Two gifts in one hour in the same nature reserve. This essence vibration was received half an hour after receiving ‘Safe Grounds’. ‘Safe Grounds’ addresses the Root Chakra, whilst ‘Eternal Wisdom’ is for the other extremity of your Central Channel, your Crown Chakra.
The Central Channel is the very core of your energy system. It forms a bridge between Heaven and Earth. Your seven major chakras branch out from your Central Channel. They suck in prana (energy) which enables you to manifest your precious life on Mother Earth.
Whilst the Root Chakra is designed to ground you to the Earth, creating the foundation on which you build your life, the Crown Chakra enables you to connect deeply to the Universe, the Source. And whilst the Root Chakra is the most instinctual of all chakras (it is your survival centre and is associated with your feelings of security, safety and balance), the Crown Chakra is the most ethereal. It is the centre through which you can directly access the Oneness. A well-developed Crown Chakra brings the gift of ‘direct-knowing’, a profound understanding that cannot be achieved with the mind, with rationality, by studying books, but through another source, The Source.
La Grande Dame
Everyone in the Dutch province of Drenthe knows which tree you mean when you mention ‘De Oude Den’ (The Old Pine). This monumental beauty thrones in the middle of the Mantingerzand nature reserve. Her exact age remains a mystery but she already had this name hundred years ago.
At 1 metre (3.28 foot) height, the circumference of her trunk is already 2.40 metres (7.87 foot). The tree itself is only 7.4 metre (24.28 foot) high, but standing next to it makes you feel not only tiny but also very young. She sure looks Old – with a capital O to emphasize her longevity. And size-wise, I could easily fit into her trunk.
Though this species, Pinus sylvestris is unisexual (neither male nor female), the way the branches curve in so many ways definitely produces a feminine appearance. The French words ‘La Grande Dame’ (The Great Lady) comes to mind. The Old Pine sure feels like a lady to be reckoned with.
The European redwood
The Pinus sylvestris or Scots pine is the only pine native to northern Europe, ranging from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia. It is an evergreen and, as its name suggests, is the national tree of Scotland. Another, less common name is the European redwood, and its lifespan generally covers 150-300 years. This species is mainly found on poorer soils, which explains why it flourishes on the sandy Mantingerzand.
The Scots pine’s bark is thick, flaky and orange-red when young, becoming scaly and grey brown with maturity. This variety is easy to recognise thanks to its long, bare, straight trunk, topped by a rounded or flat-topped mass of foliage.
Reading the specimen information however, I was struck by how starkly the ‘The Old Pine’ does not fit in the box. Her skin looks young, the orange-red colour still definitely present. She radiates vitality and her shape is unique, not long and straight at all. She is corpulent and her powerful trunk curves artistically in all directions, her impressive branches forming a large heart in the sky.
The lady from Lespugue
Somehow, this grand old ‘non-binary’ lady reminds me of The Venus from Lespugue, a statuette of a nude female figure, found in a French cave and dated from around 23,000 BCE. The figurine is only 14.7 centimetres high and cut from a mammoth tooth. Her looks are impressive and certainly catch the eye. ‘La Venus de Lespugue’ is more than voluptuous. Her belly and bosom proudly showing the many children she has carried and nurtured.
In the age of hunters and gatherers, having a voluptuous body was a sign of extreme prosperity and of wealth, and having survived so many births was an art in itself. In those days, a more than full-figured lady was most probably unique – as exceptional as The Old Pine herself – and something a community would be intensely proud of. Such women represented the wonder of strength, grace, wisdom.
The wisdom emerging from this representative of the feminine carved out of mammoth ivory, is the ancient knowledge of survival in nature, in all weather conditions.
This wisdom contains the memories and experiences of countless ancestors. Their knowledge was crucial for surviving in the wild amongst mammoths, bears, wolfs, tigers and alike. Instinct, intuition, inspiration and ancestral knowledge were their compass in their task to remain healthy, whatever the whims of nature.
