Site menu:
A Funeral for the Trees
Part Four: Hiking Toward SpiritTook place August 28 - 30, 2006
by Jeffrey Pierce
The single lane dirt road wandered through thick forests as I made my way inland. I'm extremely comfortable surrounded by trees and shadows. Much of my shamanic work takes place deep in the wilderness where the energy is rich and the veil between our world and the spirit world is thin. But there was something darker to this stretch of forest. Something not quite menacing, but very unhappy just the same. As I extended my awareness, the spirits of two Native Americans appeared on the road behind me. They were male warriors and, while they weren't actively aggressive, I got the unusual sense that, while I wasn't necessarily unwelcome, they were upset, almost angry, about something that deeply disturbed them. Keeping pace with me as I walked briskly down the road, they eventually faded after roughly a quarter mile.
A very short distance later, I came upon a large stump, left over from a logging operations. On it was carved what looked like two teepees and a crescent moon. Was it simple coincidence that the spirits stopped just before I reached it? Is anything on a spiritual path truly a coincidence?
A large stump with carved symbols. (rephotographed August 30, 2007)
Almost immediately, I stepped out of the trees and dense forest into the midst of an active logging operation. Heavy equipment perched on top of a rise, loading freshly cut logs onto waiting trucks. A bulldozer pushed debris into huge piles. The sound of chainsaws cut the air.And in the middle of it all stood a guardian tree.