The codes of remembering

Some folk like walking the dog in nature.

Some folk like bird spotting or looking for rare plant species.

Some folk like foraging or learning about the species of trees.

Then there are the folk who embody it. They walk into the woods and become the trees, the plants, the birds, and even the dogs that are trotting through — as they are embodying it too.

The “embodiers” are the folk who slow down as they enter the woods. They embrace the uneven, muddy ground. They don’t see sticks as trip hazards, but as gifts from nature. They tune in to the tone of the birdsong.

Is it a threat? 🎵

Is it a potential mate? 🎵

Is it the simple song of the 'joy of now'? 🎶

The embodiers hear the crack of a twig as a deer gracefully walks through the woods - mostly unnoticed - and recognise when trees and roots are offering seats. They celebrate with a tree as its tiny offspring pushes through the ground, and they wave to the birds and the squirrels. They say hello to bees and butterflies as they return in summer like old friends, and they send good wishes for a safe journey to the swallows and swifts as they leave in the autumn.

They feel awe when looking at the sky, seeing shapes in clouds and signs in the stars. They go to the crashing shoreline to enhance their creativity and absorb the energy.

The embodiers see the etchings in trees from bygone times, left like a secret code, along with the spirit and energy of the bygone embodier.

This is because they are the woods, the trees, the birds, the bees. They are the plants, the animals, the seasons, skies, oceans, and the ancestors. They are the embodiment of nature, refusing to be suffocated by the abstract world, and these tree etchings are the codes of remembering what we are.