"Why a tree?"
Meher Mount
Your Friday photo is honor of Tree of Fire: A Story of Love and Resilience which is currently showing at film festivals...
This photograph of Baba’s Tree taken in February 2026 by Margaret Magnus, shows the regrowth eight years after high winds and the Thomas Fire destroyed the tree and felled the canopy. The heart rock, adorned with flowers, marks the spot where Avatar Meher Baba spent time alone under the tree in 1956.
The following is an interview for the 2026 LA Femme International Film Festival where Tree of Fire: A Story of Love and Resilience will be shown. Margaret Magnus is the producer, writer and award-winning co-director for the documentary on Baba’s Tree. She was interviewed for the LA Femme Festival by Aaron M. Sanchez, KMET 1490 AM host and producer. The comments have been edited for clarity and brevity.
“Q: Why a tree?
A: Because it’s a powerful story in and of itself, but it also becomes a metaphor. The tree was destroyed, and through its own resilience and the love and care of the community, it survived.
And with the support of those who love us, and our own resilience, we find a way to survive, even if parts of us are burned, or hurt, or wounded. And that becomes the tree’s story, but also the human story.”
Aaron M. Sanchez: Margaret, I'm a fan, and I'm not going to lie, I don't know that tree, but I think I want to. A lot of people have said something about that tree. Where was this at, by the way? Where did the fire occur?
Magnus: The tree is at Meher Mount, which is a 172-acre spiritual center on Sulphur Mountain in the upper Ojai Valley in California. And the fire, known as the Thomas Fire, was in December 2017. High winds and the fire pretty much destroyed the tree, except for a little bit.
Sanchez: Fast forward, do you have an update on the tree?
Magnus: Part of the film is about the efforts that were made to help the tree recover, and also how the tree had life beyond the tree. The wood was salvaged, ashes were collected and distributed, and miraculously, the tree is doing very, very well. In 2017, we had no idea whether it would even survive or not, but it is surviving.
It was a very massive tree. It was often called a cathedral tree, because the branches spread out and then came down and created a little enclosure. Some people call it a church. Most of the canopy was destroyed in the fire, but the is recreating its canopy.
Sanchez: Why a tree?
Magnus: Because it's a powerful story in and of itself, but it also becomes a metaphor. The tree was destroyed, and through its own resilience, and the love and care of the community around it helped it survive.
And when the viewer sees it, very often people are touched, because we all go through difficulties, we all go through tough times. And with the support of those who love us, and our own resilience, we find a way to survive, even if parts of us are burned, or hurt, or wounded. And that becomes the tree’s story, but also the human story.
Why this tree was important is obviously because Avatar Meher Baba was there in 1956. Also since then, many people have gone to the tree. Sometimes they go to celebrate, to propose, to get inspiration, or for a moment of solace. There are so many reasons why people go to Baba's Tree at Meher Mount. It became a major touchstone for the community, the area, and people who follow Meher Baba.
Sanchez: I will say this about a tree, sometimes you feel like there's wisdom. I don't know how to explain that.
Magnus: Well, part of it is that when people go there, they're open and they're in this beautiful setting at 2,600 feet with views in all directions. There's this sense of silence. I think what happens is, you sort of turn down the noise in your mind and open your heart. Yes, it's a tree, but it's also an experience.
Sanchez: Tree of Fire: A Story of Love and Resilience. I mean, that right there says something, right?
Magnus: It does, because the tree has been through two major fires that we know of in our lifetime. And it's the love that the tree has given, and the love that the tree has received. It's about the resilience of the tree, and the resilience that we all have within us.
Some people say it's a place of great spiritual meaning for them because the Indian spiritual maser, Avatar Meher Baba, was there. He sat under that tree in 1956, and it became a touchstone, not only for followers of him, but for all the visitors who come to Meher Mount.
Sanchez: Is there any good information about Ojai since the fire? Because fires are devastating.
Magnus: Fires destroy homes and upset lives. There's no doubt about that.
What is so interesting is to have watched all the burned acreage, and how quickly nature recovers. Nature, particularly in Southern California, is built for fire. So, following the fire there were healthy rainstorms in the spring. It was amazing to see all the plants, and trees, and the shrubs, and the grass, and the flowers come back within six months.
It's people and their homes that take much, much longer to regenerate.
Source
“Tree of Fire — Filmmaker Interview.” 2026 LA Femme International Film Festival, October 16-19, 2026, Sherman Oaks, CA.