The Cherish Tree sculpture was installed at Burning Man with the intention of fulfilling deeply held desires. Twelve bamboo poles led in a spiral towards the tree at the center, each step provided a thought to guide the participants on a path of awareness and magic.
The following are the original meditations posted on each bamboo pole:
1. Pick a ribbon from the bucket and carry it with you as you walk along each pole towards the tree. Relax and trust that you know what you want.
2. The path along these bamboo poles towards the center tree passes through gratitude-- gratitude is a key to getting what you want. Take a moment and think of something-- anything at all- that you are grateful for. What do you cherish?
3. It's possible that there is something you deeply want that you have forgotten about or hidden from yourself... take a moment and think of all the things you have ever wanted in your life but thought you didn't deserve. What do you want--is it material? is it a skill? a job? is it an experience? is it a relationship? Where does your mind wander during downtime... when you daydream...?
4. “What do You fantasize about? Fantasies have to be unrealistic. 
Because the moment you get that which you seek you can not want it anymore. That's why we say 'The hunt is sweeter than the kill. Be careful what you wish for.' Because we're doomed not to want it once we get it. Desire must have its object perpetually absent." --The Life of David Gale
By knowing what you cherish, by being grateful, you become capable of having your fantasy.
Imagine having something you previously thought was unachievable.
5. One of the greatest obstacles to getting what we want is the fear of the end of a cycle:
"How one must be thrust out of a finished cycle in life, and that leap the most difficult to make-- to part with one's faith, one's love, when one would prefer to renew the faith and re-create the passion."
--Anais Nin
Imagine that fear didn't exist. What would you want if there was no fear? No fear of loss. No fear of what your parents, friends or others might think. What do you want just for yourself?
6. You are grounded here in this sacred space. Take some deep breathes. Look around the playa. How far can you see? Can you feel the roundness of the globe? Gravity is keeping you on earth. A grounding channel of energy is holding you in your body. Feel good about making it to Burning Man this year. Thank yourself for putting in the work to get here.
7. Connect with your body, your heart, your will power and your creativity. What do you deeply desire?
8. The theme of Burning Man this year is "Beyond Belief"-- the idea is that our BELIEFS CREATE our REALITY AND determine what is POSSIBLE. (Without beliefs, you can stand in pure experience).
Drop away expectations, history, and beliefs and allow yourself the freedom to be present to what your heart desires. What does your soul crave? Without belief or "Beyond Belief" what do you want?
9. State in your mind your deepest desires and passions. What do you really want?
10. For the last couple of steps to manifest your deep desire, you will use gratitude to open your heart to allow what you wish for to come in to your life. Think of what you cherish. What do you hold dear? What do you wish to nourish within yourself and the world? What reminds you of your love for life? The feeling for what you cherish is gratitude.
11. Imagine yourself being grateful for having what you want. What does it feel like? What does it look like? Take a picture in your mind of yourself being grateful for having what you want. Place the picture above your body and let your creative energy fill it up.
12. Place the picture of being grateful for having what you want on your heart and write it down on the ribbon. Flower the tree with your wish.
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For three days, the Cherish Tree was flowered with ribbons from attendees at the Health and Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa. I worked with Brenda and Robert Mazzera, two Sonoma artists now in Washington, to create an 8 foot high sculpture. At the end of the festival, the Mystic Family circus marched the tree into the center of the closing circle.
Otto asked me if I would create a Tree of Thanks for the BassCAMP benefit to send kids to summer camp. I thought it would be cool to find a city tree that had died-- and we could recycle it. I had heard that the city cuts down those trees on medians and dumps them. Before I could call the city to check, there was a car accident outside the warehouse I had just moved into. Nobody was hurt, but a 16 foot tree had been knocked down and it landed in front of our door.
