Dating : Sophie liked walking in the forest at the edge of the day, near sunrise and sunset when the energy…

Sophie liked walking in the forest at the edge of the day, near sunrise and sunset when the energy of the world was changing and it was easier to hear the quiet whispers of nature. She loved to take her shoes off and feel the earth’s energies rising up through her feet; she loved to feel the sunlight entering the pores of her skin and the cool air playing through her hair. She loved the fresh scent of the pines and how their needles made everything soft underfoot.

There was a tree by the entrance to the forest that Sophie particularly loved. It had a special kind of energy and she used to silently greet it good morning or good evening each time she went on her way. The more she connected with this tree, the more she became aware that the tree was connecting with her. “I see the tree and the tree sees me,” thought Sophie. Sometimes she would pause in front of the tree , sending her love into its roots, trunk, branches and leaves. And in return, she sensed it was sending soft waves of loving energy back towards her.

One day, Sophie heard a rustling coming from the tree, gently beckoning her towards it. She noticed there was a delicate fern growing around its base, with two stalks that uncurled like two leafy hands with their palms outstretched towards her. Instinctually, Sophie found her own hands reaching out to touch these leafy palms, and as they made contact, the rustling sound grew even louder. Sophie felt the fern slowly enclosing her hands in a loving embrace. But then her mind kicked in, and frightened, she recoiled from the tree and quickly ran home. For trees couldn’t hold hands, could they? She must be imagining things…

Yet over the next few nights, this magical tree kept appearing in Sophie’s dreams. It even started to communicate with her, telling her secret things about itself. “My name is Carol,” said the tree in one dream, “and I used to be a human like you. In fact, I was very much like you Sophie: I used to love walking in the forest and communing with the trees. You can learn so much from simply watching, from paying attention to nature. The answers to many of life’s questions are simply there waiting for us to see…

I had a difficult human life Sophie. Like you, the boundaries of my skin were not very thick, and as well as hearing the silent voices of nature and all the blessings that come with that, I could also hear the silent voices of humans too — the voices of people’s subconscious. And that wasn’t easy at all. For when I was alive, life on earth had become quite tough: most people were forced to work very hard just to survive. They carried so much sadness and longing within them, believing themselves to be separate from nature and each other. It wasn’t easy to hear the inner thoughts of my fellow humans: often worrying, often scared.

It’s no surprise that I found life of earth quite a struggle. When I was alive, there was little awareness of things like telepathy, sensitivity or empathic abilities, so I was often lonely and felt my gifts to be something of a curse. To be honest, I avoided spending too much time with people because the noise of their inner landscape was often too much for me. And of course, I was always rushing around too, earning money and taking care of my friends and family — all the while being bombarded with the thoughts and feelings of others. Yet I tried to live my life well, I tried to do good and help people whenever I could. And when my days on earth were over, and my soul left my human body and passed through the realms of light to explore the lessons of that lifetime, the Great Sun decided to send me back again as this tree. He wanted me to experience what life could be like when one is deeply connected to the earth and sky, and the interconnectedness of all things.

Life as a tree suits me much better. For now, I am rooted in the rich, dark soil and enjoy conversations with my fellow trees through our deep root network. My blossom provides nectar for the bees, and my fruit and branches a sweet repose for the birds. I love it when they nest in my branches — they bring me news from far-off places which I can’t see, as do the whispers carried on the winds. At first, I was afraid to find myself reborn as a tree, because I was so used to rushing around as a human, and trees don’t have legs so they can’t move at all. They also live a very long time and I thought I’d be terribly bored… yet I’ve found there’s so much to see and enjoy just by being still and looking and feeling. You can experience this too Sophie! I enjoy the rhythms of the earth now: I feel the moon waxing and waning and notice how it makes the sea dance back and forth. I love watching the birds migrate south when it gets too cold and welcoming them back once it’s warm enough again. Somehow, it’s easier to feel our inter-connectedness in my life as a tree than it was in my life as a human…”

“What advice would you give me Carol, for while I’m in this human body here on earth?” asked Sophie in another dream. “Well,” said Carol, “first of all, don’t worry too much: the natural world is your home and she will always be there to love and support you. But I see that you have already discovered this for yourself. Throughout life, your daily walks in nature will help you greatly. Keep connecting with the earth, keep listening to the laughing song of the stream, for in nature, you’re never alone ­– although like all humans, you are here to have certain experiences and to learn things — not all of which will be easy. Aim to love all things you come across deeply: try to extract some kind of nectar from each of your experiences, and take care of this planet, for she is home to many beings who do not have the privileges or abilities that humans do. Speak up for them and keep a consciousness of our interconnectedness and inter-being uppermost in your mind. Remember that every thought, word and action matters, and it must all come from your heart. No effort in this direction is wasted, for the Great Sun sees all, and every action you take to support life creates a beneficial ripple out into the world, somewhere, somehow… no matter how small, even if you can’t see or perceive it. You won’t be able to change or stop many of the twisty turny things that you will experience in your outer world, but you do have some measure of control over how you react to them on the inside. So be in nature often; let her beauty calm, soothe and restore you. Open your eyes to her ways and you’ll always feel loved and supported.”

Sophie would never forget these dreams and conversations she had with Carol the tree as a young girl. She grew up into a woman just as Carol said she would, and things became very busy and sometimes very difficult indeed. She was often rushing from here to there, earning money and caring for her friends and family, just as Carol had. But she never forgot to make time to be in nature to observe the changing seasons. She walked barefoot often, she swam in the living waters and she ate the fruits of the earth. Later, when she had children of her own, they would sit together under the shade of Carol the tree and Sophie would teach them all that she had learnt.

Before she passed away as an old woman, Sophie asked that her ashes be scattered at the roots of that special tree by the entrance to the forest, which had been a solace and constant companion throughout so much of her life. Though she too had now passed on into the realms of light to meet the Great Sun and explore her own lifetime’s journey, she wanted her body to be used to nourish the soil, to give the earthworms something to play in and so that Carol the tree might continue providing sustenance for the birds, the bees and all the humans who would next find themselves walking upon the earth.