The Whispering Tree

Aspen trees have been getting my attention this week, as I have walked many kilometers on trails where few people go.  In bright sunlight they gleam almost as brightly as White Birches but in lower light, their smooth bark provides a subtle palette of soft greys.  There are a few buds but still no leaves, so the architectural beauty of their branches stands out against the greens of Cedars, Pines and Balsams.

When Aspens are in full leaf, they are the voice of the wind.  The long, flat petioles at the base of each leaf are designed so that the leaves “tremble” in the wind, hence the name Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides). The ancient Celts called them the “whispering” trees that brought messages via the wind from elsewhere. The leaves can sound like a waterfall.  And that is not the only connection they have to water.  Aspens and Willows are found in wet areas and they take in a lot of water through their roots which they can purify and release as water vapour that become clouds. The inner bark is edible to humans but delicious for beavers as it is one of their favourite foods.

One day last week as I was walking by a grove of Aspens, one in particular grabbed my attention.  Sometime in the past, the bark had split around the height of my face.  The bark had curled inward to seal off the wound but the heartwood of the tree was exposed for a length of about two feet.  It seems that insects had burrowed into the wood and then a hungry woodpecker had drilled several holes into the heartwood.  This may eventually cause rot which will bring that particular trunk down.  But the thing about Aspens is that they have large roots that send up new suckers or trunks which are all clones of one another.  In this way, they form a huge organism that can live for a very long time, even thousands o years. Well, that is the scientific knowledge that we know about Aspens.

To my artist’s eye, what I saw was an ancient, spectral face looking out at me from the heartwood of the Aspen.  I walked over and looked the face right in its hollow eyes.  It was kind of eerie as though the spirit of the tree was looking right at me.  I wondered what she would say if I could hear her, what message she might whisper.  

The ancient Celts' worldview was based on knowledge learned from trees.  In their Ogham alphabet each letter was represented by a tree. When they were invaded by the Romans and then the British, the trees were mostly cut down so that the knowledge would be replaced by Christianity.  Most sacred trees were then deemed to be evil so that the old ways would be feared.  But the knowledge didn’t disappear entirely.  Looking for clues, I consulted some books I have on the Ogham alphabet and the ancient teaching about Aspen.

The Aspen or Eadha (prounounced Eva) was the vowel “E” and it was associated with Samhain or the Celtic New Year which is our Hallowe'en.  It was a transition or threshold tree that represented death and rebirth.  It was called the “whispering” or “talking” tree because of its association with the wind and the messages that came on the wind.  It was thought to be a tree that could calm you down if you let the tree do the trembling for you.  

Aspen thought to be helpful in finding the strength and endurance to face the harsh and often unexpected realities of life, often over a long period of time.  This tree is able to resist drought and its wood was used to make shields by the ancient Greeks and Celts.  It's name comes from the Greek word "aspis" which means shield.  Aspen was thought to have a protective quality.  Also, if a trunk dies, the roots will just send up a new sucker, hence its connection to death and rebirth.    

When I read this, it seemed to fit beautifully with this time that we are all going through.  There is much death energy present right now through actual death, fear of death, the loss of our normal lives, and the grieving that goes along with all of those losses.  There is much fear and anxiety floating around as well, especially if you listen to the news.  So, how comforting to have this ancient face lead me to discover knowledge from my own ancestors about the ability to endure challenges over long periods of time.  

We know that things won’t go back to the way they were.  Some trunks will fall.  But underneath it all, we are connected and there are so many new shoots rising from our collective roots at this moment as space is made for them by the old trunks falling.  Aspen teaches me about rebirth.

Perhaps it is time to listen to the trees and their ancient knowledge and to the  Indigenous knowledge keepers.  Ideas about trees being evil need to fall away as does the idea that nature should be dominated.  The ancient roots are sending up new growth to bring us back into balance.

Today, we were clearing up cans and bottles in a local park (with gloves on) and I came across a fallen Aspen trunk with beautiful rust coloured bracket fungi growing on it.  The fungi will break the old trunk back into its essential elements which will be reconfigured as something new providing another lesson about death and rebirth.

I am finding solace and strength in the compassion and caring that people are bringing to this time. I am encouraged and delighted at the ingenuity and creativity being used to find solutions.  But what is keeping me grounded and balanced is my time spent outside.  Just as my ancient ancestors were, I am comforted by the messages whispered by Aspen.