Tag Archives: nature

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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.

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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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Even through some foggy mornings and days, springtime is coming, as noted by the endless birdsong and activity, and the now luminous green appearing in our woodland. Even the moss gives a fantasy look to the forest, with its lime-green, almost luminescent colour.

The humble but very territorial blackbird is out and about with all the other busy birds, cocking his head to hear the earthworms underfoot. The male is black with that bright orange beak, and the female has a soft brown plumage.

They are a protected bird, and also one of our most common birds, so common that perhaps they get overlooked in favour of the more striking colours of some of their kin. His song is beautiful, though, as noted in many poems and songs. Numbers swell in the wintertime as their Scandinavian and Baltic cousins join them in this slightly warmer climate. These pairs often stay together for life. The female lays about three to six beautiful turquoise eggs with rusty spots. They used to be named “ousel,” as noted in the works of Shakespeare, but in 1486 they were renamed simply blackbirds. Folklore in general has them as harbingers of change, and Celtic symbolism holds that their song thins the veil between this world and the next.

We welcomed the lovely Sarah McLaughlan last night to our little church with a big heart. Sarah brought many inspired thoughts to remind us and uplift us, and then shared many lovely and very helpful messages for the family. Thank you so much, Sarah. We really did have such a lovely evening. Alison Keogh chaired our gathering. Thank you.

As always, we thank our readers and prayer people. We thank hospitality and Carole’s cake making. We thank Lisa for running our music, and also our healers who were on hand afterwards. Thank you to everyone who pitches in with the set-up, break-down, and the washing up.

PRAYER OF THE WEEK

Please pray this week for more understanding in this world, understanding in our homes, in our communities, and on the global stage. Understanding brings compassion, and compassion heals situations. The Golden Rule stands in every age.

Calendar up tomorrow.

Have a lovely week. Find the beauty in every day.

Photo credit: Mireille Berthoud

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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!