It is all a language
Day 55 of my tree puja.
I realise that the offerings made in the puja are more than symbols, or gifts. They are a language.
It is all a language, for me and for the tree. I will leave it to the tree now, to begin to listen again, when she wants to…
Today I am better prepared
Day 54 of my tree puja.
Earth, water, fire, air, ether… the elements are the foundation of ritual in India, acknowledging the building blocks of life.
I squatted on the earth and my feet felt how hard it has become.
I am back from India
Day 53 of my tree puja.
I return after more than a month. It’s midsummer and the tree is coping with midsummer heat.
While I was away, all the long grasses and undergrowth were cleared from the front garden, so that there is open space through to the road. I gather that this disturbed the tree at the time and still does. I apologised. But where are the devas to live?
Sydney, then India
Day 52 of my tree puja.
I can roam but the tree cannot. I say farewell until December 30th.
I assured the tree that I will return. The ritual creates these feelings and connections, by whatever means.
Birds are the Voice of Trees
Day 51 of my tree puja.
This one’s for the birds.
The tree holds arching branches over me, it reaches wide, giving shelter – to birds, to flowers, to me.
Humanness and Treeishness
Day 50 of my tree puja.
At times the business of life makes connection with the tree’s energy difficult.
Humans think and feel and make choices…
Deep In.
Water at their roots, light on their leaves
Day 48 of my tree puja.
The showiness of spring has another side to it - nature is just getting on with being alive. Flowers, leaves, roots, branches, everything working together.
…warmth above and below and nothing to fear. The rose is sending long, ambitious red arms up into the tree…
I, the human, the gardener…
Day 47 of my tree puja.
Why can’t I connect with the tree today? I suggest a few theories.
I felt separate, so I started weeding. I, the human, the gardener, the controller, the one who kills, and cuts, and pulls out by the roots…
The Emergency of Flowering
Day 46 of my tree puja.
I realised that the tree has been desperate to complete drama of flowering and finally grow new leaves. No leaves, no life.
No longer living on stored food, the tree has passed the time of hardship and the emergency of flowering. There is water in the soil and sun from the sky. The earth and air are warm; it can finally retreat and be at ease, all is taken care of.
Nature is on Tiptoes
Day 45 of my tree puja. Blossoms all but gone, lengthening days feed an abundance of light to the eager leaves.
This morning has the quality of mist – like a cat’s fur without the cat, or cherry blossom without the tree. Still, silent, and soft, nature is on tiptoes, quietly breathing, nothing else.
Leaves are the Support Team
Day 44 of my tree puja. As leaves replace the flower festival, the tree seems relieved. Now she can relax and replenish.
A glowing morning, after blessing rain.
I stood with my face in the tree, amongst the new leaves, and said hello to them, and welcome to them.
Nature is on the Alert
Day 43 of my tree puja.
As the blossoms fade and fall, other flowers have their time in the sun. The movement, the cycling of the season is ceaseless.
Spring is a time of adjustment and work. The changes come so fast and so much is to be done. We see the beauty and it looks so effortless and relaxed, but that is appearance only. Nature is on the alert. So much must happen now.
Here is Home, the Wild Home
Day 42 of my tree puja.
Spring is an energy moving through the garden, its air, soil and mind.
I went to the tree, and held her flowers to my face, burying my nose, eyes, mouth, appearance in the petals…
You have Birthed all these Babies
Day 41 of my tree puja. The rain returns, but the power of flower and leaf speaks loud and clear.
The nourishment of light is running in her veins again, the time of sleep and hunger and internalised energy is over.
Sit Quietly and Listen
Day 40 of my tree puja. The surging energy engulfs me, welcoming me into its organic totality of self.
Birds are singing and racketing all around. Lapwings call to one another, while smaller songbirds trill away in the background. I imagine the vibrations we sit amongst, the tree and me.
In the Deathliness of Space
Day 39 of my tree puja. With her spring blossom comes a fresh, enlivened energy and magic. My relationship with the ritual and the tree shifts into a deeper, more subtle and intimate place.
...bunches of petals have emerged from wood, a common miracle. She surrounds me. I squat, eyes closed, hands joined in prayer; I think towards her.
Then Zoomed Past a Car
Day 38 of my tree puja. Nestled in nature, I am disturbed by a passing car, an industrial invasion clashing with the blossom universe unfolding around me.
The flowers are very relaxed, just hanging there in mid-air, waiting for visitors on the wing...
How Arrogant are We Moderns
Day 37 of my tree puja. I reflect on the interaction of my feelings with the tree, and the importance of nature worship, which culture and modernity have rudely rejected.
how arrogant are we moderns, who have gutted nature and abused the wisdom of those who knew her, loved her, revered her and made offering to her...
Remember the Purpose of the Flower
Day 36 of my tree puja. Still raining and cold, but the tree is awakening.
She is busy with pregnancy and production. All efforts are in that direction, with serenity and perfection of purpose. Remember the purpose of the flower...