Tag Archives: nature

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A foggy morning earlier today, but still with a glow of autumn sunlight that cheered the soul on a decidedly chilly day.

The recent downpours have created the dampness we know so well, but don’t love quite so well! And the magical fungi are making their appearance in our woodlands.

There is no end of bracket fungus, and one type, ‘Chicken of the Woods,’ is growing out of tree trunks like plates, as if there’s no tomorrow! Their bright, light orangey colour is just perfect for the seasonal feel, but they can be parasites when growing on living trees.

Unlike us, fungi love the damp, as moisture is essential for their growth and reproduction. She gets her name from a reputation as an edible fungus, with a texture and taste often compared to chicken. BUT I wouldn’t get adventurous unless I was absolutely certain of her identification and knew she was safe to eat. Deer love this fungus, as do slugs, snails, and beetles. Well, enjoy, everyone! I’ll take a pass, thank you very much! Some things are best left!

*Spiritually, fungi can signify resilience and transformation, and breaking through constriction.

The sky is a brilliant blue again, and I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop! We have been so fortunate with our weather, but now we are in mid-October, and the chilliness is just now beginning to set in.

Last night, after all the downpours and damp, Sarah McLaughlan came to visit us in Chawton. What a lovely evening! Sarah shared her beautiful thoughts, reminding us that children are the future and represent the innocence needed in this world. She then shared some truly amazing clairvoyance! Thank you so much, Sarah! Alison Keogh chaired our evening.

We sang Happy Birthday to Carole and were in fine voice. Of course, Carole had made a delicious chocolate cake for us! Thank you to all our hospitality gals. Thank you to our readers and healers, as well as everyone who helps set up and breaks down at the end of the evening.

Oh, and the poppies are back, and are now available for a small donation!

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for those suffering from starvation in our world.

It is unfathomable that hunger and starvation still exist because of political unrest, extreme climate and social factors. There IS enough food in the world to feed all.

Have a beautiful week, everyone!

Layer up!

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Well, the temperatures are certainly changing, with a chill in the air early in the morning and again in the early evening. The darker evenings have already crept in, and I see the ‘Big Birds’ are arriving again at the bird table after not being seen for dust during the summer! The usual suspects are Mr wood pigeon, the magpies and the jackdaws, all making their presence known once more.

I have also been shooing a few scuttling hedgehogs out of the residential roads. And boy can they run fast for such prickly little hogs! They are busy getting themselves ready for The Big Sleep. All this whilst those leaves are turning from green ever so slowly, so it looks as though the autumn colours will arrive in earnest a little later this year.

On a clear, crisp night, without a cloud in sight, the constellations stand out as clearly as can be against the nights sky. It has, of course, become time for hot drinks, soup and comfort, and I am certainly not complaining!

All seasons have their own unique magic, and this autumnal time is no exception.

We had a busy weekend, as Saturday evening, Rob gave a talk in Chawton on Ghosts and Spirit Attachments and then took many questions. It was a very good night!

Gillian Blaise came to visit Sunday night in Chawton. The energy was just beautiful as Gillian shared such lovely thoughts and brought some truly beautiful messages. Thank you so much!! The calm, cool and collected Chris Shore kept us in order as our chair. Thank you Chris.

Always thanks due to the family for their readings and prayers. Chris had also made cake which was enjoyed by all. Healing followed the service. Thank you. Thanks to all, as always, for set up and break down of our gathering!

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for World Peace!

It’s going to be a beautiful week….

Whether the weather be fine,

Or whether the weather be not,

Whether the weather be cold,

Or whether the weather be hot,

We’ll weather the weather

Whatever the weather,

Whether we like it or not!

Anon

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I never cease to be amazed by the number and kinds of different berries within our woodlands. The birds are certainly doing well, what with our bird tables and so much variety in the natural world.

The Guelder Rose berries are a bright, bright red and almost look like shiny sweets hanging on those branches. I didn’t actually know what they were. They are also called European cranberries and can be used in jams and preserves after being cooked, although they are slightly toxic when too much is eaten raw.

