The Haitian Tree of Life from Upcycled Metal Oil Drums - Connects the Earth with the Heavens

Dec. 1, 2012 - PRLog -- The tree of life has been used across a multitude of religions, science, philosophy, and mythology.   The common thread seems to be the belief that life on our planet is interconnected.

From a Christian point of view, the Tree of Life is the symbol of God’s provision for immortality in the Garden of Eden:  “And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9).

In Native American cultures, the Sacred Tree refers to a tree planted by the Creator under which people find healing, power, wisdom and security.

Sacred trees, representing the power of life to grow from the underworld realm of the dead, are a common motif in the art and literature of the ancient Maya.

The Vikings believed in the concept of a world tree -- a great ash located at the centre of the Universe, joining the nine worlds of Norse cosmology. They believed it connected gods with the world of mortals and the land of giants.

From a scientific point of view - the tree of life is a metaphor for common descent in evolutionary terms; we are, in essence, all interconnected through evolution.

No matter the symbolism, the common thread is interconnected – or in the very least, that we have the need to find interconnectedness.

Whether the Tree of Life represents virtues like wisdom, strength, protection, beauty, bounty or redemption, it provides we mortals with possible answers to:

■ Why are we here?

■ Why is life so hard?

■ Is there an afterlife?

■ Can I be comforted, fed, housed, protected?

Along with our need for interconnectedness – whether real or perceived, we seek physical representations of our beliefs, perhaps to remind us there is greatness and wisdom in our world.  

Singing Rooster, the champion of Haitian coffee (http://www.singingrooster.org/buycoffee.html), now offers a beautiful Tree of Life from upcycled metal oil drums.  The Haitian Tree of Life metal oil drum art is a perfect example of representing the concepts of heaven, the underworld and creation.

Molly Nicaise, co-founder of Singing Rooster Haitian coffee finds other meaning in the artistic piece.  “For me, this tree of life is an analogy for human life: we have roots that ground us and feed us, trunks that keep our minds and bodies steady, and branches that enable us to engage in others, in life.”  

To own your own magnificent piece of Haitian art, see Singing Rooster’s newest offering:

Haitian Tree of Life from Upcycled Metal Oil Drums (http://www.singingrooster.org/art/haitianmetalart.html#tree)

Visit Singing Rooster’s website to learn more about their offerings in Haitian art or to learn how they offer a direct buyer relationship & on-the ground assistance to coffee farming communities in Haiti for the sake of self-sustainability, dignity & economic autonomy.

We help farmers to cultivate and process high quality, gourmet Haitian coffee. Then we buy/export tons of it at higher than fair trade prices and create new markets for it: roasted coffee, green coffee, fundraising with coffee, & wholesale coffee for roasters, cafes, stores, and nonprofits.

This enables a stable outlet for our farmer partners, rids them of middleman, and provides partial funding for our comprehensive approach (http://www.singingrooster.org/projects.html) -- where 100% of our coffee sale proceeds are returned to farmers.

We may be a nonprofit - but our goal is entirely profit-driven: to help Haitians be economically autonomous through SMART business practices, by improving their product, and offering insight for growth.

We meet then exceed principles of fair trade. (http://www.singingrooster.org/transparency.html)

To learn more about Singing Rooster's work in Haiti, see

http://www.singingrooster.org

Their green Haitian coffee beans are 100% Arabica and wet processed. They currently source their beans from the Dondon, Artibonite, Beaumont, Cavaillon and Thiotte regions of Haiti.

Varietals: Arabica typica, Arabica blue mountain.

Cupping Notes: soft sweetness, hints of chocolate, medium body, balanced cup, mellow acidity.

Two words: smooth & rich

To learn more about Singing Rooster's projects or to support their work through donations, see their website:

http://www.singingrooster.org

Singing Rooster's Haitian Mountain Bleu coffee (http://www.singingrooster.org/

buycoffee.html) comes from the same plant & is grown in the same region as the wildly successful Jamaican Blue - but at a fraction of the price.

100% of Singing Rooster's proceeds go BACK to Haiti; our goal is to build economic infrastructures based, in part, on coffee growing, production and exportation.

Drink our Coffee. Build an economy. Pass it on.