Tag: seasonal wellbeing

Products, Wheel of the Year

October, Samhain, Self Care & Tree Prints!

Wild Fen

Hello Wild Soul,

How are you as we move through October?

Between the rain showers, we have been catching glimpses of some wonderful Autumnal magic. From misty sunrises, starry skies and dewy spider webs to the incredible Aurora borealis which we were overjoyed to see this month. And if that wasn’t enough, the largest Super Moon of the year graced the October skies and woah, it was a strong one – did you feel its impact?

Dew kissed Spider’s web
The Hunter’s Moon
Aurora borealis
Aurora watching

This season feels like such a potent one. As the light wanes, the Swallows have departed and the Starlings have arrived here on the land. The first frost seems to have encouraged the leaves to transform and the forests are full of mushrooms. I wonder, what is standing out to you about this transformative season?

First frost
Falling leaves
Magpie Inkcap

Samhain

Samhain (pronounced Sow-in) is celebrated at the end of this month and marks the end of the harvest and the birth of Wintertime. This Celtic festival inspired modern-day Halloween, and was once thought of as the end (and the beginning) of the year.

For me, it can sometimes feel a little overwhelming adjusting to the darker, colder days. The earth’s energy has shifted from one of growth and light to one of retreating, turning inwards and rest. This is also a time of endings that can evoke strong emotions in us all. You can read more about the energy of Samhain here.

Our Wheel of the Year reflection cards offer seasonal info, ideas for connecting with the season and journal prompts. Find them in store now.

Self care

Whilst our calendars and to-do lists may be feeling full at this time of year, taking the time to pause and check in on our energy is really valuable. How has the year impacted us so far? What emotions are present right now? and how may we be able to shift our energy if we are feeling tense or overburdened? A question you may wish to spend some time reflecting on at this time of year is, ‘how can I welcome more nourishment into my life?’

Wild Fen Updates

We will be heading to the fabulous Nottingham Pagan Market on Saturday 26th October, 12-5pm for the first time and we are really looking forward to it. We have some great events coming up throughout November and December too, you can find out where we will be at the bottom of our About page.

New Print

If you follow us on Social Media, you may well know that we have had a new print (or two) in the works for some time! We are so excited to finally share, that our Energy of Trees prints are now in store!

We are SO pleased with how they have turned out, they feel like a true celebration of our journey with trees over the past few years. We have adapted historical botanical drawings with our interpretation of the energy of our most beloved trees, combining our own observations and conversations together with ancient folklore. We would love to hear what you think of them.

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As with all our designs, they are printed on premium, recycled card (uncoated) and packed in biodegradable packaging. They are available in 2 sizes (Medium 8 x 10″ and Large 11 x 14″) and in light and dark versions.

As a valued newsletter subscriber you will receive 10% off any tree print when you add the discount code TREE10 at the checkout. This code is valid until midnight on Wednesday 23rd October.

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Coming up….

We are currently working on a very special Wild Jewellery collection to capture the magic of this season so do keep an eye on your inbox in the run up to Samhain as you will see the collection here first!

Wishing you all a little October magic this week,

With love,

Nic x

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Wellbeing

Embracing change naturally

Wild Fen

Hello wild soul,

I am enjoying seeing trees that just a few months ago were full of blossom, now hang heavy with fruit. And I think of them, in a few months from now, standing bare in the midst of Winter’s depth.

It has got me thinking about how present change is in the natural world, and yet, how often the fear and avoidance of change shows up in our human lives over and over.

The abundant apple tree, blossom & fruit

See, our brains like certainty. Did you know that just the thought of uncertainty in the future has been shown to trigger a threat response in us? The brain often prefers a negative yet predictable outcome to an uncertain one. So it is easy to see how we may come to fear change and learn to avoid uncertainty in an attempt keep ourselves safe.

Whilst from an evolutionary perspective, certainty can be linked with safety, avoiding the unknown can limit situations and opportunities that may bring us great joy, growth, and success in our lives too.

The good news is that whilst our minds tend to prefer certainty, they are also flexible and can learn to embrace change too.

If uncertainty is unacceptable to you, it turns into fear. If it is perfectly acceptable, it turns into increased aliveness, alertness, and creativity.” – Eckhart Tolle

I have found that observing the changes that occur in the natural world is a wonderful guide in embracing and navigating change and uncertainty in my own life.

In today’s post, I wanted to share some of my favourite ways to connect with the natural world and feel more aligned with the cyclic nature of the Earth, so let’s dive in!

  • Be in nature often. Take in your surroundings, noticing any ways they may be changing. Notice colours, textures, sounds, temperature & light.
  • Gather some natural treasure (cones, leaves, acorns, feathers, flowers etc.) and make a space to display them. Update them often as the seasons change.
  • Plant some seeds or bulbs and enjoy seeing them sprout, grow, bloom, seed and wither through the year.
  • Take a few moments at sunrise and sunset to look out on the day.
  • Keep a journal, and notice how outer changes impact on you. Your energy, mood, habits and rituals may all shift with the day, season or moon cycle. Choose a ‘key word’ to describe how the Earth’s energy feels to you in this moment. Now pick one to describe your own energy.
Being in nature in all seasons

Further reading

If you enjoyed this post, you may like to check out our ‘Cycles of the Moon’ post and ‘The Wheel of the Year‘ post for more on cyclic living. And if you are feeling Autumn approaching, check out one of my favourite rituals for this time of year; ‘Creating a Space’.

