Wildflowerwalker

Making an Essence of Land

The spirit of place is a layered being that contains countless stories of those who have walked upon it, plants and forests present or long gone, weather events and the unique energy of all the beings that make up the land. 

Having lived on the same hill for seven years, I realise how time is of the essence to really get to know the spirit of place.  It doesn’t yield itself all at once. 

The area in which I live is known as Durrumbal, an indigenous word, which on the street is said to mean small hill.  I like to think that’s our hill, though there are a few around.  ‘Durimbal’ in an aboriginal place name dictionary, means ‘round hill’. An internet search reveals a Queensland tribe known as the Darumbal, which means ‘where the river meets the sea’. I also heard once that ‘bal’ can mean ‘tree’ as each area would have a central tree, and so it is a common ending for place names. 

Whatever the truth of the matter, I call it Whale Hill, for the ancestor spirit I met deep below the mound when we first arrived.  My rational mind was a bit disconcerted with it being a whale, as we’re 10-15 kilometres inland.  But a whale it is.  And encompasses not just the hill but the whole surrounding area.  Several years later, one of the trees on the land shared some of the history of the local area – part of which was a period when the flat area below our hill was a large body of water.  So maybe a whale wasn’t so out of place! 

Over these seven years, the hill has held space for numerous gatherings and fires.  Circles of nature connection, singing up the land, several transformative spagyric alchemies with plants, drum birthing retreats, and a ceremony of release at the death of close family members are just a few.  So, when a trusted wise woman in the form of  Clare Deale gave me a little nudge to make an essence of the land here, I wondered why I’d never thought of it myself. 

Several weeks later, I went up the hill, bowl of water in hand to see what would happen.  While I’m no newbie to making flower essences or herbal preparations, I’d never made an essence of the land before and was intrigued to see what would unfold.

Making an Essence of Land.

I started at the grandmother blackbutt eucalyptus, her 5m girth as magnificent as her towering foliage.  She is where I had first met the land guardians just after moving in – two indigenous male beings who had come out protectively, scrutinising me thoroughly before given me the okay in a couple of short words and a nod of the head.  I hadn’t seen too much of them since, though was careful to honour the land, practice deep listening.  It felt an appropriate place to begin – to ask permission to make an essence of the land. 

So then what? 

Going inwards, I ask Who is coming to be part of this essence; what do I need to know?

It’s the stone beings of the land.  They bring their records into the water.  A sense of timelessness pervades.  Aeons of time.  They are the foundations of the land and they are the foundation of the essence. 

We help to bring memories of the land to the surface, to remember. 

I understand that this is part of the medicine of the essence, not just specific to the hill.  That this is the gift they are bringing to the essence. 

Is there something you want to share about this land then?

Suddenly I’m seeing indigenous men painted up with white and a little red ochre.  They are carrying spears and they appear to be on their way somewhere.  One of them slips and falls on the hill.  The others seem unsure what to do and leave – maybe to tell others. I’m unclear on the details, but feel very teary and emotional at all this.  Is there a reason this is coming up?   Some part of him is still here. I am still very emotional.  Lost.  Guidance for those lost.  Masculine healing.  I begin to sing and weave a healing and soothing song that comes from the land, somehow the rock beings are weaving it all into the essence.  There is a softening. A small white rock comes to be placed in the water as a representative of the rock beings of the land.  The foundations are complete.

What next?

It’s the tree people.  They rush forth to enter.  They carry so much love and joy and have an absolute abundance to give.  Towering over me, over the hill, the forest of eucalyptus are so eager to give.  They are bringing the qualities of love, joy and abundance to the essence.  The further away trees on the other side of the hill are sending energy along the mycelial networks with ease and eagerness to join in.  I’m amazed at how much they have to give. 

The tree people are bringing the energy of growth and evolution, of adaptation, of healing and strength. 

I ask if they have further insights to bring to humanity and the essence?

Share, don’t hold back, keeping for yourself is not the way.  We are all intimately connected, or need to be for an abundant ecosystem.  Abundance comes from giving and sharing, not holding back.  You humans believed trees competed and are only just coming to the awareness that in most cases, that is not so.  Yet you still need to live this knowledge in your own realm.  To learn from it.

Whenever you do something for you that is not in harmony with the collective divine blueprint (not collective ideas or beliefs), then you close yourself off from the gifts that you seek.  Keep this in mind. This essence will help with this too. 

Does Grandmother Tree have anything to say?

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If you would like a bottle of this Land essence, you can purchase here.