January

Stirrings. January takes its name from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings. He had two faces so he could see the future and the past! He was also the god of doors. Winter light. Naked trees and bright moons. Dark skies and stars. Quieten rest in the stillness Ice and snow swirl and whirl Breathe Read more about January[…]

Winter solstice

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b06s96l4?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile BBC Radio 4 The essay Winter solstice From Sharon Blackie Old Crane woman There is an old Greek term: ‘halcyon days’. It springs from a story about the halcyon (from the kingfisher family), about which Aristotle has this to say: ‘The halcyon breeds at the season of the winter solstice. Accordingly, when this season Read more about Winter solstice[…]

Sweet Darkness

Earliest sunsets from 7th until the 18th December When your eyes are tiredthe world is tired also.When your vision has goneno part of the world can find you. Time to go into the darkwhere the night has eyesto recognize its own.There you can be sureyou are not beyond love. The dark will be your womb Read more about Sweet Darkness[…]

Winter

Monk: What happens when the leaves fall and the trees are bare?Union: The golden Wind, revealed.Hegikan Roku the blue cliff record.Yoga through the seasons Sandra sabatini,In Buddhism the Golden Wind is a metaphor for the reality that you can only experience and which we call God.  From midway between Samhain and winter solstice, so the Read more about Winter[…]

First frosts

Frost forms in swirling ferns and birds sing it’s praise,crows call far out across the fields and beyond expanding my hearing and my heart as I follow the sounds into the beyond. The average first frost for many inland areas in the UK and Ireland is within the first ten days of November later along the Read more about First frosts[…]

The Dark time – Know thyself

Samhain to Valentines Day (Deep dark – Sagittarius & Capricorn) Stalking our inner selves “There was no one near to confuse me, so I was forced to become original.” Haydn. Brew, Stew. Soften the shellRoot November. December. January. February

Late September

Sitings of the crescent moon glowing in the embers of the setting sun reach us on Sundaybut we only catch sight of it on moon day and are awed. with the risingthe little egret orchid blooms, takes flight and fades almost within a day we could so easily have missed it. And it’s presence Leads Read more about Late September[…]

Autumn

Because the early Roman year began in March rather than January, the final four months of our year—September, October, November and December—were originally the seventh (septem), eighth (octo), ninth (novem), and tenth (decem) months of the Roman calendar. Holy, wood, harvest or barley month, For the Anglo Saxons, September was Hāligmonath, meaning “holy month,” (the Read more about Autumn[…]