For a while I’ve felt that I needed a staff that is more practical than my too-obvious antlered yew staff. The yew staff was right at the time, and is good for ceremonial occasions, but is impractical, too decorative, and was fashioned by someone else. I felt I needed something more subtle that I can carve and work myself. Something that I more “me” and “now”. An oak staff, perhaps?
As we travelled homeward from Dale Hermitage we discussed potential source forests. The New Forest? No trees, mainly gorse bushes and not many oaks. The Forest of Dean? Lovely place, but it had the wrong vibe for me personally. The conversation paused for a moment while we assessed where we were.
We just happened to be around Nottingham heading towards Mansfield. Did we have time to search in Sherwood Forest? Wouldn’t that be a perfect place to get a new oak staff? We set the navigation and within the hour we were parking and preparing for our new outing.
How To Find A Staff
Dowsing is a great method of finding your way on a spiritual path. It can lead you efficiently towards your goal. When dowsing leads you back to the same place but by a different route then you know that you are being taken to a special place. Such was the case as we made our way through Sherwood Forest, visiting the Major Oak first, then moving off the paths following the dowsing rods in meandering trajectory into the woodland.
We passed many fallen branches on our journey. Each time we assessed their suitability, but the rods carried on regardless. They were all clearly “wrong” in some way. Mainly because they weren’t oak, I suspect. After fifteen minutes walk the rods swung together and crossed at a point in the forest where the trees were taller. I stopped to assess the area.
There was a ring of old oak trees. A “grove”, perhaps? I was within a hundred feet of the spot I had once discovered to be “The Heart of Sherwood” – the central energy point of the forest. On the clear ground in front of me was a fallen oak branch. It had three long straight branches, any of which would make a suitable staff! I had a choice, it would seem.
Selecting a staff
Oak is touch to snap. Once I had asked for permission to take the staff and chosen a particularly beautiful branch (interesting that there were three, yeah?), then we wrestled like Hercules with The Hydra. By the way “wrestling the snake” is not a euphemism.
Once the branch was detached the wound was energetically healed and sealed, then I placed incense, an evergreen oak leaf (I happened to have picked up), and a found hawk feather on top of the host branch. The incense was for clearing away any negative energy caused by the detachment; the evergreen oak lead was a symbol of lasting energy; and the hawk feather was a symbol of me. All three items made a rather fortuitous offering.
On the way back to the car park I looked for the quieter paths, wanting to avoid glares and disapproval from anyone official. As if in answer to my unspoken question about whether it was “right” or “wrong” to take the staff a tree beckoned my attention. The tree had a huge cavity in its centre, and like a boy I wanted to see if the staff fitted, for some reason. I put the staff into the hollow huge oak. It fitted perfectly – even the Y-shaped part matched the hollow’s shape exactly.
It was a relief – a sign that it was right.
Nevertheless, as we approached the car park Kal carried the staff. My wariness of officialdom needs to be looked at! I so didn’t want to have the staff confiscated that I couldn’t bear to carry it and lose it. Kal’s more brazen than I am, and more confident. Together, the staff was now on its way home to be aired and cured, ready for carving.
What a fantastic day!
