Ode to the Land: Snow and Silence

By Kristine Karpinski

I watched the turkeys the other day as they ran proudly across the newly snow covered field.

There were twelve in total, all trying to win the race from the big cedar to the big pine and back again as if passing messages from one tree to the other. Tight on their tails were the herd of deer that take over the liminal time of the day once the snow stays; ‘deer o’clock’. These deer feel like they have been wintering on this land long before there was a field to greet them. Generations of deer living their stories with the trees, recognizing the beauty of what this land has to offer. And then there are the trees themselves, laden with heavy snow, carrying the weight of it on their shoulders, no complaints, but every once in a while shaking themselves off with a great shudder.

This is the silent time of the year when the gift of snow quiets the cars passing on the road and dampens the sound of human activity.

The practice of silence taught by the season itself. Later that evening, I hear the coyotes who travel the same forest highways as their deer and turkey kin, their yips and howls greeting this great silence, and I wonder if they appreciate the space to bring their gifts forward and set the soundscape for the coming night. I listen. Silence allows the space for their sound to be heard, and their sound accentuates the return of the silence.

The great exchange between silence and sound; the space where all potential can arise and the expression of that potential.

I hear the coyotes again, and I feel as if they are having the same thoughts as I am but with a lot more generational practice in their bones. And we all take a moment to thank the snow.

Kristine hosts Sound Nidra, Whispers From the Well, Her Storied Lands - In Cycle, and much more. Check out her offerings on our website.

Ninth Wave Arts operates on the land at Carp Ridge EcoWellness Centre. We strive to honour, collaborate, and cooperate with all beings here. We aim to stand present and flow in cycle with each other, the land, trees and critters as our inspiration.