This was such a gorgeous read—it felt like stepping into the forest myself, feeling its breath and heartbeat. It recently started “Women Who Run With the Wolves”, and your essay perfectly shows how forests, like the wild woman archetype, carry this ancient wisdom, strength, and mystery that we so often lose touch with.
Thank you for weaving these words; it’s such a needed reminder to honor those untamed spaces, both around us and inside us.
thank you so much Maja. I first read Women Who Run With the Wild Wolves at the start of my PhD journey around ten years ago and it was hugely influential while it's brilliant to hear you're discovering Estes' wonderful book too. Here's to honouring the untamed wildness in us and around us!
Thank you for bringing these noticing to us. In answer to your discussion question I’m linking a post I just wrote about the global Rights of Nature movement which is seeking legal rights for forests and rivers etc so they are no longer property of humans.
There is a current copyright case in Ecuador to give legal co-authorship of a song to a forest.
There’s something humbling about stepping into a forest and realizing, in the most visceral way, that it doesn’t belong to you. For years, I lived in the rhythm of the big city—everything a transaction, every space a commodity. Forests were an escape, sure, but they were also part of that same consumer-driven mentality: something to visit, to consume, to experience on demand. It was only after slowing down and immersing myself in the forest's silence that I began to sense its reality beyond my own wants, its life beyond my visit.
What strikes me most about your piece is the reminder that forests are indeed living systems with a form of consciousness—one that’s ancient, resilient, and, as you describe, deeply reciprocal. In this sense, they teach us the value of a non-intrusive presence and sustainable engagement, much like the cork strippers of Alentejo who nurture life by giving it room to regrow. The contrast with extractive practices that leave barren land behind resonates, especially as it mirrors the way modern society often drains what it should cherish. It’s almost like we’re so intent on “using” nature that we forget to see it, to listen to it.
Your reflections call us to embrace what the forest itself offers—both in the outer world and within. As with our inner landscapes, a forest thrives in diversity and balance; disruption, as you highlight, is the only path to mutual destruction. It’s a powerful message that reminds me of what we might call the "ecology of soul," the balance between what we take, nurture, and allow to grow within us, so that we’re not just emptying but also replenishing.
Thank you for such a stirring reflection, for reconnecting me with this memory and with the deeper, vital lesson that forests offer—a reminder of what it means to be part of a world and to honor it as such.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful and moving reflection Lane - I'm so glad you were able to unearth such a vivid and visceral memory of being with the trees. I love the idea of an 'ecology of the soul' - as the news of the election sinks in, embracing this ecology feels more urgent and necessary than ever.
This was such a gorgeous read—it felt like stepping into the forest myself, feeling its breath and heartbeat. It recently started “Women Who Run With the Wolves”, and your essay perfectly shows how forests, like the wild woman archetype, carry this ancient wisdom, strength, and mystery that we so often lose touch with.
Thank you for weaving these words; it’s such a needed reminder to honor those untamed spaces, both around us and inside us.
thank you so much Maja. I first read Women Who Run With the Wild Wolves at the start of my PhD journey around ten years ago and it was hugely influential while it's brilliant to hear you're discovering Estes' wonderful book too. Here's to honouring the untamed wildness in us and around us!
Thank you for bringing these noticing to us. In answer to your discussion question I’m linking a post I just wrote about the global Rights of Nature movement which is seeking legal rights for forests and rivers etc so they are no longer property of humans.
There is a current copyright case in Ecuador to give legal co-authorship of a song to a forest.
https://open.substack.com/pub/adventuresintheotherworld/p/the-song-of-the-forest?r=ql81o&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Thanks for sharing your important work Kat - amid so much devastation, it's inspiring to hear positive stories.
There’s something humbling about stepping into a forest and realizing, in the most visceral way, that it doesn’t belong to you. For years, I lived in the rhythm of the big city—everything a transaction, every space a commodity. Forests were an escape, sure, but they were also part of that same consumer-driven mentality: something to visit, to consume, to experience on demand. It was only after slowing down and immersing myself in the forest's silence that I began to sense its reality beyond my own wants, its life beyond my visit.
What strikes me most about your piece is the reminder that forests are indeed living systems with a form of consciousness—one that’s ancient, resilient, and, as you describe, deeply reciprocal. In this sense, they teach us the value of a non-intrusive presence and sustainable engagement, much like the cork strippers of Alentejo who nurture life by giving it room to regrow. The contrast with extractive practices that leave barren land behind resonates, especially as it mirrors the way modern society often drains what it should cherish. It’s almost like we’re so intent on “using” nature that we forget to see it, to listen to it.
Your reflections call us to embrace what the forest itself offers—both in the outer world and within. As with our inner landscapes, a forest thrives in diversity and balance; disruption, as you highlight, is the only path to mutual destruction. It’s a powerful message that reminds me of what we might call the "ecology of soul," the balance between what we take, nurture, and allow to grow within us, so that we’re not just emptying but also replenishing.
Thank you for such a stirring reflection, for reconnecting me with this memory and with the deeper, vital lesson that forests offer—a reminder of what it means to be part of a world and to honor it as such.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful and moving reflection Lane - I'm so glad you were able to unearth such a vivid and visceral memory of being with the trees. I love the idea of an 'ecology of the soul' - as the news of the election sinks in, embracing this ecology feels more urgent and necessary than ever.