Ways to Welcome Spring

The much awaited time of the first day of spring arrives with the vernal equinox, and is known by some as Ostara as part of the Wheel of the Year celebrations. This astronomical occasion should not go unnoticed as we now visibly have more daylight and good days interspersed with some still wintery days, having an overall feeling that we are ‘getting there’.

So what to do to welcome spring ? Well firstly say  ‘Phew, that’s a relief - I got through winter!’. For many the lingering of winter can be very difficult regardless of all the Hygge tips we are now privy to. Although this year’s winter hasn’t been as harsh the grey, cold wind and rain, days have felt too long making us long for colour.

Spring is a time to spot the unexpected like this lovely spoonbill on a breezy day and feeling chuffed to be there in it's presence.

So the second top tip to welcome spring is be in the moment and see what spring brings. Spring is all about joy.

Just look at this lovely little blackcap enjoying a snack.

The third thing you can do is listen to spring. Open up your windows or take a walk, as well as letting some fresh air into your home or lungs you will notice the increase in birdsong. Early morning or at dusk are the best times to hear the chorus of spring.

The chiff-chaff is one of the earliest of summer migrants to arrive and for many hearing the ‘chiff-chaff’ call, even though not the most tuneful and complex of bird calls, marks springtimes arrival.

Four, is to feel the difference. If you go outdoors there is a palpable different feeling happening throughout nature. Let it intoxicate you. The sun may be shining, even if briefly, feel its warmth and its light. There is a sense of expectation in the air, we are ‘under starters orders’ and nearly ready for ‘off’.

The fifth suggestion is to mark this time. A lovely thing to do is make a garland or wreath to adorn your front door, and bring a bit of joy for all who pass and see your creativity. Baking is also a top activity, using all the ingredients of this time of the year, and the last of the winter jams and curds for sweet tarts with custard or cream. You could make Homity pie or quiches, maybe even baking a hot cross bun as we near Easter. Perhaps start a springtime nature-noting journal to record the delights you share in as Mother Earth awakens.

Finally - if you are able the top tip is to go outdoors, look at the blossom, the lime coloured greening of the hawthorn, see the buds on trees just waiting to burst and unfurl leaves, witness the hedgerow coming to life, the host of yellow daffodils nodding their heads and if you are lucky see the hares positively bounding with life, the first glimpses of hibernators such as bats, bees and hedgehogs testing if spring really is here and our resident birds nest building and serenading their partners and us.

Spring’s arrival really is something to welcome, whether in a small or big way, make time to feel a little bit of the joy it brings and the promise of more to come.

And perhaps leave the spring cleaning to another day!

Wishing you the joy of springtime in your life  xx

#spring #firstdayofspring #ostara #joy

Imbolc – Finding Magick

Imbolc is an awakening as winter eyes begin to open, and we can marvel at the magick of Mother Nature. It’s literally the small things that make the difference, the tiny that makes wonderment. It is true that winter is still enveloping each day, but it is bound less tightly, and light shines through the gaps of its grip.

The first of February is a day of possibilities and always brings a little bit of excitement to me. It takes only a stroll to see new growth, to hear the birds reacting to the imminent arrival of spring, which seems to be arriving earlier and earlier. Imbolc is the halfway point of winter and spring, but it is feeling more and more like an end to winter as we experience unseasonably warm temperatures.

The snowdrop is one of those tiny gems and for me one of the most magickal of all plants. Not just because of its now known properties to assist management of Alzheimer’s through its bulb containing alkaloid galantamine, or because of its ancient use as mind-altering and helping cerebral function but because of the sheer mood -lifting qualities it brings just when spotting its tiny white bowed head on such a fragile stem . Bursting through frozen ground, through rubble piles, tangled verges, lining the foot of hedgerows and creating en-masse in swathes across parklands and open woodlands this resilient plant brings with it hope, rebirth and new beginnings - it has a lot to live up to, but never fails to give a sense of positivity at a time of year when this can be lacking.

