Wise Teachers

This week I'll be using the Tarot of the Sidhe, created by Emily Carding and published by Schiffer. I'll also be using the Green Man Tree Oracle, created by John Matthews and Will Worthington with Connections as its publisher. Today's draws are Elder (Hierophant) and White Poplar (Eadha):

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. 

— Benjamin Franklin

This Elder/Hierophant invites us to have a seat and learn - not simply information and knowledge, but wisdom. Information consists of organized facts (the 'what'), knowledge is the ability to interpret and apply those facts (the 'how'), and wisdom is the insightful, ethical application of that knowledge (the 'why' and 'when'). Information can be a dangerous thing if not rightly used; wise teachers understand this and want us to grasp it too. White Poplars (Eadha) are often referred to as the ‘whispering’ or ‘talking’ trees. Their long, flattened leaf stalks grow in such a way as to make a noise with every breeze that passes. Matthews describes it as animated - endowed with life, movement, or spirit, typically describing lively, vigorous, or energetic behavior. There are those who teach for power or a paycheck and those who teach because they are passionate about what they want to share. May we all find mentors of the latter variety!

 

Survival?

From the Tarot of the Sidhe, the Maker Four (Four of Pentacles); from the Green Man Tree Oracle, White Poplar:

Carding describes the great canopy of this tree as taking up all the sunlight and leaving none for any plants that might try to grow beneath it. Similarly, many plants are allelopathic, meaning their leaves, flowers or roots contain chemicals that prevent other plants from growing near them. It's simply a means of survival in nature by eliminating some of the competition. Yet humans can do the same - just watch what happens at the grocery stores when there is an impending hurricane or when supply chain issues create shortages. Some may call their excessive hoarding a survival technique, but it is simply a selfish reaction to fear. Likewise, White Poplar is a tree that is useful in flood zones; its tolerance of salt has made it a wise planting choice for strengthening coastal sand dunes. But in non-native environments, such as the U.S. and Australia, it quickly becomes a weedy invasive. This tree asks us, "Are we taking or hoarding more than we need?"