Willow: pliancy; a writhing, withy, flowing and resilient energy that extends its range not by force but by bending and moving around. It is traditionally seen as a soft energy. The tree named after this characteristic, the willow, is propagated by twigs that break off in flood water, and root in sandbars, oxbows and deltas. Because many willows have drooping branches, they form protective spaces. That sense of protection and enclosure is also a characteristic of this energy. Withy twigs, such as willow or dogwood, are used in basketmaking. Baskets are a form of portable willow trees, and very useful things indeed. When carried, their pliant form and ability to move passively becomes a means of collecting, storing or carrying other physical things from place to place. Willowy energy does not stay still, but is always transferring itself.

Beaver-Gnawed Willow

Okanagan Lake, British Columbia