Beyond the Bark

“Every man is more than just himself; he also represents the unique, the very special and always significant and remarkable point at which the world's phenomena intersect, only once in this way, and never again.” ~ Herman Hesse

Although I have often affectionately been called a “tree-hugging liberal”, it wasn’t until yesterday that I turned this funny label into reality, at least in part. When a friend arranged for me to meet an old shaman, I had all sorts of images running through my mind, but nothing prepared me for what I found when we finally pulled up in the driveway of White Eagle’s humble home.

We turned off the main road into a heavily wooded patch of land, and reached the property – a small house tucked in a cloud of vibrating green, guarded with love by a cream colored dog named Big Puppy. White Eagle met us inside, and I was stunned at his appearance. As hard as I tried I couldn’t pinpoint his age, but he was much taller than I expected. He was also extremely lean, with long gray hair and a gentle smile, and very soft spoken.

After introductions and a few really interesting exchanges about healing practices, he took us outside and placed each of us in front of a pine tree. He explained that trees are much like humans, and the bark which protects them is similar to our ego. Pine trees, he said, are “wise” trees because they are flexible and their bark is open, allowing them to easily connect with other manifestations of Spirit. He told us to hug the tree, rest our foreheads on the bark, and “enter” into it. Frankly, as a strong storm quickly approached, entering the tree was the last thing on my mind, and the only “vision” I entertained was a not-so-pleasant image of myself struck by lightning while I tried to merge with the pine – definitely not a thought conducive to a higher consciousness.

When we walked back inside, he gently asked if I had been successful entering the tree, to which I could only honestly reply that I hadn’t. White Eagle didn’t get upset about it; with the same impassive expression he walked outside and came back with a leaf. He told me I should hold it over my third eye without thinking, allowing the leaf to show me two images that he had put into it; while I did that, he scribbled something on a piece of paper and placed it beside me. As soon as I cleared my mind, two animal images indeed popped in my mind – a deer and a bear. A little surprised by the vision, I almost hesitated, but then gathered the courage and said out loud what I saw. White Eagle smiled and nodded in the direction of the folded piece of paper resting by my side. I opened it up and read the two words over and over, my rational mind grasping for straws…the two words were deer and bear.

I am sure I must have looked as surprised as the children watching Mary Poppins slide up the banister, because White Eagle smiled and told me that if I can enter inside a leaf I should be able to do the same with a pine tree – the difference is only made by my own resistance to believe I can. The day progressed with many more surprises that one post cannot cover, but I certainly left White Eagle’s home with one confirmation: we are all part of one consciousness, if we can only work past the bark that separates us all.

Was Jesus a Leftist?

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?” ~ Matthew 5:43-47

I am very often labeled a “tree-hugging leftist”. For those who might wonder, I don’t hold a membership with PETA, I don’t belong to any activist group involved with the preservation of our environment, nor do I condone lack of self-responsibility and accountability. My qualification for the job is the mere fact that I don’t easily judge others and I embrace all, regardless of who they are or what they have done.

As I write these words, I can already imagine that some are mumbling the word “naïve”, so I have a question to ask – was Jesus naïve? Two thousand years after His incredible journey on earth, the great majority finds His embracing ways inspiring, and most who follow His teachings aspire to be able to live their life in the amazing footsteps He left. According to records, Jesus’ messages of equality, unity, unconditional love and lack of judgment spread quickly across the land, and were accepted by many - rich and poor, educated and illiterate. But, as a woman living in the 21st century, embracing the same concepts labels me as a “leftist”.

I am fairly conservative, and hold on tightly to what I believe are wholesome, important values, but I still choose to keep my mind open in order to tailor my views on an ever-changing pattern which is at the base of human evolution. I believe in preserving life in all forms, as I believe that each is one of the many faces of creation; I believe that humans are constantly having to choose between the pull of the ego and the guidance of Spirit, thus all humans have the potential of being good or evil; I believe that since half of each person is created by light, the best way to turn them away from the shadows is to feed them more light, regardless of how faint their flame is at the time I meet them; I believe in all people being the same gift just wrapped in different packages; And ultimately, I believe that we are all one – as long as we waste time fighting one another over meaningless issues we will never discover our true potential.

So, inquiring minds want to know - wasn’t Jesus hoping to spread these very same thoughts? He embraced thieves and prostitutes because he knew that deep down they were no different than a holy man – the only difference between them was the direction they had mistakenly taken, which could be reversed by changing paths on their journey.

I hope nobody is offended by these words, as I have no intention of stepping on anyone’s belief, but I have often wondered why we tend to mix politics and spiritual views, and would love to hear others’ opinions about this topic.