Winter Wonders & Winter Comforts

Tree Planting - The journey, a ritual, and a little bit of magic

This post is for me. Its personal, and sad, and maybe you'd rather not read it. But if you do, I really don't mind as long as you understand that this is something I need to air to myself and this is my forum to do so.

Tree planting

Today was tree planting day at the nature reserve. I've been looking forward to this day and planting our Hazel tree. I'd found this ritual on the web and wanted to use it to bless the tree, the site and my baby girls.

Tree Planting Ritual

Begin with the tree, the hole already dug, a pile of earth beside the
hole, and a bowl or watering can of water.

Stand facing East, and say:

"In recognition of the Earth my mother and of the sky my father, and of
my true source beyond all things, I ask that I may plant this tree, to
bring clear air to the blue sky, and rich soil to the dark earth.
May it grow tall and strong - its roots reaching deep into its home,
its leaves reaching ever higher towards the sun."

Hold your hands over the pile of earth and say:

"I ask that this earth might be blessed, and that it might feed and
nourish this young sapling well."

Pick up the tree and as you plant it, talk to the tree, either out loud or
silently, saying:

"May you grow fine and tall."

When it is planted, hold your hands over the water and say:

"May this water be blessed, may it refresh and sustain this young
sapling well."

Pour the water around the base of the tree, and then holding both arms
out towards the tree, say:

"In earth and water will you grow. In the air will your leaves speak as
you reach towards the fire of the sun. We respect and honour and
admire you, O tree, and all trees, for you represent both Peace and
Power though you are mighty you hurt no creature. Though you sustain
us with your breath, you will give up your life to house and warm and
teach us.

We give thanks for your blessing upon our lives and upon our lands.
May you fare well in this chosen place."

In reality it didn't happen this way. I woke up flustered and grew more anxious as we neared the site. I'm surprised I have any tears left to shed, I feel like I've irrigated the entire county and all of its neighbours these past few months.

We had told my 3 year old daughter that today we would be planting a tree. As we all know, the world revolves around every toddler so my daughter obviously understood that to mean that she would be doing the planting. She picked up our precious sapling and flung it around like a majorette twirls her mace before plonking it unceremoniously into the hole, upside down. I heard my intake of breath as my heart rested in my mouth and I gasped 'be gentle'. It all turned out all right in the end, the tree was planted. My daughter helped pack the earth around the roots with her hands, as she did on the days her sisters were buried. You've got to love that girl, I''m sure she was born a healer.

The 'rabbit guard' was placed on the tree. In my minds eye, I had thought of these guards as protection against deer. Do you know how happy I was to hear that it is there to protect against rabbits, although it is hares that are a real problem for the trees? An abundance of hares, how magical :)

The picture below was taken today. A wonderful view of the Cotswolds.


The Journey


In March my baby girl was stillborn. Blindly groping around in the dark, asking for direction and place to rest our loved child, we stumbled across a green burial ground. We connected with a sensitive, healing soul who thoughtfully lined our baby's grave with twigs and flowers. If only she knew how much she touched our hearts and helped us heal.



In June, we returned for a visit. I had a kindred spirit visiting from Seattle. She has become part of family over the years so we brought here on route to the Rollright Stones. The sun was shining, the birds sang, butterflies and ladybirds blessed us with their presence and as we picnicked we felt peace in our hearts, beauty in our minds and daisy chains in our hair. It was a happy day.


We saw the plaque for the first time. I had struggled so much over choosing the right words. Many of you know that I believed I couldn't draw. During my initial period of grief this remained true in my heart. Again, this sensitive, healing lady offered her help and drew the template for Nina's plaque. I hope she knows how much she is appreciated.


On July 30th I went to hospital for tests. I was advised that the baby I was carrying was dead. It was so heartbreaking as i had a scan a few days earlier and the baby was so full of life, kicking around, moving so much. I think I'd managed to stay so strong up until this point. There had been tears, of course. But who is strong enough for this?

In September, we were ale to bury our second lost daughter. Once more, this wonderful healer and sensitive soul lined the grave with sunflower petals from her garden. This time, I made the felt myself from wool that I had dyed in blackberries. My daughter rescued a caterpillar that had fallen into the grave. Next, we placed earth gently around my baby's shroud and filled the grave up until it was full. This is something I hadn't felt able to do for Nina. It felt cleansing, a part of the ritual of healing. I've been such a mess these past months.


And a little bit of magic....


