I’ve been thinking about silence.
I’ve been thinking about how scarce it has become.
Never have we ever had more access to noise, to input. We reach for the remote to stream the next show, we put our headphones in to listen to a podcast on a walk, we turn the radio up in the car. Waiting in line, we reach to send a text, to check the weather or the stock market, or the current astrological transits. The thought forms of others pour into our heads. Words, words, words, galore. So much mental stimulation, so many ideas brewing at once until our minds bubble over and splash out in all kinds of erratic ways.
We’ve become a generation of content addicts. We’ve made a stranger of silence. We have come to fear it.
For in silence, we must face ourselves, just as we are. In silence we inhabit the moment, just as it is. There’s a great Lake Street Dive song which offers the relatable chorus, “Please don’t leave me alone with my thoughts. I don’t want to get caught in the corners of my mind.” It is indeed unsettling at first to detox from noise. To stay with ourselves through the discomfort. To claim silent time calls upon our courage, and I suppose, a faith that there’s something of value nestled in the silence.
In our noisy era, silence is often ferociously misunderstood. Silence is not a void. Silence is not the absence of sound. It’s what allows the shimmering presence of Life itself to come into focus. I mean there must be a reason that silence practice & silent retreats are long-held traditions in many spiritual paths.
When is the last time you let silence envelop you?
I’ve been playing with it recently. At first there were some withdraw symptoms, for sure, but they didn’t last long. My inner guidance was making it crystal clear that I’d do well to step into as many pockets of silence I could find.
Sitting with eyes closed this morning, I felt myself under the soil, a part of the vast mycelial network of Life. I felt myself plugged into the pulse of the great creative intelligence of universe, always receiving, always giving, always evolving. The dark soil of silence is rich.
In silence, I can hear the sound of my pup’s paws walking on the maple floor reminding me how precious this all is. In silence, the subtle sound of the breeze carrying Autumn leaves back home to earth is perceived with a piercing presence. In silence, the wise voice inside has the mic. She does not chatter. She often speaks in simple phrases, in images, in sensations. In silence I can actually hear her, sense her guidance. She has not ever – not one single time – steered me wrong.
Choosing silence over constant chatter creates space in our minds to perceive the more subtle realms of Life around us and within us with eyes wide open.
I ask you:
What if we aimed to find more silence?
What if we didn’t sprint out of every moment we have to ourselves to dive into someone else’s sounds?
What if we planted ourselves right where we are and took it in with every cell?
Silence is a key which unlocks the door to the feminine wisdom within. Let’s use it.
♥️ + Howls,
Chris
P.s ~ Please join me online, from anywhere, next Monday, November 9th for our New Moon Meditation Adventure. Our theme: Shimmering Silence 🗝️
On the Horizon
Join us for a 75-minute New Moon Meditation Adventure on November 9th.
Online, from anywhere.
Using a dynamic meditation journey, we will tune into the New Moon, to your own Inner Guidance, synced up with wild-hearted women from around the world. This offering will include music, storytelling, meditation, journaling prompts & intention-setting.
Can’t make it live? No worries. All participants will receive a copy of the recording with 24 hours of the session.
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Chris Maddox is the founder of The Wild Woman Project where she teaches women how to utilize the gifts of the Wild Woman Archetype in their everyday lives & how to lead women’s circles in their local communities. She is the organizer & facilitator of the beloved annual WILD WOMAN FEST, a women’s retreat-festival hybrid which fosters a deep connection to nature, a direct experience of the divine feminine & profound spiritual sisterhood among the women in attendance.
An ever student of the great mysteries of existence and nature itself, Chris believes women are holding innate gifts & tools that society at large needs – now more than ever. She is committed to helping women remember their special magic and to bring it forward into every corner of their lives, for the greater good of the planet.