--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The wildwood is everywhere. It's inside…" description: "\"The wildwood is everywhere. It's inside us. It's outside us. And, of course, if you happen to be near any of the more ancient forests, not just in Euro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/john-matthews-43892_ancient_the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-u_332869.jpg" --- # The wildwood is everywhere. It's inside us. It's outside… ![“The wildwood is everywhere. It's inside us. It's outside us. And, of course, if you happen to be near any of the more ancient forests, not just in Europe; then, you are in touch with the source itself. But for me, it's about journeying into an inner landscape that is deeply embedded within us. We…” quote by John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/john-matthews-43892_ancient_the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-u_332869.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/john-matthews-43892_ancient_the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-u_332869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/john-matthews-43892_ancient_the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-u_332869.jpg) > “The wildwood is everywhere. It's inside us. It's outside us. And, of course, if you happen to be near any of the more ancient forests, not just in Europe; then, you are in touch with the source itself. But for me, it's about journeying into an inner landscape that is deeply embedded within us. We have a wild nature that most of us have forgotten, but it's there. And it's both light and dark. There are ancient atavistic things that need to be approached with care. But even these, if faced up to, can bring blessings.” [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human consciousness mirrors wild forests; exploring inner wilderness reveals both darkness and light, offering growth when faced with primal instincts. **In simple terms:** Our inner nature is wild and needs careful exploration. Key Takeaway Embrace and understand your inner wildness. Themes nature self‑discovery duality Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy - creative writing - mindfulness retreats - environmental activism Key Concepts psychology mythic archetypes Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your inner wilderness have you ignored? - How can you honor both light and dark within? A Different Perspective Focusing only on the dark side can lead to despair; balance is essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient Forests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-forests-2969460/) [Blessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Embedded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embedded/) [Forgotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgotten/) [Landscape Deeply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landscape-deeply-3112063/) [Light and dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-and-dark/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild/) [Wild Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-nature-294849/) [Wildwood Inside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wildwood-inside-3112062/) ## Related quotes > [We've all got to come together, and we've got to protect what's left of our ancient forests on this planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-mccartney/we-ve-all-got-to-come-together-and-we-ve-got-to-protect-what-s-left/) [Stella McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-mccartney/) > [You should never have gotten to the stage where you could see the last ancient forests! Just get out of there right now, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mollison/you-should-never-have-gotten-to-the-stage-where-you-could-see-the/) [Bill Mollison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mollison/) > [“He fills my head with tales from the ancient forests, tales so old that the trees themselves call them legends. It is as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryrose-wood/he-fills-my-head-with-tales-from-the-ancient-forests-tales-so-old/) [Maryrose Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryrose-wood/) > [There is a love of wild nature in everybody, an ancient mother-love showing itself whether recognized or no, and however covered by cares and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/there-is-a-love-of-wild-nature-in-everybody-an-ancient-mother-love/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Wild nature... is enriched by sensuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-frome/wild-nature-is-enriched-by-sensuality/) [Michael Frome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-frome/) > [Thou strange piece of wild nature!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/thou-strange-piece-of-wild-nature/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I don't like formal gardens. I like wild nature. It's just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-don-t-like-formal-gardens-i-like-wild-nature-it-s-just-the/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [“Part of my life no longer made sense. A life of meetings stretched between appointments, half listening to people, always running late. A life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-gallagher/part-of-my-life-no-longer-made-sense-a-life-of-meetings-stretched/) [Nora Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-gallagher/) > [Strictly speaking, one never 'keeps' bees - one comes to terms with their wild nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-hubbell/strictly-speaking-one-never-keeps-bees-one-comes-to-terms-with-their/) [Sue Hubbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-hubbell/) > [With the wild nature as ally and teacher we see not through two eyes but through the many eyes of intuition. With intuition we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/with-the-wild-nature-as-ally-and-teacher-we-see-not-through-two-eyes/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [“Seattle is for people who love culture, but refuse to sacrifice their wild nature to attain