(Originally I planned this as an academic article, but I decided to rewrite it into a blog and share it publicly on this website; I refer to previous work by other researchers. I also used Dall-E to create some images to balance the more academic text and to remythologize the musing even more.)
In the heart of our increasingly mechanized world lies a pulsating core of green consciousness, a holistic worldview that threads through the tapestry of time, intertwining ancient wisdom with the urgent calls of the present. It is a call to rediscover our intricate relationships with each other and with the natural world, urging us to walk the land with reverence and to reclaim the potent feminine energies and narratives that have been obscured by the passage of time.
Among the whispers of Belgian swamps, this consciousness unfolds, guided by disciplines as diverse as archaeology, geology, sustainability, and folklore. It invites us to view the landscape not as a backdrop to human activity but as a living tapestry, revealing different narratives through its unfolding contours. The wetlands, with their mysterious allure, serve as a canvas upon which the Belgian Black Madonna, or de Zwarte Madam, casts her shadow, weaving a story of resilience, rebirth, and profound connection to the Earth.
This blog embarks on a journey into the heart of this green consciousness. It is an exploration of how immersing ourselves in the wounded yet therapeutic landscapes can offer profound insights into wellbeing, healing, and our place within the natural world. As we peel back the layers of stone, tree, and mud, we uncover not just the folklore of a land but the very essence of our collective soul, beckoning us to listen, learn, and heal.
Therapeutic landscapes
In recent years, the fusion of psychoanalytic theory and health geography has illuminated the profound impact of therapeutic landscapes on health and well-being (Rose 2012). Rose’s application of new psychoanalytic concepts has helped uncover how environments like gardens, parks, and even more rugged settings like wetlands and mudlands, foster an enhanced state of mental and physical health. The extension of the therapeutic landscape concept over the past two decades highlights not only the healing power of these spaces but also the deep emotional connections humans forge with them.
As Scannell and Gifford (2017) ponder the purpose of these emotional bonds, the exploration into the human nature of place attachment reveals thirteen categories of benefits ranging from memories and belonging to relaxation, positive emotions, and a sense of security. Among these, memory-support emerges as a pivotal aspect of our connection to place, influencing well-being significantly.
Furthermore, the significance of place attachment resonates deeply within the human experience, as suggested by Relph (1976) (cited in Seamon 2013), who asserts that to be human is to live in a world filled with significant places, emphasizing the intrinsic human need to belong and to identify with our environment.
This concept is echoed in various cultural practices around the world, where the connection to birthplaces is commemorated through rituals and symbols, such as the planting of sacred trees or the hanging of ribbons in France, underscoring the idea that our roots in a particular place form a crucial part of our identity and well-being.
The messages of water and wetlands
In my journey to forge a profound connection with the storied wetlands of the Silsomforest, where the enigmatic Black Madam resides, I find myself drawn to its remarkable trees and the symbolic essence of water. The Silsomforest is home to awe-inspiring copper beech trees, their trunks measuring an impressive 405 cm in width, and majestic Caucasian wingnuts that span 620 cm, each registered in May 2000. These giants stand as silent witnesses to the passage of time, embodying the forest’s deep-rooted history and its intertwined narratives with the wetlands.
Water, covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, exists in a perpetual cycle of transformation, from solid to liquid to gas, mirroring the fluid nature of our emotions and the introspective journeys we embark upon. In the context of the Silsomforest, water transcends its physical state, becoming a conduit for emotional management, introspection, inner peace, meditation, and reflective behavior. Its association with the tranquility of winter, the color blue, and symbols of the ocean invites a meditative state of absolute tranquility.
As I navigate the intertwined paths of the forest and its waterways, I am reminded of the reflective and transformative power of water, urging me to delve deeper into my own inner landscapes as I build a relationship with this storied wetland and uncover the tales it holds within its depths.
HOW DID I GOT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS STORIED LANDSCAPE?
The tale of the landscape that cradles the story of the Black Madam and my journey to it is as serendipitous as it is profound. As a guide immersed in forest bathing, my explorations have always been driven by themes of belonging, authenticity, and the quest for meaning. Surprisingly, it was the forest that found me, through a participant who followed my journey on Instagram and extended an invitation to this mysterious woodland. This connection deepened during another COVID-19 lockdown in Belgium, through virtual circles where another participant revealed their ties to the same forest. Our shared curiosity was fueled by an earth-based myth that delves into the cycles of life, death, and rebirth, pondering why this particular landscape archetype beckons to us.
