Hello Friends!

The year’s end!  A new decade stands before us.  I am so excited to start afresh – I really have always felt a symbolic restart with each new year.  I devote some time to making a big cup of herbal tea, sitting with my journal and tarot cards in order to both reflect over the past year and lay out my hopes and feelings about the new.  2019, although is had a lot of good moments and positive learning experiences, presented a lot of challenges.  I’m so looking forward though to take what I’ve learned over the course of the year and putting it into daily action.  The winds are carrying in such a strong energy, I just have so many loose ends to tie up before I feel like I can fully harness it.  Perhaps, so much of my life and work feels like the constant tying of loose ends all while looking so forward to what’s next.  Before long, that too becomes a long, tangled thread.   So, one of my goals is to reduce and simplify my work.

The Yuletide season here has been beautiful.  We’ve been blessed with snows, upon snows.  Jamie and I have been spending the time disconnecting from the internet, seeing friends and travelling to Nova Scotia to see family.  It has been a very special time.  I truly hope that you have been enjoying your holiday season as well.  Spend time with those you love and remember the ones we’ve lost.   Sometimes, it can be hard when we don’t see some of the people that mean so much to us.  One of the reasons why we simply need to just keep looking forward.

The most important and pressing topic that has been ever present in my mind when thinking about the new year is the earth.  This solstice I had a devastating blow.  An old growth tree that I have developed a very deep relationship with has fallen.  The tree was hundreds of years old, stood by the river and was so out of the way which is why I think it was able to live to a ripe old age.  The center of the massive maple was hollow and I would regularly stand in it to meditate.   I called it “The Fairy Tree.”  This tree had such a strong emanating energy.  During my time with it, I saw deer, coyote and bald eagles.  I loved it dearly and always had a strong feeling that it would fall during my life time.  As we were walking down to it last week, I heard this strong message “Don’t be sad.”  As we walked along the freezing river, I saw it – on its side, ready to gently go back into the earth.  I decided against photographing, it didn’t feel right.

I spend so much time meditating with this tree.  Normally, I would meditate and hear clearly pressing matters about the earth.  How important it was for us to take our place as guardians and companions with the soil, trees, animals and plants.  The earth is not well.  All we need to do is stand outside and look at our paved cities.  In my case, I see the destruction of modern agriculture.  The poor eroding soils so that we can grow hundreds of acres of wheat or soy.  Most of which is sprayed with Petro chemicals only to seep back into our water ways.  Because the land has been pillaged of the old growth forest, the wind whips across much of the land, taking with it precious top soil.  When we look out and see the massive destruction, it may seem like there is so little that we can do, but that’s not true!!  I truly believe that we can have a huge impact if we first, change our mindset.  It starts with acknowledging that we are part of this earth.

Tea in the woods! Merlin keeping guard

Birch Socks – Christmas gift from my mom

So, my intention for the spring is to work and work on our small gardens.  To mulch the desirable plants and trees.  To encourage the growth and in doing so, expand our connection to the earth.  This year, I worked especially on one small garden in our yard (also titled The Fairy Garden, I have a one track mind).  It’s full of moss, foxgloves, lilac, sedum, daisies, clover, strawberries, lavender and lupins.  Many of the plants were transplanted from ditches (The province sends out ditch cutters – literally people on machines who cut all of the plants in the ditch destroying so many beneficial wildflowers for insects.  I think the intention might be to stop the spread of ragwort which is poisonous to horses because I have no idea why else they would do this – my blood boils at the thought that it’s to “clean up”).  With rocks and moss, a buddha and gnome, I love this small garden very much.  This year, I’ll share a blog post about it 🙂  I think sometimes we are intimidated by the idea of gardening but as with most things, you can literally do whatever you want (just like knitting, art, music – you don’t need to be a prodigy or have special training to do any of these things, let’s start taking down the gatekeeping!).  You don’t have to buy fancy equipment, have a design plan, and spend way too much money on plants.  All you need is a shovel and spade.  If you know people with gardens, you can always ask about plants – most people I know who like gardening are the sharing types.  I LOVE when someone I know shows interest in plants.  My Mom and I are often exchanging plants regularly.  The types of plants that can easily be shared are perennials (the roots survive each winter and grow back in the spring, often spreading).  If you don’t have a plot of land, in cities and towns you can see about getting an allotment garden or balcony/patio gardening.

When I started writing about the fall of the fairy tree.. I felt sad and then angry, but just writing and reflecting on the growth and development of my small garden literally washed away all of those feelings.   This is one of the reasons why I think we can make an impact and it all starts with our frame of mind.

And so!  I’m going to go and join the day.  I’ve been sitting in the basement with the fire and drinking tea with the cats, meow.   I updated the shop and will spend the rest of the evening disconnected, reading and knitting!

I wish you all a very prosperous and happy new year!  On Tuesday, I’ll go out for a nighttime moonlit walk, drink some wine and make a list of all I’m grateful for.  Thanks so much for joining me here today ❤

Happy New Year!

Nina Simone for the new year ❤ one of the shortest most powerful songs, let’s keep this mentality for the year 😀