Zeus and Dionysus Protected the Forest
Awake at 7 am.
November snow, wet and heavy,
Dark face on the electric clock.
No electric power today.
Pine branches bow to
Kiss the cold white earth.
Graceful curving limbs break under
The burden of wet snow.
I cancel appointments and wait,
Snow is too heavy for me to shovel.
Electric poles and trees lie broken.
Roads are closed.
A few days later, the weather softens.
My helper comes to plow the drifts.
Snow melts enough to walk the wind swept trails.
I fear I’ll find more damage.
Instead I find deciduous trees,
that had dropped their autumn leaves,
are unbroken and whole.
Yes, pine limbs broke in the wind.
But Hickory trees, related to the Greek God Dionysus,
gently dropped their load.
Oak trees sacred to Zeus held strong and sturdy.
Like me, they had sacred protectors.
We all survived the storm.
***
For more about the deities who rule my forest see Lessons From Artemis, Goddess of the Wild. For an article about healing gods in my dreams, see The Green Man’s Guide to Life.
With gratitude to New York Electric and Gas and to my internet provider Empire Access. These heroic workers dealt with fallen and broken wires, broken poles and trees, a tangled mess, and they kept going in the cold wind and often in the dark.
Susan Scott
Inner storms, outer storms that ravage and yet unbelievably we and they are restored. Glad there were human helpers Elaine and a softening of the snow and ice.
Elaine Mansfield
Thank you, Susan. Many trees and branches broke, but most of the big hardwoods in the forest weathered the storm. Now we’re dealing with unusually destructive wind and cold. Yesterday two human helpers bought new door hardware to fix what had been bent by the wind, plus they knew what to do. My storm door closes again and I am warm. It’s been a wild winter. I’m grateful for a strong community and network of human support. Sending you love and peace in your warm season.
Lin Gregory
That was quite a storm you survived Elaine, I’m so pleased your helper, local services and of course the mythological protectors, pulled together to make life as easy as they could for all of those snowed in without power and connectivity…thank goodness for community in these challenging times! As Debbie has already said, it sounds as though this storm mirrors the one that you have weathered over the past year and your resilience has helped you through!
It’s good news that the Oaks and Hickorys stood firm as only stalwarts of the forest and symbols of two powerful gods could do. I think that sealing the pines where branches snapped off may help the trees heal but I’m sure you have a tree person who knows their stuff! Your poem and photos do bring home the effects of the storm – and give me an opportunity to again revel in the bark of the Shagbark Hickory…we don’t have them here but I love them as they look like really characterful trees, dare I say a little like a yeti!! Sending much love and light.
Elaine Mansfield
Thanks for your support and ideas, Lin. There are thousands of broken pine branches. White Pine snaps easily and it took the brunt of the storm. Many of the broken trees are along the town roads that wind through the National Forest, so they’ll be dealt with by the National Forest crews. My helper was visiting his mother a few hours south of here during the storm, but when he returns, he’ll use the broken limbs for piles of winter shelter for forest dwellers. There’s nothing anyone could do except wait it out.
Once I had a warmer day (not today!) and saw that my big hardwood trees and Vic’s cairn and oak grove were fine, I relaxed some about the damage. I’ll get a full report when the man who cares for my forest returns in the next few days. He knows every tree. I have a grove of shagbark hickory near a stream. I looked at it from the hill above the stream and all the shagbark looked tough and strong. I also have another kind of hickory, but it doesn’t have the same yeti personality. It drops plentiful hickory nuts for hungry squirrels and other forest dwellers. I feel fortunate the damage wasn’t as severe as I feared. With love and blessings as I wait to get a full report on the condition of the forest. May your old trees thrive.
Jean Raffa
Beautiful. It’s magical how seeing the symbolic meaning of cold, bleak days always makes them better. With warm thoughts and love, Jeanie
Elaine Mansfield
It’s unusually fierce weather for early December, but things could turn quickly again. Who knows what winter will bring this year? It was mild with almost no snow last year but this year the ski resorts celebrate. Sending love to warm and sunny Florida.
