Writing my way through the A-to-Z blogging challenge, I’ve tasked myself with leading you on a meandering tour of the virtual garden of delights and curiosities and thoughts that make up my world – all through the lens of unusual, obscure, or simply charming-to-me words.
P is for…
psithurism: (noun) sound of wind in the trees; rustling leaves
One of the things I love about Spring is taking walks and watching the trees as they change day by day, week by week. Every year I think I’ll make a project of it, photographing certain trees (or every tree depending on my ambition) but I’ve never gotten around to it. I just look with my eyes, and delight when the trees start budding and then the leaves start unfurling. I never cease to be amazed – it feels so incredibly magical. And that Spring green – that luminous yellow-infused green that appears ever-so briefly is one of my favorite colors. I swear when I see it I literally feel my heart chakra open.
Hermann Hesse was a poet, novelist, and painter, constantly exploring one’s authentic nature, self-knowledge, and spiritual issues. He had a deep love for trees, and I think what he says about them is both beautiful and a powerful invitation to live in sovereign wholeness.
“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.
A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail.
A tree says: My strength is trust. I know nothing about my fathers, I know nothing about the thousand children that every year spring out of me. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end, and I care for nothing else. I trust that God is in me. I trust that my labor is holy. Out of this trust I live.
When we are stricken and cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree has something to say to us: Be still! Be still! Look at me! Life is not easy, life is not difficult. Those are childish thoughts. . . . Home is neither here nor there. Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all.”
I’ve been meditating a lot on those words of late. Don’t they seem exactly the right words to hear at the moment?
One of the books I turn to frequently when I need a little dose of beauty is The Night Life of Trees. I am over-the-treetops in love with Tara Books Publishing, a collective of artists, writers and designers who produce books in India, some of them handmade. They have a wonderful vision/mission and are producing some real treasures. This was the very first book I purchased from them years ago, and I still swoon over it. The art, done by members of Gond Tribe, is silk screened onto black handmade paper, and each tree is accompanied by a short folk tale. A book with so many things I love – folk tales, trees, gorgeous art, and handmade paper! So lovely.
My love of trees started when I was a child. There was a large Sycamore tree that held court in front of my childhood home. I thought it was quite magical and as a child when I first began having dreams of flying, the branches of this beloved tree were always my dream launching pad. Years later when diseased claimed it and other neighboring clan members and it had to be cut down, I mourned. I wish I had a photo of it, but it only lives in my memory, and I have to settle for collecting other photos.
The American Sycamore has the largest leaves of any native tree in America. The trunks can reach a circumference of 50 feet. They can live 500-600 years, and it’s common that at around 100-200 years the trunks become hollow. Animals and birds favor it for shelter, but in the past hollow trees also provided shelter for travelers. There is even a third generation Sycamore tree in West Virginia that in the 1700s provided residence for two brothers, John and Samuel Pringle, for 3 years. Gives a new spin to the concept of tree house, doesn’t it?
I somehow like the idea of becoming hollow with age. I don’t think of it as losing essential parts but rather refining our essence and becoming vessels that can truly hold as much light as possible. And like my beloved Sycamore tree, I wouldn’t mind someone taking flight from my branches.
I love this quote, part of a work by artist Brian Andreas:
“When I die, she said, I’m coming back as a tree with deep roots and I’ll wave my leaves at the children every morning on their way to school and whisper tree songs at night in their dreams. Trees with deep roots know about the things that children need.”
Isn’t that a fabulous intention? I want to whisper tree songs at night in dreams and wave my leaf hands.
What about you? In love with trees? Any one in particular? Are you deeply rooted? Or feeling top heavy? Have a favorite book about trees? Or a song? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
Psithurism, pretty word! I love all kind of trees, from the smallest to the biggest 😉
P is for Pojagi
It IS a wonderful word isn’t it? And I’m always happy to find kindred tree lovers – there are so many trees to enjoy!
Hari OM
Tree, the ultimate symbol of life! I love when they whisper to the wind – who has no confidentiality and carries their secrets to every other tree… creating the psithurism that brought us this delightful post. YAM xx
I do love thinking of the beloved trees whispering and waving both secrets and news, and the wind doing its part to circulate it all.
psithurism – what a wonderful word, and a new one for me! I’m a tree-lover for sure. Not surprising that the tree is a symbol of life and the universe in so many cultures.
