Have you ever walked into a forest or woods, far enough in that there is no visible path, certainly no road, no other people, and barely any sunlight? At first, all you see is the forest as a whole. You feel surrounded. The lack of boundaries, of direction, of knowing where to go can be, for some people, very disconcerting and even frightening.
But if you stop, settle down, and really look, then you can see amazing things. Secrets and treasures and wonders that aren’t visible at a casual glance. That’s what using the Tarot of the Secret Forest feels like to me.
The artist, Lucia, writes about a type of Japanese wisdom that says that insects are born from the decomposition of the vegetation that ferments in the earth. Each insect lives when it should, a perfect alchemy of nature, its very being, even its sounds being in perfect harmony with their environment. She writes:
“My garden-forest isn’t cultivated, it’s not well-tended. I don’t have the courage to cut that tangle of brambles, I don’t want to change anything. There’s a special charm in the rebellious and extravagant vegetation…. I therefore often stare at that profound and twisted green pit that surrounds my house and I carve out single images, forms that can change with every breath of wind and animal.” (llewellyn.com)
