Today I would like to begin to explore, connecting with the Tree Whisper Oracles in Part 1 of Facets of Communication.
I'd like to start off by saying that working with these oracles is wholly personal and solely unique to each individual. For the communication you will have with your own oracle will be attuned to your own language and expression of sensing and feeling into and around your own life. These cards are mysterious, they do embody a little something of nature. Something I can not name, nor claim to know wholly myself. These dimensions of spirit, presented herein, are an offering from the woodlands and the wild places. For us to connect with the nature of things. They offer us a dance, into a relational depth, and of a felt touch within the sensing being of the aliveness of our time spent here in this moment. And of the beings we share in time with.
For those of us, hearing these whispers for the first time. Noticing these gentle voices. We may feel inspired to know a little more, to know something of the idea of these cards. Something that may illustrate for us who these beings are, and what their ways of communication may be. And so, here, in Part One - Facets of Communication, you will come to know, some of the mysterious ways of these tree spirits and of the Tree Whisper Oracles.
Who, Not It
We must first look at our own language and the use of this language within our magical and spiritual practice. Many of us will have used words like tools when describing our deck of cards, and my when describing the items we have. We may say pulled when describing how we select cards and, say use when we describe how we interact with the cards. Or some cousin of these types of words. These words all share a common regard.
They all speak the language of ownership, of possession, of a thing or practice, with an associated lesser than value. A language, that disassociates beingness, from being, and disengages the body, from the noticing of, and appreciation for, an experience of communication with other aliveness. The core truth of an animistic perspective, is to recognise the presence of life. It is only when we understand this, that we will appreciate value in the other, and begin to notice that we are in continual flux of communication with these others. When we understand that we don't actually own anything, and that the value of our own life and experiences is as rare as every other's, even if we don't quite understand or know them, that we will unsee the it, and we will see, the whos around us and how precious they are.
So the first step is to use our language to describe our intention in our practice. Congruence is essential for an authentic expression of our parts. Ensuring that the words we speak do reflect our felt-senses, and the parts of us that share our feelings and thoughts. When we work with Tree Whisper Oracles, we must understand that we enter into a relationship with aliveness. And it is for each of us to meet the who that they are. And so, we may begin to use other words to describe our intention with Tree Whisper Oracles.
We can set aside the use of words such as use and tools, and in place speak of keeping company with the beings of the oracle. We can also ask for knowingness to become within us, as opposed to, we are reading the cards. This is the same intention setting, when practicing Focusing within the felt-senses of our own body, or while Focusing, out in nature. And with any noticing of a sense of aliveness, through our sensing field.
We can have fun with these new ways of exploring our language and expression of it. Try out words, see if they fit. See what words your oracle prefers you to express as you are in their presence, and as your relationship with your new companion/s grows. If you regard the cards as pieces of flat cardboard, then they will be, to you. They will be spiritless. You will not enter into the depth of relation that is possible here.
Communication, Not Interpretation
When we focus our experience on interpretation rather that communication we are going to struggle to find relation within our lives. The interpretation of something, for instance, body language, tone of voice, words used and symbolism, will only serve to lead us. Either we will lead our reading or our reading will lead us. Being lead or leading, is not what we really want, need or benefit from. When we are lead, or lead, we are not fully present or grounded. We are not autonomous and we are not in our locus of evaluation. We simply, are not participating in a centred, healthy relating way. Interpreting involves analysis, communication involves conversation. And we want to move away from analysis and move towards communication, and felt conversation through our senses.
When we are in communication with Tree Whisper Oracles and their beings we want to create space within our body and settle into that space. We will shuffle our cards and we will clear our thoughts. We will open space and hold this space as sacred. We will lay down our cards. In the single moment that we look upon these images (and the key word) we will be aware of a kind of sound becoming within us. Sounds in the forms of thoughts, of colours, of feelings, of images and of memories. All these forms... we hear as noise.
A tempting response, in this very moment, is to begin to interpret the content as it floods in. To select, discard, file or merge with the content. To analyse the symbolism, to know the definition of the word, to make it fit in some way to something in our life. To define the structure of the noises, to shape them. And in all of our efforts to control this noise... we change it. And we have lost this delicate, and alive moment. This process only engages our problem solving mind. If we are aware of this function operating within us, then we can choose not to merge with this process.
