Feeling excited – I’m looking forward to delivery of new music for my harp. Here’s a YouTube recording by Eira Lynn Jones.

She has composed this music inspired by The Art of Hygge, which she explains as:

Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than things.
It is about being with the people we love.
A feeling of home.
A feeling that we are safe,
That we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down.

From ‘The Little Book of Hygge’
The Danish Way to Live Well
Meik Wiking

Thank you Eira for your talent and your beautiful energy.

Wishing you all oodles of Hygge…

The owl spirit animal represents vision, freedom and independence. The owl can inspire you to unlock your full potential and discover your unique talents.

Owl in twilight flight,
From conscious day to dream’s trance.
Loner in moon’s embrace,
Vision flight, freedom’s grace.
Unlock potential’s door,
Your talents found, forevermore.

Also, I read recently that the owl is January’s bird of the month. The owl represents a transition of passing from one state to another, like the conscious mind awake during daylight hours, to the subconscious which lives in dreamland. Source: The Mystical Year – Folklore, Magic and Nature – Luna and Fern

Oodles of good wishes to you.

New Moon on 11th January

I have been reading that now is the time to embrace the beautiful and supportive energy of this New Moon for setting positive intentions. I am to dive into my deepest wishes and unleash my creativity to envision what I want in life. Well frankly that all sounds a tad energetic for this time of year.  I feel more like diving into my soft duvet …. But, ever the optimist and always aware of the undeniable differences in the moon phases I read on… I am to forget the “how” for now, just focus on the “what”,  and this is the sort of encouragement I like!  Further, as I understand it, this lunar phase encourages me to courageously step into my authenticity and share my uniqueness with the world. Amidst this transformation, or in my case, constant little adjustments, I am to exercise patience, trust the process and my inner wisdom.  Okay…. I’ll give that a go… Finally it’s the best bit – I am to spend time joyfully crafting intentions without attachment to specific outcomes, envisioning a dynamic list that can evolve and bring even more happiness into my life.  Time to grab one of my numerous notebooks and start scribing! 

Ooodles of good wishes to you as you embrace, dive, unleash and envision! 

Today I stood by my loch-side and pondered the upside down inside out world before me. The sky became the loch and the reflection became the land. In this season of transition and change, the veil felt thin and the gateway that separates our physical world from the spiritual world was ajar….

Some words from Aldous Huxley came to mind:
It’s dark because you are trying too hard.
Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly.
Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply.
Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.
So throw away your baggage and go forward.
There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet,
trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair.
That’s why you must walk so lightly.
Lightly my darling, on tiptoes and no luggage
————-
Oodles of lightness to you.

I’ve had a great time working with a wonderful group of ladies, who I am privileged to call my friends. Today sees the launch of my Wild Swimming greeting cards to celebrate special occasions. Thank you ladies – you are awesome!
10p from the sale of each card is donated to Macmillan Cancer Care.

This picture is one of my favourite places – it inspires me to share the connection and the energy I feel from Nature.

After a swim here, I decided to create my lighthearted Wild Swimming greeting cards.

I’m delighted to celebrate the joy and innumerable benefits of wild swimming. And the wonderful friends made – who volunteered to be my models. Thank you to the many of you who have supported me!

The other day I spent a while wandering among this group of trees; they are close, yet far….  When I approach them on the pathway, they look close.  But when I am within them and look out, everything I left behind looks so very far away….And when I walk among them I feel close to Nature, grounded and at peace. 

It is a reminder that in ancient times we lived within the majestic forest, submerged in the murmur of its leaves and branches.  The moist and mossy forest floor was hidden from Heaven’s eye by a canopy of innumerable treetops. 

This constant majestic presence has been absorbed deep within us and our awareness of this remains to this day…..

Trees have always figured in human awareness, in all cultures.  When we walk among trees, or notice a particular tree, a kind of exchange happens.  Almost all of us can feel a different kind of energy in the presence of trees – our imagination is caught by them and it has been said that trees in a natural forest speak to something of our wild, natural soul.  Perhaps for a little while we are under their spell….

We are rediscovering what the ancients knew; that spending time among trees is one of the best approaches to well-being.

Sending you oodles of good wishes for your Spell in the Forest.

I have always known how the simple act of walking amongst or even beside trees can be healing.  The presence of trees and seeing the colour green is both uplifting and calming.   Science has now shown that the phytoncides emitted by trees as part of their own defence system can lower blood pressure, lower the heart rate and lower stress levels. But I don’t really need science to speak for the trees.  I’ll let them speak and act for themselves; be it the gentle whisper of a quiet Autumn walk or the roar of a windy day….But if they start murmuring in the twilight I’ll speed my way home!

In essence, we are rediscovering what the ancients knew: how spending time among trees is one of the best approaches to health and well-being. 

Sending you oodles of good wishes whether you can walk among trees, observe a solitary tree or enjoy a beautiful image of a tree.  

I read that this Full Moon phase is a time for heightened emotions, but it is also an opportunity for peaceful reflection.  And I don’t mind admitting I’m focussing on peaceful.  I don’t need any more heightened emotions or chocolate….

I note that being aware of the lunar phases can help us connect with nature and ourselves. But I’ll focus on daytime walks in nature – Moonlit walks in a forest are way out of my comfort zone!

 “Nature and its cycles form the steady rhythm of this thing we call life.  Season shifts of spring and summer through to autumn and winter all bring their own forms of beauty, losses and gains.    Each in turn makes way for the new.  Moon cycles are one of the beautiful constants in life that connects us with our natural earth and ancestors.”

“Essentially, whether you’re spiritually minded or not, engaging all of our senses in these observations can really help us connect with nature and ourselves in a mindful way.”

Sending oodles of good wishes to you and yours for whatever is best for the connections you seek.  

Publication: Recharge Your Life – Connecting with the Moon by Sarah Gane