Walk into the woods at night, or early morning before the sun rises. Listen to the trees talking to each other in the wind, the clicks and clacks of an unknown language. Listen to the small scurrying of little animals disturbing the undergrowth. Hear the predator glide by. Listen deeper and there is the thrum of mystery. In the woods at night, when no one else is around, there is the deepest magic. We live in strong houses and surround ourselves with steel and concrete and glass. We shut out the natural world, or tame it and bring it inside. Our ancestors know what we only remember in the deepest of dreams: the world, though magic and beautiful, contains wonderful and exhilarating danger. Not just the physical threat of death, but the danger of the fey spirit, the trickster, the surreal.

The danger: that if we walk into the woods alone at night, we will return a different kind of person.
We become worshippers of the good earth. We speak to animals in our visions, and our purposes change.
We worship Life and Creation. We seek joy, and find it. We become long thinkers, planning ahead for our grandchildren's grandchildren. We discover the worth and wonder of everyone we meet.
There is a magic in the woods and it is dangerous. It turns your heart to the earth and for the smallest moment Her true beauty is revealed.

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60" x 36"
Mixed Media
on Canvas
2006

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Very Special Thanks to BlueBlack ([link]) for the initial inspiration for this one.