Tag Archives: gardening

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If you are walking in woodlands around these parts, especially in this early spring, and you spy the unmistakable sight of yellow primroses growing in little bunches, you may well be in ancient woodland, particularly if that woodland also hosts bluebells and wild garlic.

These beautiful, delicate flowers provide essential nectar for early butterflies such as the brimstone and the tortoiseshell. Primroses have also naturally created hybrids over time, and along with many cultivated varieties, their colours can range from soft pale yellow to a rainbow of colours. They are also known for their gentle healing properties, often described as mildly sedative.

Both the flowers and leaves are edible, though be careful to correctly identify primrose and not confuse it with evening primrose, which is a completely different plant!

Symbolically, the primrose represents eternal love and emotional healing. In Irish folklore, it was planted by doorways to keep fairies at bay, as these mischievous beings were thought to steal the milk and butter. The primrose was thought to help guard the home from their trickery.

What a weekend we have had. On Saturday, Rob spoke on healing, took questions, gave demonstrations, and offered healing to all who wished to receive it.

On Sunday, despite a cancellation, we had a wonderful evening, as Steve Lidgett Williams chaired, and our own Chris Elliot served as medium, giving a beautiful address and delivering messages, assisted by Virginia Gordon. Steve also contributed with a few readings himself making it a lovely night for everyone.

Thank you to our music team, our hospitality team, and all those who gave prayers and readings. A special thank you as well to our wonderful healers, always on hand after the service.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please take a moment to pray for peace, peace everywhere, and especially in the many hotspots across our world. May God bless and protect those on the ground who are helping others in such desperate times of need.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Have a beautiful week and enjoy this early springtime!

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The beautiful Magnolia trees are coming into bloom. There is a stunning example just around the corner from me. They are ornamental trees; they were first brought to England in 1687 by John Banister for Fulham Palace, and in the 18th and 19th centuries, more varieties were introduced from China and the Himalayas.

These early spring bloomers really help with pollination, even though they’re not as nectar-rich as some blossoms. Arriving on the spring scene early, they help those bees take their fill. They are thought to be living fossils as there is evidence that they existed some 95 million years ago, although not in their current form.

Their petals are tough and are actually two in one, for what would usually be the green part of the bloom, and the petals are identical. Those tough petals help with the rough behaviour of those beetles, who like her, and are also the quieter pollinators of the springtime.

Their Spiritual symbolism is vast. Including purity, perseverance, and everlasting connections.

We are well aware of our everlasting connections when we gather, feeling those in spirit join us in such numbers. On Sunday, Helen Atkins came to visit on Mother’s Day at our Divine Service and gathering. Helen brought some lovely, inspired thoughts for us to ponder, and then went on to bring some lovely messages for the family. Thank you so much, Helen!! Our lovely Nerina chaired our evening beautifully, and we had such lovely readings and prayers from the family. We were also in good voice, which we were thankful for, as we did not have our hymnal, but that did not stop us from singing our hearts out. Thank you, Julie, for timing us for our healing silence, and Barbara, for making sure we were on pitch.

Of course, we were spoilt with two cakes, which went very quickly. Thank you, Carole and Sue.

And thank you to our healers and trainees on hand after the service. Thank you for all the set up, break down and washing up.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please continue to pray for understanding in this world, but also tolerance, especially from World Leaders right now in all the situations that continue to erupt.

Have a beautiful week. It should get warmer in these parts. We can’t wait!!

Happy St Patricks Day!!

Beannacht De’ leat!

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We are moving through the season of Lent, an introspective time to not only be aware of the journey of Jesus of Nazareth, but also to ponder our own Spiritual journey so far. At this time, we have been blessed with days without rain and some sunshine, along with our evenings getting so much lighter, and the skies sometimes so clear we can enjoy a starlit evening sky complete with a crescent moon.

Life in the natural world is all a twitter with the birds, and now we have the brilliant cheeriness of the daffodils coming into bloom. These happy, sunshine-yellow flowers are a sure sign that springtime is around the corner. There are thousands of varieties worldwide, and evidence suggests that daffodils existed as far back as 300 BC. Originally, they came from Europe, Africa, and Asia. However, one daffodil that grows wild is native to the UK. These wild daffodils are also known as the Lent Lily, appearing during our season of Lent. It is not surprising that they have been adopted as the national flower of Wales, for they are a symbol of hope, renewal, and rebirth, and we all know that a ‘host of golden daffodils’ most definitely lifts our spirits high.

