“CELEBRATING THE EARTH’S CYCLES AWAKENS MEMORIES DEEP WITHIN US THAT HELP US TO REGAIN OUR COMMITMENT TO LOVE, RESPECT, AND HONOUR THE EARTH. THROUGH FOLLOWING OUR OWN UNIQUE SPIRITUAL PATH WE LEARN TO FIND INNER STILLNESS, SO THAT WE CAN LISTEN TO THE LAND AND OUR HEARTS ONCE AGAIN.”
Happy Solstice! It’s June on the coast. As I write this, the skies are grey and the rain hasn’t stopped falling. We’ve also had some really warm sunny days with sunsets close to 10pm. Living seasonally means being in tune with what Nature is telling us. I think on an intuitive level we all feel it. Don’t you feel energetic and enthusiastic when the sun is shining? And why are rainy days the perfect time to nest at home and enjoy slower paced activities?
Living seasonally is woven into the practice of Witchcraft. Observing and honouring not only the seasons of the year but of our lives. Eating fresh food readily available during certain times, keep us healthy and nourishes our bodies and souls.
As our world and lives have become more advanced, we’ve lost the common connection our ancestors had to the Earth and the changes and gifts (and hardships) each season came with. These changes were cause for celebration and ritual in times past. Keeping to these celebrations grounds me and shortens the separation that can be felt between us and the natural world.
How I Live Seasonally Throughout The Wheel Of The Year
SPRING
A time of renewal. I like to start the Spring season with a deep clean of the home. I do this every year. Winter home decor is stored, cupboards are emptied, wiped and arranged and the slow cooker takes it’s place above the fridge until Autumn. The garden is planned, soil is bought and seeds are sorted and planted. With the days getting longer and brighter I feel like a Spring Clean of body and soul is in order as well. I like to detox with herbal teas like Burdock and Ginger with fresh lemon water before breakfast and a good body scrub to get circulation moving and sough away dead skin.
Introducing fresh in-season vegetables to our diet (after carb-rich winter meals) is something I do; lots of salads and soups. And my favourite time is berry season. Fresh Strawberries and blueberries are added to breakfast smoothies and my Strawberry Lemonade to pack for picnics in the park.
SUMMER
Right around Solstice, wildflowers are everywhere. There’s a field near my home where I like to go pick a bright bouquet to bring home. Lavender, Daisies, Catmint and Tansies. Summer is the season to live outdoors and I take my workouts outside. Yoga on the patio under the sunshine and hiking the many trails we have around our city. The diet is planned around vegetables, fruit and protein. A good Ribeye steak and chicken on the BBQ is something we enjoy and meals served on the patio overlooking boats on the water and the mountains that remain snow capped late into the season.
The garden is in full bloom at Summer so by my birthday in July, there’s usually some food we can start enjoying like carrots, kale and spinach. Weekends camping in the mountains or floating on a lake. Then by late Summer blackberries are ready to harvest and cherries can be preserved. Once the Summer harvest is done, it’s time to plant the Autumn Garden for winter squash and cold weather produce like broccoli and scallions. Garlic can also be planted for harvesting next spring.
AUTUMN
There’s a time in late August where the night air starts to cool and although its still Summer and the days are warm, something switches and I can feel Autumn just around the corner. This is my favourite time of the year. Hobbies and learning new skills are taken indoors, the slow cooker comes out of storage and the home is cozy with plaid cushions, fluffy blankets to cuddle on the sofa. Pine cones, candles and pumpkins. I do a Mabon feast at the Equinox and we have friends over for an evening of food and conversation around the table.
The summer wardrobe is stored, closets are cleaned and wool sweaters and scarves line shelves scented with cedar blocks (to ward any pesky moth trying to take up home in our cashmere).
Walks in the forest over crunching leaves on crisp sunny days and the Jenga or Play 9 games are set out on the coffee table for a round or two on a rainy night. Thanksgiving with family, a Samhain/Halloween visit to the Mountainview Cemetary and in November I spend U.S Thanksgiving watching the Macy’s Parade and writing up holiday cards that I order early in the month.
WINTER
Winters are mild on the coast. At sea level, where I live, we usually only see a couple of weeks worth of snow. In the mountains however, it’s a Winter wonderland and we like to snowshoe and enjoy an afternoon of tubing with a mickey of Fireball to keep us warm.
I start my holiday shopping as early as October and try to make my annual donations to charities near to my heart. Christmas cards are mailed out on December 1st and Solstice is celebrated in full costume and makeup in Pagan Yule style.
In the Winter kitchen there are stews and braised Ribs in Mole Sauce bubbling on the stove and the aromas of inviting meals welcome us home after time spent communing with the forest spirits.
Christmas eve is spent cooking for family and a Harry Potter marathon that starts at breakfast
After the family celebrations are over, it’s a quiet time to gather my energy and create a few resolutions for the coming year.
Do you have any customs you follow to align with the seasons? Perhaps you might find some here. As usual, I appreciate you stopping by and reading the blog. I started this blog as an exercise in creative writing just for pleasure and to see readers from Japan, Nigeria, Australia, Turkey, USA, Canada, Singapore and so many other countries, warms my heart. Thank you!
Until next time.
Love,
Jennifer