Narrated by Sanja.
Illustration by Manoscritto Zoroaster 'Clavis Artis', 1738 Biblioteca Civica Hortis, Trieste.
I have, and in this story, I would love to share my Alice in Wonderland experience with you.
Recently, I sat on the exposed roots of a magnificent tree and had, without a doubt, the closest thing one can feel to a mystical experience. As I sat there, I spoke to the tree, and within myself, I said this:
"Dear tree. Hug time. Is it a hug time already? Yes, let’s hug. That feels good. I could hug you forever. Are you having the best time? I am. Can you feel our hearts synchronizing? I can.
I am so happy we have taken the first step toward a genuine friendship. Your poetic spirit is beautiful, and sometimes, I need only to stand near you to feel some strengthening throb of amazement.
For quite a while, I have been meaning to share something with you about us humans - we are vulnerable.
Our wings are neatly folded at the back and not readily visible. But standing next to you, we are encouraged to unfold our wings and learn to use them properly.
Thank you for listening and providing shade and your unique perspective on things. How do you stay so strong?
I guess it’s your nature to be strong because we all depend on you. Could you imagine what would happen to us if you and your Tree friends were not around? It would be like living on the Moon.
I think I speak for all of us when I say that our wish is that you be The Queen one day.
Without a doubt, it is your incredible presence, the allure of a queen, that makes the world a better place.
Oh, your Highness, look, a Harpy eagle is soaring above us. Well, isn’t that a super
fantastic sign?"
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This tree made my child-like soul like a nocturnal wind. Nowadays, when I return to this scene, I am flooded with a multitude of fantasies. One of these fantasies involves the beloved poet Mary Oliver and her 'Upstream' collection of essays.
Are you familiar with Mary’s work?
While you read her essays, you will be basking in the radiance of her mind, and you will be lost in the beauty of her thoughts forever.
You will discover that her words are not just a mere collection of letters on a blank page. They are a place to enter.
There is an expression in her book The Upstream which is hers alone, only hers:
“This hour, I tell things in confidence. I might not tell everybody, but I will tell you.
The farthest star and the mud at our feet are a family, and there is no decency or sense in honoring one thing or a few things and then closing the list. The pine tree, the leopard, the Platte River, and ourselves - we are at risk together, or we are on our way to a sustainable world together. We are each other's destiny.”
With her words, Mary invites us to kneel with great respect in front of the violets, wildflowers, and singing crickets. She invites us to sit alone and pray to a spider, gardenias, a grass bulb, and a climbing rose, imagining them with the AURA of a Great Reincarnated Lama."I believe everything has a soul.
One tree is like another tree, but not too much. One tulip is like the next tulip, but not altogether. More or less like people - a general outline than the stunning individual strokes.
Hello, the oak tree I have hugged and kissed every first day of spring for the last thirty years. And in reply, its thousands of leaves tremble!
"Belong to the world," she suggests, "and give yourself to it married to amazement."
Mary took many solitary walks in the woods, quietly discovering wonder and awe in life’s smallest corners.
With her Sun, Venus, Neptune, Lilith, Ceres, and Pallas wrapped in the energy of Virgo, Mary must have felt that it was her sacred duty to initiate the reader in the ways of true happiness.
Without the natural world, our beloved Virgo writer could not be a poet. Someone else could, but not the Virgo. For them, the door to the woods is the door to the temple.
For Virgo, beauty is never just on the surface of things; beauty contains healing properties, and its value is incalculable precisely for this reason.
The beauty of our Earth is likewise priceless and inexpressible; perhaps this is why Mary Oliver used the language steeped in thaumaturgy, as there are not many ways to express the inexpressible.
And so, speaking of nature's natural beauty, I must ask you, dear reader:
Are you looking for some beauty to admire? Something to be captivated, enchanted, and fascinated by…
Why not pick a tree?
If you want me to choose an extra special tree just for you, I will.
Assuming you'll say yes? Yes!
I will let you in on a little secret: The tree you give admiration to will never forget you. It will gaze upon you with the eyes of love, taking in every detail about you.
The rustling of its leaves will whisper your name, and its branches will reach out to hold you in an embrace.
In the stillness of the night, the tree will be thinking of you. And in the light of day, the tree will tell its dear friends all about you.
Now, it's easy for some to dismiss the wonder and awe of the natural world as mere childishness, but I must disagree.
No matter how mature or confident we may appear when we stand before our planet - lovingly referred to as Gaia, Pachamama, or Mother Earth - she recognizes that within us sleeps a child eager to be loved and cherished.
Just imagine the wonder of this party! Everyone would be there. Everyone? Who is everyone?
All the celebrities, of course: the delicate flowers, the intricate bugs, the soaring birds… all dressed in the latest fashion, à la mode. Yes, everyone will join us in this celebration. Even the spirits that are hovering nearby will be ready for their close-up.
Quote References:
Written by Sanja Kljaic
Animation by Lotte Budai. This story was written under the care and guidance of the Spirit who lives in nature. Many thanks to my friend the Tree, who has put much creative energy into bringing this story to fruition. Also, Mary Oliver (1935 – 2019), your dear book "Upstream," deserves much love and attention. And to you, reader-friend, you are valuable beyond words. If time permits, please take a moment to admire Lotte's gentle tree animation, which captures the imaginative child that lives within us.
