"I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell." ~ Walt Whitman
The Juniper Tree is a story by the Brothers Grimm in Grimm's Fairy Tales. The story is dark, with themes of child abuse, murder, and cannibalism. In other words, it paints a rather grim picture for the Juniper Tree.
Fierce? Majestic? Powerful? Elegant? Yes. Grim? No.
It requires effort to visit a Juniper in person. It's a hike up steep slopes, through the manzanita and sharp underbrush, along slippery granite rock.
But once you find yourself in the company of these giant sentinels, standing alone in their isolated habitats, you feel a sense of luminosity, a splendor. The bruises, scratches and effort it took to get there suddenly seems irrelevant.
It makes sense that writers, poets and artists would draw inspiration from these unusual trees.
Mythologies can be traced back to biblical tales, where the Juniper's presence served as divine protection. For example, when the prophet Elijah found shelter under a Juniper, and how the infant Jesus and his parents took refuge from King Herod's soldiers near a Juniper Tree during their journey into Egypt.
The ancient Greeks and Romans considered Junipers to be sacred. They were associated with various deities and believed to bring good luck and blessings. Juniper berries were used for medicinal purposes and were believed to have healing powers for both physical and spiritual ailments.
The Brothers Grimm got it wrong.
Whether or not you believe in the ancient stories and mythologies of the Juniper Tree, one thing is for sure: when you're in their presence you feel their splendor, and everything else is just a blur.
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I’m Michael Kennedy, Olympic Valley, CA resident, (the kid in the tree). I’m a writer, photographer, lover of nature, and property caretaker. I just want to say thanks for your attention - I appreciate it in such a noisy world. If you enjoyed it, please share with others. It means a lot to me and it helps others see the story.
If you're interested in owning any photos in my gallery: click here, call or text me at 530.608.9150 with inquiries. My email: michael.kennedy999@gmail.com.
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