Trees forest my memory of my childhood. Glimpses of the big pine in our front yard, swinging on the tire rope pushed by my dad.

The sky seemed so close and I held my branch trophies with pride to show high I reached. Trees were my playmates for years when I lived on the farm in northern Ontario. Climbing and dancing with the branches. It wasn't until we moved to Ottawa that I realized the little friends I was accustomed to being around weren't necessarily a 'normal' occurrence.

I can mark my life by certain tree friends that comforted me, kept me company or was just plain alot of fun to be around. Besides the pine tree there was an oak tree when I was on the farm. During my pre teen years in the city I recall walking by a few special trees that called out to me on my way to school. As a teenager I climbed certain trees to get away from the 'stresses' of life. They seemed to clear my mind and things that were so overwhelming at the time fell away with the autumn leaves.

As an early adult I remember being struck by the ultimate sacrifice that trees seem to make in the fall. It assisted me in celebrating the many changes going on in my life at the time. The many colours reminded me then and still do that shining my true colours is challenging but so beautiful.

I've been informally studying the ogam and tree alphabet for 6 years now. Gathering every tidbit of information I ran across on my path. For the past two years this research of my Celtic roots has been much more focused and personalized. The reclaiming of my heritage didn't enter my mind initially. I was inspired and drawn to the simplicity and nature focus of the ogam and tree alphabet at the beginning. As I uncovered the layers lying underneath this ancient divination tool I also discovered my ancestral roots. At the same time my spiritual life was leaning more and more to a shamanic path. With the help of living with people that valued differences in spirituality and supported me in my rediscovering of my childhood friendships I was able to grow stronger in the knowledge of fairies and dryads, wood nymphs and sprites. The symbolism of trees and the many references of the tree of life in the different religions of the world motivates me to continue in my quest for tree lore.

My only right to knowledge and therefore the passing of knowledge is my continued devotion to my friendship with the trees and the lives that are so closely related to them. As far as schooling is concerned I've taken two years of counseling and courses in holistic healing and spent two years studying with other shamans from different focuses. I'm comfortable with the position the trees are asking me to play right now in relation to the passing on of this information. As long as I keep listening to the voices from beyond I will be led by the spirits of those who deserve to give me permission, the dryads themselves.

I am presently living in a traveling tribe dedicated to service and a moneyless lifestyle. I've been enjoying the many different species of trees I've encountered on our journeys; beeches, oak and sycamore and many more. This path of simplicity is leaving room for this project and for first hand experience with the trees and the magical realm that comes with them.