the moodgar tree

This is a remarkable tree - we call it the Christmas tree because it comes out at Christmas but the Noongar people call it the moodgar tree. It is a sacred tree because it is where the spirits of the dead go before they go to their permanent place of rest. It is a parasite and a giant version of mistletoe - the largest in the world. The inside is spongy and holds water, so it is possible to tap it for water if you are desperate and know how.

When in the little grove this morning I had a great sense of the specialness of this tree and its ancient origins.