“The edge of the solstice, the barren darkness, the wheel. Nature knows that every cycle must return to stillness and silence. That every inhale has an exhale. That every ending births a beginning. That the light always returns to a future beyond imagination.” Victoria Erickson, Author, Edge of Wonder
As the light begins to wane, the temperature drops and the land turns from green to gold, Autumn arrives in all its glory. Hedgerows are bursting with berries, rosehips and nuts, and the harvest is in full swing. It marks the completion of the Celtic Wheel of the Year and the end of the year-long A Seasonal Year course that I embarked on in the Winter of 2019, and what a journey its been! You can read my previous articles on the year so far below:
- Winter: Reflection & Renewal
- Spring: Emerge & Grow
- Summer: Flourish & Nurture
A Seasonal Year was a transformative course designed for small business owners to help re-wild their approach to work, aiming to realign businesses with the ebb and flow of the seasons. Created by The Wild Academy (a community for ‘wildhearted wanderers and seekers of slow and those who long for a simpler life inspired by the natural world’), Maddy Lawson and Eleanor Cheetham. Two friends who share a love of nature and a belief in the magic of connection.
“The festival of Lammas at the beginning of August represents the first of three festivals that honour the harvest season. Mabon in mid-September heralds the second such celebration, and throughout the period from now until then – as Autumn creeps in – there’s a focus on bringing things to fruition and reaping the rewards of seeds sown back in the Spring.” A Seasonal Year
As grain is harvested from the fields and fruits and vegetables are picked from allotments and gardens, so too do I turn my attention to harvesting. Gathering together all that I’ve learnt this year, and picking the fruits of my labour. I prepare to once again slow down, rest and reflect on the year that’s passed.
Photo: Natalie Grainger
When I began the course, I was feeling pretty exhausted, with little time to consider where my business was going, or what my successes and lessons had been from the previous year. I gave birth to my beautiful daughter in January 2019 and so my focus shifted from work to motherhood. But, the time had come to stop and reflect, to decide in which direction my business was going and how I wanted the balance of life and work to look going forward. Read more here.