Tidying a Druid's Garden

When considering my garden as a metaphor for my life, sometimes, I can't see beyond the path...

Just now, autumn's glory is fades to reveal the garden's structure .... and where it is lacking....

What earlier in the season seemed a wonderful tangle of wild exuberance now appears to be simply a mess, which is difficult to negotiate...

I just have to get in there, and prune, and weed, tidy and clear away all that would impede the next season's growth.... 

Sometimes, it's hard work to maintain a healthy garden, where all within it can grow harmoniously... and rewards are  mysteriously immeasurable...

Samhuin Blessings to You

.... Samhuin once again, and every year, it manifests differently...

The great wheel of life turns, and autumn reflects springtime

We release and embrace
it's a dance....
the steps are the same, but the cadence changes...

 As I release, someone else will embrace
As I breathe out, someone else breathes in
As I sleep, someone else awakens

Brightest of blessings to you this cold, Southern autumn day.
May the coming year bring peace to us All
X

Feathering my Nest

Lately, I've been focused upon feathering my nest... the need for cash has arrived, so I'm using my art, and the skills learned over my lifetime, in order to earn my living....

So far, my earnings wouldn't keep a bird alive, but they are nevertheless earnings, and I am most grateful for that...

.... and I'm trusting there are enough people who share my love of nature and beauty to eventually form a group of appreciative customers....

Getting the message that my work exists out into the world involves new skills, with which I struggle...

...... so I've concentrated on making things I am comfortable with, that tell the story of what what inspires me...

I'm making luxury hand painted yarns and socks, because I know how lovely they feel to wear...

and I like to show people how hand-painted yarns look when made into something..... and I enjoy watching the work evolve, as I never really know how the patterning will form itself ....


I realise these things are not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm so hoping I can bring some happiness into other people's lives with what I make, as well as eventually being able to live a simple life from my work, and their purchases....

So, I'm feathering my nest, in a good way... in a gentle way... in an honest way... and I really hope it works....

X

Food - Little Leek Pies

Was asked for the recipe for these... but I never really measure anything out, so can't say exactly much of this & that ... just use your discretion, and your taste-buds, as well as your creativity, and if, like me, you have any left-overs, try to put them into something else the next day...

Recipe makes about 2 dozen Little Leek pies

*In a heavy iron pan, gently sweat 2 small sliced leeks with a knob of butter and a good slug of good extra virgin olive oil... season with freshly ground black pepper, 1 1/2 tspn powdered vegetable stock, 1 tspn powdered turmeric, 1/2 tspn mustard powder & a few drops of lemon juice to taste... cook until soft, adding a handful of currants, & a few slops of water to stop it catching, until it's pretty soft..
(use more or less of seasonings - turmeric can taste pretty bitter sometimes, so go easy!)

Mix 4 big eggs, bout a cup of light ricotta cheese, & a small handful of Parmesan cheese. Season with salt & pepper.

Cut little circles of pre-made thawed puff pastry to fit from side to side of each hollow in deep muffin pan, line pan.

Remove tray, then with a spoon, gently push the puffy pastry down enough to make room for filling.

Fill each pastry case about 1/2 - 3/4 full with some leek mixture, then top them all up with the egg & cheese mixture. Sprinkle a little extra parmesan on top,

Return to oven, & cook for about 20 minutes, or until they look lightly browned, and the pastry looks golden.

Serve hot with mixed leaves and tomato salad, dressed with balsamic vinegar & extra virgin olive oil.

And that's it! Easy light tea!

Buon appetito!




 

Blessings of Equinox

 

Autumn equinox.... moving from the light half of the year, into the dark half...

.... from extroversion to introversion... from activity to stillness...

I'm reluctant to step through that gateway separating light and dark .... as fading leaves, clinging to trees, so are my own unfulfilled summer dreams, and I fear they will be lost.... yet in the darkness, things unknown are often brought to light...

I must identify the annual from the perennial, the ideas which are "good keepers", and those matters which are best composted...

Nature's seasons will turn and turn, with, or without my consent... the sun always returns, and each year wears a different veil from the last, with different needs, different people, different places...

My very best wishes to you, at the changing of the season -  in the South, may your darkness be a fertile bed for your your dream seeds, and in the North, may your dream seeds grow mightily in the light.

E is for EVERYTHING!

Some of you may have noticed, I opened an Etsy shop last week... my focus was completely on getting it up and running, and making my living from my creative work... just as I believe I should be doing.... as an artist.... as a Druid.... as someone walking the Old Green Way...

Well, so far, it's good, but I got so caught up in learning new technologies, frustration with camera settings, and fears about pricing etc, that I forgot the whole purpose of creative work is to express myself... and convey the joy I feel, being alive.... being here... in this life... sharing it with others...

So, I lifted my head from the tunnel vision of my computer, and felt the sun on my face... smelled the sweat air... drank cool water... ate some beautiful food... listened to the birds... saw shy animals in the forest, & scarlet flowers, glowing against lush green leaves in my garden... and so... my world gently expanded... my heart lifted, finding its happy place once more...

Hmmm.... I can't split off the different aspects of my life, or compartmentalise them.. art and spirituality are no different than cooking or gardening, or walking with my dog... or even tapping on a computer...

The Arwen flows through every single task, every moment, every aspect of my life... I've heard that in Bali, everything is a prayer... and I think that is true of everywhere... if we live that way...
Everything we do holds the holy, the magical, the otherness... whatever you want to call it... every movement we make, every decision, every thought, holds the potential of connecting with a larger reality...

So this week, I am zooming out, as it were... taking a broader view... where I can hear the whisper of the breeze, and feel the resonance of Nature... it is my spiritual connection to reality... as well as my mundane life... which is precious... and fragile... and miraculous.

Everything holds the essence of possibility, of inspiration, of Arwen... every second...every day....

no matter what...

Little Dog.... how I love you.... so brave, in this confusing world.... so tender, when you give your heart.... so forgiving, toward a species who have already treated you with cruelty and disrespect...

There is no honour higher than the trust awarded me by you.... You, who are so often misunderstood, yet remain patient with a species that often thinks it is the only one with a right to live unthreatened...

Thank you for your friendship, and thank you for allowing me to learn from you... whose heart is as honest and true as I wish my human one could be... Without guile, you tell me your truth, and reveal your vulnerability....

Oh, noble little friend, I bow to you, and feel gratitude more than I can ever express.
Thank you for rescuing me.
I adore you.