May/June Nature Musings 2023

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the new 'Nature Musings Blog' - an invitation for you all to walk with me through the year and experience my love of the natural world, and those moments that have inspired me, which hopefully inspire you too.  

I love writing about my experiences with nature and the awe and wonder that I find on my daily wanders.  To share these experiences with you through my new blog I hope allows you to feel that awe and wonder with me....to walk with me through the seasons on this beautiful, magical earth and experience all her wonder.

So, this blog will go out bi-monthly (every 2 months) to cover the nature happenings at that time of year, and my findings; and be available to read on the website too.

I hope you will enjoy walking with me........

For me the last couple of months (May and June) have been a really full-on energy ride.  The Beltane energy at the 1st of May allowed me to celebrate the flowering energy coming up from the Earth in lots of ways.  First a very early pre-dawn walk to find a place to sit and listen in a beautiful woodland, being surrounded by small woodland birds, Tawny owls, wild garlic and majestic trees.  To allow the dawn chorus to fill my hearing, when my sight hadn't enough light to see properly, was so consuming yet lifted my heart.  

A Tawny Owl essence was co-created that day as their essence was so, so strong when I sat in that woodland.  Their presence, both male and female was continuous throughout our stay in the woods - constantly securing the edges of the woodland, stopping any other Tawny Owls from entering.  Their calls really stirred a deep wild connection within me, and allowed me to feel safe in their presence.  A chance too, to feel so small in amongst all that was happening was very humbling indeed.

Second has been my deep connection to the plant world, first bringing in Hawthorn throughout the month of May.  

Hawthorn is one of those plants that when you connect deeply with it you see it everywhere.  When Hawthorn starts to flower it is a signal for me that warmer temperatures are on their way and a welcome sight of the start of summer.  She graces our hedgerows, named 'the Bride of the Hedgerow', filling the air with her heady scent, and a haven for bees and insects flying in to the flowers for her nectar.  

I love taking leaves to nibble as I pass these trees on my walks - for me their taste reminds me of homemade bread.  Having a folk name of 'Bread and Cheese tree', I certainly recognise the Bread part, but not the cheese.....very yummy though.  And the 'May', the Hawthorn blossom, is prevalent during the month of May - an ideal time to learn from this tree just by sitting with it.  

It is a magical tree too, connected to the fae, the fairy realm which I know only too well.  When co-creating an essence with Hawthorn a couple of years ago on Beltane I sat and slept under a very old Hawthorn.....for 4 hours!  Time basically felt like it had stood still and my dreams were very magical and faery-like indeed.  When the essence had been completed I made sure to include the fae in my gratitude for their support that day - no-one wants to upset the little folk! 

For the month of June I have been deeply connecting in with the Dog rose, or Briar rose - again a beautiful hedgerow plant with a delicate fragrance (stick your nose into one and take a good sniff!) and deeply powerful emotional healing teachings.

I have found Dog rose in the most unusual places too this month, from growing in amongst the heights of Ash and Oak trees, to riverbank edges, to gravel paths, and meadow verges, to roadsides and deep in woodland groves. 

Once you connect in with these plants they are like friends, waving to you as you pass, to notice, to come and say hello.  Dog rose has certainly been pulling me in this month.  

It is such a delicate rose, with paper-thin petals, but hiding under those flowers are the thorns to tear even the strongest gore-tex trouser.  For me the Dog rose protects the places it grows.....protects the smaller mammals and birds from predators with its spiny branches.  Its teachings are emotional healing for the deep wounds we carry in our hearts, for healing and nurturing the Inner Child within.

And I love crawling on hands and knees to get under this rose to feel that protectiveness and connection to the wild-edges.   

I love roses, all roses, but the Dog rose has to be my favourite for that wild nature.....of reminding me to connect to the wild to find the healing I need for the heart.

They are still in flower throughout the countryside so go and find this beautiful rose and just stop and spend time with this wild rose.....feel into the experience and see what comes up.

I know some of you love the full-on energy of summer, but for me it really does take its toll and I have had to learn to step back more and more each year.  I yearn for the cooler days and nights, of the time to come back into my cave-like home, to read, to rest, and enjoy the quieter energies, the softer more soothing energies around me.  

So it was a complete surprise that Kingfisher caught my attention, and really caught my attention for most of May and June.