Marian Beaman
There is recovery after the devastating storm , that’s what I take from your words today. Still, it’s hard to witness the storm’s ravages and function without electricity. I’m also relating to these words: ” I can’t get used to my diminished vitality.” In my mind, I think I can operate as I did in my 50s and 60s, but that’s delusional-haha! I’m so happy you have New York Electric and Gas and Empire Access to the rescue, and I’m glad for protection of the forest as you mention in your title though I would attribute this protection to a different Deity. Wishing you better health and sunshine this week, Elaine! 😀
Elaine Mansfield
Marian, I’m not attached to the name of the protector (as you know), but I’m grateful for all the helpers from human to sacred. The phone and electric company guys were heroic dealing with broken trees in snowy darkness. The pine trees along the road were the most damaged, but I was grateful to have a less fierce weather day a few days ago so I could walk to the forest and see the old trees. And I rejoiced that almost all of them stood firm and strong against the storm. (This is beginning to sound like one of the hymns we sang when I was a kid. Gratitude for protection from the storm.) May all be well in your world.
Marian Beaman
😀
Aladin Fazel
It seems you have received great divine protection from Zeus and Dionysus, dear Elaine. I’m surprised to see so much snow at your residence at the end of November—perhaps it’s typical for you? In any case, you possess divine strength and have no reason to be afraid! Take care, my dear friend.
Elaine Mansfield
This amount of snow and cold is unusual here, especially in recent warming years. I wish I could send the cold to Alaska where they desperately need it because of melting permafrost. I have helpers, including the electric and internet company, so there were many rescuers and for a few days my son set up his office here because he didn’t have internet and needed to work. Many years ago Vic bought a generator that runs off the tractor, so I have power that way if needed. This is one of the coldest early winters I can ever remember, but I have layers of protection. I’m so fortunate.
Deborah Gregory
Dear Elaine,
Let me start at the end with the last line of your beautiful, mythological poem, “We all survived the storm.” Wow, this strikes a deep chord with me, just as it will for many others … because when I recall how unwell you were last December and how frightened you must have felt, I think of all the other storms you survived this year. Maybe I didn’t express it often enough but your strength and resilence this year greatly motivated me, particularly when I felt stuck and was tempted to tear up my essay and abandon my efforts to write a new book.
I remember the first time you shared that you had taken a walk in your forest, followed by wonderful photos and more blog posts. And I breathed again knowing that you were going to be okay! What an amazing year it’s been for you, my dear friend. I’m so pleased that the Monarchs eventually arrived and that you’re feeling much better lately. How you managed to deal with no electricity whilst living alone is remarkable. Hmm, the dark face of your electric clock speaks deeply to me, empathising how we all need to to learn the language of the dark.
What a year it’s been! I can’t help but think of your beloved Green Man watching from afar, peering through the branches where red maple leaves grow and how those heroic men turned their spotlight on you. Helping you to reconnect to family, friends, community and most importantly, yourself.
Love and light,
Deborah
Elaine Mansfield
Thank you, dear Deborah. Yes, we survived the storm. I can’t get used to my diminished vitality, but hope that will improve when spring comes around but it’s also necessary to be realistic about my capacity and the damage done to the inner ear by Meniere’s Disease. This worsening phase began a year ago. It’s easy to remember because I cancelled our usual family Winter Solstice gathering. I won’t have to cancel this year. I’ve had many years of vitality and strength, so the body doesn’t go on forever. For anyone. I’m doing the best I can with the energy and balance that remain, but the intense cold of this autumn is an extra challenge for spending time outside–and that’s true for everyone. I lost electricity for a few hours whereas many around here, including my son, lost electricity for 3 or 4 days. I was fortunate.
Tonight, I walked outside in the evening, focused on the spectacular new Moon – Venus conjunction in Capricorn. I stayed in open areas to have a clear view of the planets. They sparkled in the darkening sky. I’ll post a photo on Facebook of the planets and the red sky on the horizon. Wow!!
I try to be hopeful about the future, but it’s hard to witness the political situation. There’s absolutely nothing I can do until a resistance organizes. I think of the inspiration of the Women’s March in Washington in 2017, but it will take lots of will and courage to stand up for democracy. I hope we have what it takes. I miss many things about my Green Man–our Jungian connection, our travel, and our political action that began when we first met in the 1960s. Life felt more grounded when he was here.
I am hopeful about your book and so enthusiastic I couldn’t wait for it to be published to try to order it. You have the polishing work of final proofing and corrections, but you’re done the hardest part. I’m so proud to know you, Deborah. Congratulations!!! Love, safety, and beautiful sunsets to you and Lin.
Deborah Gregory
Bless you Elaine, I love your enthusiasm! I’m hoping that my proof copy will arrive next week so I can get down to the final edit. Ditto, my dear friend, I’m so proud to know you too! We’re having the most beautiful candy pink sunrises here. Sending you much love, light and reiki healing vibes across the oceans and oak tops between us, your poet friend, Deborah.