Wild Wisdom

There is a Wild Self within us; it is that part of us that longs to live close to Nature – to be one with the land, to walk barefoot on the grass, to feel the suns’ warmth on our skin. This is our birthright. It is not something to be learned or acquired. It is our heritage – an instinctive and intuitive wisdom that lives within us.

Our ancestors knew this. They were taught the ways of the animals, the rhythm of the Seasons, the gifts of the plants and trees, and their place in the Web of Life.

Through Nature, they learned the cycles of life; of birth and growth, of flow and rest, of letting go and death.  They learned to cooperate with change rather than resist it and to be fully engaged in life.

Over time, we have lost these teachings.  We became disconnected from the natural world. Nature has become something to exploit – a resource rather than a wellspring.  We have lost touch with our instinctive Self in a society that honors the intellect over intuition.

It is time to rediscover the power of Nature and the wild wisdom that lives within us. Let the Earth fill your awareness, awaken your senses and remind you that the world is alive.  Seek the wisdom of the wild, hear the language of the plants and stones, and listen to the song of the trees.

There is a link between you and the land that speaks to your heart. As you attune with the Natural world, you discover a path to access your Deepest Self, that part of you that feels at one with all life.

“The Universe is composed of subjects to be communed with, not objects to be exploited. Everything has its own voice. Thunder and lightning and stars and planets, flowers, birds, animals, trees, –all these have voices, and they constitute a community of existence that is profoundly related.” – Thomas Berry

Each of us must reclaim our ability to know the world, directly, deeply, and well. Once you awaken to it, you are once again fully a part of it.

An Invitation

treeToday, I invite you to go beyond the surface, to go beyond the labels – to see a tree with fresh eyes. I invite you to go beyond what you think you know about a tree.

If you can go to a wild forest – that is wonderful, but a tree in a park or out your front window will work just as well.  Nature is everywhere – She is the dandelion that grows in the crack in the sidewalk as well as the mountain forest.

Feel the timeless grace and strength of the trees, listen to the wind sighing in their branches, smell the sweet freshness of the air, and allow the peace of the trees to flow into you.

Walk until you feel drawn to a particular tree.  One will seem more interesting to you than all the others.  Ask if you can commune with the tree. Touch it, smell it, feel its Spirit.  Have no expectations, just open your heart and let the trees living communication flow through you.

Pay attention to your body. Your body will know the essence of the tree in a way your mind will not. Allow your senses to do the thinking. Feel, smell, taste, listen. Your senses are a channel to the world around you and will bring your body alive.  Pay attention to how the tree makes you feel.

Feelings are your connection to the living reality of the tree and the Spirit of the tree.  Do not insert what you think you know, allow the tree to tell you.

All things are ultimately unknowable because there is such a depth of mystery that resides beneath the surface.  All things, when we just Be with them, rather than try to label them, can take us beyond the surface of our perception and into the depths where joy, creativity, love, and aliveness are. The essence of any Being will silently communicate itself to you and reflect your essence back to you and in the process a sense of awe, wonder, and the miraculous returns to your life. All of Nature can show us who we are, and how we are all Connected and can lead us back to the Source of Life.

I invite you to take this experience beyond the tree and deeper into your life. To Be rather than analyze. The less we attach a verbal or mental label to things, people, or situations – the more alive our reality becomes.  Joy and creativity, live in the place between perception and interpretation – so the more we stay with feeling and out of analysis and interpretation, the more depth we experience in our life. Be in the moment, be who you are, see your essence in others and witness the miracle of life unfolding within and around you.

Peace and Blessings,

Jan