it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-kinrade/seattle-is-for-people-who-love-culture-but-refuse-to-sacrifice-their/) [Kimberly Kinrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-kinrade/) > [“To see the yellow fritillaries burst forth after the deep snows of winter and know that the bears are soon to follow is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/to-see-the-yellow-fritillaries-burst-forth-after-the-deep-snows-of/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [Sometimes people have a wild past because they have an essentially wild nature, and that's how they plan to go through life. Sometimes such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-yoffe/sometimes-people-have-a-wild-past-because-they-have-an-essentially/) [Emily Yoffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-yoffe/) > [“If you are not filled with overflowing love, compassion and goodwill for all creatures living wild in nature, You will never know true happiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-oxton/if-you-are-not-filled-with-overflowing-love-compassion-and-goodwill/) [Paul Oxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-oxton/) > [“The more I read, the more I felt connected across time to other lives and deeper sympathies. I felt less isolated. I wasn’t floating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-more-i-read-the-more-i-felt-connected-across-time-to-other-lives/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## More by John Matthews > [I think it's the freedom, the undisciplined energy that's within us all - exactly what you feel when you enter the wild anywhere, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/i-think-it-s-the-freedom-the-undisciplined-energy-that-s-within-us/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) > [The medieval ideas of the "wild wood" was like a cupboard into which they stuffed everything they were afraid of - Wodwose, Green Men,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/the-medieval-ideas-of-the-wild-wood-was-like-a-cupboard-into-which/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) > [“Texas… When their section had first been put together fifteen months back, they’d each been”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/texas-when-their-section-had-first-been-put-together-fifteen-months/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) > [“Strange and terrible were the adventures they undertook with a merry heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/strange-and-terrible-were-the-adventures-they-undertook-with-a-merry/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) > [“The way to restore the Wasteland is to embrace it with compassion, to become identified with it in exactly the same way that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/the-way-to-restore-the-wasteland-is-to-embrace-it-with-compassion-to/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) > [“Man is frail. Man is prone to fallacies, errors, vice, and greed, but good iron never fails. Combine hard iron with a good man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/man-is-frail-man-is-prone-to-fallacies-errors-vice-and-greed-but-good/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) > [We may think of ourselves as civilized, but there is always a wildness within.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/we-may-think-of-ourselves-as-civilized-but-there-is-always-a-wildness/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) > [“There is a common language, a mode of consciousness, almost a secret sign which can be read and recognized by all who are similarly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/there-is-a-common-language-a-mode-of-consciousness-almost-a-secret/) [John Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) [Explore all 9 John Matthews quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I don't know if I've come of age, but I'm certainly older now. I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [All the stories I have told you are finally as useless as all ancient knowledge is to man and to us. Its images and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/all-the-stories-i-have-told-you-are-finally-as-useless-as-all-ancient/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) [Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The wildwood is everywhere. It's inside us. It's outside us. And, of course, if you happen to be near any of the more ancient forests, not just in Europe; then, you are in touch with the source itself. But for me, it's about journeying into an inner landscape that is deeply embedded within us. We have a wild nature that most of us have forgotten, but it's there. And it's both light and dark. There are ancient atavistic things that need to be approached with care. But even these, if faced up to, can bring blessings.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Matthews" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-us-it-s-outside-us-and-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancient" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-us-it-s-outside-us-and-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/john-matthews-43892_ancient_the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-u_332869.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/john-matthews-43892_ancient_the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-u_332869.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/john-matthews-43892_ancient_the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-u_332869.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The wildwood is everywhere. It's inside us. It's outside us. And, of course, if you happen to be near any of…” — John Matthews", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Matthews", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-matthews/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The wildwood is everywhere. It's inside...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-us-it-s-outside-us-and-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-matthews/the-wildwood-is-everywhere-it-s-inside-us-it-s-outside-us-and-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```