Described as a native UK superfruit, she likes damp woodlands and old hedgerows. The clusters of white flowers she produces in May and June to lure pollinators are long gone, and now her berries provide sustenance not only for birds but smaller woodland mammals too.

As we progress through the Autumn season, those leaves will turn a vivid red. She is also considered healing, and her bark has traditionally been used to ease all kinds of muscle cramps. Her presence in a woodland can also denote an ancient site where there has been tree cover for a very long time.

She is a national symbol in Ukraine, representing fertility and protection, and across Slavic traditions she has a strong spiritual significance. Here at home in the UK, her spiritual significance is linked to protection from malevolence.

Beware if you are feeling ambitious with her preparation, though. Before cooking, those crushed berries smell like nothing short of stinky socks! You have been warned!

We had our In-House Evening last night, led by Rob Harvey, who spoke about just how close spirit can get. He also gave a demonstration with the healers to show how close spirit can get during healing, with feedback from both healers and healees. Thank you, Rob. It was very insightful!

We also acknowledged World Animal Day, or the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, and it was the traditional day for our Harvest Festival. Lovely Sarah Dorgan was in the Chair this week and kept us in line. Thank you both!!

Thanks to our family for the beautiful readings and prayers also. We thank our hospitality, Sue, and our music team, Julie and Lisa. We thank our healers and all those who work away to set up the evening and put everything away afterwards.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for the animals of this world. Their burden is great in so many ways, and some more than others. May we open our hearts to the plight of these others on this planet.

The darkness is creeping into our mornings and evenings, but with a good cup of coffee, we can still seize the day.

Have a beautiful week!

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Living on the edge of woodlands, I am treated, on a regular basis, to rare sights that perhaps a garden with a more suburban backdrop might not enjoy. The birds that visit me don’t come because of a fantastical bird table, or gourmet treats (for mine is a simple table within a dead Camellia tree, and some suet crumbles that seem to suffice,) but simply because of location, location, location! My glasses, alongside my coffee, are needed to be sure of exactly who does turn up at the 7 o’clock hour.

Hawfinches are very rare to see, and although I was unable to get a picture, I do know that it is absolutely possible to spot them near woodlands. He has an unmistakable large beak for his size, a very handy tool for crushing cherry stones and tree seeds. He is the largest finch in the UK, but sadly he is Red-listed, meaning that he is becoming increasingly rare, probably because of the loss of his habitat.

They are very shy birds, preferring to keep high in the canopy of trees, and their numbers increase slightly in winter as their European cousins arrive, giving us a better chance of seeing them.

His symbolism is often linked to that wonderfully powerful beak. In old England, he was known by names such as ‘Cherry Chopper ‘ for his ability to break open those hard cherry stones with ease. That strength of jaw and beak has come to represent inner strength and breakthroughs, a reminder that maybe we do have the ability to crack open what seem to be the impossible problems and reach the truth hidden within.

He’s also something of a mystery, usually unseen amongst the trees, with a simple, sharp call and an almost ghostly presence. I will choose to believe I did see him, face whatever obstacles arrive in my day with a little more strength, and a determined confidence.

Last night in Chawton, we welcomed Lorraine Francois and Catherine Whitbread. Between them, they shared a beautiful, thoughtful address and brought our lovely messages. Thank you so much, Ladies!! A lovely evening. Our own lovely Chris Elliot chaired the evening beautifully. We always thank our family for their readings and prayers, as well as our Music Team, with Julie running the music last night. Thank you for the yummy cake, Carole, and thank you to Sue for hospitality.

We are ever grateful for our diligent healers, ever ready after the service, as well as everyone who not only sets up but also breaks down the evening, and makes it quick, light work.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK.

Please pray for our Natural World. This earth and her inhabitants are going through it. With so many natural disasters occurring, as well as our interference with the ways of nature, we must remember that all of creation is affected, not just us.

Calendar up later.

Have a beautiful week.

Pause and enjoy the change of seasons.

