Tag Archives: nature

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One of the most striking butterflies to be seen in the UK during June is the Red Admiral. Originally known as the “Red Admirable”, his original English name, the butterfly’s name became “Red Admiral” over time.

This beautiful butterfly is migratory, arriving from North Africa each spring. Many return south in September, although not all make the journey. With the milder winters Britain has experienced more recently, increasing numbers are choosing to remain here, hunkering down in sheltered locations through the winter.

The Red Admiral is particularly fond of Buddleia, AKA “butterfly bush”, for the nectar-rich blooms. He is also frequently seen feeding on fermenting fruit, when necessary, and tastes with his feet, marching up and down to see whether it is worth a munch.

He is fiercely territorial and a little grumpy. Males will often establish their patch and aggressively chase off rival butterflies.

In folklore and spiritual symbolism, the Red Admiral is often regarded as a messenger, representing transformation, protection, and courage. A sighting of him is sometimes interpreted as a sign of guidance, reassurance, or positive change on the horizon.

After another gorgeous day in these parts, we welcomed Karen Bazazan Noghani to us in Chawton last night for our Friendship Service. Thank you so much for your inspired thoughts and bringing our messages last night. We were so glad to meet you. Steve chaired our evening beautifully. Thank you, Steve.

The energy was high as we enjoyed beautiful readings and prayers and sang some lovely hymns. Thank you to our readers. Thank you, Julie, for running our music, and thank you to the hospitality ladies. Carole and Sue. Our healers stood by to help those in need after the service. Thank you, and so many pitched in to pack up and clear away.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for our little church, that we can find new ways to serve our own church family, but also those in our communities.

Calendar up tomorrow.

It’s almost midsummer. Enjoy the long light evenings!

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The cuckoo, known for its famous two-note call, arrives in the UK from Africa around April. The female cuckoo lays her eggs in another bird’s nest, often first spooking the host bird away. She then leaves the unsuspecting foster parents to incubate the eggs, feed the chicks, and raise the fledglings! What a strategy that helps conserve the cuckoo’s energy and resources. This behaviour is known as brood parasitism.

Quite a trickster, and perhaps seemingly unfair, the cuckoo demonstrates just how it has evolved and the lengths it will go to help its young survive. They are also known for having multiple partners during a breeding season to increase the chances of reproduction and survival. Other birds also engage in brood parasitism, but the cuckoo is by far the most famous.

That cute little bird appearing each hour on our cuckoo clocks is far more devious than we might imagine, yet also highly intelligent and practical. While the word “cuckoo” can mean, in some contexts, foolishness, its symbolism is often associated with transformation, intuition, and adaptability.

Last night in Chawton, we hosted our beautiful Healing Service. It was an evening filled with wonderful energy, readings, prayers, and, of course, healing. Healing was administered during the service, and I trust everyone enjoyed a sound sleep afterwards.

Thank you to Rob for leading us and to our readers. Thank you also to the hospitality team, to Julie for the music, and to our diligent healers. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful Healing Team. So much thanks should go to all those who set up and broke down the evening also.

Prayer of the Week

Please pray for all those caught up in the violence of wars around the world. The suffering they endure is beyond our understanding. Please send your thoughts and prayers to them, for they are so very much in need.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Yes, it’s raining… umbrellas in June! Try to keep dry.

Have a beautiful week!

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I thought I had witnessed a June bug when I caught an iridescent metallic flash of emerald green on my windowsill, but June bugs do not live in the UK, do they? However, a smaller imposter does, and this smaller, stunning flying beetle turned out to be none other than the Rose Chafer.

Gardeners are probably well aware of the chewing habits and destruction caused by this little critter, for he can demolish a flower, eating the fleshy parts of petals and leaves. His favourite snack is likely the dog rose, whose nectar and pollen he very much enjoys. He is very visible now and will remain so throughout the summertime, sometimes staying around till October here in the UK.

This stunning flying beetle carries wonderful symbolism for many people, representing inner alchemy, transformation, and the journey from humble beginnings to something radiant and beautiful. His stunning metallic green colour flashing in the sunlight, can feel like the arrival of a spirit messenger, encouraging awareness.

Those wishing to protect their roses may find some success with planting marigolds and lavender which help deter the beetles, while fine mesh provides a more reliable barrier. Otherwise, they will simply do what rose chafers do best, feast upon the blooms that attract them.

