trees | ravenwolfsong

One of my favorite things to do is to go out in my backyard and pick up the small twigs and branches that fall from the canopy of trees surrounding my home. There is something very calming about the rhythmic movement of wandering barefoot through the messy grass – – -bending, grasping, collecting in my hands – – – each sacred stick.

Much of my life is spent reflecting on the experiences and connections I have created, and the spiritual lessons that I gain from each one. Often, I will try to step out of myself and become an observer so that my perspective is less reactive and personal. In this space of in-between, I am able to connect with the true knowing of who I am, a Soul Being of Light, who is very grateful to enjoy the physicalness of this earthly world.

In this way I am able to understand the steps that I need to take in order to continue my life of Walking in Beauty. If I choose to become unaware of the ways in which I am becoming, inevitably, I will be diverted from all that I want to be.

This is my belief, and I try to be mindful.

The rest of my consciousness is mostly tied up in planning the daily actions necessary for me to care and provide for my family. With all of this high-powered awareness, sometimes I crave the absolute nothingness of just being.

This is why picking up sticks is so quieting for me. There’s something freeing about inhabiting my body fully, with my senses completely engaged, and my mind drifting with the clouds in the sky. I find this time soothing to my nervous system while also being gently pleasurable.

The touch of the ground on the soles of my feet, the songs of life from the birds fluttering overhead. A grasshopper makes itself known in the tall grass, and a butterfly sips from a bright flower.

A little toad hops out from the garden clover hidden from my eyes until suddenly, here we are together, sharing in this sacred moment of just being.

I have been practicing the art of stick removal for many years. As you can see, I have accumulated a lovely stack of offerings that I have placed next to our outdoor fire ring. It’s an ongoing artistic collection that shifts and changes with every season.

I have no intention of creating a yard of perfection as I prefer the natural beauty of untethered nature. My main goal is to create a safe space for our beloved dog Skadi so that she can run from end to end on her daily barking patrols, and to also create a peaceful woodland-lake vibe.

Picking up sticks is the least I can do for my beautiful sanctuary.

The bigger branches are carefully added to the archway of my garden.

Everyone needs a magic portal to get from here to there, and then back again.

Each of these branches come from one of the guardian trees around us, thus making my garden archway more than just what it appears.

Sometimes, especially at night, I will stand directly underneath the highest point of the arc so that I am neither here nor there, but somewhere in between. I gaze quietly out into the nothingness around me, and smile.

As a Soul Being of Light – Picker Upper of Sticks – this is one of my favorite places to be.

Thank you for reading my blog. I would love to know how you find tranquility in nature, please share if you are so inclined.

In Peaceful Mindfulness, Raven

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We all wear changing cloaks as we walk through life, protecting us from what is not comfortable, hiding vulnerabilities, while also expressing the beauty of how we want to be seen. Only when we are able to stand before friends and loved ones, even our perceived enemies, uncovered without armor, do we reflect the truth of what really lies within.

Trees have always been sacred to me. Something about their graceful strength fills my heart with a sense of eternity. Many times have I smoothed my hand over the rough bark just to feel the vibration of their songs echo through my soul.

Winter is here, and I am happy to hibernate for as long as I can while still enjoying the great outdoors. I love this time of quiet solitude, when most people are hidden away in their homes. I try to walk every day, not just for the health of my body, but to be refreshed by the beauty of nature. I have several trees I stop to visit with along the way. They tell me how nice it is to trust the rhythm of our earth, and how tranquil it is to feel the gentle scrolling of passing time, from the earliest of morning rays, into the darkness of setting night.

When I moved here to New England, a lifetime ago, it was in late Autumn. The trees that had been so lush when I visited one summer as a teen, now stood naked and unadorned. Coming from Southern California, I was unused to seeing trees without leaves, and in their starkness I felt such loss.

A wise friend of mine who has been my spiritual mentor for several decades helped me to see through different eyes. I will always remember the comfort of her words;

This is when they are most beautiful. Each tree stripped down to bare bones, no longer hiding behind a cloak of leaves, revealing their soul essence.

Seeing them this way now brings me such joy. I appreciate my winter walks so much more for being able to view their divinity from my new perspective. I count myself lucky for each and every moment that I get to spend in their healing presence.

photo by Deven, along the beach in Maine

As I saunter through neighborhood streets, and forests far and wide, trees of every size surround me wherever I go. The lines and curves of each branch outline my path, creating sculptures against the sky. I may not always know their names, but they are my dearest companions.

With Spring still many miles up the road, and then suddenly just around the corner, I will be ready when it arrives to enjoy one of my favorite sights: newly sprouted leaves, vivid and bright, magically coloring the canvas of our world. No matter how many times I witness the blooming of creation, I am amazed how miraculous the birth of a leaf can be.

Life constantly gives us a chance to clothe ourselves in something brand new, opening our eyes and waking us up to possibilities. Like the trees we are able to shed what no longer brings substance. Gazing inward, we let go and allow the ever flowing beauty of transformation to begin. Only in the coldness of winter, with our roots digging deep into the earth, are we able to feel the warmth of the sun gently nudging us awake.

Having lost my leaves before the solstice, I will be ready when the light of spring returns to clothe myself once again into something beautifully my own. Vulnerable, yet protected in my bareness, I am grateful for this time of drowsy slumber, knowing my new leafy cloak will fully express the sacredness of all that I have grown into, and will also soon become.

Trusting, I lift my branches high up to the sun, confident my new leaves will symbolize everything that is right and perfect for me.