Fairy tales and folk stories often begin with the image of a lonely figure walking into the woods. Whether Hansel and Gretel, whose parents abandon them to the forest, or Little Red Riding Hood setting off to visit her grandmother, these ancient tales highlight the significance of the woods as a place of transformation.
At this time of year, on the cusp of the changing seasons, the woods are the perfect place for deep thought, solitary contemplation and meditation. As we come closer to the end of the year, we often start to reflect on how quickly the year has flown by, the plans that never materialised, the diversions we have taken. Nights become colder and darker and melancholy can set in.
It can be tempting to push away this sense of melancholy, to bury ourselves in festive preparations with its bright lights and gaudy presents. However staying with this sensation of melancholy can allow us valuable time for self-reflection. The School of Life suggest that:
“Melancholy is a key mental state and a valuable one, because it links pain with beauty and wisdom. Our suffering isn’t merely chaotic – a mark of failure, an error – it can be linked to admirable things”
This was a recurring theme in the work of poets of the Romantic period such as Lord Byron, who recognised the value of engaging with the darker parts of the psyche as a path to greater understanding of ourselves. Quiet reflection, whether literally in the woods as a place of refuge, or metaphorically by allowing ourselves to be lost awhile in the forest of our own thoughts, can help us to trust in the process of transformation.
Just as trees lose their leaves in winter to gain new buds in spring, so do we follow this natural cycle of death and rebirth at a deep instinctual level. Feelings of melancholy at this time of year are often a clue from our unconscious to let go of the things that no longer serve us and preserve our energy for the personal growth that will follow. Knowing that, like the trees, even the things in our lives that are dying back – whether a relationship, a creative process or a career choice – are following this natural cycle, soon to emerge with new life.
The woods can be dark, mysterious, difficult to navigate, treacherous, yet we also recognise them as a place of sustenance and ancient wisdom. The wise woman, the hermit, the nature spirits, always reside in the forest. Gathering the courage to walk into the gloom and discover the instinctual, wild nature within is a recurring theme in the old tales and one which we can bear in mind as the winter nights draw in.
Written by Emmy Fisher
PS: For a wonderfully restorative meditation on nature perfect for this time of year, why not try Tony Samara’s ‘forest meditation’
The Happiness Collective 