Books on Herbalism and plant lore are many and quite often repetitive in the information they give to the reader, but this is not the case with Corinne Boyer’s two publications on Troy Books, Under the BrambleArch (2019) and Under the Witching Tree (2016). These two books are the works of a practitioner of the Green Path that accomplished intense communion not only with the Green world, but Nature herself.
Her work reads as warm and vibrant description of the
green treasures she found and she manages to replicate the energetic pulse of
the talkativeness of plants and the silent wordiness of the trees in ways
captivating and stimulating. Corinne’s work I would place in the succession of
writers going back to Nicholas Culpepper’s Complete
Herbal (1652), through Erasmus Darwin (yes the father of Charles) in his
intense ode to the Greenwood called The
Botanic Garden (1791) and in particular the second of the two poems, The Loves of the Plants through Richard
Folkard’s Plant Lore, Legends and Lyrics
(1892). Works I always cherished more than most written on plants and herbalism
out there.
The organization of the book is also very inviting as
the entrances to each tree and plant are marvellous parted into an almost
erotic description of the greenwood itself, followed by its use in folk medicine
with its ethnobiological myths and legends. This generous information is then
expanded upon by the personal experiences of Corinne dealing with these virtues
whereas she gives us ritualistic and medicinal suggestions and sharing in an
incredible bounty the teachings she reaped from the work in bonding with the
many genies and guardians of the Green.
The work of Corinne is of such outstanding calibre that
it is nearly impossible not getting curious on the author herself and seeking
to know better how she managed to establish this rapport with Nature herself,
and so, instead of recommending her books by delving into her work I invite
you to take part in a short interview we did and which I here share with you in
order to understand better the voice beneath these two publications that for me became
instant classics in their field. Enjoy!
Could you share with me what was the epiphany that made you being drawn
to trees?
I think that
it came from childhood, you know something that happened over time… I was drawn
to the forests in Michigan where I came from and lived in a wooded
neighbourhood with a large lot… but beyond that, I always felt drawn to any
place with a forest. The peace that I felt and feel there is unlike any other.
It seems to me that the trees hold many secrets that are not made for humans,
yet we can feel them if we spend the time. The beauty and mystery that a forest
holds, even just a small wild space, is so inspiring on all levels. It is my
favourite environment.
Also, being
raised reading fairy tales I learned early on that the quintessential witch
lived in the forest or at the edge of the forest. This always resonated for me,
having an active imagination, making the connection that the witch and the
forest were one, in the sense that they both understood the other. I have
always loved this connection.
You write about trees as medicine, why the trees are medicinal for
humans, where is the connection between men and trees?
Trees have
the ability to give humans most everything that they need to survive- in a
sense. Oxygen, building materials, fuel, medicines, foods, even clothing; The
evolution between humans and trees (and plants in general) is so old, I believe
that we have a psychic response to them; even in modern times, in
industrialized cultures there is a recognition of their beauty and importance,
at least on some level. Without them,
there would be no wood- nor coal. Other plants provide some material and fuel,
but nothing like what wood provides, as a whole. We exploit them so heavily,
yet certain cultures in time and space did and still do venerate specific trees
as spirits. Old trees cause reverence and fear in many humans, we can sense
their power. And folklore tells the stories- for example how an old cherry tree
that no longer bears fruit was supposed to be haunted by demons, a German
superstition. Trees are inseparable with human history, we have evolved with
them and they with us.
In what ways do you see trees mirror man?
That is a
good question. Maybe more like how can we see ourselves in trees, and I think
in many ways trees give a beautiful example of the spectrum of light and dark
powers that exist. For instance, looking
at an old hollow apple tree that is gnarled and covered in lichen verses
observing a stout and strong oak tree, gives totally different impressions.
Elder trees and linden trees feel both feminine to me, but with very unlike
aspects. I think that trees give a mirror for humans to peer into, plants in general
do this. We can find somehow all human emotions expressed with the trees, and
resonate with them. It is as if there is a sympathy there, between humans and
trees. For example, after a very significant death, I spent a lot of time with
willow trees- it was as if they could understand my grief with no need of
language. We can sense our humanness in our environment, if we only take the
time to look for it.
What is it that trees can teach us about life?
Sometimes the
most obvious things are the most precious, and easy to overlook. I think trees
teach about the ability to change. When I learned to identify different trees
in my area, I realized how difficult it was. They look so different at
different stages of growth. It took a long time of watching them at separate
seasonal times of the year, and at various ages to see how much they can change
as they grow. I love that as a metaphor, however simple it is. And also, that
they finally fully grow into what they are destined to be. I think humans need
to remember their sense of authenticity and trees can teach us about that.
