January/February Nature Musings 2025

Hi everyone,

January didn't start well for me this year with the death of both of my falcons (Khan & Kalil).  So it has been a time of grieving and healing out on the land.  I have turned to nature a lot these last two months to gratefully receive the gifts of wisdom that have been presented....and so many wonderful interactions.

One plant ally that has really stood out this year is Snowdrop - the story of its arrival into the Winter well-being programme, detailed below, has been greatly welcomed.  Wonderful wintry walk in Exmoor at the beginning of February really fed the soul and lots of interactions with wild birds and plant medicine that is slowly emerging.

I hope you enjoy reading this journey of nature occurrences that have really stood out for me...........  

"...........little white snowdrops rang as if they were wearing bells."  Hans Christian Andersen

Anyone who has ventured out into the UK woodlands during late January will have undoubtedly seen the spiky green leaves poking up through the forest floor, and then the white flowers of the Snowdrop signalling, the awakening of the land.

One of the strongest plant warriors, the Snowdrop, piercing through frozen or snow-bound ground - but not much frozen or snow-bound ground here in the south-west these last few months, but it certainly pierces the woodland floor with such tenacity to bring hope once more as the land starts a new life cycle.

Folklore suggests that the plant was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, a symbol of hope and purity and has many nicknames 'purification flower', 'fair maid of February', 'Christ's flower', 'white purification', 'White queen', 'flower of hope', or 'Candlemas bell'.  

Like many plants that hang their heads, and grow so close to the ground, Snowdrops are more attached to the dead than the living and in some folktales they mention the Snowdrop flower as 'a corpse in a shroud'.  For these reasons the Snowdrop was often regarded as a death omen if picked and brought indoors.  

Sitting in amongst a valley of snowdrops the other day made me realise too that this plant is the first feast for bees which have appeared early.  Energetically the flower of white symbolises purity and healing, but can also foretell loss and disappointment.

It is a liminal space flower, sitting between two seasons - winter and spring, and when you start to connect in with the plant energetically it is one that brings you out of the depths of your winter slumber gently into the Spring of new beginnings.  Allowing you to let go of those winter cloaks that hold you in that winter space, to allow those cloaks to die back to allow you to step into that new, light space of Spring. 

The protective sheath over the tip of the flowering stem enables the snowdrop flower to force its way up through the ground; even when frozen.  A small delicate bloom that has penetrated the hardest of soils to appear unblemished......the message here is clear, despite life's trials and tribulations there is a sense of hope, enjoyment and rest to come.

In the Doctrine of Signatures, the language of plants, the Snowdrop symbolises chastity, consolation, death, friendship in adversity, hope and purity.

Medical science is turning to the use of a compound found in the bulb of this plant totreat dementia - however the bulb is poisonous, so no eating!

On a more personal note, when deciding what plant allies wanted to co-work with students on the Winter well-being programme, Snowdrop pushed into my dreams from the beginning of October....and really made a statement!  I listened and welcomed the plant into the weaving of the programme, with all students co-working with the plant from beginning of February.  However, what I didn't realise was my need for this plant medicine.  The sudden loss of both of my boys was heartbreaking, and yet the one plant that has given me hope, and brought me out of a really dark time, has been the Snowdrop!  

A message from a dear elder (I have known for over 15 years) from over the pond, suggested I needed to work with Snowdrop because of its ability to bring support after deep loss.  Her words about the way in which Snowdrop could help me really struck a deep resonance and realisation that this plant knew it was needed at this time.

I always firmly believe that teachers appear at the right time - thank you Snowdrop for your teachings.

"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size."   Gertrude S.Wister

Exmoor ramblings......in the snow!

Early February we decided to go for a walk up on Exmoor - Exford to be precise.  The weather leaving Wellington was cloudy but ideal for a days walk.  However, within 20mins of driving up onto Exmoor I'd started to rethink this crazy idea of a walk, as I drove through snow laden roads and snowy fields.  But perseverance prevailed and we parked up at Exford and set off on a wonderful circular walk that is one of my very favourites in this area.  

This area is so, so beautiful and although our last visit was in the summer with blue sky and sunshine, this visit was blanketed with snow and fog....but it felt very welcome indeed.  Although we couldn't see too far in the distance we still could navigate our way through the fields and along the old tracks, passing amazing old Oak and Beech trees...and the delights of the lichen (and loads of it!!) hanging from the Hawthorns dotted in amongst the open fields.  

