Last month, our local New Age paper, The Lotus Guide was having an Open House and since I was unable to attend, Don went in my stead. While there, he entered a few raffles and submitted my name. As it turned out, I won a free psychic reading at the Karma Boutique here in Chico.
At first, I was kinda reluctant to go. Although, I wanted to visit the Karma Boutique ( I miss the Bodhi Tree in Los Angeles) I wasn't sure that as the new Pastor in town, I should be seen there seeing a psychic, if you get my drift. However, I love being a winner and the people I talked to on the phone seemed so nice that I just hadda go.
The Karma Boutique is a wonderful store inside a beautiful house on The Esplanade in Chico. Books, candles, CD's, essential oils, and lots of metahphysical things to delight the senses. While I was waiting, Kristy offered me some tea while I browsed. I sat down to look at a magazine and as I lifted it to read, I noticed there was a sweet little ladybug along for the ride. I was captivated and I showed Kristy and she said, "Oh, that's good luck!" An auspicious omen to have before a psychic reading, don't you think? I don't think this ladybug was a spiritual shill, so I took her at face value. And my belief is that LUCK is laboring under correct knowledge and so I opened myself to what was to take place.
My reading was with the owner and she used her Tarot deck which she had me shuffle while contemplating my questions or concerns. Once I felt I had done that sufficiently, I handed her the cards and she placed the cards on the table. This way of forecasting reminds me of what can happen when I have been seeking an answer to something, I pick up a book of wisdom and randomly open to a page or passage that helps me determine the answer I seek. (I have even heard of stories of people going into a bookstore or library and a particular book falling off the shelf as they walk by). I am not familiar enough with the Tarot to know the cards interpretations myself. For those of you who are, I will share that my central card was that of The Magician and that a majority of my other cards were of the number VI (not a number to which I usually gravitate). Suffice to say, I found the reading gratifying and educational.
On the way home, I passed two Christmas tree lots and I found myself sighing.
You see, as a child raised in the bigger metropolitan cities, I never really saw a lot of real trees and never saw anything close to a forest. So going to the Christmas tree lots every year was always a special treat visually and aromatherapeutically. As an adult, there were many years when I bought more than one 'live' Christmas tree not only because I loved the way they smelled but because I hated the thought of so many trees being left on the lots without a warm home to embellish. Often, I would go to the tree lots on Christmas day and bring home one or two (when I had enough room) so that they would not have died in vain.
But then I got ecologically conscious.
It began with the program Ikea initiated which was if you bought one of their 'live' trees and then brought it back after the holidays, they would mulch it for you to use in your yard. That seemed so cool even though I didn't really have a year in which to mulch anything. Then the more "green" I got the less the Ikea plan appealed. Which left little but to have an artifical tree.
This year, I knew I wanted a full-size tree for our wonderful front window and of course, my mind wandered to the idea of having a pine or fir that would fill the house with green glory. My eco-green husband would have none of it and wiser heads prevailed. Don't laugh -- we got a 7' Martha Stewart artificial tree! OK, now you can laugh. It is huge and quite lovely for a non-tree, tree and we are eager to adorn it this week.
It's true, that if we as consumers stop buying cut trees, people will stop cutting them down for commercial use. However, I was told that there is a nearby forest up here that allows you to come in and for $10 you can cut down your own tree AND these are trees that need to be cut for thining out the forest (or grove). Maybe next year?
It ain't easy bein' green....
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I grew up with a fake tree that required some assembly - the branches came off for easy storage - and putting it together before decorating it each year was a fun family tradition. Though the smell of pine is lovely, I think that a fake tree is lovely, too. No mess, no killing a tree, and nothing to go in the landfill later! For the smell of pine, a few boughs over the mantle or woven into a wreath will suffice.
I must say that I was so touched by your buying up trees so that they wouldn't have died in vain. What a soft heart you have! As for real vs. artificial, I can tell you that moving to CA 6 years ago was quite a cultural shift, come the holidays. Hailing from the Midwest, and then Denver, where artificial trees are quite common, I suddenly found myself having to justify my K-Mart 7-footer (with the lights already on it, thank Source) to my new CA neighbors and friends. Native NorCal folks were horrified by the idea of a FAKE tree. One of my main motivations for buying an artifical tree was safety. I had 2 young children and a dog, and I didn't want to spend the holidays worrying about brittle pine needles catching fire! I think you'll sleep more soundly now--and you've made a nature-loving choice, much like you did when you brought home all those lonely-looking Charlie Brown trees on Christmas Day years ago.
As I watched this year's viewing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas", I wondered how much of my life has been impacted by this one animated feature. Was my predilection towards rescuing trees from relating to Charlie Brown's predicament? Or, was I inclined that way all along and merely resonated with Mr. Schulz? And tonight, I wondered why the populace tends to identify more with Charlie than with Lucy? In some ways, Lucy is far more a Religious Scientist in her thinking (except about dogs).
After viewing, I dashed online for a few quick e-mails and read the new post and found the support for the fake fir and reference to Charlie Brown trees.
Ah, synchronicity.
At least, we didn't go aluminum!
It was brought to my attention that I cut and pasted a duplicate anonymous reply. Here now, is the one that was not electronically accepted that I feel has merit to this topic line:
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My lost blog comment was about your X-mas tree. It's kind of after the fact ranting now, but since you asked: I was so rooting for you when you were following a thread of Joy into a fragrant and life-filled and memory-filled Christmas tree lot, as was quite chagrined to find out that your plans to fill your big window with the abundance of one of those blessed trees was thwarted but what I feel is misguided pseudo-green PC constipation!
