Flowering Tree Ceremony

“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth.”― Hermann Hesse

This Equinox, I encourage you to find a tree that draws you. This tree could be in your home land, or in a local park or from your past. I like to call these trees the Mother Trees.

Suzanne Simard has helped identify something called a “Mother Tree.” Mother trees are the largest trees in forests that act as central hubs for vast below ground mycorrhizal networks. They support young trees or seedlings by infecting them with fungi and ferrying them the nutrients they need to grow.

This Equinox I would like to offer the practice of The Flowering Tree Ceremony.

This ceremony was handed down to Rupert Sheldrake from Harley Swiftdeer at the Peaceful Cultures Conference at the Ojai Foundation in 1984. Linda Tellington Jones, one of my teachers, was at that conference and has recently passed this onto me.

Please enjoy the wisdom and grace of this ritual.

Imagine you are with a beautiful tree that you have met somewhere in the world that calls to you. Greet the tree imagining a hug.

1) Imagine sitting with your back to the north side of the tree and ask: who am I?
2) Get up and go the the Southside of the tree and ask: Where do I come from?
3) Go the the East side fo the tree and ask: What am I doing here?
4) Go the the West side of the tree and ask: Where am I going?
5) One final question for your tree: Do you have anything more to tell me?

Write in your journal the answers you got from the tree. Enjoy the wisdom of your Flowering Tree Ceremony.