Keep your eye out for my next post too, where I shall be sharing my favourite trees to connect with to support us during times of change.

Wishing you all some bank holiday magic,

Nic x

Wheel of the Year

A Guide to Yule – the Winter Solstice

Wild Fen

The Winter Solstice, also known as Yule or Midwinter falls between 20th & 23rd December each year. At this point, we reach peak darkness, the shortest day of the year where the sun sits at its lowest in the sky.

In the natural world, there is both a deep stillness and busyness that exists simultaneously. As the woodlands rest, many animals are busy searching far and wide for food. We can often feel this contrasting energy reflected in our own lives too. Cosy, quiet evenings snuggled under blankets interspersed with busy preparations and never ending to do lists in the run up to the festive season.

In today’s post, I shall be sharing some of my favourite, very simple ways to embrace the season.

Continue reading “A Guide to Yule – the Winter Solstice” →
Wheel of the Year

A Guide to Samhain

Wild Fen

Hello lovely Soul,

Samhain (pronounced sow-in) marks Summer’s end and the birth of Winter as the hours of darkness now outweigh the hours of daylight. This Celtic festival is celebrated over October 31st/Nov 1st in the Northern Hemisphere and is the origin of Halloween. If you are new to the Wheel of the Year (an ancient way of marking the passing seasons) you can read more about it here.

In today’s post, I shall be sharing a little more about the energy of the season and sharing some simple seasonal rituals.

Continue reading “A Guide to Samhain” →
Life, Wheel of the Year

September updates

Wild Fen

Hello lovely soul,

It has been an interesting September so far in the UK with some of our hottest temperatures of the year occurring this month! And yet, despite the heat, signs of Autumn’s approach are weaving their way into daily life. The misty mornings and dew decorated spider webs. The hedgerows heavy with purple and red jewels and the return of the Robin to our garden who has been serenading us each morning. I wonder, what changes you may have been noticing where you are?

This time of year, is a wonderful time to pause and acknowledge the transition of the year from Summer into Autumn. As the light is noticeably retreating now, we may find ourselves craving more rest, earlier nights, hearty foods and cosiness. One of my favourite practices for this time of year is to create or tend to a space so that it feels cosy and welcoming for self care practices for the darker months to come.

In today’s post I wanted to share with you a little of what we have been up to lately, some ideas for connecting with the season and let you know what we have coming up over the next few months…

Continue reading “September updates” →
Wheel of the Year

Lammas is coming

Wild Fen

Hello lovely soul,

As we move towards Lammas in the Northern Hemisphere, the countryside is turning golden as the season of harvest is upon us. This is a time of abundance, ripening, and of things coming to fruition. Gardens are blooming yet the active period of growth is waning. Most plants are now ripening the fruits and seeds that hold the wisdom of next years growth within them.

In today’s post I shall be introducing the plants I have felt pulled to connect with lately, sharing some of my favourite ways to connect with the season and revealing our brand new offerings too!

Continue reading “Lammas is coming” →
Wheel of the Year

Litha is coming

Wild Fen

Hello lovely soul,

As we move towards Litha, the festival marking the Summer Solstice in the Northern hemisphere, we reach the peak of the Sun’s strength and power. This peak has a huge impact on the land around us – flowers are blooming, herbs are at their most fragrant and animals are busy raising their broods. Life navigates around this peak – rising and blooming in tune with the Sun.

Solstice literally means ‘the Sun stands still’ and it can be a good point in the year to pause and reflect on how our own lives are feeling right now. In today’s post I shall be sharing my favourite question to work with at this time of year, along with some simple ways to connect with the season.

Continue reading “Litha is coming” →
Wheel of the Year

Ostara, Air and Smoke Cleansing

Wild Fen

Ostara, the celebration of the Spring Equinox falls between 20-23rd of March each year in the Northern Hemisphere. Day and night length return to an equal balance once again. This can be a good time to reflect on the areas in our own lives where we would like to cultivate more balance. In today’s post I will share some simple Ostara practices and introduce you to one of the elements associated with this season; Air.

Continue reading “Ostara, Air and Smoke Cleansing” →
Wheel of the Year

Litha

Wild Fen

Litha, the festival celebrated at the Summer Solstice marks the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. Light reaches its peak. The days stretch long and this can feel both productive and/or overwhelming depending on how nourished we are feeling at this time.

The Summer Solstice falls on 21st June and can be a good time to create some rituals to connect with your self and the earth and fill up your well, if only for a short but mindful time.

Continue reading “Litha” →
Foraging, Wellbeing

A Wild Brew

Wild Fen

A practice I find incredibly grounding at this time of year is to get outdoors and gently gather some beautiful fresh Spring plants for a brew.

There are so many medicinal plants growing in abundance at this time of year that are perfectly aligned to help nourish and cleanse the body after Winter. Many even make their way into our gardens if we let them!

Continue reading “A Wild Brew” →