Trees

Mt. Te Aroha framed by the trees of the
Howarth Memorial Wetlands one of my
favourite places to connect with Nature.

One of my favourite  poets is Rabindranath Tagore who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. I have used many of his quotes in ceremony and today as I worked in the garden pruning my trees I reflected on his quote - 


'Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven.'  


I have always had a real passion, for trees as well as a love of nature, of flowers, gardening and gardens. 


So it is no wonder I  became a florist and have always loved my garden wherever I have lived.


There is a peace and serenity in working in a garden or walk in a forest or through the New Zealand bush, as you connect in such an intimate way with Mother Nature. It is as though you are walking on sacred ground and connecting with Nature in a wonderful and mysterious way.


Trees, plants (such as roses) and shrubs have featured in many of the ceremonies I have taken over the years be it as symbols of future growth or in remembrance of loved ones.


Trees have always held a deep significance throughout history and in most cultures. 


'Trees, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the tree of life, the Ygdrassil tree in Norse mythology are often seen as noble or awesome. Trees symbolize life, growth, reaching down to the ground and up to the sky at the same time. The Druids of early Britain worshipped trees, the Greeks assigned them spirits, called dryads, and individual trees have been seen as sacred by many peoples at different times: the oak, the birch, the laurel, and the yew, to name a few. For Amerindian peoples of the northern Pacific coast, trees are used to create totem poles that serve as a visual representation of ancestry or historical and mythological happenings.'
www.clanofdanu.tripod.com/trees.html


At a Naming ceremony I took some years ago everyone was given a small ribbonwood tree to take home. I planted mine in the garden and it is now a beautiful, healthy tree of over six feet. In another Naming ceremony the parents had named their son Rowan so they planted a Rowan tree in their garden to celebrate his birth and Naming.


This is a blessing I wrote for a tree planting at a Naming where the parents chose a Puriri tree (Vitex Luccens) to remember their son's Naming Day.


I bless this tree with the love surrounding you all today

I ask that it grows strong and tall.providing shelter and shade

May birds nest in its branches and bees take nectar from its flowers     

May sunlight bring it warmth and the rains refresh it’s leaves and roots               

May it draw sustenance from Mother Earth, Papatuanuku 

And withstand the howling winds and raging storms

May it's branches reach out to the heavens and

May it always have special significance for each of you

May it hold a special place in your hearts throughout the years 

It is planted with love so may it be a lasting symbol of the love

Surrounding and supporting this child throughout his life.

Trees have a special place in the Maori culture. For example the mighty tōtara (Podocarpus totara) is symbolic of a great chief. and the following expression describes the death of a chief:

Kua hinga te tōtara i Te Waonui a Tāne.

A tōtara has fallen in the great forest of Tāne.

The Bible tells us of the' Tree of Life' where Eve was tempted by the snake to eat the apple of knowledge and many people create 'Family Trees' when they trace their family history when researching their genealogy. 


Trees provide wood for shelter and for fire to keep us warm, they provide shade and somewhere to rest under. They provide us with nourishment - there is nothing quite like picking the new season's fruit is there? There wouldn't be many kids who have cheekily stolen a forbidden apple or two from a neighbour's tree - memories of childhood escapades come to mind!


We make jokes about trees such as 'If money doesn't grow on trees then why do banks have branches?' There are proverbs about them and I love this Chinese proverb - 'Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.'


I have planted trees to remember those I love who have died and given them as gifts of remembrance because, for me, trees symbolise the eternity of love and friendship, of beauty and of growth. For me, this poem by Nancy Wood, says it all. . .

You shall ask

What good are dead leaves,

and I will tell you

They nourish the sore earth

You shall ask what reason is there for winter

And I will tell you to bring about new leaves

You shall ask why are the leaves so green

And I will tell you because

they are rich with life

You shall ask why must summer end

And I will tell you so that

the leaves can die.