Finding Our Way Back to the Woods

A walk in the woods makes it easy to understand the awe and reverence our ancestors had for trees, but for a time we lost our way through the woods and forgot that we, too, are part of the natural world.

Since the time of Newton, scientists viewed the world as a machine instead of a living system—trees were just fuel for man’s engine. In the excitement of scientific discovery, reverence for nature was trampled. Religious leaders of the time were also caught up in the stampede to place humans above everything else. In their minds, nature had to be subdued and controlled. As technologies advanced, a false sense of power expanded, and the momentum that moved us farther from the natural world increased.

While it seems that we have traded material wealth for spiritual poverty, quite possibly the pendulum has swung to its full extent and is now swinging back. Greater numbers of people are searching for spiritual fulfillment and are consciously making everyday choices that are in line with their beliefs.

Even the scientific community is beginning to acknowledge how incredibly complex and beautiful life on earth is, and some are bold enough to say that we humans are amateurs—even though we know a lot, we actually know very little. The gap between science and spirituality is not the chasm it once was. There is an acknowledgement of the wisdom that comes from within—within ourselves and within nature.

Trees provide a gateway into a wider world of spirit which can help us find our place in the “web of life” and its timeless mysteries. Trees provide multiple pathways to tap into this web for magical and spiritual purposes, as well as to simply embrace and enhance life. Like music, trees speak to something deep and primal within us. They can help us open our souls to the power and spirit of earth’s rhythms. They can help us harvest the fruit of our spiritual journey and find the seeds of our future.

Excerpted from
Whispers from the Woods
© Llewellyn

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