Electrified, Giggling Flowers, Talking Trees, and Thanksgiving
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He wasn’t the only one who spoke of these things. I spent much time in grammar school at the house of my Polish friend whose mother was an artist. She told us about trees talking and, she used to say, talking to them made her feel happy. At the time I did not think much of it. But now, many years later, on walks, occasionally a tree will say something. Utter a benevolent greeting. And now, I find myself so in love with trees, I shoot portraits of them constantly, singly or in groups, with their “friends and relations.”
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Any doubts I had about trees communicating were put to rest when I read in J.Gordon Douglas’s column in the now defunct Dutchess CountyRegister Herald, about how trees in an area communicate with one another in planning their reproduction strategies for the season or warning each other chemically about caterpillar infestations. Scientists are not sure how. Maybe through the roots.
Not only do plants have feelings, they can also generate energy. See the website by artist, Caleb Charland. He used apple trees to generate light. Perhaps one day we will use plants for alternative energy– just another amazing aspect to nature’s ways:
Of course, hearing them “talk” is a little different. However, Valerie Wormwood, one of the world’s leading aromatherapists, in her book entitled The Fragrant Heavens, tells us not only does the earth hum but it emits a low frequency radio signal known as the ‘Shumann resonance” and this signal can be detected coming off trees. She relays that researchers in America wanted to know if this signal could be altered by human thoughts or feelings. They had a group of people circle a tree and say Native American prayers, sending the tree love. They attached electrodes like those measuring human brain waves to the tree. A response not only registered but the sensors went off the scale. Clearly some form of communication went on, confirming my Polish friend’s mother’s belief and many others as well. When trees are cut down we are not only destroying the tree we are cutting down and giving it a terminal sentence as firewood or worse, but we are also upsetting all the trees around the “victim.” The surrounding trees must witness their friend and neighbor being chopped down. Do they feel outrage, fear, sadness?
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We do know now that they feel something. Wormwood tell us that in 1966 Cleve Backster, a lie detector expert in New York, had a group of students go into a room with 2 plants next to each other on a table. One of the 6 students was chosen to “murder” one of the plants, hacking it to bits and then they all left the room. After the attack Backster attached the lie detector to the “survivor” and had the students enter the room again one by one. The sensors were quiet as the “innocent” students entered but when the “attacker” entered they started jumping “wildly.” I think of this as I weed the gardens in the summer. Sometimes we are forced to cut down a tree and we must pick vegetables to eat. And we have to weed the gardens. But perhaps it is in how we do it. If we can express gratitude and appreciation and maybe an apology. Or if we could ask permission perhaps, as the Native Americans do. When they take from the earth they give an offering as well.
The Native Americans had the real idea for giving thanks, for thanksgiving. It was not about stuffing oneself with sweet potatoes and gorging on gravy and turkey. They gave Thanksgiving to Spirit in the earth, in the trees, in the animals, for whatever they took. Flowers “giggle” and trees “talk”. If only we would be attuned enough to listen. Sentient beings surround us and we must follow the lead of the Native Americans at Thanksgiving and give thanks for what we take from the earth, and, of course, from the animal kingdom, and give back something in return. Even if it is only words, but words with heart behind them, words that understand the sacrifice made by sentient beings for us, words that capture the true spirit of Thanksgiving.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING AND HAPPY AUTUMN TO THOSE WHO DON’T!
MOONSIDE 
Simply gorgeous!
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November 23, 2013 at 1:40 PM
Thank you so much!! 😊Ellen
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November 23, 2013 at 2:12 PM
Amazing stories! Humans tend to so underestimate communication in the natural world. We have so much to learn, don’t we.
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November 23, 2013 at 2:06 PM
Definitely much to learn, and listen to. Thanks for your voice.
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November 23, 2013 at 2:33 PM
Lovely post, Ellen.
I believe this about plants.
And I have a couple of Valerie Worwood’s aromatherapy books, 🙂
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November 23, 2013 at 3:47 PM
Thank you very much, Ashley! Glad to hear you are a believer. I have Valerie Wormwood’s books on aromatherapy, too. Do you use essential oils? I use them in my Reiki practice (which is very small) and we use them on ourselves. Do you know Young Living oils? Thanks for the comment.
