May 2023 WATERritual
“The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees”
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM EDT
You can watch the recording of this WATERritual here on YouTube.
Preparation: Have symbols of trees nearby: a leaf, acorn, seed, or twig, a photo, an artistic painting, or some other symbol.
Welcome and Call to Gather
National Love a Tree Day, celebrated on May 16, invites us to treasure trees which are symbols of life itself. Trees offer guidance on living in the light, dark, and in-between times. They are sanctuaries that invite us into our deep connections with each other and Earth. We gather to celebrate the wisdom of trees.
Let’s show and share our leaves, acorns, seeds, twigs, photos, paintings, and symbols of trees.
Song: “The Tree Song” sung by Evie Karlsson (2.55)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgDS8MZ1tvs&ab_channel=JosephYap
I saw a tree by a riverside,
One day as I walked along,
Straight as an arrow,
And pointing to the sky,
Growing tall and strong.
“How do you grow so tall and strong?”
I said to the riverside tree.
This is the song that my tree friend sang to me:
Chorus:
I’ve got roots growing down to the water,
I’ve got leaves growing up to the sunshine,
And the fruit that I bear is a sign of life in me.
I am shade from the hot summer sundown,
I am nest for the birds of the heavens,
I’m becoming what the God of trees has meant me to be,
A strong young (old) tree.
I saw a tree in the city streets,
Where buildings blocked the sun,
Green and lovely,
I could see it gave joy to everyone.
“How do you grow in the city streets?”
I said to the downtown tree.
This is the song that my tree friend sang to me. Chorus
Chant: “My Roots Go Down,” Words and music by Sarah Pirtle, written in 1979, © 1984, 1989 Discovery Center Music, BMI
Chorus: My roots go down, down into the Earth. My roots go down, down into the Earth.
My roots go down, down into the Earth. My roots go down.
I am a willow bending in the wind. (3x) My roots go down.
Poem: “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer, 1886–1918
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the Earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
Source: Poetry (Poetry)
Chant: “My Roots Go Down”
My roots go down, down into the Earth. My roots go down, down into the Earth.
My roots go down, down into the Earth. My roots go down.
I am an acorn waiting to be born. (3x) My roots go down.
Video: “Forests” from Our Planet on Netflix (1:30 to 2:45)
Poem: “When I Am Among the Trees” by Mary Oliver (1935-2019)
When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”
Chant: “My Roots Go Down”
My roots go down, down to the Earth. My roots go down, down to the Earth.
My roots go down, down to the Earth. My roots go down.
I am an ancient redwood tree. (3x) My roots go down.
Reflection | Small Group Sharing
The trees call out, “Stay awhile.” And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with Light, and to shine.” Let your roots go down.
What have you seen and heard about trees that has touched you? How will you go easy, be filled with Light, and shine? How will you let your roots go down?
Meditation with Trees
Breathe in and out. Feel your lungs in harmony with the leaves of trees. Trees are the lungs of the Earth. They help the planet breathe by turning carbon dioxide into clean, pure oxygen. Trees and forests around the world also act like the planet’s air conditioning system and keep the Earth cool. They help stop global warming. Let your roots go down.
Breathe in deeply, embracing the wisdom of trees.
Imagine you are…
A tree among many in the forest whose roots are intertwined,
An old oak with gnarled branches standing outside a nursing home,
A young sapling reaching for light next to a playground,
A flowering dogwood revealing the beauty of spring,
A majestic redwood showing strength, resilience, and healing,
Imagine you are… A favorite tree of yours…
Spend a couple of minutes with your tree. Listen to your tree. Ask for a blessing from your tree. Breathe in the healing oxygen of the tree. Connect with its wisdom. Hear its breathing as a prayer.
Blessing of Trees
Wonderous Creator, thank you for giving us many kinds of trees that symbolize all that is good and precious in the world. May they each be a blessing wherever they are planted. May all the trees of the forest sing for joy, and may we listen to them! May they fill us with courage to join our healing powers with the cosmos and take bold actions for the goodness of creation. May our roots go down!
Call to Action
- Take a Walk through the forest, a park, or your neighborhood, and acknowledge all the various kinds of trees. Do you have a favorite?
- Stop at a tree stump if you see one and count its rings. They can tell you the stump’s age.
- Learn about the natural healing resources that trees provide for us and how certain parts of a tree can be used for healing.
- Volunteer or Donate to an organization that plants trees.
- Show some love to your trees:
- Talk to your trees and spend some time listening to them.
- Take care of your trees’ health by pruning dead branches and treating them with natural and ecofriendly pesticides to remove harmful pests.
- Enjoy and show appreciation for the seasons of your trees – the vibrant spring blossoms, the greenery and fruits of summer, the beauty of fall. and their vulnerable nakedness of winter.
- Watch “How Do I Plant Bare-root Trees?” Video (3.34minutes) from Arbor Day Foundation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5FiqoypXfo
- Connect to your ancestors with a Family Tree. How many Generations can you think back?
Sending Forth
Let us go forth to treasure trees as we listen to “You Can Count on Trees,” a beautiful original environmental song that won 3rd place in the Primary School’s Environmental Theme Song Competition.
Song: “You Can Count on Trees” by Mia Black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DpmQjRxXKY
1. Pick up your waste and litter wherever you go
In sun or rain, in frost or snow
2. Let all the little plants and the animals have their say
Biodiversity, hurray hurray
3. Our water is so precious
So cherish it, spread Scoil Na gCailini’s message
Chorus:
You can count on trees for the air you breathe
Oh Mother Earth
You give us soil to plant our seeds
To grow our crop, that’s not where you stop
Oceans and fields
You give us all we need and we love you
4. Travel, travel, travel, travel is so cool
Especially when, we go to school
5. Going up the hill, it’s really good to walk
We meet our friends, and start to talk
6. Our carbon footprint’s shrinking
When we reuse, recycle and reduce
Chorus:
You can count on trees for the air you breathe
Oh Mother Earth
You give us soil to plant our seeds
To grow our crop, that’s not where you stop
Oceans and fields
You give us all we need and we love you
Oooh ooooh ooooh
Our school is keeping green and so should you
© 2023 Diann L. Neu, dneu@hers.com, with Pamella Miller, Techika Rhodes, and Patrice Rupp
