One of the odd thing about being a journalist is that sometimes you don’t know where a story comes from or why it is even a story. Sometimes you just write and hope that it will resonate with the readers.
A clearing, a sky with a splattering of stars and only a slight hue from the Sunwell blazing in the distance. I am in the Hinterlands, in the northeastern part near one of the four portals to the Emerald Dream. Why you might ask? Well it has been a rough year for me, some may have noticed my absence - both my words in the Lion’s Roar, but also my presence on the streets of Stormwind and in Azeroth in general - and tonight, here in Seradane, the theme is druidic healing and Light knows I could do with some healing.
The lessons started with some casual small talk near a large campfire, it had a very welcoming atmosphere and while I didn’t participate myself and was only there to observe - I did find no one looked sideways at me or asked about my presence. I was, like the others, accepted there.
Not long after the initial small talk had started, it ended and we moved to a spot a bit away from the initial meeting place and everyone was instructed to lay down in the grass and look up, relax, find the calm within them. I did not take part in this activity as I had not brought coffee and was worried Id be fast asleep within minutes had I moved my body into a vertical position. Instead, I listened and observed.
Small teacups were passed around. Not for drinking though, sadly. Each contained a single Hinterlands Pine seed, a robust tree which thrives in harsh conditions. Next we were told to close our eyes and imagine.
The attendants where asked to picture the seed, feel it, nurture it - let their magic fall on it like rain and within moments the soil stirred, little sprouts emerged and I suppose one could say that hope itself literally took root.
Now, of course, not all growth is controlled - one particularly enthusiastic student managed to grow her seed with such vigour that it retaliated by entangling her in a mess of roots. In the end no one was harmed though.
The night gave a different perspective on healing, instead of asking us to focus on mending - we where asked to focus on growth - we are so used to trying to fix things in our lives, but the lesson tonight was more about guiding growth, listening to what the seed needed and guide it, giving it what it needed to become what it was always meant to be.
Healing - at least druidic healing - is apparently more about growth than mending the broken - it is more about listening to what we need to become what we are meant to be - in a way calling it healing might not even be the right term for it, perhaps - it is more about regrowth than healing.