Positivity is literally ignited with the tradition of lighting candles & bonfires at this time of the year. Fire is the spark of life and there is a magickal power of having the ability to bring light and warmth into the dark days and nights which we take for granted. The Celtic tradition marks Imbolc as a fire festival meaning it uses fire as a central part of the celebration and marking of this time. Candlemas on the 2nd brings this idea into the Christian church as candles are blessed, lit, and taken into parishioners’ homes. Also crossing into the church from more ancient beliefs is the goddess Bridgid, who became known to the church as a saint. Her popularity has grown beyond Gaelic lands, as women particularly honour her and try to experience her magick as she is known amongst many other attributes, as a goddess of fire and hearth and candles and fires are lit in her honour. She is found throughout the Irish landscape and is now honoured as a matron- saint after a long campaign by women in Ireland. She belongs at heart to the Irish people, who make crosses from rushes and leave scraps of fabric out for her on Imbolc Eve for her to bless as she passes by, leaving on them healing properties.

The illumination fire brings is not only literal but also in terms of enlightenment. For me this is the magick and significance of fire at this time of the year, as I lose myself in the flame and wonder on those possibilities that the year ahead will bring and hope that I may be enlightened.

All around us we see new life emerging, from lambing, early nest builders, green shoots, and early bud formations. Regardless of where we are in our life, nature chivvies us into noticing and into being in the moment. If we search we can find magick, we don’t make the magick, it is provided for us if we take the time to notice and be present in it.

 Wishing you all a gentle transition towards spring and a kindly farewell to winter. May your intentions come true and the magick of nature inspire you. X

#imbolc #lambs #Bridgid #spring #nature #magick #folklore #traditions #wheeloftheyear #seasons #snowdrops #catkins

Winter Solstice- Look to the heavens.

The winter or hibernal solstice falls on the 22nd of December this year and so astronomical winter begins ending at the spring equinox in March. In Irish, the winter solstice is known as grianstad an gheimhridh (the sun stopof winter) The word solstice originating from the Latin sol “sun,” and sistere “to stand still.” But how many of us have taken the time to observe this phenomenon of our Sun’s path across the sky appearing as if it has stopped? For a few days before and after the solstice at noon the sun’s elevation is so slight that it does indeed to appear to stand still. If you stand outside at noon and look at your shadow it will be the longest shadow that you’ll cast all year.

In the Northern Hemisphere the solstice sun is low in the sky which leaves our waxing gibbous moon appearing high presenting exciting sky watching. Look for Jupiter, the brightest planet in the evening sky and see them shine together if you look high above the south-eastern horizon as soon as twilight begins. Also, if you are lucky, you may glimpse the Ursid meteor shower, at its peak at this time of year, although this may require a telescope or binoculars.  

Then of course there is owl watching or owl listening that can be done together with glimpses of other nocturnal or diurnal creatures. All we need to do is take time and be still, just like our sun. 

Our Neolithic ancestors knew about the solstices because the sky, the weather, the sun, and moon were so important in their lives as they lived as first farmers, reliant on their heavenly guides for planting, harvesting and resting. 

 The passage graves they built - Maeshowe in Orkney, La Hogue Bie in Jersey, and Newgrange in Ireland - and probably many more- are aligned to the winter solstice sun each with a space in its construction that allows the sunlight to penetrate the inside of the tomb to light up an area. Having the capacity to know that daylight and warmth was returning would have been fundamental to their lives and was marked accordingly. 

As we enter the mayhem of Christmastide, we like to take the opportunity of the winter solstice to be still and reflect, to observe nature and remember those who have moved on from our lives. We look towards the heavens, as many in the past have looked for the Christmas star, we wonder at our sun, our moon, the planets, the stars and how small we are in a vast universe. The act of looking towards the heavens links us to so many who have done this before, and time does indeed seem to stand still as we stand shoulder to shoulder with the past. And then just like our sun we move on, engaging in the now and dreaming of the future. 

Whatever names, beliefs, and practices we hold at this time of the year we know that we all live the same fragile life reliant on the sun, being born again, returning to us, growing stronger, giving us light and warmth. That is magick enough for any Yuletide tale. 

Wishing you all a wonderful wintertime and a magickal New Year full of celebrating the year and keeping alive some of the old ways. Thank you so much for your kind support ,

Richard & AnneMarie (TalkingTrees) xx

#folklore #yuletide #wintersolstice #2024 #christmas #NewYear # magick #oldways #traditions