Ash Tree
Branches of the
Ash(ley) Tree:
Healing (&) Arts
Art is Healing and Healing is an Art
A li'l about moi
(I'm learning French - can you tell? No? Me neither... I'm STU-DY-ING French, at least):
I am a performer in media and stage productions; scripted and improvised; musical and otherwise. Between scenes; I provide various other services like therapies, support with animals and homes, and garment styling, dyeing, and/or designing - plus sourcing costumes. When my head isn’t in the game, I give it free rein in the clouds. Sometimes I overload my day and I leave typos in my wake. That is only one of my many flaws and it is likely displayed on this site along with my various offerings. A. They're not the worst things to leave behind. B. I work on grounding myself and going at my own pace and still I seem to be a fallible human being in one way or another. And part of me is okay with that - I'm learning to love and accept myself. C. It means that there is always something more to accomplish :D.
This site displays a handful of the things I offer in one place to keep both you and me more centered among the many directions I extend into (hence, “tree” - more on that in the next section). I decided to not separate out my services anymore partly because money and partly because I think it is valuable to look beyond a “brand” and hold each human for all of their dimensions: If we could do that, imagine what we could handle and how much more efficient and harmonious we could make our experience of this reality. What better ways could we invest our energies if we worked to let go of pettiness, agreed to disagree, relaxed things like ego parades and pseudo ownership patterns, and if we would just accept that each person, including our very own selves, is so very many things all at once - and that we each exist in a place far beyond any words assembled in what are bound to be futile attempts at accurate definitions. - I sound super fun, don't I? I’m not intense at all, I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Anyway, thanks for being here, and now please feel so free to do what you feel called to (always and in all of the ways); look around, move on to the next site that calls, save for later, etc: I say this because I believe that if you do you, we will all find ways to do the same with our mirror neurons and we will eventually each find our way to where we truly belong, therefore negating said ego and ownership mistaken definitions and identities.
Happy Today and Thank You For Visiting,
Ashley
Why Ash Tree?
Finding a name for this space was a long road that lead me back to the thing already in my name:
The Ash Tree is seen in some traditions as The Tree of Life. It expands in many directions, while centered and grounded in one place. According to some stories, these directions it stretches into - those of both its branches and its roots - take it into multiple worlds.
Unlike many kinds of trees, it physically shows up quite differently; depending on its environment; and whenever a branch starts on one side another one starts on the opposite side; extending in the opposite direction; perhaps to reflect or to balance.
In the Celtic tradition, Ash means Dream because the Ash Tree is seen as reflecting the link between reality and fantasy.
It is a center between two directions of consciousness, of gravity, of worlds of all kinds.
And every single part of it is medicinal. It is a truly extraordinary tree and I am grateful to be named for it. --
Of course I wasn't actually (intentionally) named for it. I was named because of Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind. Go figure. - My mother liked the sound of it and she also like the multitude of genderless names from "Irish"-roots (pun not intended, but covenient): She wanted a name a daughter with gender neutrality so that being a femme wouldn't leave space for people to try to exclude her from any job interviews. Remember that this tech ocean you are currently surfing wasn't a thing quite yet. One's sex wasn't given with a resume - nor one's ethnicity, age, photo, birth language, etc; so there was a lot more power in one's name to imply identity.
Some spiritual teachers say we offer our names to our parents to do just that; to mirror our true identity; whispering one to them that matches our spirit's vibration. This means one's fullest expression in this incarnation can always be reminded to what it is aligned, and ultimately truly blossom, while also staying true to its roots, simply by the sound of its given name. Sooo maybe I waaaas named after the Ash tree because it was Iiii. who named. a-mahself.
Thanks for reading.
Happiness, Healing, and Harmony,
Ashley
Join me on Instagram and Spotify
Because we're all just following each other home. -- wait, that's not the phrase...
Insta: /theashleylovell
Spot: ashlove