I see ‘me’

I see ‘you’

You are seen

There is not a lot to write about Willow (unlike my long descriptions of some trees and plants here on this site – perhaps because you are to write your own journey). This remedy was determined to make me listen; I  even went through a few days feeling blind (yet able to see); very uncomfortable. The universe knocks in amusing ways 🙂

Her healing can be summarised in my words above and if they resonate with you I urge you to try her healing energy essence.

The Willow is a significant part of our countryside; and local to where I am in Newport, is found in abundance in the hedgerows, roadside, in fields and alongside bog and turf tracks. Willow is also often found near water. There are many types of willow which challenged me a little with identification because the willows here look a little different; I mean there are LOTS of different varieties all with slightly different leaf shape and size.

I’ll bet once you google what the willow tree and her leaves look like you will start to notice that they are everywhere. These trees are also largely responsible for the white fluff that is everywhere in early May and June; if you are a cyclist you will know all about it as they say!

As a tree lover and someone who notices nature I don’t know how I have been so blind to the willow; but she made her presence felt and now I see them everywhere (I even have one in my garden doing its best to thrive through my hedge). After several days feeling ‘blind’ (not a nice feeling but this is how I feel things) I noticed the nudges that I was being given to connect with this tree that helps you ‘see’. And so as I was called, I made this remedy to share with others.

Willow – I see, I am seen

Willow encourages you to ‘open your eyes and really see‘; to see yourself as you are, to see others as they truly are behind their walls.

 

It can often be a challenge for us to see behind the mask of a persons behaviour, their accumulation of ‘stuff’, and to see past what is on the surface a lot of hurtful, angry, or even selfish actions and words. When we are in the thick of it, we often just cannot see our way through our own hurt and confusion to understand theirs. Willow offers support to see past and into the heart of another; a heart that often is hurt, scared, scarred, and doesn’t know how else to protect itself; a heart that reacts, defends and lashes out (at you)…. A heart that learnt that this is the only way to survive. A heart that sometimes has a bad day too and doesn’t know how to cope with it. Imagine how you feel on these days; do you always have model behaviour? Wouldn’t you feel good if someone cut you a break and showed understanding and compassion? Willow helps you to see past this chaos coming at you and into the heart of this other vulnerable person ….

 

Willow encourages you to see with a pure heart and opens your compassion and understanding of what sometimes tests the best of us when it comes to our world and her people. But we are all in this together!

 

Willow also asks us to see our true selves, not the story or the outdated beliefs, or over-used excuses; but to see ourselves as we really are and with this asks us to rise up and start to take action and lead. Don’t wait for others…

 

Willow helps you see the world in all its colours and dimensions and vibrations and taken for dream time and for meditations work assists you to ‘see’ more clearly. We must do our own work with these remedies; Willow A S S I S T S the process; she doesn’t do it all for us; but as we learn in life; putting in the effort to grow and learn is very much worth it.

 

Willow healing essence details:

This remedy was made on 13-06-17. The willows were chosen from close by a busy road (the old Dublin road; don’t worry the air is good!). This is a road that people are always rushing along ‘never seeing’, and a million miles away in their heads; unaware of what surrounds them on their drive and in the greater context unawares of all that surrounds them in life (think about this a moment). Hundreds of people whizzing by worrying about the past and the future and not present in the moment appreciating all that is there. I am guilty of this too: I have driven, ran and cycled along this road countless times, and so utterly immersed in my own head that I never spotted all the wonderful willows. I may have noticed many other plants; but not the willows.

I used quartz gathered locally from home in Tipperary, and from the ground in South Africa a home from home for me. Crow feathers also added their wisdom; the crow ‘sees’.

Does this remedy call to you?

Willow is an important tree to the Irish and is a sacred tree in the Ogham alphabet and is sacred to the Druids. For all that has been written about willow, and even I wanted to write a long deep and meaningful description of willow; her healing is simple and if she calls you, follow her nudge.

Here is a nice link with some further reading Tree Lore: Willow.

Side note in relation to the above article; Primrose may be combined with Willow. 

I am enjoying exploring this remedy; my first evening taking this I had the most vivid dream in which my grandmother was present. I was at her home; where I would have spent many hours as a child playing in nature. I was collecting the wildflowers and she then showed me some amazing red roses and then a bird’s nest. Birds are an important symbol to me; I sense a lot from them and they messages they carry. I woke and the first words that came to me were from my grandmother. “I see you”.

She was encouraging me along my path with these healing remedies; to not give up on creating them and sharing them even though at times I might lose faith that people will find them. I believe in them so strongly; but I don’t always believe in me. Sound familiar? For many of us there is someone significant the other side, passed away, that we want to feel. For me willow gifted me to feel my grandmother more strongly than normal. It felt good; I felt her there; she see’s me. 

PS the bird in my dream was collared Dove, and curiously we have just gained two collared Doves in our garden. The Dove carries many symbols throughout history, mythology and religion. If you receive symbols in your dream there is an abundance of websites and resources available to help you interpret your dreams and their meaning; however, please remember that your symbol is unique to you and oftentimes your own intuition will be a far better guide as to the meaning of your dreams than someone else’s opinion.

I see you, with the kind heart, the sensitive soul, the YOU that feels is invisible, that cannot heal the world. The YOU that oftentimes feels so small in a big world and wonders how can I possibly make a difference. Yet you do, and are; don’t change.

Love,
Andrea

Footnote – After writing this I fully read my link above given for you to further understand Willow and her traditional, herbal and mythological uses. I am always in awe that the messages come to us all so clearly when we write about the healing in plants and trees. Because in truth we are all only the messengers; it is a wonderful thing to find our mutual agreement and although I do believe that the plants differ based on the country and people; there is also similarities. An abstract from the linked article:

Willow branches are said to be the best for divining Water, channelling Earth energy and to find lost objects.

Saille should be used whenever you wish to strengthen your dreaming Gifts and to boost your ability to intuit your dreams and confer lucidity when in the Dreamtime. Willow can confer seer-ship, often through night visions, scrying ability (especially when using water for viewing) and to restore balance to an individual’s female/male energies. Shavings of the wood, pieces of bark and whole leaves can be placed in a Dream Pillow or placed in a small bag, either under your pillow or under the bed itself. This same package can be used to assuage feelings of powerlessness, an unreasoned fear of death and panic attacks, and to assist you in nurturing yourself emotionally. It is suggested that Willow be used in the same way when experiencing grief and to aid in this healing process.

Willow has been used in the Sacred Pipes and the tobacco blends of many Native Americans because it is thought that it is most effective in carrying messages to the Great Spirit. Willow is also planted by Sacred Wells so that She can help to pull Earth energies into the Water and hold them there for magickal draughts.

The leaves, bark and wood add energy to any healing magick. Willow bark, when used in conjunction with sandalwood and during the Waning Moon, can be most effective in contacting the spirits of ancestors and loved ones.