The Connoisseur of Silence…
Refined Taste and Hollow Bones
I laughed at myself during a recent mountain stroll.
We were over in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges in South Australia. I’d taken my group for an 8km return walk, through the winding bushland of grass trees, red rock escarpments and towering river red gums.
An old settlers homestead was a point of interest, and then onwards to a lookout with great views of the natural amphitheatre and distant ridgelines that seem to go on forever.
It was mid-morning by the time we reached the viewpoint, and plenty of others were clanking up steel stairs for the panoramic photos.
People were loud, boisterous, making quips about the walk uphill, heavy footsteps and mindless chit-chat. All reasonably jovial and in good spirits, but totally obnoxious to the fact that there were others there before them, enjoying the views in quietude.
People talk way too much up on the mountain, I thought.
Whether approaching a summit, sitting atop one, or being immersed in vistas and valleys, stone and forest, wind and bird.
This is where I laughed at myself.
The phrase “connoisseur of silence” came to me. Like a connoisseur of fine-wine, or cheese, or the arts, or music.
Forget action adventurer, shamanic technician, or wild mountain explorer... Nope, the mountains had turned me into a connoisseur of silence.
It sounds funny, but there’s something to it I think.
From what I can ascertain, the word "connoisseur" originates from the French word "connaître," which means "to know."
And what is a connoisseur, after all, but someone with a refined taste in a specific field; a deeper awareness and appreciation than normal, for the subtleties and qualities within that specific field.
It’s rare that I’m ever in places of what seem like complete silence.
There’s often a buzz, a hum, the wind, the ocean, the chirp of birds, or insects, the rustle of foliage or swaying treetop canopy. All different kinds of “silence” or “stillness” that we find in different areas.
But every now and then (and you might know this yourself) there comes a landscape; a soundscape, that seems different to the norm. Eerily quiet. Pin-drop stillness. Not even a lick of wind or the sound of a creature.
If you know what I’m talking about, perhaps you’re a connoisseur yourself.
And then of course, there’s the inner silence; the internal stillness. A clearing of the mind and opening of our sensory antennae. The hollow bone. The empty vessel.
You likely have a sense of what I mean.
Is Silence is the Mother of Truth?
To be sure, I know I’m biased to this mountain silence connoisseur-ing. Like the church or mosque is holy to some, the mountains are to me.
I hark back to the idea of ritual approach. And to me, the invitation is always there. To approach with respect and reverie.
It's interesting I reckon... that immediate draw to fill the space with conversation or noise. For some, to sit or stay in silence can be unbearable.
And that might be a big thing to say. But when I explain the notion of a Vision Quest; extended days and nights in solitude, fasting, no contact with others, alone in the wilderness... people shirk from the idea.
Many can’t even sit still by themselves without fidgeting. The idea of being alone with one’s own mind; one’s own self, can be a scary thing. Distractions are needed. And so we fidget, we talk, our eyes dart around, we look to fill the silence with noise; the void with something.
I know this all too well. Fidgeting. Distractions. Filling the void. I’ve been there myself for most of my childhood and early adult life.
The thing is, when we’re in wilderness areas, up on the mountain, or in the presence of holy places, nature is always speaking. The wind has much to say. The silence is full, in and of itself. Spirit is communicating with us. Soul is inviting us to pay attention.
Ask a mystic, and they might say, silence is the mother of truth.
To which one might respond, is that really true?
Well, there’s one way to truly find out... sit in silence, and stillness, and pay attention. I know that when I’m in those places, more magic comes my way.
Synchronicities abound. My creations, my prayers, my songs come through with a different kind of energy. My nervous system is better attuned. Wild awareness percolates through.
Eagle Dreaming and The Return Home
I’m back in VIC now. Recuperating, integrating, planning for what’s coming up next. If we’re connected on social media, you’ve likely seen a few updates.
I had some big experiences with Eagle Dreaming over in the desert mountains. But that storyline’s still unfurling, and it’s a story for another time…
On the return journey home, the following questions came to me:
What am I living for?
What am I giving my life for?
What am I giving my life to?
These aren’t small questions to be asking.
They’re questions for soul and spirit. And I know it’s the silence and stillness that’ll help to reorient the needle point of my inner compass; that’ll help to refine the answers to these questions as the sands of time continue to blow.
If any of this is your vibe, come and check out what’s happening on the horizon.
More opportunities to experience the power of the mountains, and the way that soul and spirit speak when we’re in these wilderness places, to be sure.
See you there…
