Celebrating the Beauty & Magic of Nature
We have now arrived at the darkest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. Energy and light levels are low and the earth is still in hibernation. Today, at the Winter Solstice, (also known as Yule) the sun stands still at its furthest point, before slowly returning once more with its light and warmth.
Continue reading “Winter Solstice/Yule”
The wheel of the year turns once more as we arrive at the Autumn Equinox. Day and night length reach balance as the sun moves into the seventh sign of the zodiac – Libra. The sun remains in Libra until 22nd October where it will transition to watery Scorpio.
It is no surprise given the timing of the season that Libra is characterised by balance. As Libra is an air sign, which is connected to thoughts and mental energy, Libra can be associated with consideration, weighing things up and trying to come to a fair solution for all.
Sometimes this may present itself as indecisiveness or a desire for things to be just, in balance and not to rock the boat.
Libra is the first sign of the Autumn and the sign that paves our entry to the darker half of the year.
According to earth-based traditions, the upcoming Autumn Equinox marks the transition from an outward focus of growth and energy to an inward one. But what does this actually mean?
If we look to nature at this time, we will notice that the active growth of Spring and Summer is beginning to wane. The energetic greens, are transitioning to the oranges, browns and reds of Autumn as the hours of daylight continue to recede.
Lammas (also known as Lughnassadh) falls on 1st August and is the midpoint between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox in the northern Hemisphere. By Lammas we are into the second half of the year and may refer to this time as ‘high summer.’ The days are still long and the sun’s energy is strong yet active growth is waning. The earth is abundant and many of our grain crops have ripened and await their gathering, full and golden.
Continue reading “Lammas”
The wheel of the year is an ancient way of marking the changing energy of the Earth throughout the yearly cycle. The wheel consists of 8 seasonal celebrations or marker points, that fall every 6 – 8 weeks.
These can be further divided into 4 solar festivals that follow the Sun’s rise and fall throughout the year. With daylight reaching its height at the Summer Solstice (Litha), its lowest at the Winter Solstice (Yule) and reaching an equal balance with night length at the Spring Equinox (Ostara) and Autumn Equinox (Mabon).
In-between each solar festival is a seasonal festival (or cross quarter point) connected with seasonal and agricultural changes. Imbolc marks the height of Winter where the first signs of Spring begin to appear, Beltane the height of Spring and birth of Summer, Lammas the height of Summer and birth of Autumn and Samhain the height of Autumn and birth of Winter.
The celebrations can be thought of as natural points throughout the year where we can stop and observe what is going on in the outer world as well as our inner worlds. A moment to reflect on how things currently are, how they have been over the last season and how we would like to move ahead into the new one.
My most precious insight from observing the wheel of the year is the element of change within it. Light and dark, growth and decay, beginnings and endings. In the modern world we are often expected to be as productive and efficient no matter the season. A striving towards a fixed state of happiness, vibrancy and certainty that isn’t present in the natural world, certainly not all year round.
Connecting with the energy and changes in the natural world, can help us to reflect on our own energy throughout the seasons which may naturally rise and fall. It can help us appreciate the change and flow of nature and learn to welcome and embrace these qualities in our own lives.
We have created 2 prints to celebrate the Wheel of the Year and a Seasonal Reflection card set aimed to support you in connecting with the energy of each festival, available now in our Etsy store.
Find our Wheel of the Year guides here:
The Summer Solstice also known as Litha, falls between June 20th and 23rd each year and marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
As day light hours reach their peak, we can feel the 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 “A Guide to Litha – the Summer Solstice”
Wild Fen 