During the year my community here at Duffcarrig tries to gather together and offer something of the cultural impulse. This is done during the Christmas time around the tree in our common hall where we share stories, songs, poems and other offerings to the rest of our community.

On this day I was asked to tell a story, and before hand I spent a very long time thinking about what I would like to say. So follows a variation on the tale told.

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I was asked to today tell you a story and I want to tell you a story that is very close to this time of Christmas, but not in quite the same way as a story about Christmas.

Here in Camphill we normally have two plays which we can perform before Christmas, the Shepards nativity play and the Paradise play. It is of this second time I would like to speak to you. In the Paradise play we are told of the eating of the fruit from the tree of knowledge and the exile of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden.

Our story comes just after this time, as the son of Adam, bearing the name Seth stands at the gate of Eden. Entering, he finds him self surrounded by overwhelming beauty, and he wanders awe stricken until he finds himself standing before two trees.

In this garden two trees stood side by side, the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge. When Adam and Eve lived within the garden the trees stood next to each other as if two great pillars. But Seth, as he looked at the trees from root to stem, from stem to branch, from branch to bud, and finally from budding leaf to succulent fruit he saw not just two trees but two stems which grew wild and intertwined each other as if intimate lovers. From this there stood not two, but one, heavy laden with fruit weighing the branches and scattering the ground.

But in front of this tree, strong, tall and beautiful, with watchful eyes stood the archangel Michäel, guarding this tree. As Seth approach Michael took in the boy before him, and allowed him to take three seeds from the paradise tree.

When Adam, the first man died, Seth placed the three seeds in the mouth of his father, and from the grave of Adam grew a great burning bush.

This bush over many years grew, but as old as it got it did not die. It could be cut to the root and spring again immediately with all the same youth and vigour as before. This is the same burning bush encountered by Moses and which said to him “aye asher aye” - I am that which was, is and ever shall be.

It is the ever burning fire of spirit, ever renewing, the process of eternal life as it springs forth again and again. These three seeds planted in the first man sit also within the entirety of mankind as a latent potential, and with proper tending the spirit may burn within each of us also.

As I come to the end of this story you my listener is probably wondering what this has to do with Christmas. This tree behind me (referring to the Christmas tree) is a symbol of this paradise tree. When all else in nature has died this tree stands as a symbol of the flame of spirit in this, the darkened year. May this spirit burn in you also.