The Spring Equinox Approaches

Slow living tips for the lead-up to Ostara, and a recipe for blood orange, chocolate & cardamom cake 🍊

Have you felt it too? The seasonal shift… For the last few days it’s been light at 5.30 p.m. here in Edinburgh, there’s a warmth that the sun hasn’t had in months (when it does shine!) and the birdsong is growing in the mornings once more. Here in the Northern Hemisphere we are in the weeks building up to Ostara, the Spring Equinox, on 20th March. This festival in the Celtic Wheel of the Year marks a time of abundance, renewal and growth, as the balance shifts towards longer, lighter days. Soon, day and night will be of equal length once more, crocuses are popping up everywhere and daffodils are opening their cheery faces to the world.

At the same time, we’ve had a lot of grey days here recently, and as I write it’s blowing a gale outside - again. I know we are all now longing for Spring proper, but I encourage you to savour this moment, the tipping point as the balance shifts towards light and warmth. Hope and change is in the air. Here’s how I’ll be celebrating this beautiful time of promise at home and in nature.

Decorating for Spring

One of my favourite rituals that grounds me in the seasons is decorating my home, especially bringing the outside in. My latest batch of forced bulbs is starting to flower and their scent is filling the kitchen, while I’m embracing the first British tulips by arranging them in my favourite jug by Scottish ceramicist Cara Guthrie from Elliott’s with twigs of blossom to force too (the step by step instructions for both the Spring bulb display and forcing blossom are in my book, Slow Seasons). Speaking of Spring flower arranging, I’m announcing a very exciting floral and yoga workshop taking place soon so keep an eye on my Instagram next week for details. As well as Spring flowers, symbols associated with Ostara include eggs and hares to symbolise new life and fertility. So as we approach the Equinox I’ll be getting out my hand painted eggs and maybe even making my own with Baby L - again the instructions are in my book!

Daffodil Season

Have you spotted the first daffodils of the season yet where you live? I think I squealed aloud when I did! Something about the arrival of their bright yellow petals and sweet trumpets tells us that Spring is properly here. My favourite is the wee Tête-à-Tête variety, as they always remind me of my Granda. I’ll be looking out for local daffodil festivals and garden open days (be sure to check out Scotland’s Garden Scheme if you’re based here) and I’m looking forward to taking Baby L on a Spring walk along my beloved Daffodil Avenue. This section of the Fife Coastal Path between Aberdour and Dalgety Bay will always have my heart; I grew up in Aberdour and it was the scene of many childhood adventures. In fact, I’ve just written a feature about it - and Aberdour in general! - that I’ll tell you about soon. Be sure to find out where the daffodils are blooming where you live and take a flask of tea to sit and enjoy them a while.

Spring Foraging for Ostara

Ostara marks the start of the foraging seasons, with young nettles emerging, the first wild garlic, and birch sap tapping too. I’m most looking forward to making some flowering currant cordial. The bright pink, drooping clusters of tubular flowers are instantly recognisable and smell of blackcurrants, making them easy to identify and delicious steeped in a cordial. I make a simple sugar syrup (with a one to one ratio of sugar to water) and let the flowers simmer in there for fifteen minutes or so, before straining and serving the cordial with soda water. It is gloriously pink and Springlike and tastes almost like Summer is coming… On the greenery side of things, I’m looking forward to foraging wild garlic. It’s great for beginners to spot too, as it has such a distinctive smell. Remember to take sparingly and never uproot anything - you can read more guidance here. I share my tips for finding wild garlic in my book, Slow Seasons, as well as a recipe for wild garlic pesto. Perfect for a celebratory Ostara meal!

Pancake Day

Easter isn’t until the end of April this year, so Shrove Tuesday isn’t actually until 4th March which seems very late! Growing up, Pancake Day was one of my favourite seasonal dates in the calendar, and I would eagerly anticipate the stack of pancakes waiting at home for teatime after school. I still enjoy them the most with lemon juice and caster sugar, although this year we’ll be having Sian Radford’s banana pancakes and fruit with Baby L instead - Sian subs bananas for sugar, and they are surprisingly delicious! L is a big fan of blood oranges and rhubarb compote made with dates to sweeten it, so I think we’ll be having those to set a good example, and maybe some lemon and sugar ones once he’s gone to bed! Speaking of seasonal blood oranges, here’s a less baby friendly treat…

Blood Orange, Chocolate & Cardamom Cake

This blood orange, chocolate and cardamom cake combines warming spice with zesty seasonal fruit and a generous smattering of chocolate chips to boot. To make the cake, you will need:

2 tsp cardamom
120g caster sugar
120g unsalted butter
120g self-raising flour
2 large free range eggs
Zest of one small blood orange and flesh (approx 60g)
Another small blood orange chopped into rounds and pith and skin removed, to top.
45g dark chocolate, chopped.

Preheat the oven to 160C. Cream the butter, spice and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time with a little flour. Fold in the chocolate, orange zest and 60g of orange flesh and pour into a greased, lined baking tin.

Top with the rounds of blood orange and bake for 45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

What are you doing and making to celebrate the arrival of Spring?

If you enjoy my monthly seasonal newsletters, do consider joining us in my paid subscriber community for weekly posts. Together in this wee corner of the Internet we are creating a beautiful community of like-minded old souls who want to slow down, simplify and connect with the seasons. Here’s a flavour of what I’ve been posting over there this last month:

Imbolc Reflections

Blood Orange Cardamom Buns

Snowdrop Season

Sow, Grow, Harvest, Rest Reading Group: February

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Thanks so much for reading, and see you next month xxx

p.s. Slow Seasons is filled with seasonal crafts, recipes, nature notes and celebrations inspired by my Scottish heritage and if you enjoy this newsletter I think you’ll love it! I follow the progress of the year through each mini season, from Imbolc at the start of the year to Yule at the end and the book is beautifully illustrated by Holly Ovenden throughout. You can read more about it in this post and you can order ‘Slow Seasons’ here.