Sunday, April 28, 2013

Trees Role in Architecture and Community Design

Seshat was the symbol for architecture, mathematics, and presided over the laying of the foundation of the temples. America's early architects and builders were masons, utilizing rituals and knowledge from the Hall of Records. Just think of the surveyors craft and the people who used the metes and bounds drawing the lines of the states we have today.

Humans have always inhabited land by water. It is our sustenance  Our bodies are over 90% water. And freshwater, is a divine miraculous gift that still baffles scientist when looking at the make up of elements on among the many other planets in our solar system and our universe.

Fresh water is unique to this planet we live on. Trees grow around bodies of freshwater and are an integral part of the cycle of life. They not only provide us with oxygen, but they also absorb water which keeps areas from flooding. They maintain a balance that allows us to benefit from the close proximity of water and livable land. The land of the Nile was special. There is the Nile, there is lush land, and then there is desert. The area in which the ancient Egyptians had to thrive was very narrow and had to be cared for in a special way. This knowledge and science of city growth in relationship to the land was written and originally passed down from mother to daughter. Eventually, becoming the standard for all who wanted to learn. 

This week I have been thinking about the rituals cultures have used with trees after seeing these robes at the masonic lodge that reminded me of the KKK next to a sign that said rituals. I will write a separate blog post about Esus and others, as well as the Africans in America who were ritually hung on a "rope" from a branch of a "tree". I digress. 

My point of writing this today is that I feel compelled to speak about the environment in this forum because today my community is flooding, a lot of rain has come down this week. A couple of years ago we suffered a massive flood. Many communities across America have suffered from flooding as of late. Yes, we have global warming, yes we have pollution, and so many other things that are related to our lifestyle that are complicating the environment and its ability to maintain balance. However, we are nature working. 

Trees absorb water and naturally grow prolifically around bodies of water. It is not by magic that the ancients built our cities and communities near rivers, it is natural, divine architecture. Yet, today we have decided that our communities can cut down these trees that have giving us life and stability and time on this planet. That we no longer need a tree canopy to surround us. It has been decided that we can replace them with saplings, flowers, concrete, and turf. However, we do need canopy trees not only to breathe, but to drink the water Mother Earth has provided for us through the cycles of rain. Remember the promise of the rainbow? 

When will be demand that our architects, city planners, and landscape designers, etc. get trained in holistic design utilizing the principles of the ancient architects. The two can co-exist trees and humans, peacefully, without everyone hugging them..I digress. My point is we have to stop replicating bad design. The recession was our opportunity to take time to stop, look at where and how we are building, and revise. It is my concern that more flooding will continue, more environmental damage that is totally unnecessary  As Dr Frances Cress Wesling once said, "parents don't let your children run amuck!" Its time we put our foot down and get our house in order. We can get this right, we can tweak and change some things. 

We can live comfortable while at the same time caring for the earth and caring for others. If your interested in knowing a unique way I am addressing this in my community send me message. I would be happy to tell you about how you can recreate the "7 layers" of forests in urban communities. You can also join our group on facebook. The Washington post did an article this week linking communities with trees with wealth. Check it out.



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