A Painting of a Tree
09 Sep 21 by justatest
In front of the studio stood a dead sycamore I needed to remove, as it was in danger of falling on the road.
Grabbing a chainsaw and lopping off the upper branches, I was about to cut down the tree when an unseen and mysterious lady's voice gently whispered to me:
¨That´s enough, you can stop now.¨
and added that she would reveal a secret if I follow her directions.

Place of pilgrimage

Who was that lady?
Well the tree is beside Ladys Island, a place of pilgrimage now occupied by the Middle-Eastern Christian religion, but which in pre-Christian times was overseen by Celtic Druidesses or Women Priests of native spiritual tradition.
Perhaps it was the voice of an ancient Druidess?

Origin

Origin
Birth of the helix

So instead of chopping it down for firewood, over the following days with the chainsaw I followed the suggested forms of the tree to carve out a spiralling helix the length of the trunk, the base of which revealed the source as a delicate vulva-like opening.

Growth

Growth
Early growth

It seemed that the helix was itself distinct from the tree, somewhat like a sexual energy or a new life form which at first slowly and meanderingly progresses it´s upward rise.

Nutrition

Nutrition
Breast

If the helix twist of the climbing spiral represents the offspring or children, then mid-way along the trunk emerged the shape of a breast denoting the nourishment and succour provided by the mother to her young.

Love

Love
Heart of the tree

The tree´s heart here would also then reflect that mother´s love.

Towards Independence

Towards Independence
Change of direction

Bypassing both breast and heart, the direction of the helix changes from clockwise to anti-clockwise, as if to indicate a newly-acquired strength, a sense of self, and a growing independence from maternal protection.

New Generation

New Generation
Reaching out

Once the upward spiral of the helix attains maximum growth, it divides and separates like diverse offspring into individual and unique characters who emboldened with their mother's care spontaneously spring bravely free, up, and out into the world.

Secret Revealed

Secret Revealed
Painting Of A Tree (view from road)

In conclusion, the secret of the tree as willed by the ancient Druidess turns out to be a simple allegorical celebration of bringing the next generation into the world, along with all the hopes and dreams which that can inspire.