Naturalistic Paganism
I asked a Druid: Speak to trees–
Can this you really do?
She queerly led me to a tree…
I found it true indeed!
And then a person asked of me:
‘What do they say to you?’
The rustling trees that speak to me
Say ‘russss-saaaa-sheee.’
‘Russ-saa-shee’–what does it mean
This word they trust to you?
But likewise I could find no clue
To ‘russss-saaaa-sheee.’
Image Credit: Michael Gaida
Rotting Silver is a column devoted to this Earth in all its tarnished radiance: poetry, prose, and parables of ugliness alloyed with joy.
This piece was first published at The Witch’s Voice.
The Author
B. T. Newberg: Since the year 2000, B. T. has been practicing meditation and ritual from a naturalistic perspective. He currently volunteers as Education Director for the Spiritual Naturalist Society, where he created and now teaches an online course in naturalistic spirituality (including Naturalistic Paganism!). His writings can also be found at Patheos and Pagan Square, as well as right here at HP.
Professionally, he teaches English as a Second Language, and hopes to begin a PhD program in the psychology of religion soon. After living in Minnesota, England, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, he currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and cat.
After founding HumanisticPaganism.com in 2011 and serving as managing editor till 2013, he now serves as advising editor, and feels blessed to be a part of this community.
Naturalistic Paganism 
When I was six years old, I had an experience where I felt that the trees were speaking to me. Not in English, or any language, really; I just felt something. I have since learned that plants communicate chemically. I wonder if people are able to smell or somehow perceive these chemical exchanges among plants?