This landscape, intertwined with the legend of the Black Madam, stands apart from the usual therapeutic landscapes categorized by their green or blue hues, as documented by researchers like Finlay et al. (2015) and Britton et al. (2020). It transcends the less frequently discussed white and red landscapes, venturing into a realm not fully captured by conventional studies. An Icelandic paper discussing landscape colors hints at the diversity and depth such environments can possess, suggesting a spectrum of landscapes that resonate with different aspects of the human psyche.
But first, the landscape
The therapeutic landscape that envelops the legend of the Black Madam dwells predominantly in the realm of brown hues, punctuated by the presence of blue in the form of a brook that, too, carries a brownish tint. This distinctive color palette diverges from the conventional green and blue typically associated with therapeutic landscapes, offering a unique aesthetic and emotional resonance. Brown, the color of the earth, signifies stability, resilience, and the grounding essence of nature, mirroring the deep, enriching connection one can find within this landscape. The presence of water, even when tinted brown, adds a dimension of fluidity and transformation, suggesting a space where healing and introspection are intertwined with the elemental forces of nature.
Wounded healer, wounded healing landscape
The concept of wounded landscapes finds profound resonance in the Silsombos, embodying the archetype of the “wounded healer” as explored by Zerubavel and Wright (2012). This archetype posits that the very wounds of a healer can become sources of healing power for others, a notion that aligns with bell hooks’ insight that healing is fundamentally communal, not solitary. Silsombos, with its proximity to Belgium’s largest airport and its tapestry of dark and light energies, is a landscape marked by stories of both ancient drownings and sounds that do not feel ‘they belong there’, embodying this archetype through its complex history and the emotions it evokes.
This landscape serves as a catalyst for conversations among forest therapy guides and participants, often centering on narratives of burnout and renewal. Despite its challenges, Silsombos has become a source of inspiration for forest bath guides, evidencing the curative power embedded within its woundedness. As Sharon Blackie suggests, the external landscape interacts with our internal landscapes in intricate ways, fostering a process of re-storying the Earth that involves both discovering the land’s existing narratives and weaving in our own through acts of co-creation.
This act of re-mythologizing our relationship with places like Silsombos is an essential step towards feeling anchored and less alienated from the world. It’s about deepening our sense of belonging, mitigating our loneliness by recognizing our place within the broader ecosystem, and finding meaning. Walking the land of Silsombos, observing its ongoing stories of transformation and healing, we engage in a dialogue with the landscape, learning from its ancient wisdom and contributing to its story of becoming. Through this process, we not only find healing for ourselves but contribute to the healing of the land, embodying the transformative alchemy of working with the old stories that the land holds.
Reclaiming Feminine Stories and Energies
The Silsombos is a verdant expanse named in homage to a woman, echoing tales of local saints and hermitresses who once roamed its paths.
This forest, home to the legend of the Black Madonna, becomes a canvas where ancient, earth-based myths are retold, celebrating the vibrant tapestry of life. These narratives, much like the ethos of tales such as Shrek, champion the essence of greenness as a symbol of vitality, respect for the feminine principle, and a rejection of hierarchical structures and divided consciousness. They advocate for the joy of the physical, the beauty of communal joy, and a profound appreciation for diversity.
In the face of the dire warnings from the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, which highlighted the unsustainable pace of pollution and exploitative practices compromising our planet’s future, these stories and energies offer a critical lens through which to view our relationship with the Earth. They underscore the urgent need for a paradigm shift towards practices that honor the regenerative capacities of the planet, such as composting and the respectful engagement with elements like mud, embodying principles of life, death, and rebirth.
The stories embedded in the Silsombos landscape, and the rituals that emerge from a deep engagement with its feminine energies—whether through the guidance of a midwife on a January-day or the communal processing of grief and finding satisfaction in symbiotic living—serve as potent reminders of the healing and transformation that can occur when we realign with the feminine principles of nurture, connection, and respect for the cycles of nature.
Different Origin Stories of the Black Madam
The enigmatic figure of the Black Madam has various origin stories that intertwine history, belief, and the natural world. One perspective suggests a historical control or authority: Historian Vannoppen mentions the Black Madam overseeing the Molenbeek stream between Nederokkerzeel and Erps-Kwerps, hinting at either a spectral entity controlling the area’s hauntings or a folk figure wielding some form of societal power.
Another angle portrays her as a dark woman—a guardian who employs shadowy means, perhaps even causing drownings, which could explain her association with the color black. This narrative raises questions about the connection between female energies and streams, suggesting a deeper, possibly historical or superstitious link between feminine religious energies or figures and watercourses.
