Retreat and recharge

This last couple of weeks I have refrained from posting on social media. I felt I needed a break from the negativity that is all around me. Why is everyone so negative? There is so much to be positive about in our lives despite the chaos of the current world. Everything and everyone has something positive about them and we should look for this positivity.

So my sort of retreat has been quite beneficial. It has allowed me to look at my own feelings and thoughts about my life and that of others. But taking time away from all the pressures that others put upon us gives us time to reflect and recharge. Not only was I able to finish off a lot of my research work but I was able to put what you might call my’ affairs’ in order or some of them at least. I was able to take time to read for pleasure and listen to music all day if I wished. I find music regenerates my soul just as much as being outside in nature.

Nature of course has given us plenty to think about this week with many changes in the weather from warm days to snowy days. But I have watched birds again on the feeder, the squirrel who comes to visit and the shoots of the bulbs breaking through the surface in their pots. New growth, a new year and new positive thinking about life and the world.

There is much to look forward to, the lengthening days, the signs of spring and new growth in the natural world. Yes, there are changes afoot, some of them likely to be not what we need but look past that to what you can do for your own well-being and that of others. Stay positive and strong, stand up and be counted when you need to and above all, find peace in your life so that others feel it too.

Here are the bulbs in their pots in my garden. Let nature give you hope.

The joys of Spring

I love the signs of spring and they are arriving quite quickly now. There are little green shoots on the hedge shrubs and although the January cold killed off some new shoots on the forsythia, it has now produced more shoots. The blackbirds were dancing around each other yesterday, two females and one male. One female kept hiding amongst the shrubs while the other one seemed happy to be pursued.

The starlings are showing their almost mature plumage with wonderful colours hiding but showing in the sunlight. But most of all when the mist clears the cobwebs are like jewels with drops of water hanging from them. The sun is warmer too and I was able to sit outside for a short while yesterday enjoying the sun and watching the life going on around me. Someone came to collect the rotary clothes line and while getting it out we disturbed two earthworms so we knew that there was life beneath the soil going on as usual.

I am still clearing out and various items are being given to other people and I feel so much better with this. I am looking forward to my new home near a large open space with lots of trees. I can see it now in my mind and see myself sitting there breathing it all in.

Have you noticed signs of spring where you live and if so what have you seen?

What a weekend!

Supermoon, Equinox and Eclipse! A powerful group of events so watch what happens next. For me eclipses signal great change and often chaos but also trigger earthquakes. This group of events has opened a window for change and new beginnings, getting rid of the old first. But the changes in the weather over the last three days have also been great, Friday was warm and sunny, warm enough to sit outside, then yesterday a cold biting wind took over and more layers of clothes were needed. Today is warm and sunny again. So what will it be like tomorrow?

A weekend with friends is always good and a cake to come home is good too. So is the company of 4 loving cats. I’ll say nothing about the dog who seems to have been unsettled by the eclipse.

A ceremony on Friday evening just as it started to go dark was beautiful and the three wise women enjoyed this immensely. We are looking forward to the lengthening of the days, the growing warmth of the sun and the next ceremony.

What did this group of events mean to you? And what are your thoughts about the coming days?

 

 

Spring brings hope, new beginnings and inspiration

A couple of days away make a huge difference to me. I was able to take a short walk in the countryside around the village of my friend Nicki. There was still some snow on the ground and the wind was bitterly cold but the sun was shining. I could see new buds forming on the trees and there were plenty of birds around too. I feel that I can move forward into the coming months with some hope.

Together with another friend, also called  Niki we did a short Imbolc ceremony yesterday. We each had a small pot of snowdrops and we lit 19 candles for Brighid. It was  a beautiful time together and we hope to work together in ceremony during the coming year. So Imbolc is also bringing change to me and others. What is Imbolc bringing to you? Are you inspired? Are you letting go of the old to make room for the new? Are you moving forward with hope?

 

Sunday ramblings and music

I was not sure what to write about this week so I will be rambling a bit. It has been a quiet week in many ways with the weather changing every day. I have been looking for more signs of spring and there are quite a few now. Yet some mornings everywhere is white with frost and it is very icy underfoot. When going out on my mobility scooter I have to take care not to skid and tip it over!