We gathered last night in Chawton to enjoy Irene Hall and Em Dowsing, who came to visit. Irene shared some lovely, inspired thoughts, and then they both gave lovely messages for the family. Thank you so much, ladies!! Our own Chris Shore chaired our evening beautifully. Thank you to our prayer people, our music team, our hospitality, as well as all those who set up, break down, and wash up. As always, a special thank you to our healers and those learning.

Prayer of the week.

Please pray for Mother Earth. We need to protect her and our physical home. She has provided everything we need. We must make sure humankind does not destroy her resources and her beauty.

Calendar up next.

Listen to the birdsong.

Have a lovely week!

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As the season already starts to turn, we see the stunning mauve heather adorn our common lands. The ferns begin to shift to their signature autumnal rust colour, and other plants are starting to move through their own changes. The sunny St. John’s Wort has been in bloom since June and will soon be showing us red berries, which beckon wildlife to snack, but humans should refrain from eating, as there can be quite adverse effects.

The petals of St John’s Wort have long been used for homeopathic remedies, notably for skin problems, but especially for lifting the mood and chasing those blues away. Native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, he has quite a history. He is named so because of the time of year he blooms, around the time of the summer solstice and the Feast of St John. His sap is red and is connected to the blood shed by St John, confirming his Christian ties. Wort is just an old English name for this plant who has spiritual symbolism of protection against negative energies, bringing healing and a connection to Divine Light, and we always like that.

Last night in Chawton, we rode high on that Light when Vanessa Smallwood came to visit. It was Vanessa’s first time with us, and we loved having her. What a night!! A fascinating address, concerning her path to Platform and Mediumship and then wonderful, sometimes hysterical messages, from those in spirit. Our sides were splitting. When we say our loved ones retain their sense of humour and who they are, we mean it!! There was a lot of laughter on both sides of the veil last night. Thank you so much, Vanessa! Li’l Chris, our own Christine Elliot, chaired the evening beautifully. Thank you so much, ladies!!

We thank our family for the beautiful readings, prayers, and hymns sung to lift the energies. We thank Julie for music, Sue for hospitality, our healers standing by after the service, and, as always, those who set up, break down, and wash up!!

Prayer of the week

Please pray for the animals in this world. From pets to wildlife and every other creature in between, in their different circumstances. There is so much ignorance and abuse of those others that share this world with us. From wars to famine to wildfires, the animals struggle, too.

Calendar up next.

Get your brolly out, and have a beautiful week!!

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I am happy to see my Lavender planter perking up again after blooming in June and then getting frazzled by the intense sun we experienced.  Lavender is actually part of the mint family and her healing properties stretch from an anti-inflammatory, and relaxation aid to a soothing balm for minor burns (when correctly distilled and without solvents)

The pollinators love her. ‘The Bumbles’ especially. She loves sun and is native to the Mediterranean regions, but is much loved everywhere for her colour, healing properties, and that very distinct scent and lure for her pollinators. Our own Queen Victoria actually insisted on lavender-based polish.  She also drank her tea infused with lavender, believing it aided her digestion.

If you are in this neck of the woods, The Lavender Fields in Alton are in full swing, where you can enjoy the beautiful fields and buy just about anything lavender.

https://www.thelavenderfields.co.uk/

Her spiritual symbolism is serenity, calmness, and purity.  

Well, I don’t know how calm we were last night in Chawton.  There is always a lot of laughter, especially with Steve.  Steve Lidgett Williams stood in last night as Pink Sarah was unwell.  Steve shared a very thoughtful address and then went on to bring our lovely messages.  Well done and thank you, Steve!!  We had a lovely evening, chaired by our gal Sarah Dorgan with readings and prayers from the family to lift the vibration with healing to follow, as always.

Carole turned out another cake that looked divine, and Sue had hospitality covered. Thank you, Julie, for our music, and all those who set up and break down each week.  

Prayer of the week

PLEASE PRAY FOR GAZA!!  Channels for aid are being opened.  They are desperate.  Please pray for supplies to get through and true Peace to come!!.

Calendar up next.

Savour the moment.  It’s just an experience.

