Last night I celebrated the New Year by setting intentions with my friends. First we wrote what we wished to let go of on some paper, then burnt it, to leave in 2025. To set our intentions for the new year, we each clasped a pentacle in our hands, and reflected silently, before hanging it on a tree as the clock struck twelve. My personal aspiration was to embody the stability of an oak tree.
Sangha Garden
In November, I visited Being Peace for a weekend, and I remember learning about the idea of a "Sangha Garden" (Sangha is the Buddhist term for a community of spiritual practitioners). Just as a garden will flourish when there is a healthy variety of species, a Sangha with a healthy variety of human beings will flourish. In a "biodiverse" Sangha, people act as different organisms—some will offer lush fruits, while others produce fragrant flowers.
Upon reflecting on my position in the Sangha Garden, I felt that I can embrace the mysterious and reliable nature of a wonderful oak tree. My greatest qualities can be the trunk's thunderous presence, and the leaves' gentle shade. With this aspiration, I hope to offer a place of refuge, with my trunk for people to lean on, and my leaves to listen compassionately. I love to hug trees as often as possible, and so my wish is that my warm embrace can bring peace to others—as the oak brings peace to me.
May the New Year bring you peace and stability!