I have always connected quite strongly with Kingfisher when doing healing, and when I've needed their wonderful clarity of vision to see into the depths of the emotions; but their calling this time was to co-create an essence near the Summer Solstice.

Each time I walk along the River Tone, near my home, I am always granted a glimpse of their presence.  Through the high shrill as they zoom past along the river, or I always seem to know where to stand to study the river bank, to see them sitting there, observing and waiting for the right time to move on.  

Their magnificent orange chest feathers, gifted to them by the Sun, and their irridescent blue feathers a gift from the Sky and the waters.  A bird that is at home both in the air and the water....a master of these elements is such a welcome sight along the river.  

I see them too on the local canal in Taunton, and river Tone going through Taunton.  I remember standing in absolute awe at seeing three Kingfisher's flying back and forth under the Morrison's bridge over the river Tone in Taunton some years ago.  I stopped to watch these magnificent birds for 10-15 minutes and not one person stopped to look with me.  I received many a strange look from people trying to get past on the bridge but I wasn't moving!  Nothing was going to move me from watching such an awe inspiring bird.

So this year Kingfisher has been calling even more than normal, and visited my dreams, which is normally a sign I need to listen more and be more aware of their teachings.  

This year has been really hectic for me, lots of changes and lots of things to prepare for all these new changes - and at a high energy time, this was beginning to wear me down.  So I sat next to the river Tone on the 20th June, within that high Solstice energy listening to the Kingfisher, whilst we co-created an essence.  And in case anyone is wondering I don't boil a Kingfisher, or catch one and dip them into the water to make their essence!!  I simply, with intention, connect into their energy, having seen them at this particular spot every time, and co-create with them a vibrational essence of their energy and teachings.

Their teachings are one of the most welcomed I have experienced this year.  I felt so much calmness and quietness in my head sitting next to the river bank.  I felt so connected to everything around me, all my senses were heightened but not overwhelmed.  It was such a welcome relief from the crazy energy of summer....a Halcyon moment.  And then I realised, the Greeks call these birds Halcyon birds in reference to the Greek Gods calming the weather at a time when these birds were nesting.  So yes bringing in calm when everything around you is in chaos was such a fitting teaching and gift.  

They also brought in a teaching of facing ones fears too, head on!!  And I wasn't really prepared for this one.  I have a fear of cows....especially ones that come towards you at full pelt without any instinct to slow down or go somewhere else!  I was chased by a herd of young cows whilst doing part of the Penine Way when I was younger...and chased by cows who were arching their backs, spitting and really ready to run us down was something I have always remembered.

And here I was happily co-creating the Kingfisher essence when a herd of cows came walking towards me without stopping.  I stood up, swallowed my fear and placed my hand out in front of me to meet them.  Each and every one of those cows came and sniffed my hand, then moved to sit next to me!  Crazy!  I was amazed and relieved and managed to continue co-creating the essence.

I love what comes up when we sit and create a magical connection with the plant or animal world...teachings appear in the most bizarre and sometimes in your face way.

I hadn't seen the Kingfisher during the co-creation of the essence but I had heard two calling to one another - until I started to close sacred space.  Two Kingfisher's flew over me, and the essence bowl, as I finished the co-creation - what a blessing!

On the Summer Solstice midpoint, on 21st June, I met with several members from the Drumming Workshop's outside, at Ideford Common.  The intention was to first ask permission from the land and ancestors, and then drum with their energy and permission to celebrate the Solstice.  

The standing still point of the Sun reaching its maximum height over our skies, lasts for 4 days, and it certainly influenced our drumming.

The weather was perfect and it was such an amazing experience to drum together outside; to feel the energy of all those that have come before us too was magical. 

We seemed to have evacuated the local dog walkers (sorry!), but we certainly enjoyed ourselves.  

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order"

John Burroughs

I hope this has given some of you the inspiration to go out and explore the world around you and connect more deeply.

I would love to hear your connection stories with the natural world, and the plants and animals that have helped you, through these last two months - send me an email or respond via Facebook. 

Look out for the next Nature Musing Blog which will appear in your email boxes from end of August.  A list of what is going on re workshops, talks, etc., will still appear each month as a separate 'newsletter', and any of the essences mentioned above will be available to buy from the new shop page on the website in the next few days.

Enjoy your own nature musings throughout July and August.

Nature Blessings,

Karen x