Tree Essences - Allies for Navigating Challenging Moments

As my trees in the Canadian Pacific Northwest emerge in the middle of spring I feel light-hearted and inspired. Each tree is singing its own unique song and manifesting in a splendour of colour and foliage. The soft green tassels of the Maple flowers (acer macrophyllum) which will evolve into those magical winged Maple keys (the seeds) are beckoning us to “be who we can be.”

Dogwood (cornus kousa ‘Satomi') is also in blossom  - a gentle reminder that amidst all the noise I can practice 'being the peaceful warrior.' Witnessing what is going on without resistance is a powerful contribution to my own well-being. I am convinced that in that state of equanimity and well-being I am broadcasting that energy out into the field. Who knows? Maybe my calm and equanimity will change someone else’s day for the better.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), trees are seen as the embodiment of the Wood element, representing growth, flexibility and resilience. But most of all trees represent the manifestation of the innate potential in the seed. A Hemlock (tsuga heterophylla) does not want to be a Sitka Spruce (picea sitchensis). Hemlock is like ‘the first breath of life’ and cultivates trusting our instinct and fortifies our immune system. Sitka Spruce connects us to our ancestors, heals ancestral trauma and helps us to cultivate 'respect for all that is.'

Trees connect Earth to Heaven. Deeply rooted in Earth, they reach to Heaven balancing the Yin energies arising from the Earth with Yang energies descending from Heaven. It is a symbiotic relationship. At a very practical level trees are providing humans with life by transforming CO2 (carbon dioxide) to O2 (oxygen). Without trees there would be no life on earth.

According to a report on the BBC, “Earth could not sustain life as we know it without trees. Their disappearance would be catastrophic, leading to massive species extinction, unbreathable air, intense climate change due to CO2 buildup, and massive erosion. Forests provide oxygen, regulate water, and support ecosystems; without them, life would likely cease to exist.”

No wonder I feel light-hearted and inspired when I walk in the forest! The trees are literally sustaining me and giving me life! I feel sure it was the trees that called us to this west coast paradise. When we arrived on Vancouver Island in 1980, I recognized the colours of the Arbutus and the Cedars. But from where? Emily Carr paintings? Past lives? Who knows? But there was a quiet recognition and a desire to connect with these majestic beings and to discover their healing gifts for humans. And look what they gave to us – Pacific Essences®, which we in turn have given to the world. 

While we already had three Tree Essences – Arbutus (arbutus menziesii) for healing relationships with the father, Poplar (populus tremuloides) for helping us to hear inner knowing, and Silver Birch (betula pendula) for flexibility and creativity – in our original repertory, we were called to birth 12 more Tree Essences in 2014 after spending 8–10 years researching their possibilities for healing

What was exciting was that each of these 12 new Tree Essences had a direct connection with, and impact upon, one of the 12 meridians of TCM. Taking the Tree Essence related to each meridian would produce similar results as needling the source point on that channel. The source points on each channel are points that can be used to restore balance and harmony to the channel, to restore equilibrium and coherent flow of energy in the channel. And that means that when we take the corresponding Essence, the same restoration can happen.

As I turn the pages of the small pamphlet we created to describe the Tree Essences, I am astonished by how relevant they are for all of us in this moment in time. It almost feels like a 'survival manual' and a 'being our best self manual' in the midst of chaos.

Who does not want or need more these energies as we navigate our lives?

Knowing – Alder (alnus ruba)
Heartfelt Connection – Cherry (prunus)
Connecting – Copper Beech (fagus sylvatica)
Peaceful Warrior – Dogwood (cornus kousa ‘Satomi’)
Homeostasis - Elderberry (sambucus niger)
Allowing – Garry Oak (quercus garryana)
Soul Purpose - Hawthorn (crataegus)
Wu Wei – Hemlock (tsuga heterophylla)
Potential – Maple (acer macrophyllum)
Ancestral Wisdom – Sitka Spruce (picea sitchensis)
Guidance – Syringa (philadelphus Lewisii)
Defense – Pacific Yew (taxus brevifolia)

And then of course there is the Mother Tree, the Yellow Cedar who has captured hearts from all around the world. I have never taken anyone to the Mother Tree, young or old, who is not in awe of her wonder. At the age of somewhere between 400 and 600 years old the Mother Tree still gives of herself and supports a myriad of other life forms – plants, fungi, insects and maybe us humans who honour her. She is an incredible blessing on our landscape and to everyone who gets to meet her. Her gift is Endurance - not in any self-sacrificing way, but merely doing her very best to be who she can be as she nourishes and supports all these other life forms!

These are our trees and I feel blessed and honoured to know them.

So I have a suggestion for you. Find a tree in your own neighbourhood and notice how you feel when you are near her. It doesn’t matter if it is in the heart of the city or out in the forest. These beings are messengers and may well have a gift for you if you can quiet your mind sufficiently to hear. I remember being at a Naturopathic conference where Dr. Patch Adams recounted a story where he stayed up all night holding a tree with a patient who was having a psychotic episode. He and the tree were able to bring the patient back to “normal” brain function through this unconventional medical intervention. So there is no doubt in my mind that if you find your tree, it can become your ally and friend and healer.