The moment we entered, a welcome sign introduced the space as a sacred forest. A Ganesh statue was adorned with pineapples, pink hibiscus flowers and captivating cobalt blue balls scattered around the statue and dispersed as far as the eye could see upon the forest floor. The Hindu statue of an elephant head symbolizes the removal of obstacles. It paves the way to move forward in life. Moving into this forest invited the sacred, leaving behind the complications of the world. Journeying further it was apparent this space was a place of protection and hallowed ground. As we looked above at the canopy of green and the dance of filtered light resembling a shimmering chandelier, the dazzling electric blue balls caught our attention as the berries of this mystical tree. One meditative step to the next uncovered more epiphanies. Next to the blue berries at our feet were seeds. Upon picking one up and feeling its rough texture and deep furrows its appearance reminded me of the right and left side chambers of the brain. A glimpse of these seeds conjured a personal sense of deep knowledge held in their substance. I realized in that moment my connection with these seeds as the orb I had been wearing around my neck. These seeds made my personal mala strand I had counted, one bead at a time for years when meditating.
Uncovering the origin of this special seed that was birthed from an electric azure berry and from this tree of wisdom created a connection. I had been holding a sacred space both tangibly and symbolically with this tree. This is the Rudraksha tree. The name for the tree comes from the Sanskrit language “rudra” meaning Hindu God Shiva and “akasha” meaning tears. The legend denotes that after Shiva returned from a long period of meditation, he opened his eyes and saw the suffering of humanity. His tears of compassion fell to the earth and created the Rudraksha tree. The seeds have been important for healing and meditation since ancient times.
Unaware that a nugget of this tree had been in my life for some time, with little knowledge of its origin or history, I decided to adorn the forest floor with an offering of appreciation just as the Ganesh statue had been revered. My fiancé and I were getting married on the island the next day and it seemed fitting to stop and provide an offering. We decided to craft a heart from findings of the earth and forest, and adorn the woodland with our love for Each other and the trees. We cleared an area of ground at the base of a tree and gathered as many fallen findings as we could to craft a design upon terra firma. We collected brilliant blue berries, rudrasksha seeds, green leaves, yellow leaves and fiery red leaves. There were branches and mushrooms and low and behold the surprise of an egg. Cradled in the crevasse of a tree root was a white egg. This was as well agreed to be an offering inside the heart of love crafted out of materials from mother nature. Upon setting everything in perfect placement, and then stepping back to admire the beauty created, a rooster with an indignant squawk rushed over to claim the egg that was part of our offering. Crowing with concern he stood at the egg for a few moments, acknowledging his connection with what we thought was an egg of the forest. We stepped away acknowledging our intrusion and reverence for nature. Our connection and love were reaffirmed in the connection between the rooster and the egg and the trees ecological support to help each other. With humbled happiness we walked away feeling the profound sense we are connected to the unfolding of the universe.
The most important step we can all take is to walk upon this earth with eyes and hearts wide open remaining attentive to the alchemy at work universally around us at any moment.
