Spiritual Deadwood: Seeking Wisdom from Trees

Last updated on: September 3, 2024 at 1:48 pm by Ash

Spiritual Deadwood: Seeking Wisdom from Trees 2024-09-03T13:48:12-04:00 Ash

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A Virgo New Moon on a Tuesday. Is anyone else feeling its aggressive energy? Because I’ve been getting knocked around by some spiritual and physical wallopers these past few days and it all came to a head this morning. I wrote a post last week about some of the changes brought by my initiations into Sacred Pentagraph and Horsa. Well, I’m here to tell you that the process is still unfolding and the ripple effects are far and wide!

In a letter from one of my initiators, he recommended I “seek wisdom from the trees” as I navigate my new spiritual path. I’ve had a connection to trees since childhood. I remember being a child and thinking that pine trees would release their sap because they were bleeding. I’d pick up fallen leaves from surrounding deciduous trees and place them on the “wounds” that I could reach. How can I staunch my own wounds? I suppose I have to identify my wounds, first, because not all of them are obvious to the naked eye.

Adapt to Your Environment

I’ve always been moved by trees’ beauty, strength, resilience, and audacity to grow however they please. They adapt as best they can to their environments, sometimes growing around inanimate objects or other trees so that they can continue their growth. How might I do the same? How am I being called to adapt to my environment? I cannot control my environment but I can control how or if I growth with it. In that way, I can control my reaction to another’s action. I’ve been failing in that department in my personal life — letting impulse guide my reactions, even if my Higher Self knows better.

While walking my dog this morning, I saw a crew of people gearing up to fell a couple of trees. One of the trees has had rotten branches hanging over a portion of the sidewalk we walk on for awhile. I’ve often thought about how the land owners need to cut the branches down for safety’s sake. Well, that day has finally come and I found myself tearing up at the knowledge that it would finally happen. I’m hoping that they’ll just cut the dead weight and leave the rest of the tree, but I’ll see the end result later today.

It dawned on me this morning that there are areas of my life where I can apply some tree wisdom. Remember last week when I was talking about those Shadow tendencies of mine? Well, I need to treat some of them like rotten branches and remove them before they fall off on their own and hurt someone else. The tree is still good and it needs some pruning (read: I am still a good person and I need to prune some of my shittier traits). I am not a bad person for making mistakes. In fact, I can choose to be a better person by recognizing how I’m hurting myself and others and then doing something about it. It will only continue to be a mistake if I do nothing.

Image via Pixabay.

Prune Negative Behaviors

I’ve been experiencing some dark night of the soul stuff prior to this morning’s revelation. It got to the point where I was feeling a bit of self-loathing, actually. If I’m to make good on my goal to be a better person then it’s time I stop dwelling on my faults. The energy of Virgo allowed me to see (in detail) which of my branches needed pruning and now it’s time to get out the saw. It’s not a process that can be rushed or I might do a hack-job, staunching any new growth that may result.

I’m sure the release of the dead-weight will feel amazing, but the process of sawing off the rotten branches will take some time (and may be painful). And what’s to be done about all the deadwood we saw off? Well, we can either leave it piled up for others to trip over OR we can do something constructive with it. While deadwood may not be the best material for building homes, it can make for some excellent firewood. Fire is an element of transformation; it breaks down one element and releases it as another. We can warm ourselves by this fire and use it to ward off potential predators (or future negative behaviors).

Tonight, I plan to do a ritual wherein I release the negative behaviors associated with my Shadow tendencies through fire. I’ll then bury the remaining ashes in the earth with a seed, and then water it. I can’t just rely on the the ritual to do my heavy lifting, though. I have to actually start replacing those negative behaviors with better ones, immediately. I’ll make mistakes along the way but at least I’m trying to move forward.

So, maybe do me a favor and go hug a tree (a person). There are many that are hurting out there and could use some care and attention.

Follow me on Instagram @lady_of_the_broomstick

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