Tmiwa Birthdays

When a Tmiwa is first born, the community holds a celebration to welcome the new spirit into the world. The parents plant an Etniti sapling in a spot that had been predetermined to promote good growth and where it would be most beneficial to the ecosystem around it over the course of its life. Once the sapling has been planted it is showered in sacred water from within the deep recesses of the Great Primeval Forest by the parents. The water has spiritual properties that give the sapling the strength to grow roots that run deep. The newborn is then blessed with the same water. The two are said to have a spiritual connection between one another; and that when one dies, the spirit of one flows into the other. The Tmiwa Spirit Trees are typically planted within relative proximity to one another so that the roots over the hundreds of years of the lifetime of the Etniti Tree are free to intertwine without encroaching on one another's nutrients.

Execution

Once a year on the anniversary of the birth, the family returns to water both the child and the tree. At the child's 15th birthday the family bless the child with the sacred water for the last time. From then on out, it is the responsibility of the child to continue to provide the Etniti Tree with the spirit water every year on their birthday, to ensure the grow and strength of the spiritual bond between them. When it is not possible for an individual to be near their spirit tree near their birthday, it is not uncommon to have a trusted friend or family member water the tree in their absence.

Observance

Every year on the individuals birthday.

Primary Related Location

Great Primeval Forest