SACRED
Old trees are considered magical because they acquired social and religious sanctity with the passage of time. Maybe that is why sometimes we hug them to recharge and release energy. Sometimes there are warriors dancing in circles around it while hanging from it like in a native American sun dance ceremony to reunite and reconnect with the earth and the spirits. We might also find trees surrounded by woven ropes like in Shimenawa made of rice straw or hemp rope for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. When you see the decoration around a tree or a rock, that means it is a Yorishiro -- an object capable of attracting spirits called Kami. Never cut down such a tree, which is believed to be inhabited by spirits, because it’s thought to bring misfortune.
To continue my work and research on the mysticism of nature, I made visible the aura of 3 of the oldest trees by building a floating ring around the tree trunk.
Sacred, 2022. Wood and fabric. Internationaler Darmstädter Waldkunstpfad, Darmstadt, Gemany. Variable measurements.