Book Recommendation: THE PATH OF THE HOLY FOOL

With her extraordinary insights and skills, Lauren Artress offers us yet another layering to  the beloved story of Parsifal and his quest for the holy grail of consciousness. She invites through the doorway of our imagination.

Known on several continents as the godmother of the labyrinth’s renaissance, Lauren has traveled for several decades encouraging us to rediscover this powerful, ancient tool. She has shown how with multiple workshops and several books on the subject, her latest being, THE PATH OF THE HOLY FOOL. Like the wise woman and excellent teacher that she is, Lauren continues to deepen her own insights and imagination. We, her readers, reap  the benefits as she takes us on another journey.

Using the archetype of Parsifal, with all his unsophisticated, bumbling ways, who sets out to find the holy grail, she leads us in understanding that quest within ourselves . In these pages we more nearly see and accept the holy fool within ourselves.

She does this by encouraging us to develop our imagination which she links to the language of our souls. For years Lauren spoke of being intrigued with the unlimited possibilities of imagination. As she is a visionary by nature and practice, I knew that one day her fascination with imagination would also engage her intellect and intuition as well as her considerable talent as a story teller and teacher.

I highly recommend this book to you. Not only is it an extremely good read, but you are likely to find your own imagination inspired. And that is exactly what she has in mind.

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Leslie Karpinski, Artist.” The title I dedicate to those in need during challenging passages. The tree is a symbol for a fresh start on life, positive energy, and a bright future. It grows old, yet it bears seeds that are immortal. In many cultures, The World Tree symbolizes the unity of all life, and the order of growth against chaos and disintegration. To the Iroquois people, the white pine is a symbol of great peace. The white pine is linked to one of the most universal spiritual symbols of the human species. “

Learn more about Leslie and her beautiful art.

That is how The Sun Makes a Tree

It is the same plan for all things living,

this fall into life through fear and the

dark unknowing.

Pushed by the wind

seeds from the mother tree hit the ground

from the canopy.

Then there is that crack that opens to the truth;

always, that is how the light comes in.

When the heart breaks

is it letting in the light or setting it free?

In this break-through to the greening of our souls,

are we embracing the gift or giving it?

That is how the light come in;

that is how the sun makes a tree.

Poem by: Linda Beatrice Brown

LOST

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you

Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,

And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,

Must ask permission to know it and be known.

The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,

I have made this place around you.

If you leave it, you may come back again, saying

Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven.

No two Branches are the same to Wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,

You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows

Where you are. You must it it find you

Poem by: David Wagoner

There once was a man named Fred Wood

who never thought anything good

He was nasty and mean, and his skin was dull green

And if he could do bad then he would.

Now Fred went out walking at three

As grouch and bad as could be

He went down to the park, and just for a lark

He decided to talk to a tree.

“Hey you dumb tree!” Freddy said. “I think you’d be better off dead.”

And the tree then retorted, “Go get yourself sorted!”

“And examine your own damn life Fred!”

Now Fred was left shaken and slack.

Trees weren’t supposed to talk back.

But he bucked himself up, and summoned some pluck,

And tried to come up with a crack.

But before Fed could let out a peep.

The tree said, “Fred your sass can keep!”

“We can talk serious, of things real and mysterious.”

“Or Fred, off a cliff you can leap.”

And then something changed in Fred’s head.

“OK” was all that he said.

And Fred sat down at the knee of the talking tree,

And cleared all the thoughts from his head.

So Fred and the tree talked all day.

And all night they just talked away.

And Fred laughed and cried, and it seemed deep inside

Fred’s evil just all washed away.

The next day Fred said, “Mister Tree, How can all of this be?”

“I feel I’m quite changed, and my life’s rearranged.”

“All this from a talk with a tree.”

And the tree said, “Well whoopee do!”

“I’m aged six hundred and two.”

“I’ve learned a few things, danced in 600 springs.”

“I could pass some of that on to you.”

And from that day to this

Fred’s life filled with kindness and bliss.

And each day before dark, he would walk in the park,

And give all the trees a big kiss.

Poem by: Timothy Zachmann

Trees talk to each other deep underground

It’s an idea still relatively new to science but familiar to ancient beliefs.

Today, scientists are confirming that forests act like one big super organism. Below the ground, fungal highways connect the trees. Through this highway, the oldest trees nurture their young. What’s more, the trees communicate and cooperate with other species. Thus they help each other, contrasting with the idea of selfish competitions.

Trees talk on the “wood-wide web.” Yes, trees talk to each other, but how? After millions of years of evolution, starting 600 million years ago, fungi and plants formed symbiotic relationships called a mycorrhiza. Notably, the word come from the Greek for fungus and root. Here’s how it works: In exchange for sugars and carbon from the trees, the fungi provide what trees require: minerals, nutrients, and a communication network.

Learn more on the Ancient Code Website.