wisdom
in a world where
we’re constantly told
we need more, the truth is,
we only need nature
that energise, flowers that soothe and strengthen. Roots that protect. Treatments for common ailments like colds and small wounds, to remedies steeped in folklore to enhance virility or appease one’s ancestors, to antidotes and poisons. It can all be found around (or under) your feet, or above your eyeline. Knowing which is which is wisdom. To know which berries or wild mushrooms taste good and which will bring on an untimely end. To know that a delicate flower — one you might easily miss if you’re not looking — can enhance fertility, or that an unassuming root can cure discomfort. This is wisdom.
Homes and shelters can be created with simple tools and materials by harnessing techniques passed down. Knowing which trees are supple and which are not, whose leaves, when woven, ward off the cold and rain. How to construct a structure that withstands heavy winds. This is wisdom. Wisdom in the wild can make the difference between life and death. To know which are the things that feed, revive, protect, heal, and rehabilitate; this knowledge, once so intrinsic and now more scattered, is still very much alive. And it’s shared by many of the Guides who now act as custodians and teachers in Africa’s wild spaces.
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