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One week into official summertime, and all of summer is in full swing. The temperatures have been sizzling, and we cannot complain. Even the marsh frogs are trying to cool off in their ponds. He is not native to the UK but was introduced during the 1930s to the Walland Marsh in Kent, and has become very established within the South East. Larger than most frogs, he can be very acrobatic and also very shy and hard to spot, being wary of humans. He is active day and night, and very vocal with his loud laughing call, but will stop immediately with movement nearby that he considers threatening. He is associated with healing and wisdom.

Well, he and his pals quietened down very quickly on Saturday in their pond at ‘Eden’, as we began to gather for our annual Garden Party. Usually, we pray for good weather and no rain, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky as we sheltered from the sun. It was a glorious afternoon of laughter and chatter as some hard-working souls ran back and forth with tea, Pimms, sandwiches, scones, and more, and we sat enjoying each other and the beautiful garden. The annual fun auction was also a great success!. Thanks to Rob and Sue, Chris Shore, Chris Elliot, and Carole, amongst others, who made the afternoon so lovely for everyone!

We then rolled into Sunday, enjoying Eve Cowell, our visiting medium at our evening gathering, and we had a lovely time!! Thank you so much, Eve, for your thoughts and bringing such lovely messages for us!! Thank you to the family for our readings and prayers. Thank you, hospitality, music team, and of course, our healers. And we never forget the set-up and break-down each week!!

Thank you, Everyone. Just a wonderful weekend all around.

Calendar up next.

Have a beautiful week!!

Hydrate and don’t forget the animals and plants!!

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With the glorious weather we have been enjoying again in these parts, the vibration and buzz of a familiar critter is felt all around. The Garden Honey Bee is out and about and as busy as ever. There are 270 species of bumble bee and he is just one of them! At this time he is probably a worker getting ready for the drones or males. He is also pretty non aggressive unless provoked and just gets on with his life, gathering nectar and pollen. And he doesn’t lose his life when he stings, as he has a smooth stinger unlike Honey Bees. His appearance does not appear so menacing to human eyes and so his likeability factor is high. How on earth does this fuzz bomb actually fly? He is certainly not designed for it. NASA even has a picture of a bumble bee displayed, reminding that aerodynamically it should be impossible for him to fly and yet he does, reminding us all to think outside the box and expand our minds!

Well we certainly did that last night as Dr Adrian Cobb came to visit. He gave us such an interesting address concerning Life after Death and NDE’s. He also went on to bring some lovely messages for some. Thank you so much. We so enjoyed having you! Alison Keogh chaired the proceedings, as we enjoyed lovely prayers and readings from the family. Julie and Lisa took charge of music. Thank you Sue on hospitality, and another Carole cake creation. Thank you to our healers on hand afterwards and the set up and breakdown help.

Prayer of the week.

Please petition in prayer for Ukraine and Russia, so that cease fire can become peace finally. Please pray also for Gaza and Israel, that there can be supplies coming in to Gaza to feed starving people, and that the hostage situation comes to an end, and people can have peace and closure.

Calendar up tomorrow.

A little rain didn’t hurt anyone. Sunny skies are forecast for the rest of week!!

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April showers bring May flowers! Well I don’t know about showers but we had a few downpours breaking this glorious spring weather, but I see the sky is blue with fluffy clouds this morning. April is known to be unpredictable, and so we cannot delude ourselves to the fact anything can and does happen in April. Most of the old sayings stem from farmers in those older days trying to predict the weather concerning their crops and animals Weather lore is littered with these sayings- ‘The louder the frog, the more the rain.’ ‘If the oak is out before the ash , then we are in for a splash, but if the ash is out before the oak, we are in for a soak.’ Mr Shackleton reminded as we set off to church ‘Never cast a clout till May is out.’ That means don’t discard all your ‘woolies’ just yet until the May flower blooms. Now that’s wisdom!

We had wisdom and plenty of laughter last evening as we had Jenny Docherty to visit with us again. Jenny gave an inspired address and brought beautiful messages for us. Thank you so much Jenny!! What a lovely night! Steve chaired the evening beautifully for us. We started our Easter week as it was Palm Sunday yesterday. We thank those who said prayers and gave readings. We thank the Julie and Lisa team on music. Carole and her smorgasbord of baked goods, our hospitality, our healers, and all those who set up and break down each week.

Prayer of the week

Please pray for our leaders, that they would receive guidance and act in the interests of all those they lead.

Calendar up next.

‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing’

Alfred Wainwright.

Have a beautiful week!