The relationship between the Black Madam and local environmental issues also comes into play, reflecting on the pollution and modification of streams like the Molenbeek in the 20th century. Could the legend reflect an underlying concern for the natural world, embodied in tales of a guardian spirit?
Further inquiry into similar folk stories from the regions of Flemish Brabant and the Antwerp Kempen might reveal whether the Black Madam’s story is unique or part of a broader tapestry of regional myths. Additionally, the seasonal aspect of her tale—whether certain events or folk celebrations associated with her occur at specific times of the year—could offer insights into the cultural significance of the Black Madam, potentially encoding deeper meanings related to seasonal changes or environmental cycles.
Each strand of the Black Madam’s origin stories weaves a complex picture of a figure that is at once guardian and specter, intertwined with the landscape’s history, its environmental struggles, and the collective psyche of the community. Her tale prompts a reflection on the roles of folklore and legend in understanding our relationship with the natural world and the feminine energies that flow through it.
WHY IS HANGING OUT IN SWAMPS AN ECOFEMINIST PRACTICE?
In an ecocritical reading of Shrek (yes, the animation movie) by Caputi, I got reminded what is so amazing about swamps and why we should not be surprised to find green consciousness there?:
“Wetlands, moreover, are “marginal” spaces (Hurd 2001, 5) in a world that prefers tidy categories; they are both land and water, edgy places of obvious decay and renewal where things “are often on the brink of becoming something else,” where things don’t always “fit the current definitions of normal” (7), where borders become blurry and what at first seems separate soon seems to be one. Swamps, Barbara Hurd further suggests, are analogous to the half- waking, half-sleeping hypnagogic state, “a time rich in [the] dreams and fantasy” (11) that profoundly nourish and express our imaginations.
The need for restorying to cope with the emptiness and grief
The psychotherapist Francis Weller (2015) believes that what we are longing for are primary satisfactions, satisfactions that evolved over thousands of years and that our brains are wired for, such as: gathering around communal life, around story, mythology, meaningful relationships, ritual, gathering around fire, around slowly evolving local connections, sharing and preparing food, spending time in nature, being fully embodied, etc. For the most part we have abandoned these primary satisfactions and are now surrounding ourselves with what he calls secondary satisfactions, like individual power, rank, prestige, wealth, status, material goods, stimulants, etc. These are all things that no matter how much we get of them, it will never be enough. We always want more in order to temporarily fill this permeating sense of emptiness that has already depleted the world of its resources. If, on the other hand, this emotional hunger is truly met, we become receptive to reciprocity and gratitude. (Weller 2015)
That is why I am trying to create spaces for sharing stories.
Weaving More Stories
In 2022, I embarked on a journey to connect with the storied landscapes of Belgium through monthly online circles, primarily with women, and it was here that the tale of the Black Madam found new breath. One of the circle members was also driven to explore deeper and share her narratives, experiences, and ideas with us. She lived close to the Silsomforest. This pivot from the expected discussion underscored a common thread: many original meanings behind such legends have been lost to time.
Her introduction to various origin tales of the Black Madam in the Silsombos sparked a collective introspection within our circle, challenging us to discern which story resonated as the most authentic, despite a prevailing sense that none captured the original essence fully. My own visit to the Black Madam on January 3, 2021, with a midwife, mirrored this sentiment of disillusionment in the search for a story that felt genuine.
Her exploration into the waterways, the marshy lands, and the mud around the Black Madam, and her particular affinity for the lore of the Lorelai, drew us closer to understanding the figure’s association with destructive feminine forces—a theme echoing through the landscape’s history with beliefs in neckers and water spirits.
An highlighted the fascinating ancient instinct to imbue objects with power, crafting stone images to harness and direct these forces, prompting us to ponder the origins of the stone and the age of the oak tree beside the Black Madam. Could these elements offer clues to the lost original meaning? We did not get any clear answers, but it was all about the search, being receptive. In this way, we follow the ecofeminist perspective that each landscape harbors ancient myths and stories crucial for restoring life’s balance and reaffirming our connection to the earth.
The theme of lost original stories, especially regarding the Black Madam, resonated with everyone, finding intrigue in the muddy, marshy setting—a place where stories and people can vanish. This ongoing exploration is a testament to the power of landscapes and legends in shaping our understanding of the world and ourselves, urging us to weave more stories that connect us to the earth and each other.
Stories from the Wood Wide Web 