I have created a discount code for you too, as a little Beltane treat, so don’t forget to scroll on down to receive it.
As April gives way to May, the hedgerows come alive with the creamy blossoms of the Hawthorn tree. It is estimated that Hawthorn makes up around 70% of our hedgerows in the UK, spreading across the land, nourishing the wild world from the ground up.
This is a tree steeped in folklore and ancient tradition, particularly at this time of the year where it is a symbol of Summer’s arrival and the fertility of the land.
Wearing Hawthorn, is to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors, who wore Hawthorn as a way of pledging their allegiance to the earth. Talismans of luck and protection, of wisdom and connection.
These pieces will be in store at 7pm this evening, and as a thank you for being here with us and supporting our work we have created a 20% discount code that can be used on any of our Wild Jewellery pieces until Tuesday.
Simply enter the code NEWSLETTER20 at the checkout orfollow the link here to add the discount to your basket.
How are you as we reach Spring’s peak? The wind has been wild here the past few days and I am finding myself invigorated and seeking shelter in equal measure!
I am writing today’s newsletter, under the watchful eye of this little Hawthorn tree that has been growing from a seed we planted the Autumn before last.
This year’s seedlings are continuing to break through the surface! We have Apple, Hornbeam, Oak and Walnut treelets all doing well so far.
As we reach Beltane, the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice, the land feels a buzz with life. I have felt a strong urge to really ‘sink in’ to the land around me in the simplest of ways.
Sometimes that has looked like lying in the garden and feeling the support of the ground against my body. Other times it has been walking up to the woods and sitting with my back against a tree, noticing the sounds, colours and textures of the world around me.
Simple, connected and deeply nurturing, I will be doing more of the same in the coming days.
If you would like to read more about this time of the year, associated plants and trees and other simple rituals, you may enjoy our Guide to Beltane.
May’s arrival is synonymous with the blooming of the Hawthorn blossom throughout the hedgerows. Just like the flowering of the Bluebells, it is another important marker of the Wild Year, and I can’t resist spending a few moments in the company of this magical tree.
Hawthorns have long been associated with magic, healing and protection. Once a custom to plant a tree outside every house for good luck, they are still found marking many sacred sites around the country.
Hawthorn is believed to aid connection to our intuition and the wisdom of the natural world. A medicine for the heart and the nervous system, they can guide us to reconnect to ourselves and our magic, dispel fear and live from the heart.
You can explore more about this mighty little tree here:
We have, of course been inspired to work with the wild energy of Hawthorn this week and have a few special pieces that will be in store this Sunday at 7pm.
I will introduce you to all the pieces in my next newsletter, on Sunday.
We will be in Ely for the Food, Drink and Craft Fair on Sunday 3rd and Monday 4th May.
Full Moon in Scorpio
And before I go, don’t forget to keep an eye out for the Full Moon rising tomorrow evening, May 1st, from around 8.45pm onwards (although do check the timing for your location). It will be rising around an hour earlier tonight and will look fabulous too!
Whatever you do this weekend, I hope you find a moment to sink in to the grounding energy of the land.
Did you know that the word for April is thought to come from the Latin verb Aperiremeaning ‘to open’?
As I wander the land just now, I notice flowers and leaves opening on an almost daily basis. From brand new Oak leaves, to the delicate petals of the Stitchwort flowers. There is so much to enjoy meeting in April.
The Apple trees are beginning to bloom and the woodlands are thick with bluebells. I am trying to visit as often as I can, just to soak it all in.
Last week, we had a few days away in our van, visiting the Kent coast, an area new to us both. We loved walking along the chalky white cliffs, spotting kestrels and soaking in the vivid yellow of the Gorse flowers against the blue sky.
Last Spring, we worked on one of my favourite Wild Jewellery collections to date, celebrating the wild and untamed beauty of Gorse wood and since our recent trip, it has been calling to both of us once again…
Gorse, a member of the pea family
Gorse is a woody shrub in the pea family (Fabaceae) which includes lots of edible legumes such as beans, peas, lentils and peanuts, and plants like clover, wisteria and lupines.
Most members of this family have a bit of a superpower. By forming a relationship with a bacteria that lives in their root nodes, they are able to transform nitrogen from the air, into a useable form that nourishes the plant. This is why legumes are typically high in protein.
