by Dobhran, Explore, Francesca, Skip, and White Owl; edited by Explore, originally published in Oak Leaves #18
Connecting with the land in a group or as an individual can be an intense learning experience. Taking time to feel and experience the essence of a place can help us respect and work with its forces. As Druids and others communicate with one another regarding energies of the landscape, we can learn to conduct our rites, celebrations, and other magickal work in a way that respects the land and nurtures our spirits.
Appalachian Mountains Ridges of strong quartz sandstone Long peaceful hollows Carved as water penetrates weaker rocks Druids Naturalists Flow with the contours of the land Move among the nature spirits Focusing in one place Feeling the energies and essence Then focusing in another
Focus 1
On November 11, 2000, naturalist Druids visited a hillside that overlooks the valley of Three Licks Creek, near Shade Gap in Pennsylvania. This southeast- facing slope is in the process of reforestation after having been farmed. Virginia pines are the dominant trees sticking their roots into the thin soil that has formed upon siltstone bedrock. A few pioneer deciduous trees have started to invade the region. Black Cherry and Red Maple are among these newcomers.
The general feel or vibe of this site can be characterized as one of struggle, hardship, and transience; the harshness of the elements was readily apparent to the Druids.
SKIP: On the first ridge above the road, the feelings that I received from the trees were about their roots and how shallow and temporary they were there. The soil level felt very thin and the trees knew that growing there they wouldn’t live to anywhere near their potential lifespan. Looking around the area you could see many of the other trees that had fallen and were starting to return to the soil. There was also a feeling of sadness coming from the trees.
DOBRHAN: When I sat down & closed my eyes, I felt like I was going to fall forward off of the slope. It occurred to me that the trees must feel the same way—there’s very little soil for their roots to hang onto, & the wind coming over the ridge was quite strong. I also noted that there were very few animal noises. The soil was very thin & filled with pebbles, cobbles & gravel. I felt sorry for any homesteading family that had tried to farm in the area.
FRANCESCA: The terrain was one that was steep at places and yet was not foreign or out of place for its surroundings. The wind naturally came over the crest but the way it swept down the landscape had almost a sense of urgency to it, to quickly pass through this place and be gone. The terrain did not adequately prepare the surrounding growth the support it needed and as such, most were young immature trees that did not survive long or it was the wild, thorny undergrowth that survived only because of lack of competition.
I tried to just stand and feel my surroundings, yet I knew if I closed my eyes, feeling the pull of the terrain’s steepness, I would surely fall forward. I squatted down thinking this would work till I again had that feeling of falling forward (and just pictured myself rolling down that slope!). I could really get a feeling for what the trees must anticipate as they grew taller. So sitting my self on the ground, I picked up a piece of round green moss and a very small pine cone still attached to a piece of branch. I felt a strong sense of caution. Cutting of the woods for wood and pasture and the road below, had man’s encroachment influenced the surroundings so much? With time nature has a way of accepting things, this caution was more than just man’s influence, the place itself was in such constant transition state that nature was giving off a warning signal. When I put my arm around the small sapling at my side, I was immediately aware of a deep sadness. Caution and sadness were all that I could feel from the nature that possessed this area. I ‘saw’ two large dogs, first impression was Irish Wolfhounds, but these dogs were too muscular for them, and they were not wolves. They came running through the woods with determination, as an after- thought they may have been used for hunting large game. But their presence was definitely felt and I don’t know if that was another reason for the air of caution.
WHITE OWL: The first site felt desolate. I had less a sense of the instability of the trees because of the thin soil and wind sweeping over the ridge than I had an awareness that this was an area where death and disease had come calling, It fit, somehow, with the turning of the wheel of the year, but it was more than the post-Samhain sleep of winter. It was the devastation that death brings, and the decay that, in time, will enrich the soil and renews the forest. That is why Nathair hasn’t wanted me to let my firewood man forage the farm woods for dead trees. I thought of the crone Orisha, Oya, the goddess of the winds of change with her broom to sweep away the destruction. The wind was there and the destruction. Oya’s goddess equivalent for this particular land was there.
EXPLORE: I felt a sense of struggle and hardship amongst the living things. Part of me felt a general inhospitable nature at this site, but then another part of me felt free at this site—freedom in the sense of the challenge of survival. Also, like some other folks, I felt the air spirits in this spot and wanted to fly away.
The Druids pondered how to work with the energies of this place for magickal purposes.
