Dear friend,
As we gather damsons and apples at Westacre, I am truly grateful for my harvest. I have had a wonderful year.
It hasn’t been what I expected. We never really started our renovation project, for various reasons, including unhelpful professionals. But personally, I feel I have grown so much. My spirituality has taken root and flight at the same time. And the Magic of Connection has reached 80 or so people.
And then there are the potatoes, damsons, apples, and nasturtium flowers. And the sweet scent of Autumn descending on the Westacre garden.
One thing is making me wonder, though. I would like to ask you a straight question:
* Are you reading this Newsletter? *
I have put out six issues of the Westacre Newsletter before this one. There have been two interviews with interesting Pagans (is there another kind?), meditations and a ritual, and an article about lunar rhythms. There have also been reviews of web sites and events that are working on solutions for the troubles of our world. All offered completely free to people who registered for the Magic of Connection.
Did you read them? What did you think of them? Did you try a meditation or a ritual? Did you order anything from Carolyn Mee Bendy Dolls? Her discount offer is still valid until the end of October, exclusively for you!
So far, I have had no feedback at all from these Newsletters. You could add so much to my year’s harvest by sending me your thoughts. How was The Magic of Connection course for you? What do you think of the content of this Newsletter? Which bits have you liked? What other content would be interesting to you? And if it hasn’t appealed, why not?
Just reply to this e-mail and give me your thoughts.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond.
Blessings of autumn sunshine,
Hilde
## In this issue
– A ritual of thanksgiving for the harvest
– Tree Sisters – a young but ambitious charity
– Ways to help Westacre produce content that is useful for you.
## A ritual of thanksgiving for the harvest
The closest many of us come to the physical harvest of the Land is in the vegetable isle in the supermarket. And there, the harvest seems to go on without fail, all year long.
What really happens out in the fields is of course different. The very clearly defined seasons of Western Europe see the world rise into life, flourish, and fruit each year, before everything dies back again in to the Earth for the cold sleep of Winter.
Celebrating the actual and metaphorical harvests of our own lives at this time of year gives us an opportunity to connect ourselves to the rhythms of Nature. Doing so gives our lives shape and meaning. Try this simple ritual and get in tune with the year’s rich harvest.
To prepare for your ritual, you will need to gather a few things. For each element around the ritual Circle, gather at least one thing that you have harvested this year. Give it some thought. What are you proud of? What are you grateful for?
For Air, you may pick a poem you wrote, or the notes from a course you took, or a song you composed. Anything to do with the mind, with language, with sounds carried in the wind.
For Fire, choose a painting, or your best crochet project. Or choose something you achieved through sheer force of will. Anything to do with visual arts, passion and purpose is appropriate here.
For Water, select a token of progress you made with a health issue, photos of yourself with good friends, or something you cooked. Anything that speaks of love or healing, or appeals to taste and smell, is great for this element.
For Earth, you may want to bring actual fruit and veg from your own garden, or something that required strength and patience to make. You may want to bring your bank account, if your business has been successful. Anything to do with the physical, the practical, and with monetary wealth fits here.
Arrange your harvests around your working space in the appropriate directions. If you have limited time or space, you could just put a stone or other object in each direction. Just be very clear about what each one represents.
Put a candle or an object of natural beauty at the centre of the Circle.
Cast your Circle formally, or just slowly walk around your working space, marking its edge. Sit at the centre of the Circle for a while, feeling your personal energy expand slowly into its area.
When you are ready, move to one of the directions. It doesn’t really matter what order you do them in. Choose what feels right in the moment.
Sit down with your harvest in that direction. Take your time to give thanks. Who was involved in bringing you this harvest? What inspired you to create this thing? What materials did you use? What spirits supported you? Let your thanks go deep and wide. Now move your object from the edge to the centre of the Circle.
Move to each of the directions, speaking your thanks out loud if possible. Let your voice touch the Web of Life, carrying your thanks to the spirits who brought you your harvest.
When you have finished, sit at the centre of your Circle and feel the abundance you have been given. Consider what you may give in return. Perhaps you can sing your gratitude right now. Or perhaps you feel you need to give a physical offering at some other time. Celebrate in whatever way seems appropriate.
When you are ready, close your ritual in the way you have started. And may the gratitude continue within your being, within your life.
## TreeSisters – a global network of women to help reforest the tropics
I’m not a joiner. It took me years to join my Druid Order. I’m not a member of anything. So when I tell you that last week I joined TreeSisters, you know it’s significant.
The founders of TreeSisters were concerned about the challenges our planet faces, especially about climate change and deforestation of the rain forests. So they decided to do something about it.
Their strategy is twofold. First of all, they intend to collect money for existing organisations who plant trees, aiming to reforest the tropics in the next ten years. Secondly, they are growing their charity through the leadership of women.
The reasons for wanting to reforest the world are clear: trees produce the oxygen we breathe and capture the CO2 that is damaging our atmosphere. Tropical trees grow faster than our moderate climate ones, so they can be of benefit faster.
At the same time, TreeSisters aims to encourage women to find their unique power and to use it actively for the good of our world. In recent centuries, economies and countries have been run by men, and where women have succeeded in making a contribution, they have had to adapt to the male ways of working.
But what if that has done more harm than good? Perhaps it is time now for women to step forward from their own strengths and lead us in a new direction.
Right now, TreeSisters are only a seed, just sprouting. They are building their early supporter base and are working on a structure for volunteers. It is a very young organisation that encourages women come together and shape the organisation. Men, also, are invited to consider what they may contribute.
Clare Dakin, co-founder of TreeSisters, speaks passionately of her vision and her ambition for this organisation. Watch her on YouTube and decide if you would like to support her work.
## Help Westacre produce content that is useful to you
Please reply to this e-mail and let me know what you think of the Westacre Newsletter.
If you want to find out more, our contact details and our presence on social media can be found here:
http://www.westacre.org.uk/contact