Lichen are one of my favourite algae/fungal beings to see in the winter, and always a showstopper up here on Exmoor.  The bare bones of the trees being decorated by tinsel-like beings of various colours and depth.  And on this particular day each lichen I stopped to observe had jewels of moisture held within the intricate webbing of their form - like a Christmas tree lit up at night.

The Exmoor ponies didn't seem too bothered about random strangers walking past them on the open moor neither.  In fact a few came closer to investigate.  Wonderful to see them as a group, their energy very calming.

The past few storms have wreaked havoc here on Exmoor with many old trees either completely fallen or having large limbs broken off.  We walked through many fields showing storm damage, and yet looking closely at where the trees had broken from the main trunk a lot of these trees had had weakness growing within - water ingress leading to rot within the trunk, thereby weakening the limb.  Natures way of clearing out the old and worn........leaving an exposed scar on the remaining trunk.  For most of these trees they will continue to die back as the exposure to the heartwood will be too great.  For others that had been completely toppled I felt deep sadness that their life had ended as those strong, upright trees - yet their physical body continues to bring sustenance to the many animals, birds and fungi that now thrive on the fallen wood.  Everything continues as a cycle and this was such a strong message on this walk.

A beautiful finding too was the glistening stone found alongside a path.  The fragment of stone in the photograph was the size of my foot (size 5), and really glistened as if shining with gold.....Fool's gold to be precise.  A wonderful piece of sandstone with Fool's Gold (Iron Pyrites) flowing through it.  The land here is rich in iron and manganese with its deep red colouring and was historically a mining area for iron ore.

The history of human working on this land can be seen all around - the careful, and detailed stone banks delineating boundaries are hundreds of years old - evidence from the old Beech and Oak now surviving up and over these amazing banks.

Although cloaked in snow and fog that walk brought the hidden mystery of the Spirit of the Land to the fore for me that day; of recognising the awe and wonder in the hidden jewels that were found, really made it a  magical day out!

Hazel - Tree of Knowledge

The tree of dowsers, Hazel is one tree that has been day by day getting brighter and brighter as the catkins start to ripen and open up.  Throughout December and January Hazel start to form new catkins (male) on their branches and as soon as the warmth of the sun strengthens these burst into such vibrant yellow against the sky.  The female flowers are easy to find you just need to get closer to the branch - look for tiny bud-like spikes with protruding red styles (slender stalks).  The photo above was taken on a crisp sunny morning, with perfect blue sky overhead, so the male catkins could really shine out.  

Our ancestors have turned to Hazel for its powerful divining properties.  A forked branch from Hazel can summon up the secrets of the earth - from the presence of water or energy lines to buried treasure.

Hazel was a favourite wood too for the making of wands providing both protection and magic - revered by the hedgewitch, witch and druid.  For the Celts the Hazel was seen as a holy tree, its nuts connected with poetry, knowledge, love, fertility and childbirth.  

In Ireland, nine hazels overhung the well of life.  Their nuts fell into the well, causing bubbles of mystic inspiration.  Those who ate the nuts became seers and poets.  An expansion of this myth is that the Salmon of Wisdom, the father of all salmon, was drawn to the well when first going to sea.  Each of the well's nine hazel guardians dropped a nut into the water.  All the knowledge of the arts and the sciences was conferred with the eating of these nuts, and, on swallowing them, the salmon received the gift of wisdom. 

In the Scottish Highlands Hazel was one of the nine sacred woods used in kindling the 'needfire' at Beltane.  And here in Somerset there is a saying 'plenty of catkins, plenty of prams' emphasising Hazel's link with fertility.  

The connection between the Hazel catkins and lambs' tails comes from a tale in Yorkshire, where a local vicar noticed hazel catkins strung around his kitchen fireplace one spring day.  His young servant believed 'this was good for the sheep at lambing time'.  The magical analogy of catkins and lambs' tails at the heart of the household's strength, the hearth, gave potency to the charm.  

I also came across another folk saying that if you stir jam with a hazel stick the fairies will not steal it!  I'll definitely remember that one.

Our ancestors knew the importance of the Hazel as a wood that produces straight poles once coppiced.  Since Neolithic times, humans have been deliberately coppicing Hazel back to the ground to encourage the production of fresh straight branches (poles), with a variety of uses.  These poles can be twisted without breaking so are great for weaving into fences, reinforcing river banks and for the walls of buildings (filled with mud and straw).

Our Celtic ancestors regarded Hazel as the Tree of Knowledge, and the understanding that all knowledge was bound, sweet and concentrated, in the hazelnut's kernel, so all wisdom was combined 'in a nutshell'.  

