The tree is so silent.
Day 29 of my tree puja. I hear birdsong as the voice of the tree. I consider the importance of ritual, and the disturbance of its loss when tradition is trampled by modernity.
I was there at the grey time, listening to the silence of the tree, thinking how I talk too much.
The tree cannot walk but it never ceases to grow.
Day 28 of my tree puja. The seasons do not stand still. The brightness of flowers sprinkles the earth, while the tree is yet to emerge from her slumber. And yet, she has a message that helps me stabilise my mind today.
The tree said to me, be steady, be steadfast, one foot in front of the other, keep walking.
The ground is not so cold anymore.
Day 23 of my tree puja, in which I move from inner disturbance to inner peace.
Awoke feeling inner disturbance. Don’t know why. At such times I wonder …
I knew that something had changed
Day 21 of my tree puja. Sensing shifts in the tree’s energy according to the seasons was a remarkable aspect of the tree puja. Our urban, house-dwelling lives have desensitised us to this subtle knowledge. Reconnection comes with the routine of ritual.
And I knew that the tree was preparing for Spring, that its blood was starting to flow and its buds to swell.
The tree and the rain are old friends
Day 17 of my tree puja. I almost don’t go because of the cold and rain… but the tree and the outside summon me.
I turned my face up, and the softest rain was sprinkling down upon me. I opened my mouth and felt the gift of the sky…
Tears are little but they have big causes
Day 6 of my tree puja. Emotions come and go, but the tree is always grounded.
This morning with my bare feet I stubbed my toe on a rock in the dark.
Tree, you bring me outside
Day 5 of my tree puja. It’s warm and cosy inside. I venture out to meet the winter morning.
You bring me outside to feel the dripping rain and sodden, rough ground.
Puja ~ The Tree and Me
Tree puja (worship) is an Indian custom in which an offering is made to a tree. In 2009 I vowed to practice this ritual at dawn for one year. As the seasons passed, my relationship with the tree evolved.