The Enchanted Forest

It’s crazy to think about how much I had learned to love the cemented streets of the city. At one point, my biggest dream was to move to NYC or Paris or another capital so that I could to wander between narrow streets and high buildings.

I used to think that big cities are the cradles for life. They are still fascinating to me yet… When we moved from Brussels to Vilvoorde, it took me a few years to appreciate the 3 forested parks nearby, within walking distance. It seemed stupid to go for a walk instead of reading ‘personal development books’ or educating myself for the ‘next level’ which I was so eager to reach. Then, somehow… the forest seduced me into its beauty, unexpectedly.

It was in October 2016 that I set a goal to run the 20km of Brussels the following year. I did everything in my power and knowledge to have me succeed. Ihad the best personal trainer to help me achieve my goal, I had a nutritionist, a strong determination and I had the forest. Kms and kms for trails and paths. I didn’t necessarily fall in love with running (not my thing after all) but… I started observing the beauty of my forests. Like gentle breezes of awareness. I would notice the transformation, then I started to ‘miss it’ for unknown reasons. I thought I hated nature… but boy, the snow crunching under my shoes, the cold burning my thies, the mud puddles, the smell of spring…

Fast forward, 6 years later, I can clearly perceive the call of the forest. I’d stand up, close the computer, take my phone, my dog, my notebook and go for a walk. There is always something unexpected when I am entering the forest. There is Mr. Branch greeting me just by the bus stop, looking handsome with it’s large crown, smiling to every person passing by. There’s the green loan, my red carpet if you want, welcoming me to enter the forest… and then… there’s the first foot on that small path fenced by wild bushes. All my worries fade away, my muscles relax, my senses get sharper. I am greeted by the green parrots, by the trees, the buds, the squirrels, the rabbits… and the spirits of the place. It’s one of the “plandemic” gifts as well. I’ve built this habit to connect almost daily to the forest. To walk, to receive its gifts, and witness life as thorugh a different dimension. The joy of seeing new buds, the pinch of heart at the sight of the uprooted trees after a storm, the green grass, the colourful philodendrons, the birdies chatting and chirping, the sun setting, the wind taking me by surprise… They make my life so much richer.

And then, there are the unexpected curious encounters… interesting people, interesting conversations, suspended in the raw corq air and the knowing that I am not alone.

The space is pregnant with whispers. My body responds to the giggly tickle of the spirits guiding me to places where I know for sure I’ll be surprised and in awe. Or to places that could use my contribution in clearing the entities, or acknowledging them. It’s mostly a play. A very personal one. A subtle one, with no direct ‘return on investment’ yet, one of the most fulfilling experiences I can think of. I sometimes take my shoes off and I walk barefoot on the frozen grass, on the icy mud, in the splashing puddles, in the wet grass, on ragged fallen logs. And I always laugh with the surprise effect of the Earth on my body. I often take my notebook out and ask for the universes of the Unseen to talk to me. There’s magic flowing through my body, along my arm, out of the tip of my pen. I tear up most of the times, not because it’s sad or significant, but because my body is filling up with a kindness, a caring and a space it had been trained to keep at distance and reject.

From time to time here would be people passing by. They would glance at me, sitting in the most unprobable places, and I know that whatever is happenning into my world is touching theirs. We smile at each other, we acknowledge the presence of our beings, the bodies sigh… Curiously enough, my dog will never interrupt my conversations with the Unseen, written or out loud. She would simply sit and listen making sure I am guarded. She will also be the one to joyfully guide my ‘landing’ after my expansions, urging me to run, jump, move or play with her. The forest is inviting and easying the connection with all those parts of me which sometimes appear out of reach in a dense reality. Such a blessing and a gift!

I wonder… what is that place or space for you? Who do you connect with in those spaces and places?