The Tree That Knew Her Soul: A Mystical Story of Nature’s Magic
The first time Elowen saw the oak, she was only five years old. It stood at the edge of the forest behind her grandmother’s cottage, its old branches stretching toward the sky like the arms of an ancient guardian. Its bark was rough and scarred, thick with the weight of centuries, and its roots curled deep into the earth, embracing the land like an old friend.
Her grandmother, a woman who worked with the ancient herbs and sang to the moon, told her the tree had been there before anyone could remember. “Some say it was planted by the Fae,” she mused as she stirred a pot of elderberry syrup. “Others believe it listens to the wishes of those who stand beneath its boughs.”
Elowen, a child with a heart tuned to the unseen, believed both.
Years passed, and the oak became her refuge. At thirteen, she pressed her back against its trunk, pouring her heart into its quiet presence. When the world felt too loud, too fast, the oak stood steady. It never asked her to explain. It only listened.
At twenty-two, she left the village, chasing dreams of knowledge and adventure, but the oak’s memory never left her. In moments of stillness, she could almost hear the rustling of its leaves, as though it was whispering her name across the miles.
When she returned at thirty, weary from a world that demanded more than she could give, the oak was waiting. Older now, its branches twisted with time, but still strong. She pressed her palm against its bark and exhaled. She had been away too long.
The seasons turned, and Elowen found herself in rhythm with the tree once more. She gathered its fallen acorns, listening for the stories they carried. She laid offerings of honey and lavender at its roots, a silent thank you. Some days, she swore she heard it hum beneath her fingertips, a deep, ancient sound, resonating through her bones.
And the tree grew. As Elowen softened into the years, so did the oak. Its bark grew thicker, its roots stretched deeper, its branches became a haven for nesting birds and wandering spirits alike. They aged together, two souls intertwined by something older than language, older than time.
One autumn afternoon, beneath a sky streaked with amber and rose, she sat beneath the oak and traced the lines of her hands. They had changed, marked by years of love and loss, just as the tree’s bark bore the scars of storms weathered. She closed her eyes, resting against its trunk, and whispered, “Thank you.”
The wind stirred the leaves above, a rustling sigh, as if the tree had answered.
As winter approached, Elowen’s steps grew slower. The cold reached into her bones, but the oak remained steadfast. One evening, as the first frost dusted the ground, she leaned against its massive trunk, listening to the deep silence between the wind’s howls. Her breath mingled with the night air, and she felt a warmth that had nothing to do with fire.
She closed her eyes, just for a moment, wrapped in the presence of her oldest friend. A peace unlike any she had ever known settled over her.
By spring, the villagers found her there, nestled against the tree, a gentle smile on her lips. The oak stood strong, its branches swaying in the wind, cradling blossoms that had never bloomed before.
And some say, if you listen closely on quiet afternoons, you can hear the wind through its branches whisper her name.
For those who walk the path of the healer, the seer, the dreamer—know this: we are never truly alone. The natural world speaks, if only we are willing to listen. And sometimes, if we are very lucky, we find a friend in the oldest of places, waiting to walk with us through all our days.
Manda Marble is a mixed media artist that loves to daydream and create ethereal paintings + collages of the natural world. She is very grateful for all of the beauty that the natural world brings us. She lives in a little bungalow in the city with her 4 cats and a forest therapy guide (her husband). She loves to come up with stories to accompany her paintings.
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Manda Marble
“Always inspired by the Nature, I create a variety of pieces that are vibrant and calming, and will hopefully inspire the viewer to feel the same.” ~ Manda Marble
