In times of change...

...the learners will inherit the Earth. 

While the knowers will find themselves beautifully equipped

to deal with a world that no longer exists.

Erich Hoffer

With this, my most favourite of inspirational quotes, in mind I embark on a new journey.

One during which I will learn many new things, hopefully meet many new people...

...and finally understand exactly what a 'tweet' is.

Join me on Twitter, won't you?

http://twitter.com/Hearthwitch

In praise of the Sun God

The vibrant sun is at its most powerful at this point in the year: our days are lengthy of light and warmth. At this time the earth is bounteous and crops are growing all around, whether in vast fields or more humble gardens.

The nasturtium seeds that I planted a mere month ago, here, are now well established and I hope to have a host of golden, orange and red hues adorning my little front wall and bowls of salads come late summer.

A mixture of salad leaf seeds that I planted in a giant tub about two weeks ago are sprouting healthily. I'm looking forward to some rocket adding a peppery taste to the mix as well.

Along one tiny little bed I can also see my spinach leaves and beetroot poking up out of the soil. I love the rich red of their stems.

And last but certainly not least, the beans have come to join the party! This is my first sprout on show today - hopefully, with a bit of guidance and support, the runner beans will climb straight up my wall.

As I have such a small plot of land at the front of my house, with nowhere to grow under cover, I have had to wait until so late in the season for the ground to be warm enough to plant straight out. But here they come, to accompany my miniature strawberry harvest, as the fruits of this year's labours.

Thank you to the great Sun God for encouraging these little wonders to grow. 

Rewards

Today I am thankful for many things.

For a small space to call my own, in which I could plant things that I hoped would grow.

For the warm sun, after weeks of nourishing rainfall that, combined, have made these blooms possible. 

For a camera, and the right bit of light, that have meant I can capture the wheel of the year as it turns in my humble little corner of the world. 

For these beautiful reminders that, if you tend to your hopes carefully and have a little patience, you will be rewarded. 

Brightest blessings to you all. 

May day musings

As mentioned in yesterday's Beltane post, May day marks the start of summer. This morning, as I watched the swallows whip in and out of the barns, swooping down to mere inches above my head and soaring back up against the sky, it did indeed feel like summer is upon us.

Sadly the swallows were too quick for me to get a good photo, so this 

illustration from the RSPB will have to do. 

It was Aristotle who famously said...

'One swallow does not make a summer'

...and by three o'clock, as the dark clouds set in and the rain came tumbling down, I felt a renewed understanding of those wise words. Here in the UK, our weather can be so temperamental that sometimes it does not feel like we have a proper summer at all. 

And then I thought, if we can't always have the sun, what does make summer here?

Oh yes...

...these play a pretty big part!

And so I spent the rest of my afternoon cheerfully potting up a hanging basket of strawberry plants for outside my window. 

As I filled my humble basket with the nutritious soil and watered in my little summer-fruit bearing plants, I smiled thinking that this is exactly what May day is a celebration of: the start of things to come. It marks the beginning of the season which will provide us with food to harvest, in a month or two. 

Or perhaps even sooner, in the case of this little one...

Strawberry plants are pretty versatile and can be grown in all sorts of pots and containers, as long as they have drainage. I was really pleased with my basket which, when I look out of my window, will remind me of the harvests yet to come, both in my garden and in my life.

I can't wait to taste the fruits of my labour soon - hopefully to be enjoyed with a little bit of that elusive sunshine.

3 things

I have been wanting to write this post for a while now and it was the inspirational words of Faerwillow over at ~serendipity~, with her thoughtful 'giveaway' that have provided me with a clear sign to get my thoughts down.

Three is a number which many would say they find magickal or sacred. In physics, we consider our universe to have three spatial dimensions; many Christians consider the Holy Trinity to represent the three aspects of their deity; in Hinduism, the Trimurti - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - represent 'the creator', 'the preserver' and 'the destroyer' of life and creation. Similarly, Bhuddhists look towards the 'three jewels' for guidance, Judaism is filled with symbolic 'threes' including the three sections of the Hebrew Bible.

In Wicca and neo-paganism there is the Triple-Goddess - three representations of the stages of life the Goddess travels through during the year (maiden, mother and crone) - as well as the threefold law of return by which many choose to live.

Much like Faerwillow, I find that much of my life is influenced by this magickal little number and during this Spring season of renewal I have been reminded of a daily ritual I used to perform, particularly while I was studying at university.

During this time I found that so much of my day was taken up with intellectual pursuits and I felt my life was out of balance as a result. Consequently, I took up the practice of setting myself a 'threefold' task each day. I had to make sure, by the end of the day, I could say I had done three things: one to nourish my body, one to improve my mind and one to soothe my soul or spirit.

This is something I wish to take up again now. As so much of my time is focussed upon teaching others, I wanted to ensure I was also continuing to learn, grow and create myself.

And so today, my three will be as follows...

~ a run through the woodland walkways near my parents' home ~

~ watching this week's fantastic Wonders of the Solar System programme ~

~ photographing my rare Snake's Head Lilies in the garden ~

Don't forget to check out Faerwillow's wonderful post and giveaway right here...



Brightest blessings!

Growth

Some of my Spring sown seeds (okay, bulbs) are already beginning to sprout!

A mere couple of weeks ago, I planted a variety of summer flowering bulbs in my big tub outside. As I had some left over, I put a few into small pots which are currently sitting on my kitchen windowsill.

These anemones must be feeling nourished by the cosiness of this little terracotta pot, because they have shot up proudly! Realising that you have nurtured life and growth has come from something you have planted is a real joy and privilege. I'm very excited to see the colourful flowers brightening my kitchen in a few more weeks.

"Old moon fades into the new...

...soon I know I'll be back with you."

With its apt timing - the moon has indeed just turned dark - I thought I would share this lyric from a favourite song of mine, a live version of which you can see here...

Currently finding myself having a short separation from my beloved, this song has embedded itself within my mind as it so often does when I am away travelling. This time it is I who is staying home, waiting for B to 'bend time' and fly back to me.

I hope the new moon brings with it the wonderful opportunities you wish for, my love.

And to everyone else who is out there hoping for change, I am sure you will see your goals realised as the moon burgeons once more. Brightest blessings.