May/June Nature Musings 2025

Hi everyone,

These last two months have seen such a wondrous rush of energy out there in the natural world......the young chicks are fledging, baby animals everywhere being cared for and nurtured, plants showing off their multitude of colours to attract the many insects to pollinate and keep their energy alive for generations to come...it is so, so busy!!!

And normally it can feel like that same energy of having to keep going is continually being seen in my world too.......this year I realise I have been finding more of that 'still' and 'reflective' time which for once is making me really enjoy that transition from Spring (May) to Summer (21st June).  The hotter temperatures are wiping me out though, but I am learning to quickly find and savour those sheltered spots in the shade to sit and do nothing!

I have had many amazing nature encounters these last couple of months; far too many to put here, but I hope you enjoy reading a few I have picked to share.

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity, and by these I shall not regulate my propositions. And some see no nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself."   William Blake

I love having 'time-out' in nature.....time for me to do what I want to do, without clients, without demands or deadlines placed on my time.  'Time-out' is in my diary once per week for me to enjoy and have fun, to be like a child again and allow curiosity to reign.

My favourite places to have this time is either on the wild-land I rent, Exmoor or Knightshayes National Trust.  These last 2 months I've spent more and more time-out on the land I rent in the Blackdown Hills...mainly due to the new bird visitors that have sparked my interest and also because the land is so wild and peaceful.

Taking the glass ball (lens ball) and seeing my perspective of the world around me completely distorted in the ball is fun and really mesmerising.  Finding that best place where the ball can sit and reflect the world differently to how I am witnessing it, and the colour detail being reflected back is great to watch too.

Hours of endless fun, and yet it also brings me into a deeper appreciation of the land and all that fits around this space that I share and call the 'office'.  Seeing the world that I am standing in reflected upside down, and the challenge for the mind to take in all the detail from a different perspective! 

The results are fun and quirky...and that's the idea of my time-out...to have some quirky fun and reset my mind.  

Swallows return.....

As part of the Spring Well-Being Programme students were working deeply with the energy of Swallow and what that meant for them during the Spring - for some they didn't actually see a Swallow until after the Programme, some had only glimpsed one or two; but what was definitely interesting was the lack of sheer numbers that normally visit early in the year.

I saw my first Swallow this year near the beginning of March, and then numbers slowly increasing flying over the River Tone and surrounding fields from end of April onwards.

Our ancestors looked to the sky for signs of change, especially after a hard winter, so the return of the Swallow was a delight to see - always symbolising a return to brighter times and a renewed sense of hope. 

There are many Greek and Roman stories of their Gods and Goddesses who could transform into Swallows……just look at their regal stature and you can see why any God or Goddess would want to transform into them!

Indigenous Peoples of North America associate Swallow with hard work and humility, imparting discernment and insight too.  And in the Hopi creation story, Swallow, along with the Spirit of Dew, saved the people from starving by bringing them corn seed..another Indigenous tale recounts how the Swallow stole fire from the sun, burning its tale, leaving a mark for all eternity. 

Swallow is connected with Spirit and Soul - as messenger, Swallow brings communication from the spirit world, for this bird has the ability to speak to the ancestors.  It gives wise counsel and advice….when Swallow is around, spiritual guidance is near, and the recipient should listen.

Also think of Swallow as being connected so strongly to the element of AIR….moving freely between yourself, others and nature, bringing peace wherever it flies…connected to the direction of the East (Spring), thus the element of fire too!!

The migratory nature of the Swallow and its timely return in Spring make it a strong symbol of rebirth and new beginnings.

For many people the Swallow brings a powerful message, symbolising hope, renewal, transformation, and the feeling of pure joy....for me it is sheer joy of seeing such a tiny bird having completed its epic journey from Africa...the transformation from winter energy to spring energy heralded by this bird!  And their constant chatter.......wonder what they are saying?!

Goshawk arrives.....

I feel really honoured that I have seen wild Goshawks many times in Scotland and down here in Somerset and East Devon; and in my early training years in falconry I actually got to train and hunt with a male Goshawk for 6 months!

Seeing them in the wild they are such a sight, but it is their vocal call that always makes me stop and listen....more chant than call really - link to listen to their call here

The Goshawk is the largest, true hawk (the other true hawk being the Sparrowhawk) that we have in the UK; the female can be almost the size of a buzzard - they are that big!  They come under the category of 'short-winged hawks' having short rounded wing-tips so they can easily fly at speed in amongst the trees in a forest....unlike the long-wings (long pointed wings) like the Peregrine which would never survive amongst trees, only open air for them to survive.

