Being: Conscious, mortal existence; life.
Every month we welcome two families, two people, two voices to share their stories in whatever way they chose. We hope that you find joy in their daily lives, and their simple habit of just being.
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According to the old celtic calendar, and the traditions of our family, the year ends on October 31st. This night of misrule, when magical creatures walk the streets lit up by the glowing faces of Mr Jack O’Lantern, symbolises the peak of this energetic shift. Halloween, or Samhain, is a night not only of treats and tricks but of deeper meaning. It is a time to remember family members who’ve gone ahead of us in what Peter Pan called the ‘big adventure’; a time to reflect on those we miss, on the lessons we carry with us.
In this tradition the new year does not begin until the winter solstice in December. This is when the sun is reborn, bringing with him a new year and a new host of possibilities. The time in between these two festivals, the weeks in which the weather darkens and we naturally draw closer to our hearths, is a time of great magic, if you know where to look.
As the leaves fall from the trees, the harvest is in the store and the earth begins to turn her energy inward, so it is the perfect time for us to examine our own selves. With, perhaps, a little less distraction from the external world we can begin to think and wonder, to plan and imagine. What might this next year bring? What reality would we like to dream into existence? What part of ourselves is ready to be reborn and renewed?
In our part of the world the shifting season is most noticeable; the leaves are falling, littering the ground with their colours as the grass returns to brown and bronze. Our nature walks reveal rocks we hadn’t noticed in the abundance of summer, the sky seems bigger without the clusters of green to form a canopy. As the landscape loses her adornment so I too feel a readiness to let go of the work and energy of the spring, summer and harvest months, to retreat into a quieter version of myself.
I’m also on the lookout for these changes in my children noticing, as I always do, their openness to the shifting tides of nature. I find myself with more time to listen to their stories, I am beginning to plan days around a warm hearth and a good book. As they plot and plan their Halloween identities I wonder what it reveals about their dream selves, I wonder how I can help them be in harmony with their ever curious spirits.
In the meantime we continue on, learning, exploring, talking; sharing stories, ideas, imaginings and plans. Among the daily chores and responsibilities that I juggle every day I am snatched up by their flights of fancy, their stories of adventure and discovery that take us to another world. I see each day their ability to see beyond what is, to what might be, to what could be. I hope I can keep some of that fairy dust for myself, to rub on my own vision and see beyond what is now to what I might become. That is, most certainly, the truest magic of all.
This month we are happy to welcome Emma to the Being series here at Rhythm of the Home. A homesteader, homeschooler and creative spirit, Emma shares her life as mother and farmer through words and pictures on her blog, 95 Acres of Sky.
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Rhythm of the Home is an online magazine for families that focuses on creating with children, nature explorations, seasonal celebrations, conscious parenting, and mindfulness in all that we do. To learn more about us, please visit us on Facebook,Pinterest, and Twitter.
We welcome new submissions for our upcoming seasons. To learn more about submitting, please visit our magazine.
{ 1 comment }
Lovely post! Welcome. I look forward to reading what you have to share this month.
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