Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees

There is great wisdom to learn from trees, and when we connect intimately with them, we can deepen our spiritual lives and grow in the understanding that all beings are part of the fabric of the holy.

There's something about a majestic redwood, the sweet pink blossoms of a cherry tree in spring, or even a scrawny little pine that moves us in ways we don't fully comprehend. Trees have much to offer as soul friends, and their millennia of growth and loss provides deep wisdom, if we pay attention. The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees encourages us to revel in the beauty and wonder of trees as they increase our capacity to bear witness to loss and grief and model adaptation and resilience. Integrating science and spirituality, coauthors Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy explore the knowledge held within the living world of trees and planted within each of us.

Drawing on extensive experience in both forest ecology and spirituality, Norcross and Rampy invite us into a deep mutual relationship with trees, whose wisdom provides comfort, resilience, guidance, and hope during these challenging times.

Expanding on their popular six-week video course offered through The Center for Spirituality in Nature, Norcross and Rampy offer us guidance and practices based on their experiences leading walks, retreats, and pilgrimages for over two decades. Having witnessed the profound healing and restorative power of trees, they offer us the wisdom of trees as wordless ministers to weary souls. When we learn the ecology of the forest and how to be present to the trees, our eyes are opened to the awe and wonder of our world, deepening our sense of sacred oneness.

Leah Rampy is a writer and retreat leader who weaves ecology, spirituality, and stories to encourage deeper connections to the natural world and strengthen the ties between Earth and the human soul. She is the author of Earth and Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos. She has led spiritual pilgrimages, retreats, and seminars and is founder and leader of Church of the Wild Two Rivers. She holds a PhD in curriculum from Indiana University, has taught in public schools and universities, held leadership roles in Fortune 100 companies, and headed a nonprofit organization dedicated to contemplative living and leadership. Rampy resides with her husband in a cohousing community in West Virginia.

With training in spirituality, ecology, and forestry, Beth Norcross founded the Center for Spirituality in Nature, which offers opportunities to deepen spirituality through nature and to nurture loving relationships with Earth and Spirit. She speaks, writes, and leads programs that encourage people to open to the natural world for delight, wonder, guidance, and spiritual deepening. She co-founded the Green Seminary Initiative, which infuses Earth care into theological education. An adjunct professor at Wesley Theological Seminary, where she earned a master of theological studies and a doctor of ministry, she has created and taught classes related to faith and ecology. She lives with her husband in Virginia.