Picture credit: Gary Jones Wildlife Photography

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The end of Summer has come and gone as we tread though the early part of September. I spied Christmas lights up in the area. Good heavens. Let’s just skip Autumn entirely and get straight to it. No!! People are ever interesting aren’t they! How can we skip the new season as it unfolds?

My sister spotted a Red Kite yesterday, not just circling high on the thermals as they do but swooping down on a residential road, obviously with something specific in mind. No one was the victim this time, but as a bird of prey, although not as strong as the others in these lands, small mammals and birds seem to have a sense when they are around, and of course the tell tale meowing call can give them away, and all usually goes quiet, until the danger passes.

Rural areas give much opportunity for these opportunistic hunters, but they will rely heavily on any available carrion meal. They are very visible in autumn for the season brings changes that they must adapt to and they usually gather in larger numbers and so roost communally in woodlands and forests to share information especially concerning food. The young kites will be on their own and getting out there in survival mode also.

Unlike some of the other birds of prey, he is not only the scavenger, and the acrobat, but the absolute thief, stealing whatever he needs, when he needs it.. where possible. In medieval London these kites were known as laundry thieves, as they regularly stole hanging knickers from clotheslines to help build their nests!! Be warned!

He is the epitome of working with what he’s got, and does not waste his energy. Look up on a clear day during the change of the season. He is easy to spot with his forked tail circling high above in those crisp autumn skies. It’s always worth a moment.

Yesterday was our beautiful Healing Service in Chawton, led by Rob Harvey. There were beautiful prayers and readings to set the tone for the beautiful healing that took place during the service. Thank you to our dedicated healers, and all those who offered the readings and prayers.

Thank you to our Music Team running the music, Our Hospitality girls, and for all the set up and break down. We also had a little extra time to visit with each other whilst sipping our teas and coffees.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for Peace in this world. It is so needed with all the violence, the wars and greed that exist

Embrace the day whatever it looks like, or whatever it brings.

It’s a gift.

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Well, the rain dancing worked!

We have been treated to everything from short, sharp bursts of rain to long, thunderous showers. I think I can even feel the relief of my garden fauna as, finally, they get hydrated with water from above rather than my dirty dishwater!

The back and forth of sunshine-filled days and cooler, Autumn-like mornings is now quite obvious, and these rains have brought out snails in mass abundance, almost like an end-of-summer party. Glad of the rainwater to clean off their dry shells, they are now able to travel along smoother, wetter paths, seeking out food and breeding opportunities. They can lay their eggs in the moist soil and fill up on sustenance before the cooler seasons begin in earnest.

The humble garden snail. What a fascinating creature.

These little molluscs are hermaphrodites, meaning they possess both male and female reproductive organs, quite an evolutionary leap! When two snails mate, both may go on to lay eggs!

We have so many jokes about their speed: snail mail, moving at a snail’s pace. And yet, in their world, it simply works!

They carry their heavy shells wherever they go, providing protection for their soft bodies, and that ‘delightful’ tell-tale silvery slime they leave behind serves many purposes. It helps them move, retain moisture and navigate their little world, but producing it comes with a high energy cost.

And so, as you return home on a wetter day, tread carefully along your path. Somewhere beneath your feet, a humble little snail is probably travelling from A to B, and it may take a while…He/she is in no rush. And perhaps, as we watch these creatures move through our damp gardens, we might take a moment to slow down ourselves. What a thought! We protest and insist that the world calls us here and there.. but may we remember, whatever we are travelling to…Home has always been right where we are, at this moment.

And I am sure The Family felt ‘home’ as usual last night in Chawton. Unfortunately Vanessa Smallwood was unable to be with us, but our own Steve answered the phone on a Sunday, and so he was the appointed one!

Steve did such a great job bringing a lovely address about St Francis of Assisi. I think we all learnt a few things, and we know our family is packed with animal lovers, and then Steve went on to bring many messages. Thanks so much Steve for giving us such a good night. Our evening was chaired by Alison. Thank you.

