Tag Archives: nature

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We welcome Valentine’s week, not necessarily the unceasing rain, but there is much afoot in the world of love. All life in our wet woodlands is gearing up, and amongst them, the rabbits of our countryside are well into their breeding season.

There is only one rabbit species in England, the European rabbit, introduced into England by the Romans in 43 AD, and most probably kept as pets or food. This population was thought to have died out as they were kept enclosed and unlikely to survive in the wild. The Normans then introduced them for meat and fur, but it was in the fourteenth century that rabbits managed to escape and go AWOL. Rabbits, being rabbits, quickly increased in numbers and formed colonies.

Rabbit numbers have declined in the UK, and rabbits are not a protected animal, although certain cruelty laws still apply. Their symbolism is luck, no surprises there, and also fertility. They are associated with the feminine and also the moon. and represent the transition from winter to spring, and renewal

Last night, many braved the rain again to come to our little church with a big heart in Chawton. We were delighted to welcome Lorraine Francois and Alan Salmon as our guests. What a lovely evening of inspired thoughts by Alan, and messages brought by them both. Thank you so much. It was a lovely night. Our own special Nerina chaired the evening. Thank you, Nerina!!

We thank Lisa for running our music. We thank the readers, the hospitality, Carole, and Sue. We thank our diligent healers and trainees, and also those who help with the set-up and break-down. Everyone makes it light work.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please add to your prayers all those who are dealing with cancer.

Thank you.

Calendar up later

Have a lovely Valentine’s week!

Love is in the air!

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Rain, rain, go away, come back another day! Happy February, everyone! It’s encouraging to see signs that spring is on the way. This little fella, a Palmate newt, is making his journey to a moorland pond to begin the breeding season.

He’s often confused with the Smooth newt, but there are a few differences to look out for: notably the fine filament at the tip of his tail and his webbed back feet. He feeds on worms, slugs, and insect larvae, but he also has to watch out for his own predators. Foxes, badgers, and even grass snakes might all see him as a tasty snack.

This amazing little fella can regrow a limb if need be, and move effortlessly between land and water. His spiritual symbolism is one of transformation, resilience, and gentle magic.

Despite yet another downpour, many braved the weather to make it to Chawton last night. The evening was led by our President, Rob Harvey, and chaired by the ever-humorous Steve Lidgett Williams, whilst Rob offered insight into clairvoyance, explaining both its challenges and how it works from both sides.

Rob brought some messages, after which the Fledglings, supported by the more experienced, took to the floor. Quite a number of messages were delivered, with the newer mediums explaining how they were perceiving the information. It was an evening enjoyed by all.

We also enjoyed beautiful readings and prayers, along with some lovely hymns, followed of course by cake and healing. Our thanks go to the readers and to Carole and Chris for their hospitality and to Julie for our music. We are so glad for the many who make light work of set up and break down as well as wash up.

We are also very grateful to the healers and delighted to see our newer healers training alongside those more experienced. I suspect quite a few people went home to enjoy a very good night’s sleep!

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

How can we not think of the homeless with this endless rain and cold snaps of weather? Please pray for them that resources are coming quickly. May they be seen and included within our communities. We must extend compassion in all possible ways.

Calendar up next.

Have a beautiful week. It is sunny above the clouds!

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Walking through the woodlands this morning, I must admit there wasn’t too much inspiration in a visual sense. No wonder this month inspired the song lyrics ‘January sick and tired you’ve been hanging on me’, and yet my ears had a feast of bird song and then the unmistakable loud drumming of a woodpecker, most probably The Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

None of the birds have a chance to moan about this month, for they are preparing. Finding their mate is of the utmost importance, and the woodpeckers are no different. The drumming is to establish their breeding territories. The Greater Spotted Woodpecker is small with a black and white plumage and a dash of red at the back of the head for the males.

As food is scarce, you may get a treat and see them in your garden. Along with the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and the Green Woodpecker, they are fully fledged native residents in the UK. A woodpecker’s Spiritual symbolism is that of persistence, divine timing, and communication, encouraging us to dig deeper to find inner wisdom. A good example for us as we move through the start of this year.

And what a start to the year we have had. Last night in Chawton, we had another of our own taking the podium, as in the lovely Sarah Dorgan, who shared such meaningful, inspired thoughts, and then went on to bring so many messages. Well done, Sarah. We had a lovely night!! Chris Elliot was our chair, making a great team to lead us through the evening.

We thank the readers also for raising the energy. We thank Lisa for running our music. Carole and Sue, we thank you for the hospitality and cake!! Thank you to our healers who were quite busy last night! And of course, busy hands setting up, breaking down, and washing up. Thank you!

Prayer of the week.

Please pray for the bereaved. Some suffer a very sudden loss, and some experience the loss of a child, which can be especially difficult. Please pray that they can all be lifted into understanding and Peace which can change everything.

Calendar up later.

Remember, the endless rain will give us such a lush springtime.