Black and White (Words and Pictures)
I think a life spent on the study of trees, both in the field and through the lore of various cultures would be a most wonderful thing. But nothing beats listening to the trees themselves I think.
I feel sheltered by all the trees around me constantly. (unless there’s a windstorm!) Most of our evergreens are huge. I am used to all sorts of trees because of where I live. When I visit other places without trees, it’s unsettling. When I come back home, I’m so much more aware of the beauty of them against the sky.
It’s kind of magical to travel through different places and visibly see how the trees change, but I agree with you it’s always lovely to come home to the ones we know most dearly.
I’m a tree lover from way back. There were giant oaks in the yard where I grew up and I remember their psithurism (see, already using the term!) My grandparents also had giant oaks in the yard. Back then kids spent most of their days outside playing. I love the idea that these gentle giants were watching as we ran and played. When my (now-ex) husband and I bought our second home, there were huge oaks in the front and back yards as well as in the lot we parked in across the alley. In 2011 I left that home and moved out to where two giant willows grace the front yard. Two other favorite types of trees are sycamore because of their unusual bark and seed capsule not to mention their leaves and longevity; the other is the ginkgo tree, for its ancient history, endurability, and gorgeous leaves. All trees are gentle spirits, and I do love your post today.
I love your tree stories/memories. I like ginkgo trees as well. There’s one in my neighborhood and I always make a point to stop by and say hello. I’ve collected quite a few leaves from it during its autumn shedding. And I agree – trees are gentle spirits and beings we can learn a lot from.
Where have you been all my life Deborah?
I kid you not–each and every word of this post is like someone is showing me a mirror to my soul. No exaggeration–I promise.
First, thank you for psithurism. Had no idea there is a word to describe this beautiful sound.
I love all trees and have been hugging them since I was old enough to climb them. You may already know this but the part of India I come from is famous for ‘Chipko Andolan’ : a non violent tree conservation movement started by the women of the mountains. Chipko means to hug, to stick to like glue. And andolan is hindi for movement. So, these women of the villages of the region simply hugged a tree and didn’t let go when the trees were threatened by contractors etc. Wikipedia will give you more details –even stories about some who sacrificed their lives to save the trees of the hills. In Himachal and Uttarakhand, trees growing around ones house/hill are counted as part of the family–to be protected at all costs.
Love Herman Hesse. A friend recommended I read his book Sidharatha last year and now the book sits with me often.
And Tara Books! OMG! Discovered a book published by them in a bookshop in Cochin called ‘Idiom’ this March. That was the last thing I bought before the Covid lockdown started.
It had the most hypnotic drawing of a ‘fish’ on its front cover–done in Gond style. The book was covered in a dusty plastic sheet so I asked the shop keeper to open it up for me. And there lay this treasure trove of silk screened magical pages inside! I couldn’t stop yacking on and on about this precious discovery to my husband when I got back to our hotel room!
The book is called ‘Creation.’ It’s beautiful.
Will stop now as I realise this comment has gone on forever.
Hugs.
It’s a joy to know you as a kindred Arti, and I mean that whole-heartedly.
The Chipko Andolan movement is dear to me. It is beautiful proof that grassroots action can have huge impact. I love the idea of trees counted as part of the family and protected as such.
Idiom is a wonderful name for a bookstore. I’m delighted you found a Tara book. Although I’m afraid you’ll likely fall to the delectable addiction. I have “Creation” as well, and love it. In fact, I have quite a few Tara books, and have often thought I ought to do a giant post (or two) reviewing them. Trouble is whenever I pull them out to start the task, I simply end up reading them all again. But who can complain about such a wondrous veering off path?
I absolutely love trees! I’ve lived in a few, or at least slept in their branches for a night or two. I love that Maple tress give us syrup and have such wonderful colors in the autumn.
Thank you for this amazing post on one of my favorite topics!
Oh what a delight it must be to sleep in a tree! I’ve only dreamed of such. Maple trees are wonderful aren’t they? I once worked in a building that in a previous iteration been a tuberculosis sanitarium and was located on a huge plot of land filled with trees – all part of the “be in nature and sunshine” prescription of treatment. By the time I worked there, the forested part of the land had been turned into a nature center, and every autumn they’d do sugar tapping of the trees and have a big celebration. It was fabulous.
OMG I NEED THAT BOOK!
The Multicolored Diary
Yes! I’m sure you’ll love it!