There is nothing green about a petro-chemical laden fake tree make by underpaid workers in china and shipped in a stinky box on a stinky boat. There are lots of reasons people choose to buy a fake tree, I even had one for several years at riverfront. But wanting to be pious and green should not count as one of the reasons. Christmas trees are planted and grown as a renewable crop, just as all your favorite vegetables are. Why is it ok to "kill", purchase and consume broccoli and not Christmas trees? While they grow for their five years or so, they are offsetting carbon dioxide and contributing oxygen like any other tree is, and when they are cut for sale they are replaced by baby trees. While they grow and live, the intention is very clear that they are meant to be someone's Christmas tree - surely the beautiful spirit of a tree can embrace that destiny! They are some farmers' livelihood, they are full of life and Joy and bring that Life into our homes at the darkest time. When Christmas is over, we can burn them for firewood or mulch or compost them. What the heck is the problem with letting yourself enjoy one of them in your own home? It's not like other kinds of de-forestation.
I was going to let it go, since the proponent for real trees is Anonymous and I am not. But He/she came up with some good justifications for real trees. I believe there are even more reasons for not getting a real tree.
First, I am one that believes that growing trees is not the same as growing "broccoli". The environmental benefits can't even begin to compare because of a tree's ability to take in carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases and release fresh oxygen into the air. It may not be like other kinds of deforestation, but many Christmas tree growers go out of business and never plant another crop leaving the land barren.
My affection for trees in general also makes me believe that because we do not consume (eat) trees to stay alive, it does not justify our killing them so we can enjoy seeing and smelling them in our house for two weeks a year.
Besides, real trees are in need of constant maintenance, they shed needles, they are less economical, transporting and disposing of a real tree is a real hassle too.
According to Christmas tree industry people - "Live Christmas trees could be a disappearing tradition. The industry blames shifting demographics, the rising cost of real trees, changes in supply, customer irritation with perceived messiness and competition from ever more realistic, and over time cheaper artificial trees."
Here are more reasons to consider fake trees:
Recently artificial trees have progressively improved. The new trees come in easy-to-assemble pieces, some complete with lights already in place, a far cry from the artificial trees of my youth that required a road map to determine the placement of the branches (My parents eventually got into a huge argument trying to assemble the things).
Today's artificial trees are easy to assemble and store away, they remove the hassle of having to choose a tree from the lot. Another good thing about artificial trees is that they do not need to be watered and the needles will not drop off and make a mess in your house. Plus, a dried out tree is a tremendous fire hazard.
The cash you save (you can put up an artificial tree for many years) by buying an artificial tree can be spent on more gifts for your family or perhaps other types of decorations. Fake trees won't bother someone allergic to the smell of pine. Fake trees can't rot like real trees can.
Thousands of real trees die in vain every year despite the efforts of the Duchesses and Charlie Browns of the world. I figure if more and more people stop buying real trees (which seems to be the trend), this strange tradition of killing trees will eventually stop. I did my part this year.
D.C.
Hi Don! It was I rooting for real Christmas Trees for people who want them, and of course artificial for people who want artificial. I didn't mean to be anonymous, my comment just got lost.
I love that you are so passionate about fake vs real. You've got lots of good reasons for yourself, but I'm still not getting the "it's the better way: it's greener" part.
Why do you say that broccoli can't begin to compare to Christmas trees - there is no difference in broccoli's CO2/O2 exchange, vs a tree or any green plant for that matter.
And why do you say an ex-christmas tree patch would be barren after the farmer went out of business? Most of the stumps will re-sprout or even still have the lower branches, the roots are not removed, nothing in particular is wrong with the soil. So cutting the Christmas Tree doesn't even have to kill the tree in the first place. Not to mention all the baby trees that are always sprouting around the big trees, even after they are gone. Far from barren, all kinds of new trees and assorted new plants will happily grow wherever they are not disturbed. If you doubt it, just take a look behind my garage!
(From Rec. DD: This has been an interesting post that has generated several replies--I like that. Whoda thunk? Here is another from an e-mailed source):
Hmmm, red-haired green elf, me no sure. I don't know about an artificial tree. That tree thinning spot sounded good but I was also amazed to find out that one of the biggest (!) trees on our street was a live Christmas tree planted some years ago by my little friend, sassy 84 year old Gloria. If the thinning lot doesn't work out next year, maybe you can go "live" and you could find someone else's yard to plant it in. After all, they'd be getting a free tree!
Jo,
If I had only known I was dealing with the most level headed person I know!
Good comments Jo, however, years ago I read a book about the Secret Life of Plants. In it the author says to have proof that plants feel pain. Being a Religious Scientist, over the past 10 years I have begun to change the way I feel about all life. I now find it very difficult to kill an insect, let alone chop down a tree.
This was an aspect of my feelings about fake vs. real that I didn't want to get into, but it is "real" all the same. I want to respect the life of the real tree. I only wish there was a way for us vegetarians to avoid killing broccoli too.
Thanks for the feedback Jo. When you coming to Chico?
D.C.
What would Ernie say? Pain is definitely not a quality of God.
Are we going to project the burden of our fall from unity consciousness onto the plant kingdom now, too? I would like to believe that they do not suffer the separation and judgment that we do.
I'll have to read the Secret Life of Plants again, but I'll hope the author was saying he has evidence that the plants have awareness of their Life and their environment, and that they respond to the things that happen to them. For us to go a step further and project that they call some experiences "pain" and judge them as "bad" is only going to trap us all the more deeply into our own pain and judgment of our own experiences.
I will continue to prune my rose plants, and cut their flowers, with Love, knowing that All is Well.
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