Magical Light on My Wild Ridge Reveals Hidden Beauty and Hope
Light Breaking Through the Confusion
I have been walking my ridge constantly since I moved here three years ago and twice a day since the pandemic began. Often what I was called to observe reflected my confusion and despair brought about by so much personal and global suffering. Much of the ridge is wild and there is a tangle of vegetation. There are fallen trees and those that were caught in a web of vines as they toppled, held suspended for an indefinite time. So much waiting, just as we all are experiencing in our personal lives. All stages of life and decay and death are jumbled together.
Under ordinary circumstances, this would not be a place where I would go to make photographs, but as I have drawn into myself more it turned out to be the perfect landscape to help express my emotional turmoil. This day seemed totally unique and special though and revealed the hidden beauty of this wild ridge. On my drive home from Asheville, I saw the light had a very different and special quality. I almost went up on the Blue Ridge to get a grand view but I had a call an hour later and I didn’t want to miss it, so I decided to just walk the ridge instead. It was incredible and I realized right away that I had made the right choice. All these trees and vines that I had studied every day suddenly seemed to come alive with hope as the light broke through the confusion and lit up different places making them stand out with brilliance I never suspected I would find here. The mundane was suddenly transcendent.
Fall Color on the Ridge
Patterns of vibrant energy suddenly jumped out at me, with repeating shapes and accented by emerging fall colors. I felt the synesthesia of my senses and could image a jazz riff being played to the rhythm of the landscape in front of me.
Sentinel Tree in Fall
This one tree on a neighbors road towers above the rest and I have come to view it as a sentinel. Beautiful even in summer, it glowed in the early evening light giving me the sense that something good was watching over me. I have come more and more to celebrate spirit in the natural world. This tree has become like Archangel Michael to me. I look to it whenever I feel I can’t see my way out of the current anxiety provoking state of our nation.
Vines and Trees in Fall Color
Everywhere I looked, the leaves were enveloped in a golden glow. To me this was a heavenly experience. I do not care to prove whether there is an afterlife or not. All I know for certain is that we have been graced with this life on this amazing and glorious planet. To be able to dwell among such beauty is an incredible privilege and it helps me remain grateful even in the face of suffering. In fact, it makes life that much more precious. How some can value profit and accumulating material wealth way beyond what is necessary over nature and those who wish to live in harmony with the earth and each other is something I will never understand. Nor can I comprehend not doing everything possible to protect this planet, while holding out instead for the prospect of some future life that is by no means guaranteed.
Red Fall Colors Illuminated, My Ridge
When I looked up and saw the layers of red and gold leaves shimmering in the magical light, I was so happy that these trees and I could take in this light and shine. I wondered if they knew they were at the height of their expression before the onset of winter and darker days. This fall, I know we are all going to witness a lot of suffering, but hopefully there will be a regime change and a new order will begin to be established. The light is being focused on lies and truth, corruption and decency, and we are all being called to stand up for what is just and good so that we can once again live in a way that upholds the tenets of our democracy and celebrates we the people.
Evening Light in Fall, The Ridge
Though the road ahead my seem dim at times, there are always glimpses of light and hope. Even in the darkest times on this earth, there have always been those who have carried a torch to light the way for empathy, compassion, and human rights. Never give up hope and find every way you can to nurture yourself and stay strong. Though it may seem trite, this too shall pass. We have a lot of work ahead to mend all that has been broken in our society, but perhaps this is an opportunity to dig deeper and heal some divisions that have always existed and never been addressed. Let’s hold each other’s hands and go with courage as we embark on the long road ahead.