The witch icon surfaces as important in being able to form relationships
with trees, what is demanded on part of the ‘witch’ to generate a communion
with trees?
I love this
question. Letting go of what one thinks one knows- humility would be the first
thing that comes to mind. Secondly time and space to observe and sense. Time
alone in nature is perhaps the most important teacher when walking a magical
path. How often do people really take the time to spend with specific trees? It
is so important to learn the differences and direct transmissions that will
eventually come if one takes the time and can remain open to the experience.
Also, observing how trees come in night dreams
and what messages they bring has been an important aspect of
understanding them for me. Noticing what one is drawn to and what one is not,
is always good when working with plants in general. If we can pay attention to
that, we will learn a lot.
How would you explain the mystery concerning ‘the spirit that inhabits
the tree’, or, how the tree became ‘enspirited’?
There are a
few different ways to look at this. First is to imagine that any group of trees
or plants have their own innate spirit power. This can be their entire history
surrounding their uses, magical, medicinal and material. It is as if you can
see and feel this on a particular tree or plant. Second is that certain trees
that are old or in some way are distinct from others, will be like an
enhancement of power on the land. Of course, they will have a different feel
than a younger example of the same tree. In this wise, they are tied to the
place they are in and will in many ways reflect this. Then it is possible that
other spirits inhabit the tree. Such as spirits of the dead or other nature
spirits. These kinds of trees also feel very different and one can get the
sense that the spirit power there is not just the trees innate power; but
something else.
You speak of trees as witnesses, how do you perceive the trees as
witnesses – and ancestors – having value for mankind today?
I think of
them as witnesses, because they have seen so much change occur. They know
things that we do not, and have an intelligence that is unlike our own. I don’t
assume that they ‘see’ or ‘hear’ as we do, but in their own ways that we cannot
understand. And it is arrogant for me to think that they care for the problems
or concerns of humans, but I think they witness from another perspective. I
live in a place where logging is the industry rather than agriculture. The
invention of the gasoline powered engine changed everything for trees, and
therefore the environment as a whole. Witness is a passive stance, in some
regards, to destruction and irreversible change. I believe that trees have
memory, but it is not in a way that humans do. They may be passive in some
sense, but we need trees to breathe and survive. Our fate is linked with
theirs, most certainly.
What is your advice to those who seek to commune with trees? What are
your recommendations to people who seek communion with plants, how should they
go about with this?
I think that
approaching trees and plants in solitude with offerings is the first step. By
speaking to them and praying to them, we open up to them. Sitting with them in silence and spending
time with them is a powerful practice. Stepping out of the mundane is
essential. Paying attention to all visions, dreams, body sensations, and
emotions is all information to note. The key is discernment- to identify what
is yours and what is coming from the tree/plant… This takes time. Plants and
trees are really amazing for detecting energy and power, as they are generally
very approachable in the sense that they can be found in a place and then
observed over the seasons.
Some trees or plants may be hostile to humans,
not all trees or plants are friendly. This may be the land itself, other
spirits or the particular stand of plants or tree. It is important to respect
unwelcoming trees and plants and to give space to them. In the same wise,
sometimes it feels like a plant or tree is courting you, also pay heed to this.
If it keeps showing up in dreams, places, conversations, seemingly random
synchronicities- it is helpful to pay attention. I recommend writing down
experiences, observations, dreams, transmissions, thoughts, often time we don’t
regard our experiences as valuable enough to record, but they are. In time,
things may make more sense and without a record, it is easy to forget.
Learning to
even identify plants and trees let alone work with them in medicinal or
esoteric ways is a grand but totally possible endeavour. We are all wired to
learn plants and trees. It is just a matter of taking the time and setting some
of our human nature aside to be receptive. Spending time without harvesting
from them is something totally different then picking fruit or harvesting
branches to make something with. Both are valuable ways to learn. I recommend
the practical and sensory aspects as much as the observant and visionary
techniques. All of the ways to have them in day to day life are helpful. Rather than just worship, we need to
interact. Develop specific not just general relationships. My question often
is- how intimate can we be with trees and plants? And what are the possible contact
points? These are ongoing questions with changeable answers. The most effective
way to answer them is to continue to work with plants and trees, as an ongoing
practice.
What is it about the greenwood that defines what we often nominate as ‘witch’
or ‘cunning one’?
That one
becomes infused with a wild magic if one is immersed enough within the
greenwood… by association to become a vessel of the forest and her secrets. But
beyond just the forest, a witch is one with the land, whatever land it happens
to be. This sense that a magic worker goes beyond human boundaries and ordinary
parameters, and includes the powers of the land itself, within. The land will
speak its language and its secrets and a witch has the ears and soul to hear
and understand. And to work with that information directly.