woodwoman Posted October 11, 2013 Hi Everyone, I am a sawmiller on the sunshine coast, Queensland, Australia, and I wanted to share some pics and stories of different tree spirits I have found inside trees over the past 8 years. To start off this thread here is "happy blackwood man" http://www.woodworkforums.com/f132/blackwood-pics-174170/index2.html will try to attatch file next time, I hope this link works! Anyone got photos, poems, interesting ideas about the spirit nature of plants? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IndianDreaming Posted October 11, 2013 Hi Woodwoman! Do you have pics on a site that doesn't require signup? Or feel free to copy and post them here - everyone loves a good pic 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted October 11, 2013 Hi Woodwoman! Do you have pics on a site that doesn't require signup? Or feel free to copy and post them here - everyone loves a good pic Cheers! 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted October 11, 2013 Mango Man mangifera Indica from school grounds, woodford, QLD. Over 100 years old. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alice Posted October 11, 2013 Very nice woodwoman. Are you also a woodworker? I would love to see some of your work. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted October 11, 2013 (edited) This is Mango Root and It looks to me like too eyes at the top and an open mouth. Edited October 20, 2013 by woodwoman 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazonian Posted October 11, 2013 (edited) G'day woodwoman. Welcome to the Corroboree. So your a wood woman/ saw miller hey ?! You get to choose the best bits of wood and burl. Theres just something about wood...I love how it smells, how it feels and how it looks...(dead or alive). I came across a set of knife scales on ebay a while ago, and to me looked just like a wolf (see pic attached). It is from an ebony tree apparently. Edited for better wording ....trying to get myself out of trouble,lol. : p Edited October 11, 2013 by Amazonian 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bullit Posted October 11, 2013 IMG_4996.jpg what is this??? i do wonder if this smells like the wood amozonian loves jokes jokes please just joking lol! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etherealdrifter Posted October 11, 2013 IMG_4996.jpg hello woodwoman and welcome. for some reason ^ reminds me of this instead of the obvious sexual genitalia reference in your wood tree spirit , the area (to me)looks like the person holding his/her head from edvard munch's 1893 painting 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted October 13, 2013 I hope you protect your lungs, mine are damaged from wood work. Australia has many toxic timbers, like red bean for example, although saw mill work means the wood is still wet, and this means the dust settles much faster. I can't see any tree spirits, only the left and right side of some nice grained timbers... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted October 17, 2013 Well wood spirits, if not tree spirits! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted October 17, 2013 looks like mango wood to me, nice wood, but not very durable, unfortunately. btw, you can get high, from smelling camphor wood, if the saw or the router, burns the timber... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted October 17, 2013 looks like mango wood to me, nice wood, but not very durable, unfortunately. btw, you can get high, from smelling camphor wood, if the saw or the router, burns the timber... It is the root stump of a mango tree and so far it is stable but not durable in the weather like some other species. Had no idea about camphor wood getting you high, can you expand on this? as I have never had any effects like this. My recent research shows camphor cinnamonum camphora is likely to cause paralysis and seisures if to much exposure. It numbs the peripheral sensory nerves, affects brain and spine function but is mostly only good, externally, for lung conditions. ( A Modern Herbal, By Mrs M. Grieve, 1994)+ (Essential Oil Desk Reference, Fifth Edition. L.S.P.) I find breathing it irritating to my nose. Note: any oil that has been burnt (by fast saw blade) will not have the same effectiveness as an extracted pure oil/resin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted October 18, 2013 (edited) Buddha Slab Queensland Maple flindersia brayleyana salvaged after Cyclone Larry 2007, Atherton Tablelands, QLD. 1.5m wide x 1.5m Long x 70mm thick. It was a massive slab and the bark inclusion inside was the exact shape of buddha sitting in full lotus position. When he was first cut you could even see all the individual toes. he is surrounded by slightly differently coloured auric rings and a rope entering/exiting the heart area. I will keep looking for my other photos of buddha slab. Cheers! Edited October 18, 2013 by woodwoman 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
