Musings with Hepatica: Revival
Today I went into the forest to walk amongst the wild Primroses and to visit with their close woodland companions – the blue swathes of Hepatica triloba, also known as Liver Leaf or, less commonly, Trinity Herb. In the woodland clearings and margins of early spring, Hepatica suddenly appears, its blooms arriving before new leaf […]
Musings with Primrose: Esperance
This morning on Imbolc’s eve and the Feast day of St Brigid, I made my yearly ‘pilgrimage’ to a particular place in the woods near my home. This part of the forest is close to a stream and is populated with Alder, Maple, Oak and Ash.It is here, in a clearing beside an ancient wild […]
Musings with Juniper: Linearity
At the period of the Winter Solstice, the year reaches a moment of precision – a clear turning point where darkness has gone as far as it can. There is nothing ambiguous or unpredictable about the Solstice – we have witnessed this point each year without deviation or complexity since the dawn of time. The […]
Musings with Blackthorn: Transformation
Today another hedgerow companion has been on my mind: Blackthorn and her special role in these dark winter months. A tree of protection for many of our wild birds, with her densely packed branches bearing redoubtable thorns, Blackthorn reveals herself most in Winter. To me she carries a message of Transformation. Transformation is often imagined […]
Musings with Spindle: Discrimination
One of my personal autumnal delights here in the mountains is the bold revelation of Spindle, Euonymus europaeus that happens overnight and that literally takes my breath away. Hidden in plain sight, Spindle spends most of the year quietly blending into the background, overshadowed by more celebrated neighbours like hawthorn, wild rose, dogwood, and sloe. Her life […]
Musings with Hawthorn: Rhythmicity
When I hike with my hounds in late Spring, the air is filled with the sweet, slightly fetid scent of hawthorn blossom, also known as “May”. Masses of creamy white flowers with light pink stamens froth from the hedgerows, their simple beauty both delicate and celebratory. Later in the year, those same hedges are hung […]
Musings with Sunflower: Reliance
There is something irresistibly positive and joyful about Helianthus annuus, commonly known as Sunflower. Standing tall and radiant, she turns her face towards the light, embodying optimism, warmth and abundance. For centuries, cultures around the world have celebrated Sunflower as a symbol of happiness, loyalty, longevity, steadfastness and hope – a bright reminder that even […]
MUSINGS WITH RESIN: HEALING
The first part of this musing began in April 2023 when, together with the hounds, I hiked on a local dirt track road that had recently been widened. As a result of the process, many of the Scots pine trees of the surrounding forest had been cut or injured by the machines. There was an […]
Musings with Holly: Protection
This blog post has taken four months to be written! Different elements have slowly fallen into place and at last, it is ready! I knew I had to write about Holly last December. He was already in my mind as I was writing my previous post on Quince. But it has taken this long to […]
Musings with Quince: Transmission
As we approach the winter Solstice and the gradual return towards the light, my musing today is about a remarkable wise old tree: Cydonia oblonga, commonly known as Quince. Her golden orb-like fruits are the last of the seasonal calendar here in Provence and her fragrant generosity will soon be shared in the Provençale tradition […]