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November 23, 2013 at 5:45 PM
Yes, I do use essential oils. I often wear patchouli. Peppermint I sniff for nausea. Rosemary in a burner for clear thinking. And I used to make a blend of geranium, lavender, and vetiver and wear it as a perfume which is very relaxing and so many people have told me they like it. Some others too. If there’s something wrong with me I usually look in a Worwood book before trying anything else.
And no I don’t know Young Living oils.
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November 24, 2013 at 3:11 AM
We use them a lot, too. I consult “my books,” too when something is wrong. Young Living oils are the best I have found but they are on the high side.
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November 24, 2013 at 8:38 AM
💕I love your dad-story!! I have made my home in the woods and I just love it…the trees, birds, flowers, and all…minus the squirrels 🐿 😂😅🤣
Happy Thanksgiving and Many Abundant Blessings upon You and Yours!!
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November 24, 2022 at 9:29 AM
Oh, I am so glad you enjoyed my Dad story. Your place sounds enchanted!! Have a great holiday with your two-legged loved ones and your four-legged neighbors❣️❣️🙏🏽🙏🏽
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November 24, 2022 at 10:40 AM
Wonderful and i believe everything tries to talk to us. Absolutely.
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November 24, 2022 at 8:30 PM
Me, too, buy I suppose you figured that out already.:-)
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November 24, 2022 at 8:41 PM
Lovely post and beautiful photographs, Ellen. Glad I stopped by… Always nice to encourage one’s garden by telling them how pretty and well they are doing.
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November 25, 2022 at 8:24 PM
Thank you so much, Cheyenne!! I tried to write you on your blog but could not find a comment section. I love your new work. Reminds me, though very different, of Miro somehow. Keep going!
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November 25, 2022 at 9:22 PM
Many thanks, Ellen. Much appreciated!
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November 25, 2022 at 10:13 PM
Very much appreciated reading this post! Your pictures are wonderful and your story about your dad woven in with the words about different scientific studies and the aromatherapist’s thoughts was all so well crafted, graceful, and well-communicated. I do believe I would like to hear a giggle from plants or trees or both! I have heard more serious thoughts from trees. LOL.
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November 28, 2022 at 4:02 PM
♥️
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November 29, 2022 at 12:40 AM
It is not only the North American Indians who express a form of reverence for the life they take for food, or make into tools… all indigenous peoples throughout the World do… it is a pity we lost intelligence when we became smart…!
🇯🇲🏖️
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November 28, 2022 at 5:57 PM
👍🙏
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August 21, 2023 at 12:12 PM
The thought of talking to the plants and telling them jokes made me smile. ☺️❤️
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December 6, 2022 at 3:30 PM
❤️🙏🏾
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December 6, 2022 at 5:14 PM
Makes me smile, too, and see my father in a new light.
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August 21, 2023 at 12:14 PM
❤️
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August 21, 2023 at 3:45 PM
💖🙏
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August 21, 2023 at 3:46 PM
Scientists are totally sure how trees communicate. The mycelium from which the mushrooms grow is the biological medium that trees talk to one another.
Beautiful post!!!
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December 14, 2022 at 4:47 PM
Thank you so much for adding the information you contributed and for commenting. You made my day!!🙏🏽
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December 14, 2022 at 5:17 PM
All of God’s creation testifies of His goodness and love!
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June 8, 2023 at 12:18 AM
Amen!🙏🏽
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June 8, 2023 at 10:39 AM
🙂 🙂
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June 14, 2023 at 12:23 AM
😊
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June 14, 2023 at 7:36 AM
When God created all the plants and flowers and trees, He said it was good. He doesn’t make mistakes. Our lack of respect for creation, in general, is dismissive of the joy He had in creating them–for us. I, too, love your dad story–he sounds rather magical.
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August 22, 2023 at 12:42 PM
My father had many, many problems but he was highly creative.
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September 1, 2023 at 10:00 AM