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In the dank of January, there seems to be very little life around. On my walk through the woodlands, it was quiet, with an occasional squirrel running across the path. However, as I returned to my garden, I saw our ultimate garden birds suddenly dancing in abundance again. Our British Blue Tit, flitting here and flitting there, is with us year-round. We kind of take them for granted. Even in the darkest days, these small ones are close by, and never miss a beat when crumbled suet balls are out on the bird table.

They seem to be happy, energetic souls who gather together. Their plumage is bright with yellow breasts and bright blue on the head, wings, and tail, and a black stripe on their bib. They will already be looking for a place to nest, which is probably why there is sudden activity. Tough times are ahead, as raising the young when they come is no walk in the park, and many fledglings die from starvation. They sing their hearts out, though with their high-pitched song, which is always welcome on some of the more dreary January days.

We sang our hearts out last night in song when we had one of our own, Virginia Gordon, take the podium in Chawton. Virginia brought completely inspired thoughts to give us pause. Thoughts that we could hold onto, and then went on to bring many lovely messages. Thank you so much, Virginia!! We love our Family Nights!! Alison Keogh chaired the proceedings.

We thank Julie for running music, Sue and Carole for hospitality, with a delicious coffee cake for everyone to enjoy. Thank you, of course, to our readers, and prayer people, and our healers standing by afterwards. The ‘washer-uppers ‘ and those who set up and break down are always appreciated, and we thank them.

Prayer of the week.

Please pray for a wave of healing to heal the intense fear in this world. Fear sometimes brings on such bad behaviour in the way of dominance, violence, lack, and depravity. It also destroys our quality of life when we live fearfully and keeps us in the shadows, unable to live fully.

Calendar will be up soon.

Have a beautiful week, and relish the moments. They’re golden.

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The New Year has brought bare trees, and the weather has been quite cold, with only endless rain to follow. If there is a pause, we look for something of colour in our natural landscape. Thank goodness for the evergreens. Some plants are blooming already, though. One in particular gives hope for the birds and animals in way of food during the cold, bleak days. Witch Hazel is in bloom with its spindly petals and either orange, yellow, or red colouring. Her name came from wych, an old English word for bend, as her flexible branches were used as water diviners.

She was imported from America in the 1700s, and appears in our woodlands and gardens blooming from December through to March, and did I mention she is healing? Wych hazel was certainly known during my youth, as she is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and a great antioxidant. Like essential oils, the tonic is extracted by steam distillation of the twigs and leaves. Gardeners love her. She is fragrant and gives us just that burst of colour to lift the spirit when all else is looking grey.

We gathered in Chawton last night for our first in-person gathering of the New Year. We were so glad to welcome Bob Baker!! We had a night of lifted spirits. Bob shared some lovely thoughts and then went on to bring some equally lovely messages. Thank you so much, Bob. What a lovely evening!! Our own Chris Shore chaired the evening proceedings beautifully. Thank you!

We thank those who offered prayers and readings. They always give us pause. Thank you to Lisa for running music. Thank you, Sue and Nerina, for helping with hospitality. Thank you to our healers on hand after the service. And as always, the set-up and breakdown are done diligently every evening we gather. Thank you.

Prayer of the week

Please pray for a calming of all the chaos in this world and a restoration of Peace.

Calendar up later.

Have a beautiful week, and don’t forget the bird seed!!

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Life is not quite like a box of chocolates, but greeting the day, we really don’t know what we are going to get. We have had it all this past week, from rain and snow to beautiful blue skies and sunshine. Mother Nature is keeping us guessing.

Along the woodland path on one of my recent walks, after heavy rain, a robin was singing his heart out as if it were springtime. It definitely was a bright song. Maybe he is confused, also. Robins are with us year-round, and also sing year-round, but we tend to picture them only on snowy ledges near Christmas.

He is territorial, especially through the winter season, guarding his resources. He has become a symbol of spirit visitors, soothing the souls of those in loss. This association stems from the many supernatural experiences people have had regarding robins and their behaviour. He is rather special, so we put a little extra bird food on the table as those days get colder. I promise he will sing you a cheery song.

Jenny Docherty was in the house last night and brought her energy, her laughter, and shared her thoughts with us, and then went on to give some lovely messages. Thank you so much, Jenny. We enjoyed having you!

Steve Lidgett Williams chaired the evening brilliantly, as we heard beautiful prayers and readings and sang some beautiful hymns. Thank you, Julie, for our music. Thank you, Sue, for running hospitality, and thank you to our healers, always standing by.

Prayer of the week

Please pray for all the children in the hospital and especially at this time of year. It is devastating for a child at any time, let alone as we near Christmas.

The calendar will be up soon.

Have a lovely week, everyone!!

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As the rain pours down and the grey skies creep in, nature counteracts the dim skies with the leaves coming into their own right now.  Who needs flowers at this time of the year?  The leaves are truly starting their own festival of colours.

The silver birch is especially striking. This ‘Lady of the Woods’ is a graceful and elegant sighting in our woodlands.  Her triangular shaped leaves turn to a signature yellow gold, and with her silvery white bark she inspires so many faux decorations.

