Sow, Grow, Harvest, Rest in 2022

“Here are my resolutions for the next 3 months; the next lap of the year.

To have none. Not to be tied.

To be free & kindly with myself, not goading it to parties: to sit rather privately reading in the studio.

To make a good job of ‘The Waves’

To stop irritation by the assurance that nothing is worth irritation [referring to Nelly].

Sometimes to read, sometimes not to read.

To go out yes – but stay at home in spite of being asked.

As for clothes, to buy good ones.”

The Diary of Virginia Woolf, 1931.

If you ask me, I think Virginia Woolf was onto something. Her words feel particularly prescient as we start a new, uncertain year in these strange, covid times. Instead of resolutions, self-flagellation, comparison and self-loathing, Woolf recognises the need for freedom, kindness – to self and others – the power of reading and writing and the things that bring us joy. Keeping it simple in the most beautiful of ways.

So in the spirit of Woolf, I wanted to write to you about my own resolutions for this slow, simple, seasonal space. I hope you’ve been enjoying Sow, Grow, Harvest, Rest so far: an online creative almanac inspired by my Celtic roots. After a bumper December giving a flavour of what the newsletter would be about, for 2022 – and in the spirit of slowness and simplicity – I’ll be shifting to two newsletters a week on a Wednesday and Saturday at 8 p.m.

I’ll be following the structure of the Celtic Wheel of the Year, the solstices, equinoxes and their midpoints: Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lùnastal, Mabon, Samhain and Yule. For each of the eight, roughly six-week periods I’ll be sharing seasonal to do lists, nature notes, recipes and craft projects inspired by the period leading up to and just after each of these seasonal celebrations.

I want to provide you with the keys to reconnect with the rhythms of the year: times to sow, times to grow, times to harvest and times to rest. I’m brimming with ideas that I can’t wait to share, including the possibility of a private members community with bonus content and activities later in the year – watch this space. I’ll be kicking things off with an introduction to Imbolc, a time in-between deepest Winter and the dawn of Spring.

In the meantime, please leave a comment to let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see in this space. I’m so grateful for all the follows, shares, likes and comments. All the best to you and yours for 2022.