the Elder Tree has many medicinal purposes.
• Rubbing an Elder stick on warts cures them.
• Young shoots of boiled elder can help heal the lungs and head of phlegm
• Oils distilled from Elder flowers can be used in eye infections.
• Elder flower ointment was used to heal horses wounds during times of war.
• An Elder in full bloom was said to herald the arrival of the summer.
• Virtually every ailment of the body is cured by some part of the Elder Tree.
• In ancient times Elder bark was used to cleanse the stomach and system in case of food poisoning.
• A farm with Elder trees growing is considered blessed.
• The juice of fresh elder leaves eases inflammation of the eyes and if sniffed, clears a stuffy nose.
• For blessings, of people, places or things use the leaves or berries of Elder and scatter them to the four winds.
Tree Action
I hope you enjoyed my story about the Elder Tree. This story could be your story. If you were moved by this story and have one of your own why not share it with us. Send us your story with photo (if possible) as a Word file and we will share it on the Tree wRites blog, which will be live next week on my website www.jackeeholder.com
In the meantime why not schedule in some time over the next seven days to spend time with a Tree in your neighbourhood. You could stop and admire a Tree for a few minutes. You could walk in closer and rest your back against her bark. Or you could name a Tree you live or work close to. For your final inspiration why not take a photo of your favourite Tree.
A week before finishing this piece I took a trip back to the home of the Elder Tree which I first visited so many years back. I was with Robin, a great photographer who is working with me on Tree wRites. I was looking forward to seeing the Elder Tree again whilst holding some anxiety in my body, remembering how frail she had looked at my last visit a few years back. I was also excited as Robin was with me to take some new photos for this blog post. We wandered around for several minutes searching for her amongst a lot of debris (the park where she lived was being re-developed) when it finally dawned on me that she was gone. A few minutes later we found the vacant hole where she once lived. Thank goodness I still had three Polaroid photos I took on my last visit a few years ago that I could use for this post.
Many of our Tree’s will not survive us. So let’s honour them by planting their stories and sharing them with each other on the page and with our online communities.
Welcome to Tree wRites. Welcome to the tribe of Tree and nature lovers.
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Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
My earliest memory of trees was from the age of six. It was the summer holidays and Mum allowed us all, that’s my two older brothers and I, to go off for a few hours to our local park.
I was the only girl in the group of boys and I was carrying my doll. I recall it was a hot day with the sun shining on us all as we walked along the streets of West Norwood on our way to the park.
Norwood Park is a hilly park and it’s rumoured that on a clear day you can stand on the highest point and see Alexandra Palace in North London.
My brothers kicked a football as we trawled the streets. I guess they were a little angry that they had to drag their little sister with them. I was simply in the way and I remember getting the message loud and clear. At least I had my doll for companionship.
It was a long walk to the park but I’ll never forget the sense of wonder I felt as we walked along the Elm and Oak tree lined path that led to the swings where we were headed. The trees back then (in the late sixties) were tall and majestic. We wandered beneath the shelter of huge Oak’s, Horse Chestnuts and Sycamores. They towered over the small and slender frame of my six-year-old self and appeared as friendly faces smiling down on the little one.
I felt safe, seen and held as I walked amongst those huge earth creatures. Some were older than my parents and their parents before them. Even then there was a calmness that I felt, although my six-year-old self could not name it.
What’s your first memory of tree’s? We would love to hear your tree memories.
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