Earlier in the summer, Susan of Artspark Theatre sent me one of her travelling Alice's. We photographed Alice at the nature reserve back in June. It was the happy uplifting visit that we had to the burial ground. I'm thankful to Susan for lending us magic and bringing it to Nina.

I am blessed with a living daughter. Right now her favourite film is Princess Mononoke. A while ago, she asked me to felt her something from the film. I needle felted some tree sprites. Children of the ancient trees. To see these sprites is an indicator that the forest is healthy. Today we popped a tree baby on each of my babies graves.

In October it had been bulb planting day. We didn't make it ourselves, and once again, this magical lady to whom I have so much gratitude, planted wood anemone around my babies graves. I chose wood anemone after reading an Irish BTCV site page about how seeing wood anemone was a sign that there had once been a magnificent forest in that place. Wood anemone are now known as the ghosts of the forest.

The optimist in me hopes that if we retrace our steps and wind back time then the great forests will thrive again. With this in mind, we chose the wood anemone, and placed felt tree sprites around the graves knowing that the spirit of the forest will live again and this site will thrive.

Echinacea Scarfette

Charge up the immune system with a little warmth and beauty this winter

Ianthe - Walter Savage Landor

From you, Ianthe, little troubles pass
Like little ripples down a sunny river;
Your pleasures spring like daisies in the grass,
Cut down, and up again as blithe as ever.

Ianthe! you are call'd to cross the sea

Ianthe! you are call'd to cross the sea!
A path forbidden me!
Remember, while the Sun his blessing sheds
Upon the mountain-heads,
How often we have watcht him laying down
His brow, and dropt our own
Against each other's, and how faint and short
And sliding the support!
What will succeed it now? Mine is unblest,
Ianthe! nor will rest
But on the very thought that swells with pain.
O bid me hope again!
O give me back what Earth, what (without you)
Not Heaven itself can do--
One of the golden days that we have past,
And let it be my last!
Or else the gift would be, however sweet,
Fragile and incomplete.
Walter Savage Landor

Drying on the line supported by a bamboo blind

Mostly dried, on the line to air

And again, hung above the lavender, rosemary and thyme, and alongside my rose arch which supports honeysuckle, jasmine, vine and clematis. I wanted nature to lend her best perfumes and aromatherapy for this piece. I like the way the shadow of the honeysuckle and vine reflect upon the felt in this picture.

And here is the finished piece laid out on my bed. The lined effect is a result of most of the wet felting be done on top of bamboo blinds.

Whilst making this piece I was trying to achieve the effects of natural hand made paper. hand made paper can be so beautiful. I have been very influenced by the beautiful works of T whilst making this rug. T has been musing over curves in nature and prefers all things natural, thus using natural dyes where ever she can. Unfortunately the minimal use of colour in this piece, is not from the use of natural dyes however I have been blackberry picking and my next piece will be!

This rug/blanket weighs approximately 0.7kg (I will have to weigh it again before posting it to the 'Art for Trees' appeal. Approximate width 101.6cm (40"). Approximate length 134.6 cm (53"). I have used a combination of natural Merino wool, Shetland, Gotland and Blue faced Leicester wool in this project. the ragged edges that you ca see in the pictures of this blanket hanging on the line are intentional. I wanted a rippled effect to continue throughout this piece. Nature does not hold too many straight edges. I also wanted to create a fleece style shape as the rug/blanket is 100% wool. The project was predominantly wet felted but I have also used needle felting to reinforce the edges, working with the natural flow and direction that the wool has taken. It is my first attempt at needle felting and I am pleased with needle felting as a medium.

I would like to thank the felting forum for all of the tips and techniques it has genrously shared. I have not always left comments but do read. I am also incredibly thankful for the positive response the needle felting forum has given to the Art for Trees appeal. Please visit the felting forum by clicking on the name and here.

Invoking the Muse

This photo was taken in a Nature Reserve near Stourport. It struck me that the bark was naturally shaped like the tips of asparagus spears, reminding me of strength and love. To me, nature is so divine, beautiful, crucial, inspirational...

The whole world should be a nature reserve where nature is respected, loved and cared for by all. I look at this tree and know there is a Dryad, an Elf, a spark of magic connected to the essence of its being.

A little over a week ago I posted this picture under the heading 'Beginnings'. I did not know at the time this piece would be an offering to just that. Beginning's. New life, reforestation, the next chapter. When this piece is complete it shall go to Greece to help spark a new home for wildlife, a legacy of nature for the young and an act of defiance to the monsters who created the fire.

