Happy Samhain!
Today is Samhain, the day of the dead and the dying parts of us that now need to be let go so that we can make way for the new beginnings that the new moon may usher in tomorrow. It’s a poignant time, the veil is thinnest between the worlds, a great day for meditation and communing with other realms, entering them if you can.
At Samhain the dark half of the year commences. It is a truly magical time. We have to remember that death is always followed by rebirth and I love that the new moon appears so soon. Tomorrow then really does mark the beginning of a new year. But remember celebrations today begin at sunset, when the darkness arrives. Light is always born out of darkness. We must remember this. Darkness is fertile with all potential - embrace it!
My concern these days is that new age spiritualism rejects the darkness and the darker parts of ourselves, in its quest to fulfil the light and love potential. Yet we do not know light an love without darkness and dismay, without the anger and the frustration and our sheer rage.
Today offers you the chance to rest and reflect on the past and to dream new beginnings. The seed now hidden in the earth let us not forget, will germinate in its season. So we look for seeds within ourselves. Yet, we also have to remember that there is a timing to everything and certainly the rug was pulled and doors closed for many of us with the recent eclipses and it may be just a little bit too soon to know where we are heading. We might just have to sit in discomfort of the not knowing for a little while longer yet, and that’s OK too.
What’s called for is patience. This is a word which is coming up a lot for my clients lately. Sit patiently and wait. This is a time to rest, renew and clear out the old. The new will appear in just the right time.
Enjoy it all!
Love Emma
Happy Equinox from Rousay!
We are on Rousay for the Equinox. This because there are a number of cairns aligned to this solar event. Many of them are ruined however, yet the island retains the energy, we could feel it overnight and into the sunrise this morning.
Looking for seals
We are on Rousay for the Equinox. This because there are a number of cairns aligned to this solar event. Many of them are ruined however, yet the island retains the energy, we could feel it overnight and into the sunrise this morning.
Beautiful heather
Rousay is a wild place, the kind of place that this family loves. A hilly island, 3km north-west of the Orkney mainland, Rousay has been dubbed ‘the Egypt of the north’ due to its wealth of archeological sites - the reason we are here!
Untouched pebble beach, over a few fences to get here
Smaller than Guernsey with an area of 18.8 square miles, it is the fifth largest island in the remarkable Orkney archipelago. It is sparsely populated - only 250 inhabitants, which is a draw for us, living amongst 62k of people on busy Guernsey, which I certainly struggle with at times. Even Sark doesn’t always provide quite the same ‘getting away from it all’ experience - but I am grateful to have that magical island on our doorstep (and there’s still one space available on our Sark retreat in 3 weeks).
Midhowe
Elijah Midhowe Broch
Inevitably here the wildlife thrives - several parts of the island are designated Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) with a RSPB bird reserve too. Eben especially has loved seeing the seals. And has been on constant look out for the otters.
They move fast!
Love a derelict boat or house to investigate
For me Rousay is cairn heaven and I was delighted to find that we are staying - quite by chance - next to Taversoe Tuick Cairn. This two-storey cairn was discovered in 1898 and is the only double decker cairn in Orkney, and only one of two known to have been built in this way. Should you be interested, you can read more here.
The boys at Taversoe
We’ve visited the other cairns too of course. One of the most famous is Midhowe, which is huge and now contained within a hangar to help preserve it. Despite it’s modern situ, it still retains the ancient energy, as do others which have also been subjected to cement roofs for preservation reasons such as Blackhammer and Yarso.
Eben trying to perfect his handstand at Taversoe
There’s tons to explore here from the Neolithic stuff to the Iron Age broths, Viking graves and abandoned churches, crofts, farmsteads and even a boat!
Eben’s energy doubles in the cairns - here at Taversoe
Yarso - everyone suitably non plussed!
We chose to get out on the land, exploring what we could of the coastline and the beautiful heather clad moors, out to visit Yetnasteen, a seven-foot standing stone. I’m going to miss this wild walking back home.
Looking for a stone
Yetnasteen menhir
It’s a fascinating place, very much alive, and reminding us of the simplicity of life, and a slower pace, for now at least, no doubt the hectic pace of Guernsey will catch us soon and we’ll be back into it - but these pauses are helpful headspace providers and with that an opportunity to see things differently, look at where change may be helpful, certainly an increasing move towards simplicity and living increasingly lightly, I am astounded how much waste this family creates in a couple of days, and a drive towards greater patience:-)
What was a cairn - looking for the standing stone
Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy the balance that the Equinox encourages, and the insight it gifts.