My joy this week has been the purchase of a digital piano. I have played the piano since I was seven years old and there has always been music in my life. But I moved a while back to somewhere with no space for a piano and it had to go. Now I am living somewhere different with a little bit more space so I can have another piano. Music soothes my soul and I find it hard to live without it. My fingers are a bit stiff but practice will help with that so some piano playing every day. I also feel it will help with depression too. I feel so different as well so it must be good for me.

Are you a music lover? Do you play an instrument? How does it make you feel?

Signs of Spring

I have spent a few days away this week in some lovely countryside. On the way down I saw so many hazel catkins by the roadside I was amazed. It is early for them but they were lovely to see.

The grounds of the hotel where I stayed, were beautiful even in winter weather. We had sun, rain, hail, strong winds and snow! There was a tree walk which was excellent. There was an old yew wood where the trees were nearly 400 years old. There was a yew hedge too which had been sculptured into different shapes. There were sequoias, cedars, limes and various oaks but the best tree for me this time was the monkey puzzle tree. I have never seen such a fine specimen before.

Nestling among the trees the snowdrops were showing their heads and I found one lonely little primrose. There were squirrels playing too. When the sun shone on the snowdrops I felt hope come into my heart. I felt uplifted. Nature, whatever we do, seems to act as normal at this time of the year as new life springs forth.

Have you noticed any signs of spring in your area yet?

I will add the primrose photo here but other photos can be found on my Facebook page.

Finding the light at the end of the tunnel

I have spent this morning wondering what to write about this week. It has been a dark week, one of many in the last few months and I wonder when I will find the light at the end of the tunnel. I know it is there but…

I try to find something each day that will lighten my spirit and this week it was the shoots of the hosta plants coming through the soil in their pots. Each year they push through whatever the winter has been like. Maybe my dark days are a period of time when my spirit slows down to allow me to assimilate all the things I am still learning and gives me the time away from mundane things to deal with (although there are plenty of these during this time of potent alignments)

How do you help your self to find the light when you feel low and depressed? Does nature help you in any way?

A spring walk

It seems a long time since I was able to take my local village walk but today my son came over to visit and we went together armed with cameras.

It was good to see the green shoots appearing and the spring flowers like celandines. There was even blossom on the hawthorn. There were quite a few butterflies too, small tortoiseshells and a peacock. It is far too early for this type of butterfly but the weather has been rather mild. I hope we do not get a cold snap that could kill them, and there is not much food for them either. The birds are still using the bird feeder loving the fatballs and the half coconut shells full of fat and seeds.

Have you seen any butterflies yet? And what are your thoughts about them being around so early? What other signs of spring have you seen?

The colours of Spring

Yesterday was a beautiful day. I stood at the bus stop waiting for the bus and enjoyed the amazing warmth of the sun. This morning the sun was shining but now, only an hour later the sky is overcast. But it gave me time to take some photos of the garden. Yellow daffodils, orange yellow crocuses and yellow forsythia. There are other spring flower  colours of course, but yellow seems to be predominant, at least in my garden.

There is something about the colour yellow. The sun is yellow and makes us feel better when it shines. The yellow flowers also make me smile and feel lots of hope about the things going on in our world. They also give me a feeling of inspiration too, making me want to create things and write. How does this colour make you feel? Do you have yellow flowers in your garden? Or do you find other colours that you like better? Does the colour around you change the way you think?

Here is a photo of those beautiful crocuses.

 

New life and hope

It is Imbolc, the coming of the spring. This brings new life and hope as nature shows us that things do get better and that there is a cycle of darkness and light. There are bulbs showing their shoots through the soil. They come each year dying down later after they have flowered. I see catkins on the hazel bushes too.

Our world is in chaos, floods, political fall outs, injustices and much more. Even though I myself am in a dark place at the moment, I can see faint stirrings of the light, and hope that things can change. It is time for everyone to wake up and see what needs to be done to make our world better for all. The gap between the rich and the poor needs to be closed as well as inequalities between the sexes. What can I do? What can you do? Let the energy of the spring carry us forward to  bring about these changes. Don’t just sit there and think about it, do something. We have to work together to make things happen. Find the path that takes you forward.

Your comments are welcome as usual.