This past weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to go out on a hike with some loved ones. I had this innate sense of profundity when I left the house that afternoon, and as I began walking these trails this feeling became all the more evident.
I was introduced to several different locally important groves and locales along the way, one of which is a series of four sentinel trees: two male, two female, accompanied by an incredibly paternal fifth. As I proceeded to meditate on this sacred space, o felt my bones hum and my now-rooted energies bubbling forth in what can only be described as an “overtaking sensation.” Nothing overtly oppressive, per se, but it was powerful and transformative.
As I engaged in this seeking of holy space within my mind and the land around me, I became aware of a subaltern blackness. A kind of latent toxicity or taint that had impacted the local wildlife in a spiritually significant way, and as I opened my eyes to look at the visual signifiers of trouble, the forest began to whisper to me.
Now, forgive me if this sounds strange, but when the trees whisper, it’s slow and steady. Their speech, if you can call it speech, is metered and paced such that it’s easy to miss, but this I felt in my soul and heard clearly.
“There is a thorn in this place. It prevents us from healing, connecting, being. Can you remove it?”
It was a surreal, strange thing, but I could hear this and felt moved to answer this call. This essentially led me on a kind of occulted goose chase, and the forest led me to the “thorn”. This construction, photographed below, did not belong.
I was introduced to several different locally important groves and locales along the way, one of which is a series of four sentinel trees: two male, two female, accompanied by an incredibly paternal fifth. As I proceeded to meditate on this sacred space, o felt my bones hum and my now-rooted energies bubbling forth in what can only be described as an “overtaking sensation.” Nothing overtly oppressive, per se, but it was powerful and transformative.
As I engaged in this seeking of holy space within my mind and the land around me, I became aware of a subaltern blackness. A kind of latent toxicity or taint that had impacted the local wildlife in a spiritually significant way, and as I opened my eyes to look at the visual signifiers of trouble, the forest began to whisper to me.
Now, forgive me if this sounds strange, but when the trees whisper, it’s slow and steady. Their speech, if you can call it speech, is metered and paced such that it’s easy to miss, but this I felt in my soul and heard clearly.
“There is a thorn in this place. It prevents us from healing, connecting, being. Can you remove it?”
It was a surreal, strange thing, but I could hear this and felt moved to answer this call. This essentially led me on a kind of occulted goose chase, and the forest led me to the “thorn”. This construction, photographed below, did not belong.
Note how innocuous this seems. It’s nothing much other than a roughshod frame, but within this frame was laid a kind of spiritual binding through which trouble was rooted to this land in particular.
From what I can make of it, someone brought this being to this sacred place in order to force this intervening entity to remain behind. This was essentially a means of self-cleansing that simply transferred a problem from one place to another, giving over one’s troubles instead of managing or solving them outright.
This thorn was a good 150 feet from the path, but I was led to it for a reason. I felt a compulsion to right this, and I simply could not ignore it, so I dismantled the “shrine” and pulled the entity imprisoned there out from the land and into an item I had on my person.
I immediately became heavier than I had before, and what was a wonderful hike became something of a trudge. I then proceeded to hike further through the forest and back to my vehicle, knowing full well that this entity needed desperately to be transplanted to another area. I followed through and removed this spirit that didn’t belong, later taking it to a new space, far from the forest.
This entity has been rehomed now, and I expect the forest to be in a better spot when next I visit and provide offerings. The entity that was relocated, too, appears to be thriving in his new home, and I look forward to interacting with and learning from him at a later date.
The point of this conversation and moral to this story is that sometimes you are going to be called to do something in defense of the land you exist upon. There are times where you will be expected to give back, and there are times where you will need to get your hands dirty in order to more conscientiously work the land. Deeply connecting with the places in which you live and work is a part of cultivating spiritual power and potency, but its also a means of surviving and thriving. When you are called to make a change that the spirits of that place are not able to make themselves, it becomes your responsibility. Recognize this. Own this. Make use of this connection, for every magical act is a means of causing spirits to make your life their responsibility. That responsibility is either mutually shared or it is not. Simple as that.
I would suggest that you interact with your local land spirits in a mindful, respectful way, being open to these kinds of tasks. It might seem like a hassle, and it might not even seem like its your job or function. Make it your job and you will benefit as least as much as the land and the spirits on it do.
This might not seem like much, but we each grow roots into our respective communities. As such, these relatively simple things have profound impacts on us and all of those around us. That’s part of the process by which we grow, and as a result of my involvement in rectifying these circumstances, I have become more deeply connected to the land I moved to some time ago.
These things occur in baby steps, but every one of them is sacred. Knowing this, please be mindful. Please be aware of what it is you are choosing to do to rectify your troubles, and do try to be sure that you do not create problems for others while trying to solve your own.
The response to these acts is manifest. Bear that in mind.
Thank you for reading, and I hope that each of you has a pleasant day.
Blessings,
Chris/SE
From what I can make of it, someone brought this being to this sacred place in order to force this intervening entity to remain behind. This was essentially a means of self-cleansing that simply transferred a problem from one place to another, giving over one’s troubles instead of managing or solving them outright.
This thorn was a good 150 feet from the path, but I was led to it for a reason. I felt a compulsion to right this, and I simply could not ignore it, so I dismantled the “shrine” and pulled the entity imprisoned there out from the land and into an item I had on my person.
I immediately became heavier than I had before, and what was a wonderful hike became something of a trudge. I then proceeded to hike further through the forest and back to my vehicle, knowing full well that this entity needed desperately to be transplanted to another area. I followed through and removed this spirit that didn’t belong, later taking it to a new space, far from the forest.
This entity has been rehomed now, and I expect the forest to be in a better spot when next I visit and provide offerings. The entity that was relocated, too, appears to be thriving in his new home, and I look forward to interacting with and learning from him at a later date.
The point of this conversation and moral to this story is that sometimes you are going to be called to do something in defense of the land you exist upon. There are times where you will be expected to give back, and there are times where you will need to get your hands dirty in order to more conscientiously work the land. Deeply connecting with the places in which you live and work is a part of cultivating spiritual power and potency, but its also a means of surviving and thriving. When you are called to make a change that the spirits of that place are not able to make themselves, it becomes your responsibility. Recognize this. Own this. Make use of this connection, for every magical act is a means of causing spirits to make your life their responsibility. That responsibility is either mutually shared or it is not. Simple as that.
I would suggest that you interact with your local land spirits in a mindful, respectful way, being open to these kinds of tasks. It might seem like a hassle, and it might not even seem like its your job or function. Make it your job and you will benefit as least as much as the land and the spirits on it do.
This might not seem like much, but we each grow roots into our respective communities. As such, these relatively simple things have profound impacts on us and all of those around us. That’s part of the process by which we grow, and as a result of my involvement in rectifying these circumstances, I have become more deeply connected to the land I moved to some time ago.
These things occur in baby steps, but every one of them is sacred. Knowing this, please be mindful. Please be aware of what it is you are choosing to do to rectify your troubles, and do try to be sure that you do not create problems for others while trying to solve your own.
The response to these acts is manifest. Bear that in mind.
Thank you for reading, and I hope that each of you has a pleasant day.
Blessings,
Chris/SE