In Celtic days, a grove of trees like the ones that I photographed last week in Kentucky might have been thought to be watched over by a Goddess named Nemetona.  She was the guardian of sacred groves, and in modern times, she is sometimes described as the goddess of sacred space.  There aren’t many images or sculptures of Nemetona, because in a way she was an invisible goddess.

In our time, it has become the role of humans to guard and watch over forests.  Most of us know that groves of trees, whether small or large, are a critical component to what makes our planet livable for human beings.  They take in our carbon dioxide and release oxygen for to create cleaner air.

We can’t really go back to Celtic days and pray to an unseen goddess to protect us and our most sacred spaces.  However, there are people around the world who sense a kind of earth spirit in plants and places.  I like to read about the story of Findhorn where the founders spoke with the spirits of plants and the land and were able to increase the size and yield of plants. Someday I’d like to travel there.

It seems to me that we are in a time between times.  Almost like adolescence.  We’re not children on this planet anymore, but we’re not quite adults yet either, and we certainly are not gods or goddesses.

As we grow wiser as a species, we have so many opportunities for a spirit of protection to rise up in both men and women so that we can become even better guardians of not only sacred groves around our planet, but all that is green and life-giving for us.

Daily Contemplation:

Do you ever sense a spirit or energy watching over a place or tree or plant?

Does it tell you anything?

Related articles

• 6 of America’s Coolest Trees (ecosalon.com)
• Mythical Calendar: August 9 :Bring Forth the Fire Spirits, a Bit of Puck, and new Eden and a Brand New Goddess Month! (chscarlett.wordpress.com)
• What Makes a Space Sacred? (writingyourdestiny.com)
• Osun sacred grove: Beyond the festival (vanguardngr.com)