Love Emma
Happy Winter Solstice!
Friday December 22, 2023 at 3:27 AM marks the winter solstice
On this day, the sun is at its most southerly point on the horizon as it rises, and it assumes its lowest position in the sky at noon. This day is called midwinter’s day and it is the shortest one of the year.
The annual solar movements along the horizon from one solstice to another describes a year. This apparent movement results from the earth’s orientation in space and the motion of the earth in its orbit around the sun.
Early man was conscious of these movements along the horizon, as evidenced by the many dolmens which are aligned to the sunrise on both the summer and winter solstices, and the equinoxes too.
One imagines that the winter solstice was especially significant, as confirmation that the light does indeed increase again. Until that point, one might have felt as if the world was descending into a darkness, from which there was no return!
Thus the winter solstice, known in the olden times as Yule, celebrates the return of the light, from now onwards the hours of light lengthen each day. It is also a time to celebrate our inner light, which keeps us going during dark days – there are inevitably times in everyone’s life when we feel as if the light may never return, but it generally does and we must not lose sight of that, everything is part of a whole, a cycle.
Our ancestors understood that winter is the hardest time of the year, so the solstice was also a moment to stop, to look backwards in inner reflection and to look forwards to a more active season as the sun’s returning power brings increased daylight, growth and indeed activity. From now on the days will lengthen and the warmth will return.
Megalithic monuments acknowledged the return of the sun. More famously, Newgrange in Ireland has a winter solstice alignment, when – quite remarkably – for around 4.5 minutes, the sun shines down the ‘roof-box’ of the Neolithic passage and illuminates the floor of the main chamber 18m away. Only lottery selected individuals get to experience this amazing event – pray for clear skies!
The outer Sarsen ring at Stonehenge also has a winter solstice alignment and it is possible to enter the site for free at sun rise – it is well worth the visit if you happen to find yourself in the area, to be able to access the stones up close only happens on the solstices unless you have arranged a private visitation. In Carnac in Southern Brittany, the majority of the remaining dolmens are aligned to the winter solstice sunrise – it was clearly a special time.
Even here on Guernsey we have a winter solstice alignment, where the sun is directed by a little groove in one of the outer stones, all the way through the dolmen to where the male and female stones meet. It has been quite an honour to witness this over the years and I am grateful to the dolmen for revealing some of its mystery.
It is important to realise that this festival is not the beginning, in a linear way of looking at things, but a rebirth within a cycle of wholeness. Traditionally homes were decorated with evergreens such as holly, ivy, mistletoe, yew and pine, all of which represented the cycle of life. We would do well to remember this too – life is full of ups and downs, we just have to keep on keeping on and nudge our way back to the light.
Here are some suggestions for celebrating the winter solstice and honouring the return of the sun:
Go for a walk 🚶🏽♀️
The eve of winter solstice is a special night to go out for a night’s walk, embracing the changing energy of the land.
Watch the sunrise 🌅
Get up early and go to a special place to watch the solstice sun rise or the lightening of the sky in the South East. These are magical moments you will always remember.
Celebrate! 👨👩👧👦
With friends and family around a fire with a bowl of warming winter vegetable soup.
Add a yule log to the fire 🪵
This tradition began in Norway, where a giant log was hoisted onto the hearth to celebrate the return of the sun each year
Collect & decorate 🌲
Holly, ivy, evergreen boughs and pinecones, symbolising everlasting life, protection and prosperity. Use them to decorate a table or mantle or to make a wreath. You could always gift this to loved ones
Watch sunset…
…knowing that the evenings will soon be extending
Dance 🕺🏻
Put on your favourite music and dance on the energy of the new beginnings that the return of the light brings
Light a candle and make a wish 🕯
A powerful way to symbolise your inner light
Join a yoga class or spiritual celebration 🧘🏽♂️
There is a Yoni Yoga class to celebrate Yule for women of all ages and levels of experience, including absolute beginners, at St Martin’s Community Centre this Friday, 6-7pm