Daisy Maddinson, a wild feminine and a black crows ambassador, confined in an English-Savoyard village, shares her questioning in these days of back to basics. A Trustee for Protect Our Winters UK (POW UK) and an outdoor hedonist, she is on the front line of our interrogations concerning our way of life. This crisis, terrible as it is, gives her hope in the spread of a common awareness.
Government-imposed lockdowns and restricted time outdoors: It’s taken me weeks to process our new reality of C19 France.
Daisy Maddinson
Grappling with change, I believe it’s an interesting time for us all. To honestly witness the structure of our lives and societies ~ how we work, connect, busy ourselves, purchase, travel, get support, rely on global systems and respond to crises.
And I wonder, what if this forced isolation offers us a reprieve from normality? A unique opportunity for questioning business-as-usual. Providing us time to slow down, reassess what’s truly important, and then reset. Could this virus create space for us to determine more meaning and purpose in our everyday lives? To feel more gratitude for the things we do have?
Perhaps we’ll use this time as a deep meditation, to rediscover the things that really matter and reconnect to ourselves and communities. To think about how wonderful it is to simply connect with our loved ones – to share a laugh, an adventure, a worry – and to know that people all over the planet are sharing similar joys and struggles. Just maybe, it will strengthen our understanding of all life being interconnected.
Daisy Maddinson
When we’re not free to enjoy extended periods outside, will we realise our greatest resource? The one we too often take for granted and extract from relentlessly? The wild spaces we roam, the open air we breathe, the flowers we smell, the soil we turn. Will we, in turn, notice how our connection to the planet is often a reflection of our connection to ourselves?
Nature works reciprocally, it’s intelligence supporting all life on Earth through an intricate system of exchange. So why must we take more than we give? Producing things we don’t need. Harming the Earth for short-term gain and pursuing growth at all costs.
Maybe this is a time to slow down our endless consuming and be satisfied with less – a healthy mind, body and environment. To realise our privilege and extend compassion to those less fortunate. To know what’s genuinely important and reprioritise our values.
Daisy Maddinson
There’s a shift underway in our societies. I’m not denying it will be difficult. People are suffering and our emergency services are under intense strain. A pause on capitalism is feeding deep chasms in our systems, and extreme global inequality is painfully obvious.
There is no doubt that this is an unprecedented time of strife for our world. But what if, ultimately, we could take this time to listen and learn? What if this virus could be reframed as a part of our evolution?
To remember what it also means to be human. To be connected, kind, just, humane, less impactful to those around us and our environment. To live simpler, more meaningful lives. To gain clarity around what business-as-usual should look like.
Is it possible for us to find peace and humility between the chaos and fear?
Daisy Maddinson
