The forest will answer you in the way you call to it. ~ Finnish proverb
The Japanese have a word that describes those deep intuitive feelings that flow through us as we enter a forest.
They call it Yugen. One only needs to step into a forest to awaken what we've always known. The forest, the humans, all life is connected.
On days when the heart is heavy, confused, aching, we can run to the woods and shed our burden like leaves in Autumn. When we forget ourselves we can quietly walk, finding ourselves again amidst the twinkle of light through the canopy. The forest shelters us, keep us warm and we rely on it for our survival and yet, knowing this, so many take for granted the majestic as though it is an infinite "resource" for us to do with as we want.
As You walk with me with thoughts about the magnificence of forests and the human connection, here is a song to by the Hollow Coves - The Woods Lyrics, that feels right for this story.
The cold night takes us to a place to escape the chill
Top top, somewhere in the woods, on the hill
Wake up, feeling the cold in between our toes
Is there a way back? Nobody knows.
Humans are small specs in the timeline of a forest
The magnificence of the forest should humble humans. We can toil and cultivate our years away trying to shape the land however, the moment we stop, the land will regenerate, the forest will re-grow, forever changed and yet eternally resilient.
Often the only reminder of human existence will be an apple orchard in the middle of a forest or an old bottle or tin strewn about the forest floor.
The forest gives so much and we owe it our love and protection. Children are the future and it is on our shoulders to teach them the wonders of the woodland. Forget shopping malls and amusement parks. Instead, nourish them and help them grow into healthy adults. Let the young delight in the light twinkling through gigantic canopies, the humming of life and the tiny curiosities that surround us like fairie magic. Let them love the forest so they will nurture it for generations to come. Let yourself appreciate the world through the eyes of a child.
All photos were taken over the past year on the 90 acres of forested land surrounds our home here in Canada's Maritimes. We are stewards of this land, aware that we are only borrowing it for a time.
Echoes of machinery can be heard in the forest today because part of the land that abuts ours, belongs to others who raid forests like bandits. Plastic orange tape marks the man-made barrier between a forest that is protected and one that is not.
I can't change this and so instead I'll mourn and then I'll write, speak, and share my heart and life in the forest. as a reminder of what should be. This is my protest done the only way I know how.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. ~ John Muir
Basket in hand, I step into the forest. A soundtrack plays in my head as I walk. The ground crunches beneath my snowshoe clad feet and I weave around trees and duck branches. The Usnea sways with the wind like an old man’s beard, and brown leaves flutter down from the sky onto the snowy ground. I pick up fallen birch bark and stop to admire the old man mossy tree that I love so dearly. Today I am just wandering without real purpose and my basket stays empty apart from a few curled wisps of birch bark. ~ Walkerland /A Life of Folk Magic and Nourishment
On my way home I stand at the edge of the forest and just absorb. I touch the tree that I am leaning against and marvel at its strength. I touch the rough bark with my fingers and send my gratitude. Through storms and drought, it stands strong and shelters us from the worst of the storms. I watch as the setting sun peeks through the leaves. Everything shimmers green and golden. This is magical. This is the life I have chosen to live. ~ Walkerland /A Life of Folk Magic and Nourishment
The warm kiss of the sun on our skin, wreaths of daisy’s, stolen kisses under weeping willows. Bonfires, herbal tea, and moonlight walks. Nature is always there, embracing us. Those small details, the ones that often get ignored, are the part of living that fills me up with joy and gratitude. ~ Walkerland /A Life of Folk Magic and Nourishment