Signs of the earth reawakening are all around us and it can do wonders for the soul to join in with this cycle.

I know the world is heavy right now and has been for such a long time, however I really feel that slowing down and partaking in some seasonal activities can bring some measure of joy and happiness that is a welcome distraction from doom scrolling. 

It is so short lived that you can almost blink and miss it but it is well worth carving out some time to enjoy. I have noticed the local cherries bursting open in the last week or so, so now is the time.

My favourite ways are:

• have a hanami party- a Japanese tradition of picnicking under the cherry blossoms. You can look up your best local displays. I'm planning on doing ours at Hinton Ampner but I also know Kew and Wisley have great cherry tree collections.
• Bring some blossom inside- I recently cut a few branches of our wild plum and put them in a vase. Within a few days the white blossom opened and it has been such a beautiful sight on the diningroom table.
• Hunt down as many blossoms as you can find to extend the season: plum, apple, quince, magnolia and hawthorn all give frothy displays to rival the cherry.

And here is a lovely poem by Shirley Hughes and would be lovely to read aloud at your hanami:

Sunshine at Bedtime

Streets full of blossom

Like pink and white snow,

Beds full of tulips,

tucked up in a row.

Trees full of ''candles'' 

Alight in the park,

Sunshine at bedtime,

Why isnt it dark?

Yet high in the sky

I saw the moon,

Pale as a ghost

In the afternoon.

I'm happy to announce that after the Christmas rush all the soaps are now back in stock and ready to post. 

Now I would never want to put any pressure on you to get something for mothers day, or any other celebration day of the year. However if you were looking to get something, my range of giftboxes appeal to everybody. There is always a slight discount as opposed to if you bought all the items separately, I also offer free gift-wrapping, can do a handwritten personal note and can send it on directly to the recipient. 

If you have any queries or would like to make up a individual bundle please let me know and I can organize it.

Its the Spring Equinox on 20th March, also known as Ostara one of the eight ancient Celtic festivals. Plus the next full moon is tomorrow on 18th March.

If you have been wanting to tune into the earthly rhythms, the wheel of the year and the lunar cycle are the perfect reminders to explore some simple rituals. 

My full moon ritual

• cleanse yourself and space by burning dried sage
• recognise that now is a great time to release and let go
• revisit intentions and goals and looks at anything that is holding you back or standing in your way.
• write these down and burn them
• take a moonlit walk, no matter the weather
• put a glass of water outside in the moonlight and drink your moonwater the next morning. 

As an aside it is worth looking into the similarities of the moon's cycle and our menstrual cycle. i also read recently in Sally Beaton's book that the 'men' in the words menarche, menstruation, and menopause come from the Green word 'men' meaning month and 'mene' meaning moon. If you are interested in this let me know I can signpost you to some amazing recourses.

My Ostara traditions

I normally join Ostara and Easter celebrations together as they are often very close together. However this year the gap is bigger, though it just means more time to spread out the activities.

• make or buy hot cross buns and have a poetry tea time full of spring poems. The cross on the buns can represent the perfect balance at this time of year when nigh and day are in equilibrium.
• blow and decorate eggs and have an blossom branch on the table to hang them.
• getting the garden ready and sowing seeds
• making a cleansing herbal infusion with the fresh new herbs emerging now. I infuse nettles, cleavers and dandelion leaves in cold water overnight and enjoy the next day. *Just be careful if you have any kidney issues when using nettles as they are a strong diuretic.

I hope these have given you some ideas for celebrating this season.

This final idea is so simple I questioned to even put it down, however it is so effective I though I must mention it. One of the easiest ways to freshen your home and leave it smelling clean is not fragrance laden bottles from the cleaning aisle but is to simple open your windows. On a sunny breezy day like this it is the perfect time to go round and open all the windows of your home, even if its just 5/10 minutes. 

Anyway that's it for today. Thanks as always for reading and if you have any questions just hit reply, I would honestly be over the moon to hear from you. 

Grace xxx