* Faeries & Trees *

Just arriving from Fairy Land for hosting our Jade Circle workshop in Dublin, what a magical time.
I was reassure that the fairies exist! And I even become 'officially a fairy'!...  I passed 'my test' apparently (thinking I was just going to facilitate a workshop ;) and was honoured with a ceremony and a warm welcome from the Fey realm.
On the right with the gifts from the fairies, the wings and wand...
Interestingly enough I read this a few years ago in Dancing Shadows and being there, I can confirm it:
"The Sidhe are the Faerie Folk of Ireland(...) The Sidhe apparently put up such a good fight that the Celts were suitably impressed and offered to give the Sidhe kings the right to live under the hills that are abundant in Ireland, although some of the Sidhe chose instead to dwell under the sea (sailed West). The Irish have a special feeling for the "Little People", or "Good Neighbors", and do not like anyone, especially outsiders, disturbing them."
From the same book, and coming back from India just a couple of weeks ago, how nice taking the Travelling Circles to India and Ireland... :"The worship costumes of India can be found duplicated in both Celtic religion and Celtic Faerie tradition. The offering of flowers, grain, and honey to the Goddess and God at hilltop sanctuaries is seen in both cultures. Shiva is worship with gifts of milk and flowers, and this custom relates
to the Celtic tradition of leaving milk for the Fairies."

I came across 'fairy trees' these last few days: they are usually on their own in a field, and worshipped by the people who approach these trees with respect and awareness, leaving offers to the fairies with oats (fairy food, as was given to me every day in Dublin!), milk, small strings of cloth or if nothing this handy, our hair, and just after this ask for blessings. My dear Irish sister Máire explained all this and took me to a fairy tree in a sacred site, for a lovely and sparkly experience!
I read this:
Hawthorn is a wild, fierce tree-not to be annoyed by cutting its branches.
Actually I didn't find it fierce at all, but very special, filled with the fairy energy, so obviously has to be approached with consideration. From Maira I learnt as well that the hawthorn berries are known by their love properties, and here we're in Summer time, the fire element of love, linked with the heart. And I found out that these berries have been used since the 19th century to support the heart and normalize cardiovascular functions helping reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Learn more about hawthorn berries healing properties
More fairies & trees associations:
** Rowan is a Fey/Fairy/Nature being or Spirit whose wood is prized for magical charms.
** The fragrance of the lilac tree aids passage between Fey and mortal worlds.
** Elm is a sacred tree to the elves and the Fey. The folk name for the elm is "Elven" because elms were often growing around burial mounds and faerie hills. An important tree in both Celtic and Scandinavian myths, the elm also has a connection to the dead, and to realms of the underworld and the realm of the Fey. Great tree to get in touch with nature spirits, and using her leaves into rituals or create a fairy wand out of a fallen elm branch. In the language of the flowers, this herbal tree signifies dignity.
Adapted from Ellen Dugan.

The transition from the wood element, Spring time, to the fire, Summer time. Summer is in the air, the Summer Solstice, Midsummer day is coming in less than two weeks.
Exciting time of the year, lots of exciting things are happening in our London Tao Center!

• Great time to be outdoors, enjoy the aliveness of the nature and of yourself!

• And next time you are in nature why not practice some chi kung, activating the meridians of your body, blending with the Earth energy beneath and the energies of the Heaven above, connecting yin and yang, allowing these energies to flow harmoniously within you. Here our latest chi kung video a reminder for the ones practicing already and an inspiration for the ones who would like to try. Even if you just hold the first position, embracing the tree for a while, starting with 9 breaths, you can feel a great benefit for your grounding, centering and self-empowering of mind, body and spirit.

• For the ones who learnt the microcosmic orbit, try to do it with a tree, together blending energies, getting fully charge with the tree energy. Just remember to present yourself first to the tree, they have energy field (aura) as we do, so after presentations and if things are flowing nice and smoothly between you, you can then approach the tree and ask to practice the microcosmic orbit with her, if you have a yes, go for it and enjoy it!

For the ones who would like to learn to activate their microcosmic orbit, chi kung and the Taoist foundation practices join us for the Step1 - Harmony of Yin & Yang, in the last weekend of this month.

© Anamarta