Let us try it this way. As we look upon the images, and notice the key word there, we hear the noise building. Notice this noise as aliveness. In this moment we breathe. Breathe into the cards. Invite into our awareness a grounded presence of being. Notice the images, the shapes morphing before our eyes. The faces, the forms, the feeling. Sink a little deeper. Feel into the aliveness. Feel its texture, its aura. Notice how your body responds. Listen to these bodily responses. We may notice an eager part within us, this part wants to create a narrative, to analyse. We can simply acknowledge this part, with gentle regard and ask this part to step back a little. Clearing a space within us for something living to settle there and grow. For communication with other aliveness to grow. We don't want to change this delicate becoming of something. We welcome presence. We offer a safe place. And we fully participate in this communication.
Together, Not Separate.
What do we understand as our purpose for connecting with Tree Whisper Oracles. This question does relate to the big why, do we do it. And we may connect with different decks of cards for different purposes. Some of us will be working with Tree Whisper Oracle cards for our self-development, some of us for divination and some of us, for our spiritual path exploration, and many, many, more reasons.
Whatever the reason the fundamental nature of Tree Whisper Oracles remain the same. These oracles support togetherness in experience. And their core principle is one of creating a therapeutic alliance with trees. We do not communicate with these oracles to view the structure of a situation that is out there or separate from us, as if viewed from the other side of the glass pane of a window. This distance is an illusion. An illusion that we may create for ourselves as a way to maintain a perceived barrier, a protective wall. And at times we adopt the position of looking down from above onto a situation. Perspective is important, physically and intentionally. Perspective holds power, holds many subtle whispers of the meaning of how we perceive our relationship with ourselves and others.
When we communicate with the Tree Whisper Oracles, we seek to know and understand the aliveness of which we are intrinsically a part of. Tree Whisper Oracles reveal layers of the aura of aliveness around us. When we engage in communication with Tree Whisper Oracle spirit, we are tuning into an alive and present moment in time. An aura of expression that is unfolding, becoming, and in contact with our own living presence and expression. We are inviting contact. Our life in relationship with the life of otherness. A reciprocal engagement. The point at which we touch, this is the point of communication, of relational depth, of, magic. In any situation in life that we seek to understand more deeply, to know more intimately, we are inviting in a presence of connection, and the communication flows from a mysterious and primitive place. But, we must meet this connection face on. Not from above, below or anywhere else that is not in front of.
Animism & The Thread
These wildish beings of the Tree Whisper Oracles, offer us the touch of something mysterious and secretive, yet wholly natural and accessible to us, if we choose to take this step. An gateway, between the folds of light, to the places of animal and earth voices. A place where we can be beside those others whom we share this moment of time with. They offer us a thread. This tread we hold, as delicate as it is, is strong and infinitely woven through all that we are, have been and ever will experience or ever become. This thread is also held by and woven through all others lives and life. A single thread, that connects us to all aliveness, to Allness. Lets not confuse allness with oneness. In animism we are all, and together, traveling through life. All journeying through time, in a single shared moment. We are not a facet, of something else, greater. A fragment of a one great being. We are the many. Individuals, precious, alive, valuable and needed. Yet we are connected, in this infinite unfolding of life. There is meaning and purpose here.
Tree Whisper Oracles offers something of the realm from which they were born. Fashioned through the flesh and bone of my being, and delivered from earth and root with honour. The Tree Whisper Oracles nature is one of a relational depth. Depth, through, all of those places we call between. It is these between places, these sacred grounds where you and I meet and become we. This is where we make contact, where communication occurs. It is between you and other, that you will find yourself in a we, and in those moist earthy places, become in communication and experience something alive. There is infinite protentional for relation, in the between spaces of infinite life. Tree Whisper Oracles support us as we live in a grounded presence of being, spiralling in and out of these spaces. And as we foster closeness within our lives with those who share theirs with us.
And So...
Whether we come together with the spirits of the Tree Whisper Oracles for self-development, for divination or for our spiritual path exploration. When we attune ourselves to the nature of these oracles at a fundamental level, we are inviting presence with the beings who live in presence in these cards. We are entering into a communicate, to understand something of their facets of communication and to know more of our own ways of being. These mysterious ways of communicating, these becomings of knowingness, is a choice we make. A choice to know something, to feel something of real communication within ourselves and with others. When we reach for aliveness, aliveness reaches back.
Any one person may share an idea. And this is all this is, an idea. We must always attune to our own ways of relation. Our own truth of communication. For this journey is yours. And what an adventure you will have.
For more ideas on an animistic application to our spiritual path please visit Tree-Centred Practice here on the Tree Whisper Oracle Blog space.
Yours always, in the heart of the woodlands and wild places.
Mags Black.
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