The word Druidae is of Celtic origin. The name 'Druid' is derived from "oak". The Roman writer Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus, 23/24-79 C.E.) believed it to be a cognate with the Greek work drus, meaning "an oak." Dru-wid combines the word roots "oak" and "knowledge" (wid means "to know" or "to see" - as in the Sanskrit vid or vidya meaning knowledge).
In the Celtic social system Druid was a title given to learned men and women possessing "oak knowledge" (or "oak wisdom").
Vriksasana, or tree pose, is a balancing pose reminding us of our role in bridging heaven and earth. Trees are known to the Native Americans as the Standing People. They produce the oxygen that we breathe and are vital in sustaining the homeostasis of the planet. They are our biggest allies in fighting global warming.
Connecting to the energy of trees through the pose is connecting both to the earth and also to our higher aspirations as divine beings incarnated in physical matter.
The tree symbolizes the three realms. This is why many shamanic journeys begin with entering the bough of a tree. The roots are a metaphor for the lower realm dealing with the unconscious. The trunk is the middle world dealing with all matters human and consciousness. The upper realm is represented by the foliage that strokes the clouds.
A good mantra for this painting is:
“Lokah Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu”
May all beings everywhere in all realms be happy and free. And may my life contribute in some way to that happiness and that freedom for all.
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