Have you heard about these amazing bristlecone pine trees* that grow only in isolated groves in the western U.S.?  They are more than 5,000 years old and are thought to be the oldest living organisms known to humankind.  They grow extremely slowly because of cold temperatures, rocky soil, and high winds.

Because of the high winds and rocky ground in their environment, it is impossible for rain to penetrate into their root system to offer nourishment and sustenance for growth.

But here’s the thing.  Insects dig into the earth and feed off of the roots of the bristlecone pines. This breaks off the tough skin of the trees’ roots so that water from the rain can actually get through. Thus these amazing trees are nourished through their wounds.

And here’s another thing. The bristlecone pines’ trunks and branches are scarred by the rough winds. Then dirt comes into the grooves/scars, which makes them look beautifully tattooed. They allow themselves to be written upon.

What I take from this beautiful gift from Nature is that even in a difficult environment, even when chaos is blowing all around me and I am laid low to the cold, cold ground, I am still growing. I am still being nourished. There is always a way to open to nourishment, even if that means allowing my wounds to be the vessels for new growth and sustenance.

*I give thanks to Clarissa Pinkola Estes for telling the story of these trees in The Joyous Body, an online class I took with her in the spring of 2011, which is now available in CD format.

I made this card for my deck to honor the lesson of the Bristlecone Pines:

We are the ones who grow amidst rocky soil and difficult conditions.  We are the ones who only receive water because insects chew holes in our roots.  We are the onews who are etched upon by the wind.

Our message for you today is this: our energy is part of your energy.  You have survived and grown strong in spite of bad “weather” and nutrient-poor “soil.”  Stand tall and proud and with grace.  Embrace your own story.