the standing people ~

many native american tribes refer to trees as "the standing people". they believe that all things are alive, all have spirits, & all are connected.

the first time i heard this teaching, it struck me so deeply. i've always had a thing for trees, even when i was a kid. we had lots of trees in our yard, & on a typical summer day, i could be found in one of them. i could climb like a little monkey...& i did. i loved the feel of the bark under my toes (yep. i climbed barefoot!) & once in the tree, i'd sit there for hours, always thinking i was invisible to the world. i loved the view from way atop the trees. i felt that i was part of the tree, not a kid in a tree. to me, it was sheer magick.

i remember the first time i went to washington (state). i'd been living in california for about 10 years & had begun to miss the colors of new england's landscape (but i didn't miss the weather!). my then-husband was about to be transferred to bremerton, so we'd taken a road trip so i could have a look at what would soon be my new home.

i recall vividly the feelings that rushed through me as we crossed the oregon state line. the landscape was so dramatic...so incredibly alive...and all around me i could smell the life that pulsed through those millions of trees. i was stunned to silence (no small thing for such a gabby girlie!). my husband noticed this silence & asked if i was okay. i had tears rolling down my cheeks, completely overwhelmed by the magnificence of all those trees. i could only smile at him, & nod my head. no words were forthcoming. i had been deeply touched by those standing people.

still..to this day, i have an immense love for them. even here, in southern california, where the majority of trees are either palms or fruit-bearing types, i'm compelled to be near them. i spend a great deal of time with the standing people...always grateful for their soft whispers & their many lessons. they speak to me in a way that other beings do not. it's magick at it's best...for me, anyway. so it's no small surprise that i am called 'woodwitch'. the treasures i craft from the standing people's offerings give me a sense of belonging. they make me feel so connected to mother. they make me feel alive. it's a love affair like no other. one i continue to marvel at, each time i feel the swell of love in my being, as i sit with them & listen for their profound whispers.

the standing people.
my greatest teachers.
oh, how i adore them!