The Festival of The Trees 47

May Day, Beltane & The Tree of Life

The Festival of the Trees n0.47 is upon us leaping joyously into the month of May and Beltane. As Samhain marked the beginning of the Celtic year and the death of summer, Beltane is the celebration of renewed life after the long winter. Everywhere there are signs of life, renewal in energy and inspiration. Lambs, calves and foals can be seen in the fields. The earth is waking and sending up shoots and sprouts. Our gardens and embankments are awash with blooms. Nesting birds enchant us with their song and the trees tenderly uncurl their leaves showing us reassurance and promises of splendour to come. Spring is here!

It is no wonder that the magical changes of season, the stepping out from the dark into the light inspire us so. Robert Frost describes the early leaf as 'a flower', Shakespeare writes 'When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim, Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing'. Robert Louis Stevenson speaks happily about 'The fallows and the leafless trees, And all my spirit tingled', and Phillip Larkin captures the essence of the fertility of this time exuberantly in his poem 'The Trees'.

The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being said;
The recent buds relax and spread,
Their greenness is a kind of grief.

Is it that they are born again
And we grow old? No, they die too,
Their yearly trick of looking new
Is written down in rings of grain.

Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In fullgrown thickness every May.
Last year is dead, they seem to say,
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.

This month we have some wonderful participants generously sharing their love of nature and trees. Spirthelpers offers inspirational poetry and pictures of breathtaking beauty in posts celebrating Earth Day, and the Festival of the Trees. Seabrooke Leckie enthralls us with the remarkable tree climbing porcupine. Leaves and Bloom gives us the 'scentsational' Mimosa Tree. The Honest Hypocrite shares with us an explosion of colour wit his pictures of Cherry Trees and Magnolia's. Mille Fiori Favoriti explores the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Prairie Walker also shows us the beauty of the Magnolia tree and that:

'Trees remind us that there is always hope for a rebirth,
a refreshed spirit, and a renewal of life'.

Above you can see Lynne Hoppe's own special way of honoring the trees. Stay a while and watch Lynne's enchanting film about her 'Green Shrine Tree'. T takes us walking through the bush to visit the Fungi Tree. Cheryl Dolby shares her magical tree inspired paper dolls in her collection of 'Grandmother Trees'. Below you can see a draft of 'The Tree of Life' by the esteemed artist Patricia Ariel. Ariel has worked on this piece for many months and it has evolved in many ways since this picture was taken. The work is rich in symbolism and a delight to behold if yet still incomplete. You can follow the progress of this painting at 'Mesmerised by the Sirens'.


Tales from the land of Oz share the experiences of 'Autumn in Oz'. 'Saving our Trees' are 'Mad about Fig Trees'. Faerie Moon Creations post twinkles with magic as the blue jay moves into her Lilac Tree. Lois Wakeman sows us her springtime blossoms. Ash Krafton tells of the distracting nature of trees in her humorous post 'grabbing gold'. Autumn Belle writes:

"We can learn a lot from the trees - they are always grounded, but never stop reaching heaven wards.... ~ Everett Manor "

Garden writer Carol shares offerings for Bloom Day and her adventures in Lob's Wood. Joan shares her poem 'Dulwich Woods' while poet Elizabeth Rimmer presents her poem, 'Birch Tree Englyn' below.

Seed tree, weed tree, the shining silver birch
grows in the waste places.
Pioneer on the peat hags –
forest trees root in its wake.

Aleph so carefully catches the elemental beauty of nature mingled with art and dressed with the words of Conrad Aitkin in her post 'Tree'. Suzi of Spirit Whispers generously shares her gentle observations of the unfurling trees, the ladybirds that live on the trees, the buds of the Ash and the Elm, feathers in the breeze and in 'Wise Woman Elder' Suzi echo's our thoughts.

'Trees talk... if you're prepared to listen.... to sit in silence.... and hear. Not just the sound of of leaves or branches in the breeze... but a voice from deep within...'

A thought that evokes the poem 'A Murmur in the Trees' by Emily Dickinson:

A Murmur in the Trees -- to note --
Not loud enough -- for Wind --
A Star -- not far enough to seek --
Nor near enough --

A Hazy Moon flows with beauty in posts 'Wet Woods', 'Sun on the Gums' and 'Koala Update'. Shine the Divine and 'Woodland Things' show us the graceful art of Haiku. Below, Indiaphagme shows us different kind of 'Arbre De Vie - Tree of Life'.

Nature Blogger Matthew Wills educates us with his beautiful insights of Apple Cedar Rust and encounters of the destructive nature of the the earth worm on the Northern Hardwood Forests. Noelle explains how 'large trees with little leaves' survive hot dry conditions. Roberta shares with us her 'mystery seed' and the delights of the Redwood Forests. Robin spends her Independence Day with friends and trees. Joan shows us the beauty of the Serviceberry. Ash of Treeblog shares magical visions in the post Loch Tay and the Falls of Acharn. and Arati offers us 'Images from the Tree Park', 'Pink' trees, and Lavender trees reminding me of the poem 'City Lilacs' by Helen Dunmore.

Lilac, like love, makes no distinction.
It will open for anyone.
Even before love knows that it is love
Lilac knows that it must blossom.

Above, Susan Sanford share her Grandfather Tree. Lisa Atchison works trees and leaves into her glass beads. Jim Moffat shows us just how much trees influence each of his paintings in his 'WaterColor Digest'. Ester Wilson shares her organic tree and plant sketches in her Daily Drawings and Nick Gulley teaches the delights of looking up. The Silver Lodge treats us with creative displays of nature and tree inspired Jewelry. 'Recovery in Art' highlights the magical healing qualities of nature and trees in her post about the Celtic Tree of life.

'The Celtic Tree of Life. One of the most spiritual symbol of the Celts, intertwining begin and end, each drawing experience and strength from each other'.

Lastly, the very talented Debrina made the film clip above as part of her contribution to the Pulp Redux collaboration . You can read more about the making of this tree inspired altered book HERE.

So now, this May Festival draws to a close and I thank each and every participant for all of the enjoyable posts I have read these past days. I offer thanks to all that take the time to read this post and visit the links.The June edition of The Festival of the Trees will be hosted by Wandering Owl Outside, http://wanderingowloutside.wordpress.com/. The deadline is May 30th. The Theme for the June festival is: The relationship betwen trees and game animals/birds, or any environmental benefits of trees. Please email all submissions to: cjharn [at] gmail [dot] com.

It is now time to go and celebrate Beltane festivities. I leave you all with a Maypole Dance of Glastonbury.

Happy Beltane!

When in the springtime of the year
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair...

-- Loreena McKennitt