Once, When I Was Tree: a Memoir of Interspecies Communication, Nomadic Living, and Mystical Journeys

🌿I talk to trees. Jaguar is my guide. Mosquitoes are my friends. My mother is an ancient vine.These are my stories, sometimes wild, sometimes unbelievable, yet all absolutely true.From a barefoot childhood in the red dirt of New Caledonia to mystical encounters in the jungles of Costa Rica, from the desiccated elegance of Death Valley to the friendly forests of the White Mountains, Once, When I Was Tree traces a life of remembrance.Do trees remember? Why do bees dance? What does coyote sing? What do mushrooms believe about humans’ place in the Great Symphony of Things? Can the love of a plant heal all wounds? Have you ever been a lizard? Have you spoken to cats? spiders? the moon? Have you tried to harmonize?These stories aren’t told to impress—they’re shared to remind. Of the quiet ways the world speaks. Of what we’ve always known. And of the wild possibility that everything—plants, insects, animals, even your vehicle—might be trying to communicate with you.If this book has found you, I believe these stories will echo your own. So step in—barefoot, curious, heart open—and walk with me a while.🌿 For readers of Braiding Sweetgrass, Desert Solitaire, How to Change Your Mind, The Hidden Life of Trees, and The Spell of the Sensuous—those drawn to spiritual ecology, plant medicine, nature mysticism, and deep ecological wisdom.