She is a healing lady also, known for her anti-inflammatory, cleansing, and diuretic attributes.  The Native Americans used her bark for wound healing, and also as a painkiller, very similar to willow, which they also used and was marketed, with additions, as aspirin.

Her symbolism is one of protection as well as fertility, and in days long ago birch twigs were given to lovers as some form of encouragement!!. Most importantly in many different ancient cultures, she was known as a clear connection between the physical and the spiritual realms.

Well, that is what we are about every time we gather.  Last night we welcomed the lovely Haylie Fox to Chawton.  Haylie gave us her beautiful energy and such an inspired address, and then went on to bring our lovely messages. Thank you so much, Haylie. We loved having you! Alison Keogh chaired our evening.

We say thanks to the family for their beautiful readings and prayers.  Thank you to Sue for the hospitality, Carole for the cake, and Lisa for running our music.  We thank our wonderful Healers on hand afterwards and everyone who sets up, breaks down, and washes up each and every week!!

Prayer of the week

Please pray for a wave of radical prayer in this world, so that we do not just hope when we ask, but believe with our whole being that what we ask spiritually for others as well as ourselves, has already been received.  Jesus said it first.  May this give us a radical faith and knowing that we can share with others.

Calendar up soon.

So what if it rains…Look at those colours!

Have a beautiful week!

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As we move through autumn and the turning of leaves and absolutely stunning sunsets, I am curious as to why I am getting a sudden influx of chaffinches at my bird table. Usually, the blue tits and a robin are the only smaller birds, but suddenly, chaffinches galore, so there must have been some little ones born in the summer and boldly going to new places.

They are the perfect autumnal bird, as with their colouring, they can blend into the background quite easily, especially when on the ground, until they take flight, that is, when there is a flash of that white on their wings, which could be bad news when the likes of sparrowhawks are around.

Named because they sort through the chaff in search of grain when a farmer harvests his crops, the male is brighter and more gorgeous than the female, but although they do not mate for life, their bonds can last through many breeding seasons. In some folklore, their song is thought to be a song of prophecy, and they are also regarded as messengers from the spirit world.

We had an abundance of messages from the spirit world last night in Chawton. Our dear friend Jeanette Foote was in the house, and we had such a lovely time with so much laughter!! Jeanette gave an address on some of the history of mediumship, reminding us how difficult it was for the pioneers, who were often thought to be witches. So interesting, and then Jeanette worked so hard to bring through as many lovely messages as she was able. Thank you so much, Jeanette!! We loved having you!!

Steve Lidgett Williams chaired our evening, and we know that with Steve, we are always going to have fun. He also read out the names of the prior Presidents of the church, as it was, in fact, our founders’ service. Thanks so much, Steve.

Thanks to our readers! Thanks to Julie for the music. Carole made a cake creation that did not last long, and Sue worked our hospitality. Thank you to our wonderful healers on hand as always, and thank you to those who set up, break down, and wash up afterwards.

Prayer of the week.

We are delighted that there seems to be a ceasefire in Gaza, and Hamas has released the hostages. Thank you for your prayers! Please continue to pray that the way forward is smooth.

Please also pray for all those caught up in natural disasters. How terrifying. Please pray for the victims and their families.

Calendar up next.

Enjoy those sunsets!

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I see the acorns are falling fast and furiously on the woodland floor, especially with the wind and the downpours that have kicked up recently. You know this little mite will not be wasting the opportunity. He is the ultimate hoarder. Grey squirrels are already preparing for the winter months. We could all take note. Acorns, flowers, pine cones, and sometimes even bird eggs are all on the hoarding list as he gathers and finds a secret space for his stash.

The playful young squirrels born in spring and summer, playing up and down the tree trunks with one another, will also face their first cold snap and will have to ‘catch on’ and get organized. Did you know he can also create pretend storehouses and act out burying nuts, so that thieves are kept confused and his winter larder remains full. His symbolism is obviously that of preparedness and resourcefulness. A character loathed and loved, but quite obviously here to stay.

We had such a lovely evening in Chawton last night. Dave Collins visited us and brought along Lorraine Whitfield. We were blessed to have a ‘twofer’ while they worked as a team. Dave gave an inspired address, giving us plenty to think about, and then they both brought the messages and laughter for us. What a lovely evening. Thank you so much!! Our effervescent gal, Sarah Dorgan, chaired the proceedings, so you know it was full of fun and laughter!! Thank you, Sarah!

We thank our Family for the beautiful prayers and readings, and thank Julie for the music. Thank you to Carole for the cake, Nerina, and Chris Shore for the hospitality. Thanks always to our healers and all those setting up, breaking down, and washing up!!

Prayer of the week.

Please pray for more Love in this world. Just throw out the love in whatever way you can, daily. The world so sorely needs it.

Calendar up next.

Have a beautiful week, everyone. Get your woolies out. Summer is over.

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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!!