Hedgerow Ramblings // Which season is it?!

Mild it has been here over the past month - so mild that the bulbs have been fooled into thinking Spring is here. 

Poor, delicate, brave little daffodils have begun to open, offering a welcome flash of bright colour and the promise of what is round the corner. Sadly, yesterday's frosts brought a reminder that Mother Nature will always have the last word and they drooped wearily as the temperature fell below freezing. 

We - along with the bulbs - are perching nervously on the cusp of the seasons: some days it definitely feels like Spring, but we are yet to leap clear of Winter.

Enjoy the bright crispness of this balance between the two. 

Merry Christmas - Seasons Greetings

To those of you who have already celebrated it - belated Yule blessings.

To those of you who are celebrating Christmas tonight and tomorrow, may it be filled with joy.

And to anyone else out there reading this - I hope the last week in December is cheerful, and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year. 

Love and light,

Hearthwitch. xx

Wheel of the Year // A Shining Light

A very belated post this be...

To everyone reading, I wish you a very happy New Year and hope that it will be filled with love, light and laughter. 

To those of you who celebrated Christmas, I hope it was a wonderful time, enjoyed with loved ones; and for those of you who celebrated Yule, I can only hope you were as lucky as I, to share it with such generous, warm-hearted and like-minded people - in spirit, if not in physical presence. 

This Yule I took part in the lovely Faerwillow's 'Celebrate the Season Swap' over at ~serendipity~

I sent out some seasonal crafts and in return received some absolutely beautiful Yuletide treats.

From Faerwillow herself a box of goodies came...

 ...filled to the brim with beautifully packaged parcels, decorative ornaments and lovingly hand-made tools of the craft. What an absolute joy. In a time of darkness, this was truly a shining light. Many 'thank you's, my generous friend. 

I also received a second parcel from the incredibly talented Theresa over at Faerie Moon Creations who had sent me two beautiful ornaments reflecting the natural world. This lovely bauble was hand-made by Theresa and I think its delicate beauty is too lovely to save for Christmas trees - it will hang from my mantelpiece all year round. Thank you, Theresa. 

And thank you to all who have followed this blog over the past year...I can't quite believe almost a full circle has turned since my very first post. Such a lot has changed and yet, in some respects, it seems to have gone in a wink.

I have been having a jolly good think about what I can do to celebrate my first 'blogiversary' and I am in the process of cooking up some sort of giveaway, so pop back over the next week for news about that.

Blessings.

Wheel of the Year // Hibernation

Image courtesy of 'Garden of Babylon'

The more I think about it, the more it seems like a blooming good idea.

Hearth and Home // Faerie Lanterns

I have been wanting to do this for ages.

The necessary items were gathered together - an empty jar, a small amount of salt, some strong wire, hedgerow berries and leaves and a pair of scissors. 

Wire was wrapped and looped tightly around the jar, providing a sturdy handle from which to hang the faerie lantern.

Salt was sprinkled in to the bottom of the jar, providing a layer of sparkly 'snow'. 

Twined around the handle, ivy and hawthorn berries bring Nature's Yule offerings and the colours of the season. 

A candle was lit and the lantern is bringing light and cheer to my living room.

I loved making this! So simple yet it brings together my favourite aspects of the season; the berry red and evergreen plants from outside and the flickering light of a candle.

Blessings.

Winter Solstice Seasonal Swap

Beautiful, thoughtful Faerwillow over at To Fall or Stumble Upon has set up another exciting Seasonal Swap!

For those creative, artistic ones amongst us, what a wonderful way to share your handicrafts; for everyone else, a chance to reach out and greet another like-minded spirit. 

Nene Thomas - Queen of Owls

Look no further for an enchanting way to celebrate this most magickal of seasons with friends. Take a peek into Faerwillow's wintry wonderland here. 

Catching my breath

It’s hard to believe that a mere week ago my wanderings offered views like this...

The past few days have been damp, grey and misty; a dull contrast to last week’s crisp white blanket. Thank goodness I have these photos to remind me that, for a short while, the world around me looked serene; perfectly quiet and still.

Although I often find winter hard and resisting the temptation to hibernate is a daily challenge, for those few snowy days I felt far happier. Perhaps it is because the whiteness tricks us into believing we are getting some of the light we miss during the dark months.

Perhaps it is because for a fleeting moment it feels like we have been given a clean slate.

I think what I enjoyed most was that it seemed as though the world had stopped. Cars weren’t driving down my lane; people weren’t rushing about; I could stand perfectly still and take the time to look around me. And what a beautiful sight that was.