A beautiful garden visitor, a living jewel flashing in the summer sunlight, the Rose Chafer remains one of the most beautiful and memorable beetles seen during a UK summer

After a more gentle late spring/early summer day yesterday, we gathered in Chawton and were so pleased to welcome Sarah Norris to us again. Sarah’s energy just invigorated the room and she brought a beautiful inspired address and such lovely messages. Thank you so much Sarah. We really had such a lovely time. Alison Keogh chaired the evening. Thank you.

Thanks to our readers and prayer people for lifting the room with your words and energy. Thank you Carole for your cake and thank you all those who helped with the hospitality for the evening. Thank you to Lisa running our music, and setup and breakdown has become a fine art, and we also thank our healers for their dedication after the service. A lovely evening!

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for our supposed enemies in this world. They need the prayers and healing. Whether on the global stage, or in our own lives, those who cause dissention and hurt to people or animals or lack of respect for any of creation need the prayers and healing badly.

Calendar up later!!

Have a beautiful, cooler week!

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We all have our little rituals, and one of mine, as I come up to my front door, is to stop and choose the newest bloom of my climbing Zephirine roses to breathe in their heady scent. I can take no credit for these beautiful pink roses, as I inherited them when I bought the house.

Roses have such a history, dating back some 5,000 years, and they have evolved into so many varieties. Of course, they have also been cultivated almost to death, so that many modern roses no longer have a scent because the enzyme RhNUDX1 has effectively been bred out of them. That is more than sad, because a rose is not just about beauty, as its fragrance is a lure for pollinators, and in fact, the Damask rose, one of the old rose varieties, is the plant used to make Rose Damascena, or Rose Otto, the therapeutic rose oil which has the highest vibration of any plant on this earth.

Most roses bloom between May and June, but these climbing varieties, encouraged by a mild spring, have bloomed earlier than usual to cheer us up during this mixed weather we have been experiencing.

Their symbolism is, of course, love if red, while yellow often represents friendship, white purity, orange energy and enthusiasm, and the beautiful pink at my front door speaks of gratitude, grace, and joy. In any case, their beauty catches the eye and, hopefully, their heady scent reminds us to figuratively stop and smell the roses in our own lives. We always have a moment.

We had many beautiful moments last night and such a lovely evening with Ann Marie Hogan, who shared such inspired thoughts and brought our wonderful messages. Thank you so much, Ann Marie, and thank you to Sarah, who chaired our evening beautifully.

We are also grateful for the prayers and readings from the family, the hospitality and cake from Sue and Carole, the music led by Julie, and our lovely healers who helped after the service. Thank you too for the quick set-up and break-down of the gathering.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray for the animals in this world. They need so much help, whatever circumstances they are in. May humans move ever further towards kindness and understanding with them.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Have a beautiful week. A heatwave is on its way!

Stop and smell the heady scents of springtime.

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Where have all the buttercups gone? I was quite shocked to actually see buttercups in a nearby park this morning because, quite frankly, they have not been as visible as I remember from my youth.

Buttercups of the meadows, usually the Meadow Buttercup, along with the Corn Buttercup, have indeed been in sharp decline through the decades. Along with many other wildflowers, their habitat has diminished through housing development, intensive farming, and pesticides.

This buttery yellow wildflower, blooming from May through June, is surprisingly toxic to cows if eaten in large quantities. She is also known in folklore as “crazy weed,” amongst many other names, as breathing in her scent was believed to drive one insane. That lore even included advice for picking them, for one was supposed to utter this verse quietly:

“Gold below, gold above…

I take none, I seek no trove…”

A folklore charm to keep the nature spirits happy… lest you have your voice stolen and be led in circles till sunset!

Her spiritual symbolism is one of radiant joy, renewal, and innocence, along with the golden blessings of every moment.

I will always remember, as many will, from childhood, the picking of them with wild abandon and placing those beautiful luminescent yellow petals beneath the chins of playmates to see that golden reflection, confirming who indeed liked their butter.

We welcomed our good friend, Jeanette Foote, to our little church last night in Chawton. What a lovely evening. Jeanette shared such an inspired address concerning healing, so perfect for the end of Healing Awareness Week in the UK, and so perfect for our church, because we are all about healing.

Jeanette then went on to bring many lovely messages. Thank you so much for an evening filled with warmth and laughter. Our own Nerina took the helm and chaired the evening beautifully.

We thank the family for their readings and prayers. Thank you, Julie, for running our music. Thank you, Sue, for your hospitality. Thank you also to our healers and trainees who were on hand afterwards. The set-up and break-down were done very quickly, as many hands do indeed make light work.

