We got 20 trees donated to us by this lady in Boulder, CO. She gives away hundreds of trees in the spring as her way of helping the earth.
https://www.dailycamera.com/2020/06/03/boulder-tree-farm-giving-away-free-saplings/
We got Maples, Columnar Oak, Hackberry, Russian Hawthorne and 2 Pines, and planted them at our property.
My partner, Kirk, has a green thumb, so he figured out that in order to survive out there, they would have to be inside wooden boxes. He built a wooden box for each tree.
He dug a 4 foot hole in the ground first, and put good soil in it, because the prairie soil is like clay/sand. Now we go out there and water them once a week but last time we were ill and so it was 2 weeks. They were all still in pretty good shape.
I decided to make Prayer Sigils for each tree.
The Prayer is "I, "tree name/kind", grow strong and tall to glorify God"
Then each tree got it's own Sigil for what it is and it's placement. #1-20 - and it's name is included in the Sigil.
I did a prayer ceremony where I called in the Nature Spirits: The Deva of the place, The Deva of the Trees, The Deva of each specific type of Tree, and Pan and as I stood before each box, I asked for their name...
This is Maya, the first tree, a Maple...
and I drew the Sigil on the side of the box.
#2 is
Haya, a Hackberry;
They are drawn in Sharpie on the side of the box, and I am going to have to figure out something more permanent - like pyrography or some form of metal stenciling... I am not sure, but I just did this because I am going to make Kirk a painting of these for Christmas/Birthday - so we can pray for the trees from here through the winter. It is brutal out on the prairie all times of year but the winter is especially harsh. We will have to be careful if/when we go water in the winter time that we don't water right before a drop in temperature so it doesn't cause an ice slick.
#3 is
a Russian Hawthorne, Hawya...
The names were given to me as I came approached each box to draw the sigil on.
#4 is
Also,we have to put chicken wire around the top of each box because there are wild antelope here and they will surely be able to climb up on the boxes and simply pull the trees out for lunch.
#5 is growing super tall -
#6 is a Hackberry - you can make Hackberry Jam
https://foragerchef.com/hackberry/
#7 is a Russian Hawthorne
#8 is a Hackberry
9 is a Russian Hawthorne
#10 is a Hackberry
#11 is
#12
#13
#14
#15 is a Pine
#16 is also a Pine - they don't need boxes because they are acclimated to harsh weather, sandy soil, and the Antelope won't eat them.
I did not photograph the pines - next time.
#17 is SEVOYA - an Oak...
#18 is
this one doesn't have a complete box yet. Originally Kirk thought wrapping them in plastic would be sufficient - but it wasn't. This box has 2 sides that are wood and 2 sides that are plastic. It is probably getting more light this way but it is also probably too flimsy for winter.
#19 is a Russian Hawthorne
#20 is a Maple..
Twema never made it to the property. She is the runt - almost died because she was attacked by grasshoppers here at the house in town and so she is under grow lights for the winter. The fact that she survived is amazing, but we are committed to her survival.
I understand that Nature picks off the weakest ones - so the grasshoppers got some food but since Twema was still alive we decided to save her.
More to come as I share the painting I am going to make for Kirk ... it will probably be encaustic on wood.
@in2itiveart/how-to-make-a-sigil-talisman-from-scratch-and-talisman-activation