Show Notes
Welcome to The Wild Spectacle Podcast, a flash-cast series with host Janisse Ray about ongoing and meaningful participation in a world that matters.
Episode #6 | Jeanne Malmgren | A Frozen Waterfall
Jeanne is an eco-therapist or nature-based counselor who practices in the beautiful mountain region of South Carolina, her native state. She holds a Masters in clinical mental health counseling from Clemson, and is a nationally board-certified Licensed Professional Counselor with 40 years of experience. Her specialty is partnering with Mother Earth to use the transformative power of nature in the healing arts. Jeanne writes a terrific Substack newsletter called
—field notes from a psychotherapist whose office is in the woods. She is a teacher of forest bathing and nature mindfulness. She believes that nature is the best medicine. Her motto is Calm Mind, Open Heart.Highlights of the Story
2:22—Jeanne puts herself on the wild chart.
3:13—Dry Falls is between Highlands, NC and Franklin, NC: why they are called “dry.”
4:15—We used to be able to sneak away for a day.
4:55—“We were young, we were in love, and we were in the mood for adventure.”
5:22—The flow of water was completely immobilized.
6:00—The magical world of ice.
7:04—How strong the memory is, almost fifty years later.
7:32—A connection to nature is visceral.
7:54—“The beauty of nature is love.”
8:18—Here’s a lovely practice: Jeanne’s notebook of beautiful things that happen every day.
10:24—A key, according to Jeanne, is being open. Keep your eyes open, your senses open. Pay attention.
11:49—The oddity of beech leaves hanging onto their leaves, “daubs of gold in the woods.”
13:11—Mary Oliver’s instructions for living a life. Here is a link to the poem.
“Think about epiphany. Think about change. Think about the moments that make your face burn, your fingers tingle. Wild Spectacle is about those shocks, encounters that shift the way we see the world and ourselves in it…If the water we drink is maybe older than the sun, then ancient magic pounds inside our skins, too. So speak it. Tell it forth. Cry aloud and call it back home.”
-Joni Tevis, author of The Wet Collection and The World is On Fire
Thank You
Thank you for listening.
If you like what we’re doing here, please hit the “Like” button on this post or let me know in the comments. You could also post this on your socials, or better yet, forward it to friends.
Janisse Ray’s book Wild Spectacle: Seeking Wonders in a World Beyond Humans inspired the podcast. If you’d like a copy of the book, visit your favorite bookstore or library. Or you may order a signed copy from Janisse.
Find Janisse on Facebook at “Janisse Ray, Author” and on Instagram @janisseray_writer.
Thanks to Axletree for their beautiful music, “Clothe the Fields with Plenty,” an orchestral piece inspired by a traditional Hampshire folk song, “The Painful Plough,” from Axletree’s project “Music from a Hampshire Farm.” Thanks to the Free Music Archive.
We’re eager for new voices on the show, so if you’d like to come on and tell a story, be in touch.
Go See Some Nature
If we’re going to make a dent in changing our world, we have to understand what kind of amazements it contains. So many people begin to work on behalf of the planet because they see a natural phenomenon, large or small, that infuses them with admiration and wonder. So get out in nature. Take a friend with you. Especially a child. Go see a wild phenomenon. Amaze yourself. Connect yourself. Let’s get wild!
Ep #6 | Jeanne Malmgren | A Frozen Waterfall