We need trees

Trees

This is such a huge subject it has books all to itself but I will cover just a little about our lovely trees.

I am lucky enough to have woodland five minutes drive away and a forest a ten minute drive away from me but I don’t always have access to a car so some days I have to make do with the trees that line the street on the walk to school with my youngest or the tree (that was actually supposed to only grow to the size of a bush) that grows in my garden. 

We need trees…the planet needs trees and not just because they look amazing but because they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, oxygen being the stuff that we as humans need to breathe – definitely important.

Trees have their roots deep in the earth which is their connection to the Underworld/Otherworld, their trunks are in the land of men or the Middle World and the top branches reaching up to the sky make the connection to the Upper World.  In fact a tree is an excellent focus point for journeying or as I do, Hedge Riding.  The tree is an access point to the three different realms.

There is a huge joke about ‘tree huggers’ but seriously hugging a tree does you the world of good and it can also lend you energy, healing, knowledge and wisdom.  However…don’t forget to ask the permission first, not all trees want to be hugged and not all trees will be happy to work with you.  Ask first and respect the answer you are given.

Trees are also our seasonal compass.  Bear in mind that I don’t live in a little cottage in the middle of a forest, seriously not all witches do…shocking I know, I do however live on the edge of a large city but we have the odd tree dotted around.  There is in fact a large silver birch tree at the end of my road and this is the tree that guides me through the seasons.  I can watch it from my bedroom window as it goes through the changing and losing of leaves in the autumn, to the stark bare branches in the winter then the new buds and growth in the spring to the lush green leaves in the summer.  It doesn’t have a calendar to check what the date is; the tree follows the weather and keeps in line with the seasons whatever they might be.

Have a delve into history and read about all the different trees that appear in myths and legends because there are a huge amount of stories ranging across different cultures and pantheons.

Research your area and find out what varieties of trees you have, I bet you will be surprised about how many there are, also have a look and see what types of tree are native as well.

We need trees and we need to look after them...