Prayer of the Week

Please pray for the sailors trapped in the Straits of Hormuz. They are so vulnerable, and running out of supplies, and we send prayers for their safety with all the events happening in the region.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Have a beautiful week!

It is a little grey today in these parts, but we know above those clouds is the ever-brilliant blue sky and sunshine!

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One small creature that probably survives the winter well is the wood mouse, also known as the field mouse. Unlike the dormouse, he is not usually found inside our homes unless he is desperate for food and shelter in the colder months. Instead, he prefers sheds or the endless tunnels he creates, where he stores food to sustain him through the harsh winter months.

With his large eyes, big ears, and soft light-brown fur, he has that appealing, almost Disney-like look we associate with many cartoon characters. At this time of year, he becomes especially active, with the approaching breeding season, which can last until autumn! And there is a flurry of activity as nests are built and food is gathered.

He is nocturnal, an excellent climber, and a fast mover. However, despite his speed, he is vulnerable, for owls and foxes see him as a substantial snack. Spiritually, the wood mouse symbolises resourcefulness, humility, attention to detail, and the ability to find magic in the mundane, truly wonderful qualities indeed.

We gathered on Sunday evening, over the bank holiday weekend in Chawton and shared a lovely evening of prayers, readings, and hymns, some well-known and perhaps one less familiar, though we made a valiant effort!

Our own Steve Lidgett Williams chaired the evening beautifully for Rob Harvey, who led an ‘Evening of Clairvoyance.’ Rob gave an address concerning recent healing and clairvoyant work he had undertaken. He then invited a couple of the house mediums, along with two fledglings, to come forward, and together, they brought the messages while explaining what they were perceiving, helping everyone gain a clearer understanding of how clairvoyance works.

The mediums and fledglings taking part were Nerina Dannatt, Steve Lidgett Williams, Rob Harvey, Chris Elliott, and Alison Keogh. It was a truly lovely evening, spent with our church family, who also gave prayers and readings. Thank you, everyone!

Thank you, Sue and Carole, thank you for your wonderful hospitality and another divine cake creation. Julie, thank you for the music. And many thanks to our healers and trainees for offering healing after the service. Thank you also to those who helped with the set-up, break-down of the evening, and the washing up.

Prayer of the Week

Please keep in your prayers children who may be unwell or in hospital. Illness can be frightening for a child, and it is also a deeply distressing time for their parents and families.

Calendar to follow shortly.

Wishing you all a beautiful week!

Happy May!!

Picture credit: Simon Dell, George the mouse.

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One of the beautiful things about this springtime season is the constant emergence of life all around us. Surely it is enough to soften even the hardest heart. We seem to be transported to a place of innocence as we see the flowers, trees, and bushes bloom. I am personally transported when I see my stunning lilacs flowering again so boldly, or when I become aware of the ​creatures and their little ones taking their maiden steps.

We think of the badger as a quiet, shy, and reclusive creature. Although nocturnal, this is the time of year when they can often be seen at either end of the day, as the cubs venture out from the sett. The young ones are silly and playful, a complete delight to watch if you are ever fortunate enough to do so. Delayed implantation has allowed the young to be born into a springtime of favourable conditions.

They will grow into hardy creatures, with stout bodies and sharp claws, as well as a not-so-delightful odour to ward off predators! And did I mention they can run up to twenty miles an hour? Not too shabby for a creature that looks just a little clumsy. We can trace badgers in England back at least half a million years, roaming the land alongside wolverines and bears, no less.

The writer Kenneth Grahame cast his character ‘Badger’ as a wise mentor and protector in his beloved children’s book The Wind in the Willows. Little surprise then that the badger’s symbolism is wisdom, along with tenacity and determination. Spiritually, he reminds us to dig down and understand as fully as we are able​, and we are all about that​!

Last evening, after another glorious spring sunny day, our friend Spencer Rose came to visit. What a lovely evening, as he shared his thoughts and brought our ​wonderful messages. We had such a lovely time. Thank you so much, Spencer, for coming to see us! The lovely Chri​s Elliot chaired the proceedings beautifully, as we heard the lovely prayers and readings from ​The ​Family. Thank you.

Thank you, Julie, for running our music last night. Thank you, Sue, for your hospitality, and of course, Carole was in the house producing a very lovely chocolate cake.

We thank our dear healers and those training for helping so many last night, and thanks as always goes to everyone who helps with set-up​, break-down​, and washing up.