My daughter has been helping. Quite the inventor, she has come up with yet another technique for making felt. She has been rolling old roller skate wheels over the bubble wrap. Its amazing her creativity saves my wrists and fingers from wear and tear.

The obsession of felting has made my mind one tracked. I now see hidden meanings of wool, fleece and felt where they never lived before...

To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
William Butler Yeats

Today, I braved the contrary weather and set up out doors. I think I felted for all of 20 minutes before the clouds loomed in and rain began to drop from the skies. After a couple of hours of rain the sun shows her face, the clouds dispersed and the sky is blue. I look for the rainbow. In England we have so much rain. If only I could share it with Greece so that the tender droplets could gently kiss and sooth the scorched land, lending a natural hand in subduing the remaining flames.

This project has been slow in the making, so many things have crossed my mind. The potent melody of Saul William's has played over and over through the speakers of imagination.

Dear goddess, can you hear me now
Clear the way and prepare me now dear goddess, can you hear me now
Dear goddess, we made this break
Beat just for you as an offering, can you hear us now
Dear goddess, we made this
Break beat just for you as an offering, can you heal us now
Saul Williams ~ Our Father

And as I listen, I hear myself repeating; Dear Goddess, can you hear me now? I make this felt as an offering. Dear Goddess...

For I believe in the Divine Feminine, Mother Nature, The Muse... I make this felt as an offering to Mother Nature in the hope that we can help her heal. Reforestation. Art for trees!

I will post again about the Greek Fire tragedy. Buzzing bees are busily working to present an exhibition of art to be auctioned in Greece. All proceeds will go to the reforestation of the area. The children of the land will plant and name the trees and learn of the importance of connection to nature. If you would like to donate a piece of art please let me know. Manya of mythcolour will keep us updated of where we can send our offerings to. There will be press releases.

Because we all fall down

We all have grazed a knee
stubbed a toe
chipped a nail
We have all felt the need to hide

Retreat
Recover
Lash out
Be
Someone
Somewhere
ELSE!

It is so easy to blame ourself
Hate ourself
Wish to be
Anyone else

The grass is greener
The sun shines brighter
Everywhere else

Can we ever
Like ourselves?
Be good to
Be kind to
Or love ourselves?

Lets take back that black!

Chromotherapy

"The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts."

Marcus Aurelius - (Roman emperor, best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy, AD 121-180)

Miina Savolainen - The loveliest girl in the world

A few days ago Ruthie reviewed Miina Savolainen's book, 'the lovliest girl in the world' on her inspirational blog '5 precious things'.

The book is a community project which has been developed over a number of years. The ethos behind the book is to empower young women, teaching them how to become visible and accept themselves. The images have a Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic quality that transports me to another world, a kinder world.

The book has struck a chord with me so deeply that I must share it with you. For many years I have worked within the homelessness sector. It is something that I feel very passionately about. Each of my clients has had extremely low self esteem. The impact of a project such as 'the loveliest girl in the world' would have upon my client group is invaluable.

I can only thank Miina Savolainen for her vision and exceptional talent and sharing it with the world, and most importantly her models. Miina is the loveliest girl in the world.

I encourage you to click n the links above that will take you to the web page for 'The Loveliest Girl in the World' and also to Ruthie's blog where this book is reviewed much better than it is here.

Blessing from afar

This morning I received a package from my best friend and fairy godmother to my daughter. The package contained a packet of peppermint tea, a kitten teddy with wings (made exclusively for IFAW), some elderberry capsules and some nettle and peppermint tea. How lovely!

The package was a response to a long self pitying telephone conversation I had with her yesterday about the plights of swine flu (I wrote a post yesterday about how me and my family have swine flu yesterday but decided to delete it later).

One of the herbal teas is my favourite brands which I find difficult to get where I live as more and more of the health shops close down and I find myself limited to Holland and Barratts whom I believe have been taken over by Coca Cola? Anyway I particularly like this brand of herbal tea because it not only uses organic unbleached materials for ingredients and packaging but identifies on the packet that the worker behind the label is treated fairly too.

The elderberry flower capsules have the following text written on the back of the label:

The Elderberry tres were believed to bring good luck and protection from disease and evil in ancient times. An elderberry tree was planted outside of Westminister Abbey due to this ancient belief.

The package was followed by a text message wishing us healing thoughts and advising that a herbalist friend of ours is making a tincture for me and will post it when it is ready.

I love my friends, they are so thoughtful and know just how to make me smile. Thank you xx