Tree of Life
“And in the midst of that vast plain, I saw,
For I was wide awake,--it was no dream,
A tree with spreading branches and with leaves
Of divers kinds,--dead silver and live gold,
Shimmering in radiance that no words may tell!
Beside the tree an Angel stood; he plucked
A few small sprays, and bound them round my head.”
- Toru Dutt
When I pushed open the rotten wooden gate, my then girlfriend and I simultaneously gasped at the vision that lay before us. It wasn't the crumpled cottage to our right or devastated outbuilding to our left but the thicket before us. A wild wall of nettle, bramble and ivy consumed the small bushes and trees that dotted the evergreen tapestry. It seemed lost in time, reinhabited by a throng of beatles, birds and beasts. I immediately turned to her, overwhelmed by the wild and blurted, “I must buy this place. It is magical. I'm going to die here (hopefully a long time from now),” I had added quickly. Well, I've made it eighteen years so far. Life is a rollercoaster. The duality of good and evil is omnipresent. However hard one tries to do right, disasters are always round the corner. Our training, as this life accelerates onwards, enables us to deal with the chaos better each time. We instinctively move back towards the light.
The house, outbuilding and garden have since been transformed, restored to their former glory, the ancient history of the village Forge is plain for all to see and registered with awe and wonder. The rooms are often a retreat for tourists and pilgrims to soak up the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age relics scattered across this land. I have made the house a haven for artists of all varieties, from my own jewellery to painters to chefs and musicians. Live music is a recent addition in the occasional “Devil’s Den Bar and Club”, named after a favourite local stone monument. For those seeking more wholesome, holistic and spiritual guidance, the yurt a.k.a. “The Temple of Transcendence” offers a wide range of both regular and irregular well-being experiences. For those looking for the most romantic engagement proposal or wedding anniversary, come stay and forge your dream jewellery heirloom with me.
During this near two decade transformation much has come and gone, replaced with still more manifestations of love and beauty. Girlfriends, wives, a son, friends, parties and the most unique jewellery shop in the world have morphed the space with me. We rolled with the punches of pandemic and have risen like the Phoenix from ash. If we just believe in our truth, even if it may seem impossible at times, everything is achievable on life's great journey.
Of the many features in this extraordinary place, one has remained my constant guide throughout. As I have grown so has it. I discovered it early on as I crashed through the thicket which became my garden of Eden. Its trunk was barely the expanse of a child’s hug. It was about 15 feet tall and was overshadowed by the nearby and nearly deceased apple tree. It was sometime before we even made it to the next door neighbours’ fence and the willow which weeped into a long forgotten pond.“It's an oak!” I had celebrated with horticultural friends.
Now it stands, majestic, the central feature of my paradise. It soars high, fresh and strong, dominating the biggest trees on Smithys Lane with its pure beauty. It is the refuge of millions of inhabitants. It is King. It is the Queen. It is the ruler. Its twisted trunk reminds me of my hero’s bronze home in Kensington Gardens. It is an easy flight of fantasy to combine the reality of birds, rabbits and squirrels with the dragonfly winged fairies that worship before my angel PP. The oak’s comforting canopy shields us from the worst of sun and rain. It is the most romantic place I know.
In homage to this incredible entity, to celebrate the most important occasions in your own lives, I have conceived and my sibling has created, using recycled metal and upcycled crystal, once from deep beneath my guru’s roots, “The Tree of Life”.
Tree of Life birthstone pendants and earrings.