bain-druie
Tree-Hugger!
Thanks, Herr Heinrich, I somehow missed Master Vigil's post all this time! Apologies, Master Vigil.
Yes, it's hard to explain Tree-speech, since it's not generally linguistic as we would recognize that concept. I use words when I explain their lessons to me, and the words usually do all right, but they lack the depth of actually hearing it from the Dryad. (For example, the 'Don't lean' lesson from the white pine that I described above.)
I think you may have an advantage, however, with your son. My littlest is also 8, and he has an intuitive grasp of the oneness of all living things. I sometimes try to explain things (like talking to trees) and get discouraged because it seems to me that he isn't listening or remotely 'getting it'. However, that's not at all the case.
For instance, this summer we went outside to the back field on a moonless night when the fireflies were out in full force. We sat together for a while in silence, and then Josiah (my son) told me that he was "think-singing" to the fireflies, and he thought they liked it. He said he was going to ask them to come closer if they did like it, and he was DELIGHTED when a little while later they drifted a lot closer to us. One landed on his finger, and one on my shoulder.
Another example: we hiked through some woods in back of the house, and he got tired. There was a hemlock tree whose trunk split very low down, and one of the main branches had been cut down. So the result was a sort of tree-chair, where he could rest his tired little legs. When he was ready to go on, he thanked the tree and then told me he was going to give it a name, because it was a friendly tree.
So my stumbling explanations combined with his child's sensitivity work just fine. I ended up explaining to him the way to approach a tree, to give his mind something practical to grasp rather than a series of abstract ideas, and he has taken it further than I expected. :angel2:
Hence, my suggestion is to give your son the basics: approach with respect, leave an offering for the woodland creatures if possible (acorns, an apple, etc.), always be courteous, and yes they can hear you if you 'think-sing' to them, LOL. Children are amazing; given these basics, your son will no doubt soon have his own tree-friends among the dryads. :yes: I hope that makes sense.
Yes, it's hard to explain Tree-speech, since it's not generally linguistic as we would recognize that concept. I use words when I explain their lessons to me, and the words usually do all right, but they lack the depth of actually hearing it from the Dryad. (For example, the 'Don't lean' lesson from the white pine that I described above.)
I think you may have an advantage, however, with your son. My littlest is also 8, and he has an intuitive grasp of the oneness of all living things. I sometimes try to explain things (like talking to trees) and get discouraged because it seems to me that he isn't listening or remotely 'getting it'. However, that's not at all the case.
For instance, this summer we went outside to the back field on a moonless night when the fireflies were out in full force. We sat together for a while in silence, and then Josiah (my son) told me that he was "think-singing" to the fireflies, and he thought they liked it. He said he was going to ask them to come closer if they did like it, and he was DELIGHTED when a little while later they drifted a lot closer to us. One landed on his finger, and one on my shoulder.
Another example: we hiked through some woods in back of the house, and he got tired. There was a hemlock tree whose trunk split very low down, and one of the main branches had been cut down. So the result was a sort of tree-chair, where he could rest his tired little legs. When he was ready to go on, he thanked the tree and then told me he was going to give it a name, because it was a friendly tree.
So my stumbling explanations combined with his child's sensitivity work just fine. I ended up explaining to him the way to approach a tree, to give his mind something practical to grasp rather than a series of abstract ideas, and he has taken it further than I expected. :angel2:
Hence, my suggestion is to give your son the basics: approach with respect, leave an offering for the woodland creatures if possible (acorns, an apple, etc.), always be courteous, and yes they can hear you if you 'think-sing' to them, LOL. Children are amazing; given these basics, your son will no doubt soon have his own tree-friends among the dryads. :yes: I hope that makes sense.