There were beautiful prayers and readings from the family. Cake with cherries. Thank you Carole! We are indeed spoilt. And then good conversation, washing it all down with not just tea and coffee, but with healing to give us a good night’s sleep. Thank you also Julie for running our music. Thank you all for the set up and breakdown of the evening.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for Nepal and the horrific flooding. So much devastation and loss of not just human life, but animal life also. Please let us pray that aid can increase, and that healing is in sight.

Have a beautiful week! More sun is scheduled apparently, but we know that Autumn is now just around the corner…

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And still no rain.

This is quite unbelievable, and now we are beginning to suffer some of the same ills as countries we have watched for years, beset by early drought and wildfires, which seem to be coming closer and closer to home.

The impact of no rain really has an effect when you start to notice what is happening in the natural world. I have had a beautiful Kingfisher at my bird table, shy but determined, which I have never encountered before. Perhaps the pickings are becoming much slimmer along the small river behind me.

As the beautiful green fields of rural UK start to look more like hayfields, we have to hope that everyone is being responsible, for dry brush can ignite in an instant, and embers can carry for miles. The balance of sun and rain is the balance of life in a physical world, along with fresh air to breathe and firm terrain beneath our feet.

The sun’s fierce rays may have given us the season we have long hoped for, but we are well due for a massive thunderstorm to clear the air and water the thirsty earth once more.

So, sun worshippers, enjoy, but for those who know a rain prayer/ dance or two, sooner would definitely be better than later!

We enjoyed a lovely evening last night as our good friend Sarah Norris came to visit. Sarah’s passion and enthusiasm filled the room as she shared inspired thoughts and brought us some lovely messages. Thank you so much, Sarah!

Our wonderful Sarah Dorgan chaired the evening beautifully. Thank you, Sarah two!

We thank our readers and prayer people. We thank Sue and Carole, and the cake, for their hospitality. We thank Julie for running our music. And all set up and breakdown is done is very smooth fashion. And of course we thank our healers standing by week after week to assist when neccesary. Thank you All.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please, in light of these temperatures and the fire outbreaks, pray for those in harm’s way of fire everywhere. All life suffers.

Calendar up later.

Have a beautiful week.

Start dancing!

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It is good fortune indeed to be able to walk through nature and encounter our own private canvas in every way. Not only through the visuals, but through the scents, the sounds, and the ‘feels’ of the flora and fauna.

It has been so for people throughout the ages. It is, quite simply, just what the doctor ordered, a tonic for the soul.

The shift in perspective that nature offers has so often brought humankind’s sometimes crazed lives back into balance with gentleness. It is no wonder that some who scoff at a spiritual life can still embrace nature instead. Perhaps it is because, without all the distractions, the demands of ego, hidden agendas, endless to-do lists, and relentless deadlines, we are finally free to encounter the Great Spirit revealed in the natural world, unfettered by us.

Today I finally found Granny Pop out of beds, in wild abundance not far from the river, amongst so many other wildflowers, all competing for space, and yet there seemed to be room for them all.

It’s always the small things, isn’t it?

What a lovely evening yesterday in Chawton.

After yet another beautiful day, we gathered together. Our L’il Chris chaired for us beautifully, and Rob Harvey shared some of his experiences of clairvoyance, including the removal of ghosts, and how it all sometimes comes together. Fascinating.

Then Rob, together with our House Mediums and Fledglings, brought messages while teaching and explaining the process. 

 We even spied a deer through the open door walking calmly down Winchester road in the early evening.

Thanks to everyone. Beautiful prayers and readings from the family, another divine cake from Carole, music run by Julie, and special thanks to our wonderful hospitality gals.

Thank you also to everyone who helped with the set-up and break-down afterwards, and thank you to our dedicated healers, for standing by.

Prayer of the Week

Please pray for those trapped in wildfires around the world—humankind and animals alike. So many suffer. The flora and fauna are devastated too, and let us remember that many of the smallest creatures cannot outrun the flames.

Calendar up later.

“Live life as if everything is rigged in your favour.” — Rumi

Have a beautiful week!

