The Songs of the Acacia
When it came to envisioning a symbol/ logo, colours and a name for the website, I had a dream of an infant in a thorn tree wearing only a red loincloth and with a lion sitting at the base of the tree. This is how I interpreted it -
The infant in the branches of the tree can represent the archetypal “inner child”, the part that remains innocent, spontaneous, playful and trusting.
"Babies are symbolically connected to creativity. They represent the new, the idea that something that once never existed can be brought into the world through a sacred process. Closely related to this is the idea of care and nurturing"
(https://www.wellbeing.com.au/mind-spirit/spirituality/dreams-babies-children-meaning.html)
The red loincloth could represent power, energy, vitality, action, assertion, creation, survival and passion.
The Acacia (Thorn Tree) is a symbol of regeneration, perseverance and integrity all around the globe.
The acacias grow on all continents and this could symbolise inclusivity of all peoples, faiths and practices.
The acacia tree has an extremely deep root system (very well grounded), Is evergreen (Evergreens often symbolise immortality and eternal life),
The Tree of Life is an ancient mystical symbol appearing in various cultures and can represent the interconnection of all things, a connection between earth and the spiritual realms.
As the biggest plants on the planet, they give us oxygen, store carbon, stabilise the soil and give life to the world's wildlife. They also provide us with the materials for tools and shelter.
It can also represents life, shelter, refuge and protection (Sharp, threatening thorns protect acacias precious leaves from herbivorous (plant-eating) animals)
The lion at the base of the tree can represent courage, strength, powerfulness and offering protection.
Metaphorically, the desert is a place of testing and transformation and can be a place of clarity, revelation, purity and stillness.
The name 'The songs of the Acacia' came to me for a few reasons.
I read a memorable book a long time ago called 'THE SONG OF THE BIRD' by Anthony de Mello S. J. (124 stories and parables from a variety of traditions both ancient and modern. Each story resonates with life lessons that can teach us inescapable truths about ourselves and our world)
It's curious title and matching resonance got me thinking that trees sing as well and have many songs, stories, magical healing properties and wisdom to share.
If trees could sing, what would/could they sing of? Maybe they would sing of the peoples and happenings of the area, the history, secrets that were never told to anyone else, visitors to the areas, stories from birds that had traveled great distances from distant lands, of lives of insects and animals that live in close proximity, songs from the sky and songs from the inner earth?
----------------------
Interesting information on the Acacia -
.You could hardly find a more impressive alliance than the one between acacia trees and acacia ants — they even share the same name because their bond is so strong. The trees provide food (in the form of nectar) and accommodation, and the ants protect the trees against would-be nibblers like elephants or giraffes. The trees even provide outposts in the form of hollow spikes, that the ants use to take refuge while defending the trees.
Now, a new study has revealed how ants are capable of telling when such a mammal approaches, and how they’re even capable of differentiating it from wind, sounding the alarm and starting to actively patrol the plant when nibblers are nearby.
Researchers observed first-hand that whenever they got too close to acacias, ants would come running to their defense. But they also realized that they weren’t sure how ants know when to start the defense. The traditional theory says that odor is the main tell, but that just didn’t seem to tell the whole story: they had a hunch that vibrations also play a part.
“We often inadvertently touched the acacia branches and backed off because of the very fast and disruptive attacks of ants that swarmed on us,” says Kathrin Krausa, co-author of the new study. “It struck us that it was assumed that odors associated with plant damage alert the ants. As biotremologists studying vibrations, we felt that this is only half of the story.”
To test their theory, they measured vibrations in acacia induced by two different factors: wind and a browsing goat. They then replicated these vibrations using special devices, observing how the ants behave in the absence of any other cues other then vibrations. The ants didn’t care much about the wind, but whenever the goat-like vibrations were produced, they started actively patrolling the acacia tree and getting ready for defense.
“If an ant detects vibrations due to an elephant nibbling at its tree, it needs to find the attacker as soon as possible and decide in which direction to go,” Krausa says. “We were impressed by the ants. Spread all over the tree, they made the right decision and walked toward the vibration source to fight back against the attacker almost every time.”
by Mihai Andrei , March 8, 2019 in Biology, News, Science
Where do they grow?
Acacias are well adapted to deserts and tropical areas. Therefore, they have a wide distribution and are native to Australia, South Africa, the Southwestern United States, and South and Central America. Some people plant species of these trees for their attractive yellow blooms.
Acacias have a surprising tenant on their branches! Many species of acacia have symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationships with species of ants. The plants provide ants with food and a home in their thorns. In exchange, the ants kill bacteria, leaf-eating insects, and competing plants.
Some species of acacia form a tasty treat on their seeds. Therefore, they convince ants to carry the seeds deep into their colony. Consequently, planting the next generation of acacias! The ploy may go deeper than just a good ant snack. Research shows the plants may use oleic acid to stimulate corpse carrying behavior by the ants. As a result, the ants carry the bulky seeds home with them.
https://www.plantsnap.com/blog/everything-acacia-trees/