SKIP: It was near the top of the ridge and the winds blowing out from there would usually be very strong. This would make it a good place to work magic where you wanted something to disperse over a wide range—to be carried by the winds in other words. The transient nature of the slope would add to magic that was meant to be short-lived.
FRANCESCA: A good place for transition or transforming. Letting the earth fall away and the sky open before you and your voice, energy and thoughts released and carried upon the wind. A good place for letting go and new beginnings. A good place to ground any negative energy as it has learned how to accept it. Nature Spirits are there but do not readily show themselves nor lend assistance.
EXPLORE: This would be a good place to celebrate transition and change.
Focus 2
The second place upon which the Druids focused their attention is a bit different from the first. The terrain has a gradual downward roll to it through mostly young woods down to the bottomlands and back up the other side to the next ridge. It is eastern deciduous forest that bears the climax vegetation of the region. The ground surface is a northwest facing slope, on the opposite side of the same ridge as the first site, that was logged in the 1960s. But since that time, saplings sprouted from the stumps of the logged trees. They nourish their small bodies with the old, established root systems. Moss and fragments of the underlying bedrock girdle many of the tree trunks.
This place seemed friendly to the Druids. They felt the presence of the Fair folk and other spirits as well as an overall enchantment.
WHITE OWL: The second site, even though the trees were relatively small and leafless, was luxuriant by contrast. Below us was forest sweeping down to the valley floor and way back up to the top of Shade Mountain on the other side. (The wide fields and the road that I know lie below were hidden by the thickets.) The almost vertical slope of the mountain opposite gave a sense of grandeur and scale that made the abundance of moss on the ground all around us comforting and immediate. Intricately patterned and vividly green, the moss contrasted sharply with the dull grays and browns of woods and rocks. Like bright bed coverings or thick carpets for the fairies who might live there. I felt a sense of shared pleasure and peacefulness. Although I know many other places on the farm which seem more magical and enchanted to me, that day this place was the one.
SKIP: On the second ridge, the feelings I got were of warmth and peace. It appeared to be a place frequented by the Fair Folk, as well as by many of the woodland animals. There were also strong feelings of the bounty and fertility of the forest.
EXPLORE: It seemed com- fortable and stable. Possibly nurturing. I felt a sense of an old natural order at this site. Even though the trees were not that much older than those at the first site, they seemed at peace with the process of living.
DOBRHAN: I felt much more relaxed & cheerful. I was playing with some small stones & watching the treetops sway in the wind. The site felt more lively & protected. Although I didn’t see any animals at this site either, it was easy to imagine squirrels playing on the trees & deer browsing on their way down the slope. The soil was much spongier than the other site (a lot more organic material), & there were soft drifts of moss growing. I also found lots of acorns at this site, whereas at the other site I only found two.
FRANCESCA: As soon as we came to it, all I could do was smile. The positive energy that flowed through this place was intoxicating. I could feel the ‘fairy’ or fair folk all around; they darted behind trees watching us. Not alarmed but curious as to why we had stopped at this particular place. I could feel the energy in the tree that I touched and just smiled. To my left we had passed a small grove of pines, in passing I had not noticed it, but now my attention drawn to it I felt them strongly centered there. I stooped down and started placing small stones in a stacked arrangement; I could feel the vibrations in the stones and let them tell me how to place them. I did it in honor of the folk that where there. I asked if I could take one of their stones to remember this place and since I had not brought anything with me, promising to make an offering to them later (which I did Sunday morning). This was truly an enchanted place. The stability and calmness of this site bodes well for nurturing and healing magick.
EXPLORE: This place was a stable forest where I could retreat for comfort and to do personal or group healing work.
FRANCESCA: There is so much positive energy flowing through this place that any number of things can be done here. A wonderful place for healing and for energizing oneself. This would probably also be a good place to come to if there is a problem that is going to need a lot of focusing and energy work because of the peace and tranquility here. And this would certainly make a good spot if you wanted to send energy back into the Earth for it will gladly be accepted and remembered.
It seems to be a good place to get help from local spirits.
FRANCESCA: Nature Spirits freely move through this place and are easily accessed here. If treated properly will work in your favor. For specific help or direction this is an especially good place to meditate to contact them.
SKIP: This would be a good place to work magic where you required the aid of the Fair Folk or where you wanted something to increase. For example, where you wanted a better job or for a grove to work together to grow stronger.