Energetically Hazel encourages us to seek out information and inspiration in all things - learning of all kinds.  Teaching us the art of learning, teaching, communication and healing.  The ability to receive and communicate your wisdom effectively too.  A great tree ally when studying or taking up a new project!

European Eagle Owl Energy...

Meet Rosie, my European Eagle Owl, now coming into her 37th year!  A bird I rescued some 14 years ago now and she has really made her home with me and the other birds (although I still think she would eat Willow given the chance!).  

Over the last 2 months we haven't had much opportunity to get out and fly due to high winds or rain, but Rosie is happy to do whatever...in fact she is really happy to do as little as possible.  Sitting at the front of her aviary, and surveying her land, she stands with such regality - very much like what she is doing in the photo above.

Weighing in at just under 7lbs, this is her fat weight.  This bird normally attempts flying at just over 5lbs, so as you can gather a tad heavy to want to do anything at the moment.  But she will come and sit with you in her aviary, and welcomes trips out on the land where she can wander normally on foot around the fields and woodland floor.  A bird who is very expressive with her ear tufts, and calls to anyone wandering around the garden - the new neighbours are enjoying daily conversations with her.

European Eagle Owls are resident in the UK and have been for a very long time - we're talking since the last Ice Age....and they constantly migrate over and back from Scandinavia too.  In the UK you're looking at around 40-45 pairs resident here, and not just in the north of the UK, we have them down in the South-west too.  Many years ago I tracked a lone wild female for a while, resident in the Blackdown Hills.....and I tracked through what she was eating - foxes (hidden up in the trees), rabbit, hare and small deer!  I must admit seeing a fox carcass dangling over a branch high up in the tree does make you wonder 'what on earth - eagle or eagle owl'!  

As a therapy bird she brings in the amazing strength and power of the Eagle ('eagle' owl tells you she has the same crushing force in her feet as an eagle), yet she has the ability to hold you with her wings to bring comfort, protection and healing.  

I have co-worked extensively with Rosie over the years with children with mental health issues and veterans, and she always amazes me how she calms people despite her huge and slightly dominating size.  She is the gentle giant for those that need her medicine.  Her orange eyes are my favourite - a client once said she thought Rosie was looking straight into her soul, and yes it does look that way when she stares at you, but in fact she needs glasses several centimetres thick to be able to actually see you.  She does sense movement, and I know energetically she can 'see' the whole of you, so you can't hide from this bird....as many clients have found out!

Her wingspan, like that of an eagle, is just over 2m wide.  In the wild they spend a lot of their time 'still-hunting'; waiting on the edge of woodland and listening for movement below them.  Those amazing downy feathers allowing her to have silent flight; each and every one of those feathers perfectly in place with a distinct job to perform on her body.  It is estimated that an average sized European Eagle Owl has ~30,000 feathers - a vet once told me this, so not sure of its authenticity, but in fact I personally think the figure is underestimated.  Birds of prey like Rosie are great teachers in how to manage your energy - something this bird has been teaching me ever since we first met.  

Over the last 2 months she has been holding the space for me whilst we have all been grieving - I know this and have felt it.  She has become the grandmother/elder energy of my birds, and I welcome what she brings into my life. 

All my birds bring great teachings, but Rosie has to be the most protective and calmest of all my birds...despite her size and large talons!

“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way."
John Muir

It is so wonderful to see the slow returning of life once more to the land, knowing that in a few months the 'greening' of our hedgerows, woodlands and natural world will be so vivid and lush.

And yet, so much is going on under our feet, so much is alive, thriving, moving and growing that we are totally unaware of!  To live as an animist, being aware of this beautiful relationship and inter-relationship with yourself and all the more-than-human beings is slightly bonkers, and magical, at times - with the craziness of the natural world beneath my feet, the craziness of the human world all around and then feeling into the more-than-human beings and their interconnections flowing through and around me...all in constant flow and energy exchange.  

A talk I presented for the Winter well-being programme on Quantum Science & Animism really brought this to the fore for me.....we all live in this world of infinite possibilities, and when we witness the magic of all those possibilities and know that what we do has far reaching impacts to everything, we start to become more conscious of our thinking, our behaviour to ourselves, to the more-than-human beings, and of course the earth.  This constant flow of energy, where there is no separation, there is no THEM and US, there is just WE.....is pure magic.   

As we move forward now into Spring what is your intention this year for your own growth and well-being?  Do you recognise those wonderful interconnections that exist within and without?  Do you recognise those new threads being woven into your life and how you might feed them?

"We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing."  Louisa May Alcott

Spring Blessings to you all,
Karen x