Hello, I’m Sue Bagust and I’m a tree-hugger.

But before we get into a discussion on whether the description tree-hugger is an insult or actually a good thing – let’s first have a look at where trees fit in, and what they do.

First of all let’s go back to basics.

Physicists can now trace matter down to the core and advise that we are all made of the same energy with different vibrations. This means that everything you see is made up of the same energy as you, we all just vibrate at a different frequency.

Now that gives a whole new meaning to the Beach Boys’ song Good Vibrations.

So everyone on this earth is made up of the same energy. We just vibrate differently. Those books are made up of the same particles, as is this floor – and those trees ….

We just vibrate to a different beat.

If you extrapolate that out to our whole huge web of life that makes up our world, and then give the picture a slight twist – you can see how our world itself lives and breathes.

Think of the land that supports you, that nourishes you and gives you life. The land that makes you Australian …

If you relate it to human terms, her mountains are like the bones.

Her larva is the bone marrow.

Her streams and rivers are the veins and arteries.

And if her waters are the blood supply, then her trees are the lungs creating oxygen.

Look at what trees really do. Roots in the soil, branches lifted to heaven, leaves busily turning carbon dioxide into oxygen for other living species to breathe, even though those other living species vibrate differently so don’t belong to the tree family, but do belong to the vast web of life on this planet.

Gives a whole new perspective to our lives, doesn't it?

If you follow this analogy further, you may even get to see our human species living on the Earth rather like fleas on a dog. Every now and again the dog will get irritated by the flea bites, and either scratch or flick the biting flea off --- I do wonder sometimes if the increasing number and ferocity of cyclones, tornadoes, typhoons, mud slides, earthquakes, are our Earth’s reaction to our human actions on this planet. Like when a dog is being bitten too severely, he begins to scratch in earnest to get rid of the problem…

But back to trees …

In this time of global warming it is wise to plant trees wherever possible and to nurture living ones. Trees are cooling. They prevent evaporation of rainwater, hold back water to prevent floods and erosion, purify stagnant and polluted water, and maintain the balance of oxygen and carbon in a world increasingly polluted by greenhouse gases. Ancient tress especially should be honored and protected, because they remember the ancient times.

Now who has actually hugged a tree?

Trees have their own energy, and every tree has its own energy field, just like humans have what we call an aura.

It’s the external manifestation of our inner life – the etheric body around all living things. And if you look, you can see it around a tree.

Have you ever seen a tree’s aura?

If you want to do this exercise, James Redfield has given a great description of how to connect with a tree to see its energy in his Celestine Prophecy.

As well as seeing the aura of a tree, you can also interact with a tree’s energy. One way to do this is through meditation. The main thing to remember when you do energy work like this, is to pay for the service. To say thank you, and to leave an appropriate gift. Like milk, or ginger, or if you follow the North American ways, some tobacco.

That is one of the reasons I asked you to visualize a tree that you already know for this meditation; because it will be easy for you to leave an appropriate gift at an appropriate time, to thank the tree for helping you. You need to leave what is appropriate for the tree, and for your beliefs, so that you are paying honour to, and showing respect for what the tree has done for you.

It is only polite to thank a tree when you have used its parts for medicine or for magic. You can ask trees to take your pain. Or your worries. Or your wart, should you have one. And when the service is performed, it's only polite to say thank you.

It’s called Green Etiquette …

Make a habit of giving back to the trees. A meal of fertilizer, a drink during a hot spell, or offering of herbs such as sage or tobacco are always correct. In the Celtic tradition, vervain, honey, or apple cider were given. Or a simple prayer was spoken, that the tree and its relations always have abundant sunshine, pure water to drink, healthy winds, and the companionship of birds and butterflies and other friendly spirits.

So that’s one way to interact with the magic of the tree.

Another way is to work with the tree itself, for its magical or medicinal qualities.

There is also an etiquette to gathering tree medicines. It is best not to cut the bark off the trunk of a living tree, you could harm the tree. You could even kill the tree if you remove the bark from around the girth of the tree (this is called ringbarking). Use bark from a twig or a root of a felled tree, just strip the bark off with a sharp knife. Mostly, you'll find the medicine you need in the living green or yellowy green layer just under the outer bark. You can either use this medicine immediately or dry it to use later. To dry bark, lay the strips separately in the shade, do not overlap the strips as this may hinder the drying process. If you are drying leaves for later use, you don't need to worry about overlapping, just tie the leaves together and hang them in bunches in a dry shady area.

And don’t forget your Green Etiquette; do thank the tree, in an appropriate manner, for its service.

Following on from this knowledge of the medicinal properties of individual trees, came the knowledge of how to work with a tree’s magical qualities. The Australian medicines from my own country are the ones that I find particularly interesting, but I’ll be focusing on the Celtic, because that is the area that I know best. However I do believe that whatever knowledge a simple tribal people like the Celts developed – would also be mirrored around the world in other cultures. So if you are particularly interested in Chinese trees, or Indian trees, or African trees, or American trees whether North or South, just start looking for information and it will come.

Anyway, the Celts were called tree lovers by the Romans – and the Romans did not mean it as a compliment, just as today’s loggers don’t use tree-hugger in a complimentary way.

This was partly because the religious observances of the Druids, the Celtic priests, usually took place in a sacred grove of trees. The Ogham (pronounced owam) or sacred alphabet developed by the Druids contained hidden secrets for magic and divination, which were revealed only to the initiated.

But it was also because the whole society really respected trees. Proof of their respect for trees is shown by their law, which said that any who deliberately harmed a tree should give his own life - and his intestines - to bandage and heal the tree.

I do wonder if we returned to showing such respect for our trees, for our Earth, for our authentic selves, whether we would notice a change for the better in our climate, our forests, our vegetation, our food chain, our health, our lives ...

It's just a thought ...... for your consideration.

Bright blessings

t.