Waning Seed Moon
It certainly has rained a lot, recently. Over Christmas, parts of the country were flooded, with dire consequences for a lot of people. Everywhere else was waterlogged. Even the Westacre garden, which has well draining soil and is relatively high on a slope, was squishy underfoot.
The weather put paid to another one of [...]
Full Seed Moon
At the Winter Solstice, I started a new experiment. My intention is to meditate twice each day, at sunrise and sunset. I have been wanting to do this for years, but my life and work made it hard to arrange.
But now I have a new life, and I can create a new [...]
Winter Solstice
Tomorrow is Westacre Day. I’ve been counting down the days, with increasing seriousness, for the last year. Westacre Day is the day I get into the car with my husband and some of my most treasured possessions, and drive to our new home to take up residence.
I first chose this date for its [...]
New Seed Moon
Yesterday morning, as I walked to the station for my last day at work, nature was dressed in a white gown of hoar frost. Every twig, every fallen leaf was outlined in delicate silver. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
At this time of year, the Earth sleeps. As the northern hemisphere tilts away from the [...]
Waning Compost Moon
I’ve just finished re-re-re-reading Ritual by Emma Restall Orr. It is one of my return-to spiritual books. And this time I noticed something I hadn’t noticed before.
In the book, although she doesn’t say this in so many words, Bobcat speaks of us, individual human beings, as equal to any other aspect of nature: [...]
Compost Full Moon
We’re so lucky. Not everyone has both the opportunity and the means to make their dream come true. In just a few weeks’ time, I will be able to dedicate myself to it full time.
In the first instance, the dream is to create a home for ourselves that is as energy efficient as [...]
Waxing Compost Moon
I have been counting down to Westacre Day for nearly a year now. If you have been counting with me, you will have noticed it is 21 December 2012, which is a momentous day.
If you haven’t heard about the Mayan prophecy, you must have lived on another planet in the last few years. [...]
New Compost Moon
Let me tell you about Westacre. I have liked the place every since I first came to visit, over 20 years ago. I came on the ferry from Belgium to visit my boyfriend Alex and his parents for the first time. I was greeted at the front door with a motherly hug [...]
Waning Crone Moon
Last week, I held my own private Samhain ritual and said goodbye to the spirits of my Harrow garden. I also collected a bit of its soil, so some of its blessing can come with me to Westacre and be mixed with its soil at the Winter Solstice.
On Saturday, I went to the [...]
Samhain Full Moon
Sweeping the Westacre drive was hard work. It’s a long drive. The broom was heavy. The leaves were damp and sticking to the floor. My back complained. But I was determined to pick up those leaves, so I went at it on pure willpower. I attacked those leaves with all I’d got. It’s [...]
