"He became a silvan man just as though devoted to the woods. For a whole summer after this, hidden like a wild animal, he remained buried in the woods, found by no-one and forgetful of himself and his kindred."
When Merlin views the terrible battle of Arfderydd (Arv-DAIR'with), he becomes mad and runs into the depths of the forest. Within the forest's embrace, he becomes one with the trees and seasons and puts aside the terrible sights he has seen to focus upon the gifts of the wild world, becoming rusticated and 'uncivilized.'
Ever pertinent and prophetic, he sees through the pretexts and pretensions of those who come to lure him back to civilization with the sure instinct of an animal, with the abiding perception of long-lived tree. Rather than look into the book of human nature, he prefers to consult the almanac of the seasons and discovers his center within their compass.
But no human being however gifted, can remain forever in the wild.
The displacement of our lives by difficult events may not be as severe as in Merlin's experience, but we each go through periods when the flow of events swirls past us too swiftly for us to cope. It is then that the indwelling presences of nature, the little unregarded things that surround us, reveal their own life and wisdom. These become precious handholds along the precipitous rock-face of our lives. Their innate familiarity makes them an ally capable of leading us on the pathway home to our soul.
"Recall a time of personal disorientation. What factors were most important to your return to health and confidence?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
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