Prayer of the Week

Please pray for the Natural World. Sometimes we are the reason for ​their struggles, as we take away land without enough concern for the plight of those who share it. So many are trying to educate us and make us aware of what the land, the waters and the air around us need in order to sustain all the other life that lives and breathes alongside us.

Calendar to follow later.

Have a beautiful week.

It is heavenly out there.

​Don’t miss it!

Picture credit Andy Rouse Photography.

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The catkins have arrived, now we are truly in springtime. The Goat Willow, or Pussy Willow as it is so lovingly called, is a welcome arrival for early pollinators. Those soft, silver catkins protect the delicate flowers within from the chilly days until the sun warms their world. Native to the UK and Europe, with relatives in the Americas, this tree offers a quiet beauty.

Willow has long been associated with healing. Its active component, salicin, an active ingredient of aspirin, has been used for centuries as a natural pain reliever. Native Americans understood its healing ability, using willow in their daily lives for ailments and pain control.

The catkins themselves resemble tiny kitten paws, and a Polish legend tells of a mother cat, distraught because her kittens fell into a fast-flowing river while chasing butterflies. It was the willow branches, bending low over the water, that gave the little ones something to cling to, saving their lives.

The willow is a symbol of renewal, resilience, and adaptability, and even weather magic, as twigs thrown into the wind are supposed to calm storms. Perhaps someone was working that magic, as yesterday gave us a truly glorious spring day, with no rainstorms in sight, and we came to church in high spirits.

Although Louise Barnes was unable to join us, her cohort, Jenny Hedley from Reading, offered truly beautiful, inspired prayers and thoughts. Thank you, Jenny. Your words were truly lovely. The evening was chaired by our own Alison Keogh.

Our family, as always, shared heartfelt readings, followed by beautiful messages from our house mediums with two of the fledglings. Thank you to Nerina Dannat, Virginia Gordon, Julie Shearman Searle, and Aimee Andrews. It was a lovely evening, complete with another beautiful cake from Carole, warm conversation, and healing on offer from healers and trainees

Thank you also to our music team, Julie and Lisa, and to everyone who helps set up, break down, and take care of the washing up.

Prayer of the Week

Please send a prayer up for unity in our world. Its lack is the cause of so much division, not only on the world stage but within our communities and homes. May we learn to see others as ourselves, beyond differences of culture, politics, or belief. Anything less is sheer spiritual ignorance.

The calendar will be up tomorrow.

Wishing you a beautiful week!

Hello sunshine !

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The garden birds are busy preparing at this important time of year, and the birds of prey are going through the same motions and stresses also. The Eurasian Sparrowhawk may be one of the smallest birds of prey, but it is mighty in its own way. After a decline in numbers several decades ago, they are now quite abundant around the UK.

From March through to June, you can witness their stunning aerial “skydancing” displays, part of their dramatic mating ritual. The female takes charge of nurturing the eggs once laid, while the male goes on the hunt, using that remarkable stealth to provide the extra food needed. One swoop with a sudden shower of feathers often signals a sparrowhawk nearby.

Interestingly, the females are quite a bit larger than the males, which is unusual. Symbolically, they represent extreme focus and awareness, reminding us to pay attention. They are also linked to new beginnings and, in some traditions, are thought to be spiritual messengers.

We were fortunate to have one of our own spiritual messengers last night, as our dear friend Lesley Knight came to visit. What a beautiful evening it was. Lesley shared beautiful thoughts and gave wonderful evidence of continuing life, along with such lovely messages. Thank you so much.

Our own Sarah Dorgan chaired our gathering beautifully, and we are grateful to our family for the beautiful prayers and readings.  Thank you to Julie for the music, Sue for her hospitality, and to Carole for another divine cake creation.

Thank you to our healers, always ready to help afterwards, and to all the wonderful healing trainees. And thank you to everyone who helped set up, break down down, and take care of the washing up.

Prayer of the Week
Please, let us pray for peace everywhere. May leaders find peace within themselves and become more aware of the consequences of their actions.

Calendar to follow.
Have a beautiful week!

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We gathered yesterday evening on Zoom, after a glorious, beautiful day full of the joys of spring. We love to see each other mid-week and share the lovely prayers, readings, and music. The healing followed. Thank you, everyone!

Please continue to pray for compassion in this world, and the hope that we can all look at each other with kinder eyes.

Lesley Knight is with us on Sunday, in Chawton!

Join us.