planthelper Posted October 18, 2013 regarding camphor wood getting you "high", there is no sience back up... I worked with camphor, and when you router the wood for a few hours, I felt intoxicated, but I got no one to back me up on this. neither wood I know, which are the actives behind this claim, but camphor contains safrol... if you breath in those fumes for a long time, your hands get shackey and your eyes will get blood red and you will weep a lot... edit: I tried 4 different versions of shackie all were wrong, English sucks... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamwalker. Posted October 19, 2013 (edited) hi Woodwomen..............I came across these pics the other day.....are they for real?......................do you have trees like this in your woods? Eucalyptus deglupta I like these arty tree spirts................ Edited October 19, 2013 by Dreamwalker 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted October 19, 2013 (edited) ^ kind of looks like the site of a heroic paintball battle. this thread of full of dicks. Edited October 19, 2013 by ThunderIdeal 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted October 20, 2013 What is a Tree/Plant spirit? Have you encountered one and how? What did it look like? Can anyone hear talk with them? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamwalker. Posted October 20, 2013 (edited) "The blossom tree spirit sang the praises of the kusha grass spirit: ‘Spirits of the trees, for all our mighty power, we knew not what to do, while the humble kusha grass spirit had wit to save my home for me. Truly, we should choose our friends without considering whether they are our superiors, equals, or inferiors, making no distinction. Whether they be tree, bird, or grass, each according to his strength, can help a friend in his hour of need.' Edited October 10, 2014 by Dreamwalker. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted October 23, 2013 I have also done ceremony for trees that are to be cut down, I feel like, they like a few days notice and any alternative options presented. So I say to the trees spirit, for example, as it differs slightly with each one. Hello, I am here because I need your help, I wish to cut you down for timber so I may create beautiful and functional things and I know this will displace you so I give you the options of 1)Staying with the timber to be adored all around the world, 2)Leaving this tree and entering another. 3)Returning to ether from whence you came. Please forgive me for asking you to choose, I will return in 3 days, so be it. This is said with words, emotions and imagination, slowly and considerately. I find that if trees have had the proper warning and preperations they are happy to be cut down and to stay with the wood. Hence Photos! And the energy around the tree felling is one of excitement, acceptance, delight, honour. I found I don't feel so good when watching a tree be cut down that has not been respected as a living entity or given options it feels more like a murder.. When I place my hands on a tree I will feel the energy pulsing, I have found realy old trees have a slower steady pulse and young vibrent trees have a fast, rushing pulse. Interestingly trees with a slow pulse are incredibly figured timbers. I do not tell many of my wood buddys about my tree spirit principles for fear of ridicule. However I expressed my ideas to a major logging operation in the Solomon Islands, who also understood these spiritual principles, but again feared ridicule and therefore does not practice what he knows in his heart is the right way. Instead he will remove all trees from the Solomons within a 10 year period and cause the community great problems. This is why we need to talk about it. Let us close the gap between man and plant, for we did not weave the web of life. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Widdershins Posted December 4, 2013 Those cuts are absolutely amazing, especially the wolf, I noticed it instantly! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted January 16, 2014 Click on Picture for more information on "Working with the Spirits of Trees". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
woodwoman Posted November 27, 2015 A couple of recent tree spirits. Blackwood root and Mango Root pics. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
courage Posted November 27, 2015 (edited) I love this! It reminds me of the nymphs shaping their image into the beautiful forest gardens. It makes me so happy to see others respecting trees as living beings. Thank you for sharing all :D I've always felt a sense of respect and deep wisdom around ancient trees. We have a lovely tree locally rightly named the grandmother tree. It guards the entrance to some controversial ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs that are believed to be indigenous, where many have reported paranormal/psychic activity! Edited November 27, 2015 by courageoftheweak Share this post Link to post Share on other sites