Have you ever been in the forest and just had the feeling that the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees carries a message for you? Or has the thought, that the trees tell each other stories from ancient times, ever crossed your mind?

Being in the woods is like being in another realm. When I spend time with the trees, it always feels as if time has stopped. And to me the forest is the only place in our modern world where the ancient wisdom is still present. Trees are silent witnesses of time and our oldest teachers and when I take a step into the forest and take a deep breath, it's as if all the weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Despite the chaos that may be present in our lives, trees give us their boundless patience. They listen to us, give us comfort and protection and offer wisdom and solace to those who take the time to listen. Their trunk becomes a support that we can lean on.

And when I am with my favorite trees, I always think: how many people have sought comfort and advice from you? What stories did they tell you and what advice did you give them? Trees have so much to tell us, even if we can't hear them. Or can we? As Carl Jung said: “Sometimes a tree tells you more than can be read in books.”

Because just by observing a tree we can learn to hear what they are telling us with their mere existence. Before a tree is steadfast and deeply rooted, able to withstand wind and weather, it must first grow from a tiny seed. All the information needed for the tree to grow is contained in this seed. And when I think about that a small acorn will grow into a huge oak tree in a few decades, I can't help but admire our tree friends.

The tree grows and the wind and rain make it stronger. The trunk gets thicker and the tree gets stronger and stronger until it produces its first leaves and eventually surpasses its human friends. Then trees are rooted deep in the earth, always connected to Mother Earth and yet they reach for the stars.

In every season, trees wear a different dress, or have shed it completely, telling us that it is okay to CHANGE. In spring, they are adorned with beautiful flower buds, in summer with fresh, lush green leaves, and in fall with their magnificent red and gold robes before the leaves fall completely. They show us that every season of our life is beautiful, no matter how our surroundings may look like. We may feel said when the red and yellow and orange leaves are falling in autumn, but when the wind whirls up the colorful leaves and they all dance in the wind, we feel joyful again.

And I invite you to listen to the trees and to really intend to receive a message that they want to give you.

This is how you can do it.

• Grab a journal and a pen and go to a place in nature where you feel safe. This can be the forest or a park, or even your garden, where there are trees. Bring someone that you deeply trust to accompany you, if possible.

• As you are surrounded by the trees slow down and take a deep breath and ask yourself: Which tree is calling me? Which tree am I attracted to?

  If you bring someone with you, go ahead and close your eyes and just let a tree call you - this can look different for everybody. It could be a feeling, a hearing or even words you perceive. Maybe it’s a color. The person you brought can hold you while you carefully and slowly walk towards the tree, that is calling you. If you are in the forest, this person is protecting you from falling and sticks or stones you may stumble into. If you are alone you could sit down and do a small meditation: close your eyes and connect to your surroundings (make sure you are safe when doing so alone) and see what tree is calling you. Try to get a feeling of this place. Then open your eyes and follow this feeling of connection. If you prefer to keep your eyes open, simply take a deep breath and look around. I would guess that there is a tree that is magnetically reaching out to you, it's like a little AHA moment from my experience. You can also go to a tree and put your hands on its bark or just go close to it and see if it indeed is the tree that you want to work with and that wants to work with you. There is no “wrong way” to do this and if you choose a tree, then there is a reason why you did. Just go there with an open mind and the intention to connect to the tree that has a message you need to hear right now.

• Take your journal and your pen and write down everything you notice about this tree. The trunk of the tree is ... The bark of the tree is ... The tree has ... The tree is ... Simply write down everything you notice that has led you to this tree.

• Once you are finished, replace “the tree” with: “I” If you wrote: the tree has a beautiful crown it becomes: I have a beautiful crown. Or maybe you wrote something like: The tree is standing in a place where there is no sunlight. Then this would be: I am standing in a place where there is no sunlight.

• Now take these I-statements and read them out loud. Really feel into the words you wrote down and what they evoke in you as you do so.

• When you are finished, make sure sure that you know what tree it is, make photos or bring a leave so you can do research about what the tree represents and symbolizes. For example the silver birch is a tree that represents re-birth and new beginnings.

• Thank the tree that it gave you this message without any judgement and that it has shown you, how you see yourself and what stories you are telling yourself at this moment in your life. Thank the tree for giving you the chance to CHANGE this perception, if it was a not so loving story about yourself.

I love using nature as a mirror to help me grow my inner magik and cultivate a deeper form of self love for myself.

You can also watch the video I did about the hidden messages of tree on YouTube and I hope you love it as much as I do! 🌳💚

If you do this magical exercise (and again: make sure you are safe) and I would love if you share your experiences. 😊🌼

All my love,
Bebea