secret-voices.com

Welcome to the website of Myth & Magic

vist my sister site: http://laurajmerrilltreetalker.com

My new illustrated book,

SECRET VOICES FROM THE FOREST:
Thoughts and Dreams of North American Trees, Volume One: The West

Is in stock
For individual purchases,
you can order it now
by going to the "Purchase" page
or by visiting my page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Voices-Forest-Thoughts-American/dp/0984829903/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350417441&sr=1-1&keywords=secret+voices+from+the+forest

Wholesale prices are available for Bookstores, Libraries
and Book Clubs.http://secret-voices.com/retaillibrarybook-club-purchasing.html

For thousands of years, trees have silently provided shelter and comfort. Now hear their gentle words of wisdom, guiding us to a future when self-love and regard for Nature are one and the same.

   What would you say if I told you that aliens were living on the planet?

No, not those aliens. There have been reports of Little Green (or Grey) Men throughout recorded history, but that only dates back a few thousand years at most.

I say, forget about scouring the heavens to find creatures that differ from us—we have lived among Earth-bound aliens since we crawled out of the mud. However, since they are omnipresent, we are unable to think of them as such. These beings have lived here for millions of years and take countless forms—and we would not exist without them.

They are the Plants.

Think about it—they are so different from us that we classify them in a whole separate Kingdom! We have learned facts about them, such as their potential size and age, methods of reproduction and preferred environments, but we do this through observation, not by direct communication.

As the largest members of the Plant Kingdom, trees have always touched the human psyche. They are so much more long-lived than we—what have they seen, what have they learned? What kind of consciousness do they have? Are they watching us? Can they teach us what they know?

If we were able to discover what they were thinking and feeling, could we learn to regard Trees as other sentient beings? Maybe even as friends and neighbors?

If only they could talk ....

Comments about Secret Voices From the Forest:

"Laura Merrill reminds us that trees have been our friends and companions for millions of years and that they are much more than just plants. They are a key part of GAIA’s network of life – and she connects the dots showing how they are in a symbiotic relationship with the land and each other…and I would add, with us humans too, who also have a natural heritage and are part of the great experiment of life on planet earth. She helps reminds us that we are part of a complex web of plants, animals, birds and insects that depend on each other for our survival. Trees are at their core the great caretakers of life… and we are the caretakers of the trees."

Richard Fox, Executive Director, Trees, Water & People - taking a community-based approach, TWP's mission is to improve people's lives by helping communities protect, conserve, and manage the natural resources upon which their long-term well-being depends. http://www.treeswaterpeople.org/

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"I loved reading about the giant Sequoias, my favorite tree. And then the Bristlecones, the oldest trees in the world. And then all 12 of these wonders from the Western states. Not just amazing facts, but poetry, paintings and inspiration, along with the animals and flowers who live around each tree. Now I want to hug them all! You will, too."

Michael Mountain - past president and co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society, the flagship of a grassroots network of people and organizations that care about animals, and current editor of Zoe, a media organization for people who care about animals and the world of nature. http://www.zoenature.org/

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"I found your book both fascinating and delightful …."

David Mitchell - Chairman, AWSNA Publications, Co-Director, Research Institute for Waldorf Education, and Editor, Waldorf Science Newsletter. The Waldorf Schools' educational approach emphasizes the role of the imagination in learning, developing thinking that includes a creative as well as an analytic component. http://www.whywaldorfworks.org/04_AWSNA/index.asp

Ultimately, there will be 4 separate volumes, covering the disparate sections of the North American Continent. This first book is about trees of the West, from the Pacific Ocean to the Rockies. It is customary to post an entire chapter for perusal, but, since a great deal of the content is illustrations, and I don't want to give too much away, I'm showing one tree's section - in this case, Bristlecone Pine, from Chapter Four: The Rocky Mountains. (See site index.)