When the plant sheds material or dies and decomposes, it nourishes the soil around them, making it richer for other plants and trees that require more nutrients.
Gorse is very closely related to another woody shrub called Broom, both of which can be found growing in similar habitats throughout the UK.
The key ways to tell them apart is that Gorse has sharp spikes (pictured above) and its flowers have a strong coconut like scent, whereas Broom (pictured below) has neither of these characteristics.
We saw plenty of these two plants during our trip to the coast, and felt called to share a little more about both of them this week.
As you may well have guessed by now, Chris has begun working with their wood which is delightfully wild, just like the plants themselves!
In my next post, I will be sharing a little more about the wisdom and energy of these two, fascinating plants. You can also find us over on Instagram where Chris will be crafting some beautiful pendants from these wild woods.
Just a little update to let you know that our very special Birch burl collection will be instore at 7pm today, this Beltane eve.
We have been feeling the call of the Birch trees so strongly this month as their new leaves unfurled, and their deep roots have been busy drawing up nutrients from the earth.
Each pendant comes infused with the message, ‘I am courageous‘, which feels like the generous gift of the Birch trees who courageously move into new land before any other tree is ready…
We have loved working with this unique wood to create these 5 pieces that we hope celebrate the wild grains and colours of the burl.
Beltane Sale
In celebration of Beltane, our print collection & Wheel of the Year card deck have 20% discount all weekend!
Beltane blessings
As May arrives, I wish you all some magic this Beltane. Sometimes the very simplest of moments are the richest. I will likely be gathering herbs from our garden to make some fresh tea, watching our resident swallows build their nest and soaking in some of this beautiful sunshine as we prepare for Lincolnshire Makers Spring Artisan Market at Stourton Woods on Sunday 4th May 2025.
If you are looking for a Beltane ritual for the coming days, you may enjoy checking out our Beltane fire ritual.
I will leave you with these cheerful little beauties that have become our (very early) alarm clock as they chatter outside the van from 4:30 each morning!
Our resident swallows are back and busy nest building!
I am writing this to you as I listen to two swallows chatter away busily outside the window. They returned yesterday from their Winter in west Africa and have reclaimed part of the stables here on the land. If we are lucky, they will raise 1 perhaps even 2 broods here before they head back to Africa in the Autumn. Their arrival is one of the cues that tells me that Beltane is close by. The other is the profusion of beautifully scented blossoms everywhere; Lilacs, Apple, Cherry, Hawthorn and Rowan. I am curious: What are your Spring cues?
Beltane is celebrated around the 30th April and 1st May and marks the peak of Spring’s energy. This is the time of year where the land is fertile, growth is increasing rapidly and flowers are beginning to bloom.
In today’s post, I shall be sharing some of my favourite ways to celebrate Beltane, introducing some of the trees that are calling out to connect with us at this time and have some very special wild pendants to show you so let’s dive in….
It feels a little hard to believe that Beltane, the next festival in the Wheel of the Year is just around the corner. Celebrated at the beginning of May, Beltane is the mid point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It marks Spring’s peak and the birth of Summer and is a celebration of the Earth’s fertile energy and life force. In today’s post I will share some ideas for connecting with the energy of Beltane and the plants associated with this time of year.
The festival of Beltane is almost upon us and marks the peak of Spring in the Northern hemisphere. Beltane is a fire festival, with the word bel-tene meaning a ‘goodly fire.’ Fire has long been associated with transformation, cleansing and purification, burning the old down to make way and fertilise the new. At Beltane, Spring has reached its peak and Summer begins to emerge with a more direct and committed energy.
To connect with this, you may wish to light a fire, candle or burn incense over the weekend to help physically and symbolically clear the path for a new season. whilst observing the flame consider any or all of the following:
The next festival in our Wheel of the Year journey is Beltane, celebrated around the beginning of May in the Northern hemisphere. Beltane is the mid point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It marks Spring’s peak and the birth of Summer and is a celebration of the Earth’s fertile energy and life force at this time.
This is a time of abundance, union and life force. Flowers are blooming, new life is being born and the Sun’s strength is increasing. This is a fertile time in the natural world, and can help us to ignite projects, cultivate new actions and reflect on what we need in order to bloom. This increase in active energy, can leave us feeling a little worn out at times, so it is good time to ensure rest, self care and nourishment is established to balance this busy time.
Wild Fen 