First, please take a moment to savor this photo by Lorijo Daniels that reveals so much about dawn redwood.
Imagine believing that everything has a spirit, a purpose and a time. This is the story of dawn redwood.
The dawn redwood is part of the redwood trilogy which includes the giant and coastal redwood evergreens. It is a deciduous conifer and aptly named for its brilliant fall color, the coral-orange of dawn, and for its transformative meaning to us.
The dawn redwood, also called metasequoia, is a living fossil. It was believed to be an extinct tree known to have lived more than 150 million years ago in much of North America, Asia, and Greenland, and found in large forests that covered most of the land. It was thought that it had been extinct for over 20 million years. Fossils were the only evidence of its existence.
It re-entered our attention again in the 1940s. Found in a remote village in China by a wandering hiker, its seeds were then gathered by Harvard scientists just after the war. They were cultivated and sent to Arboretums, and the dawn redwoods’ energy was again available for us.
Phoenix Tree—Rebirthing Joy
Dawn redwoods have potent abilities of rebirth and immortality, retreat and renewal, brilliant offerings and quiet reflection. Their provider and protector roles as redwoods elevate them to mythic proportions.
The dawn redwood story is a powerful example of life’s timing, and the necessity for retreat at different stages in our lives. This retreat is for the more powerful rebirth to come when the timing is right for your message. The rebirth is a new self that emerges as the old life is left behind.
Dawn redwood is the most joyful tree I have met! On my first meeting, a small tree called to me. It was tagged Ogon, which means Gold Rush, for its color and exuberance. It called to me strongly and clearly. Its energy was super chatty, and it wanted to DANCE! Goodness, a dancing tree!?! The fragrance drew me in closer, and yes, it did want to dance, and it wanted company and to chat. Its energy is fresh, like that of a young girl.
It is fascinating, that this tree re-entered our awareness during World War II. It began returning this light-hearted, but powerful and earnest, experience of joy and community to our sad world. Its example urges each of us to shine our golden light with all that we’ve got, and to dance our life force into consciousness.
Meeting dawn redwood today know, without equivocation, that you have been called by your guidance to rebirth your joy. It is time to release your retreat phase and unleash your dormant forces that want to speak!
Contemplate this and tune in to what specifically this speaks to for you. Commit to following this energy force within you as it manifests in your experience.
Years ago when I was at Delphi and channeling (really!) I was told that joy is the most important task of living. When we are in a joyful state and accessing this deep current of love and gratitude we spread this through the entire web of consciousness and uplift the whole.
Just a tidbit: I have found that when I cannot get to the trees, that if I simply look a the tree branches outside my windows and notice the movement caused by the wind and the birds that I am immediately brought back to presence.