So did the vast amounts of twinkling stars filling the skies in 23,000 BCE, naturally cradling humankind in the eternal wisdom of the Womb of Creation. People knew without a doubt back then, that they were nature – so different to how many cultures these days try to understand that they are ‘part of nature’. Up till now, hunters and gatherers naturally carry the Wisdom of The Womb; this primordial instinct is entirely crucial for survival. The lady who modelled for the Venus of Lespugue figurine carried a wise womb, physically and metaphysically. This Womb Wisdom is exactly what we are currently lacking in our societies and subconsciously craving for.
Countless cones
Just like the lady from Lespugue, La Grande Dame must have a far-reaching and fascinating history to share. Over the centuries she will have given birth to countless cones – maybe the long, tall surrounding specimens are her offspring. Perhaps communities gathered under her mothering arms for comfort and to speak justice. For some reason, La Grande Dame decided to stay short and channel all her energy into her massive twisted and gnarled branches. Over the years, she decided to grow two thick, long branches down to Mother Earth as mainstays for her gigantic weight. Other branches grew literally into each other in an interesting manner to preserve balance. As no other pine tree around has the same shape, size or age, this Old Pine must have been able to endure a lot. I imagine that over the centuries people have sat in the shade of this force of nature, climbed all over her sturdy branches, have jumped and maybe snapped some of her younger limbs. Others may have been sacrificed to warm a harsh winter.
It is only with the Wisdom of The Womb, the instinctual understanding of Nature’s Secret of survival that she could have endured over the years. Strong she stayed, overcoming all obstacles, all storms and climatic conditions. La Grande Dame shed all she no longer needed – some old branches still clinging to her –, in order to feed all her energy into her most healthy parts. Her massive core, the trunk, is admirable: not a single trace of fungus or disease. This tree is rock solid. This Grand Old Lady radiates sheer primordial power.
The domain of inner peace
This state of being, rooted solidly in your power, perfectly aligned between Heaven and Earth, can only be achieved with serious grounding (Root Chakra) and an exquisite connection with the Universe (Crown Chakra). When both the Root and Crown Chakra are well-aligned above each other thanks to a well-developed Central Channel – or trunk in the case of the sturdy tree –, you can step out of survival mode and enjoy the pleasure of being, as the journey that led you to this accomplishment also revealed Nature’s Secret to you.
A perfect alignment between Heaven and Earth, in combination with the Wisdom of The Womb, naturally lead to inner silence. The need for chatter, for noise and the constant company of others will gradually fade away And you will reach the serene domain of inner peace.
La Grande Dame radiates silence, but it is not an empty silence. It is the peace that contains the ultimate wisdom of being. This pine tree has discovered the secret of staying healthy by rooting deeply into both the Earth and the Universe. The joy of her existence and the wisdom that she radiates are full of peace. Is it peace? Is it wisdom? It is both. This tree carries the Wisdom of the Womb. The Wisdom of the Womb of Creation. This tree’s glory can be found in her connection to the Divine Mother, the primordial Mother of All that Is, in addition to her powerful rooting in Mother Earth and inspirational friendship with Father Sky, the Universe.
I am positive that you too have seen and endured quite a bit in your life as well, just like La Grande Dame and the Venus of Lespugue. Maybe you are currently going through a challenging phase? The essence vibration of Eternal Wisdom, that was so kindly given by La Grande Dame, will support you in developing a strong core (your Central Channel) and a true connection with The Womb of Creation.
This essence vibration will:
- Fine-tune your alignment between Heaven and Earth,
- Strengthen your Central Channel, and
- Enhance your Womb Wisdom,
- Whilst it purifies the summit of your vertical core, the Crown Chakra.
May you find pure joy in your existence.
May you land in the domain of inner peace, safe and sound within the boundaries of your, perhaps voluptuous, vessel.
With my heartfelt love,
Harriët