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We are marching steadily towards August, and we have had a little break in the temperatures. It is still warm, but there are cooler mornings and evenings, and a welcome cooler breeze sometimes during the day. It feels like we have been spoiling for a massive thunderstorm in these parts, and we did have a little rain yesterday.

Speaking of the coming thunderstorms, the coming Thunder Moon, or Buck Moon, was clear and luminous in the sky as we drove back from church last night. It was a few days prior to full, but still absolutely beautiful in the heavens above.

How do these moons get their romantic names? They are usually tied to seasonal events. The stunning Buck Moon hails from Native American culture, as the male deer shed their antlers around this time, and the Thunder Moon is simply the time when thunderstorms are most probable during the summer’s build-up of heat and electrical charge.

There is something celebratory about moonlight, especially when you can see the beauty of the sun’s light reflecting off this natural satellite orbiting our earthly home in the spring and summer months.

Far from being myth, the moon does affect us. Our physical bodies are made up of approximately sixty percent water, and if the moon creates the tides through its gravitational pull, it most certainly affects us.

Concerning myth, folklore, and symbolism, there is a craziness associated with the full moon, that is, lunacy, and she is closely linked with the element of water and the feminine aspects we all have,: empathy, intuition, nurturing, and receptivity. It is also a time when we can get especially emotional, so its best to keep our thoughts high, whatever is going on. The Buck/Thunder July Moon will be seen full from Thursday evening all through Friday. Enjoy!

Well, we had a wonderful Sunday again in Chawton. Ann Marie Hogan came to visit us and shared beautiful thoughts and brought our lovely messages, along with laughter. Thank you so much, Ann Marie! Our Steve was at the helm, guiding the evening so well. Thank you Steve!

The readings and prayers were just lovely. Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Lisa, for the music. Thank you, Carole and Sue, for the hospitality, and what an array of baked goods!

Thank you for the set-up and breakdown of the evening, along with all the washing up, and always a special thank you to our healers for bringing the healing energies through from the unseen ones.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for all those in this world affected by these devastating natural disasters. Humankind are not the only ones affected.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Keep your thoughts high and your hearts warm

Have a beautiful week!

Picture credit: Getty image

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This year I didn’t see the blackbird chicks in my garden, but I have noticed their parents much more over the past few weeks.

At the weekend, the male perched on the bird table and, for nearly half an hour, this usually shy garden visitor seemed to share some moments chirping back and forth with me. I imitated his chirps, and each time he answered with a slightly different pattern. I finally had to get on with my day, but it felt quite unusual for such a shy and cautious bird and was a wonderfully uplifting way to begin an early summer morning.

Though blackbirds are not strictly monogamous, pairs will often return to the same territory together year after year if both have survived the winter. They are also remarkably intelligent and can recognise individual humans by their appearance, routines and even their voices.

The blackbird is actually a member of the thrush family, a medium-sized, ground-feeding songbird with a truly beautiful voice. It is no surprise that Paul McCartney wrote his famous song, Blackbird.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night…”

Blackbirds sometimes sing after dark because of light pollution confusing them.

The female is a gentle, soft brown, while the male is unmistakable with his glossy jet-black feathers and bright golden-yellow beak. They have long been woven into myth and folklore. Far from being a bad omen, the blackbird has often been seen as a messenger of hope, renewal, transformation and new awareness.

Last night we had many messengers of hope and love as our own Sarah Dorgan took the platform to share an inspiring message about slowing down, taking a moment to stop and smell the roses. She then went on to bring some beautiful messages. It was a lovely evening of laughter, and chaired beautifully by Virginia Gordon. Thank you so much, ladies.

Our church family offered beautiful prayers and readings that lifted the energy in the room. There was cake, there was music, and there was much laughter.

Thank you, Julie, for our music. Thank you, Carol and Chris, for your wonderful hospitality. Thank you to our healers, and to everyone who helped with the setup and breakdown after the gathering.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for Peace close to home and across our world, for all those who need that solace in their lives.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Have a beautiful week.

Take a moment…. You’re allowed.