'virtue trees'
.Virtue tree---
It actually stems from a 'conversation' I was having with one of the Ancestors -- One of those misunderstandings that point out that *however* we communicate, we are not 'speaking english'.
***************
So this is a sort-of reconstruction of a non-verbal 'conversation'.
***********
I was asking about tribal values and mentioned the virtue of generosity---
I got a clear sense of the ancestor saying
**'That is no virtue..(broken)'**
--I was amazed,(Outraged)--"What do you mean? We were just talking about how *Important* it is to give!"--
**'(soothing child)'"Oh, Yes, very Important, but only half of the whole(virtue/tree), without frugality, it is no good...(branches without roots)"'**
--(me,baffled)"Wait,'virtue/tree'? What is a virtue/tree?"
***(impatient)""*Virtue/TREE*, Whole Virtue, all of it, Root and Branch---What do you *Mean* 'what is a tree?' How can you think without Trees?'""***
***************
---((That may be my favorite line from the whole conversation, "How can you think without trees?"))---
So we worked on the concept--
I got told--*Trees* have *Root*, *Branch*,
(sometimes)*Flowers*, (rarely) *fruit*
---generosity is 'branchy', frugality,'rooty',
accepting, or receiving gracefully, is a *Flower*
(again,there is no english word that quite fits)
(maintain/root, adapt/branch)
(survive/root, change/branch)
(Often english does not have a word for the whole tree)
They are *Not Opposites* they are *Parts of the Same Thing*, *Aspects*, they Need each other. One implies the rest, each alone is incomplete,unbalanced.
There is a whole language(culture) I am missing. .(and *Balance* is a very big deal in it)--I have had to work out, as best I can, from question/response, and examples.
( I get different pairs sometimes, as if several branches can spring from the same root--or just some things don't translate well)
The Iron and Pearl pentacles seem to tend towards being 'root' and,'branch'
(though power tends to be the root of compassion-the-branch)
The attributes in the 'charge of the Goddess' tend to map towards virtue/trees (reverence/root, mirth/branch)
Roots: hold, are deep, solid, inturned, convoluted, dark, enduring, (long term)
Branches: reach, are up , flexible, out turned, open, bright, exploring, (shorter duration)
The other two seem to occur less often, or I miss them, when they go by, because they 'look like' branches to me
Flowers: open, high, ephemeral,(fragrant) beautiful, sexy,(unnecessary)
Fruit: rich,(fragrant)--'aimed at the future', (whole in a way the rest are not)...
(I would say 'nourishing' but "Nourishing is Root!")
So now you all can be as confused as me---and play with this new way to view the world!
It actually stems from a 'conversation' I was having with one of the Ancestors -- One of those misunderstandings that point out that *however* we communicate, we are not 'speaking english'.
***************
So this is a sort-of reconstruction of a non-verbal 'conversation'.
***********
I was asking about tribal values and mentioned the virtue of generosity---
I got a clear sense of the ancestor saying
**'That is no virtue..(broken)'**
--I was amazed,(Outraged)--"What do you mean? We were just talking about how *Important* it is to give!"--
**'(soothing child)'"Oh, Yes, very Important, but only half of the whole(virtue/tree), without frugality, it is no good...(branches without roots)"'**
--(me,baffled)"Wait,'virtue/tree'? What is a virtue/tree?"
***(impatient)""*Virtue/TREE*, Whole Virtue, all of it, Root and Branch---What do you *Mean* 'what is a tree?' How can you think without Trees?'""***
***************
---((That may be my favorite line from the whole conversation, "How can you think without trees?"))---
So we worked on the concept--
I got told--*Trees* have *Root*, *Branch*,
(sometimes)*Flowers*, (rarely) *fruit*
---generosity is 'branchy', frugality,'rooty',
accepting, or receiving gracefully, is a *Flower*
(again,there is no english word that quite fits)
(maintain/root, adapt/branch)
(survive/root, change/branch)
(Often english does not have a word for the whole tree)
They are *Not Opposites* they are *Parts of the Same Thing*, *Aspects*, they Need each other. One implies the rest, each alone is incomplete,unbalanced.
There is a whole language(culture) I am missing. .(and *Balance* is a very big deal in it)--I have had to work out, as best I can, from question/response, and examples.
( I get different pairs sometimes, as if several branches can spring from the same root--or just some things don't translate well)
The Iron and Pearl pentacles seem to tend towards being 'root' and,'branch'
(though power tends to be the root of compassion-the-branch)
The attributes in the 'charge of the Goddess' tend to map towards virtue/trees (reverence/root, mirth/branch)
Roots: hold, are deep, solid, inturned, convoluted, dark, enduring, (long term)
Branches: reach, are up , flexible, out turned, open, bright, exploring, (shorter duration)
The other two seem to occur less often, or I miss them, when they go by, because they 'look like' branches to me
Flowers: open, high, ephemeral,(fragrant) beautiful, sexy,(unnecessary)
Fruit: rich,(fragrant)--'aimed at the future', (whole in a way the rest are not)...
(I would say 'nourishing' but "Nourishing is Root!")
So now you all can be as confused as me---and play with this new way to view the world!