Another key feature is their thick, stocky legs, unlike a Sparrowhawks legs that look so spindly.  And Goshawks are really secretive...hiding out in forests and woodlands you very rarely see them in people's gardens.  In fact I remember receiving a phone call from a concerned member of the public when I managed a falconry centre that a Goshawk was raiding her bird table and she was sure it was one of ours!  Firstly we didn't have Goshawks at the time, and second I was pretty sure it was a Sparrowhawk...but I had to go and see for myself and finally inform her that no it wasn't a Goshawk but it was a Sparrowhawk.  She also lived on the edge of a town with no woodland nearby, and was feeding the local bird population a humongous amount of food each week...no wonder the Sparrowhawk was enjoying his five-star food!

But hunting with these birds is something really special.  The only bird that has ever come close to the feeling of being one when out hunting has to be Eela my female Harris Hawk.  Both these birds feel and see their environment so well and react very quickly to any sound and movement.  The only difference is that Eela will chase something down either from above or in speedy straight flight, whereas the Goshawk I was working with would chase its quarry vertically up through the trees waiting for the quarry to tire and then receive its reward....but this bird never, ever gave up.  Really strong teaching of never giving up was well and truly learnt from this bird.

The Goshawk energetically brings in strength, freedom and courage.  Always associated with wisdom, power and the ability to trust one's instincts.  But for me their yellow eyes also give an additional extra 'seeing' that most diurnal birds do not have......the ability to see through dusk and into the dark mark these birds as excellent allies to support shadow work!  Facing challenges that we are too frightened to face, but instead learn to face with courage and strength, and 'see' with renewed clarity.

From the beginning of May Goshawk kept appearing in my dreams, then on the wild land I heard the chant of a male Goshawk one morning, and then watched as it soared above the trees on-site with female in tow....wow!  Also whilst out on a walk in the Brendons my partner and I found a tail feather from an adult Goshawk..another sign.  And yes I realised that it was a calling to bring its medicine together in the form of an essence.

So the Goshawk essence was finally co-created on the New Strawberry Moon - very apt, the darkest part of the Moon cycle, and darkest night, yet Goshawk was showing me everything very clearly!  A very powerful essence bringing in a lot of the attributes above.

In fact one of the Summer Mentoring Programme students has had the delight of co-working with this essence in her studies and is enjoying the energy of 'courage' and 'belief in instincts' that this bird is bringing her.  

I'm really enjoying this essence too, and seeing and hearing the Goshawk day to day in real life....how lucky am I?

Herbal Collections......Mugwort drying

It's that time of year in my home where my niece and nephew always refer to me as a 'witch' not just simply aunty!

The warmer weather over the Full Moons means Mugwort is being harvested each month, dried and hung up in my kitchen and then lovingly gathered in for teas, tinctures, smoke bundles, etc.

I love this time of year.  I love bumping into the dried plants and deeply smelling their perfume.

Bringing nature indoors and working with her medicine brings me not only into deep connection with the plants but also to my my plant ancestors.....the hedge-witches, the midwives, the elders who knew and understood so much about the land and the plants/animals that lived there.  I feel a deep respect for their wisdom and a hope that within me I am remembering a language that has become lost.

Hemlock....Socrates's execution!

Conium maculatum, Hemlock, is an extremely dangerous plant...just look at how poor Socrates died - found guilty of 'corrupting the young' and 'neglecting the Gods whom the city worshipped and practicing religious novelties', Socrates (in the year 399BC) was sentenced to death and given a cup of Hemlock to drink (the preferred poison used for judicial executions in ancient Greece).  And not a painless or quick death either - this plant is responsible for one of the most appalling deaths in the history of botany, bringing with it vertigo, terrifying convulsions, frightening paralysis from the feet upwards (slowly!!) until it reaches the diaphragm and heart..then death.  

But with its serrated soft leaves and umbrella-shaped white umbels, Hemlock looks more akin to the innocent wild Carrot, harmless member of the parsley family.  In the UK alone there have been several recorded deaths amongst children who by using the hollow stems as pea-shooters have absorbed enough poison to kill them.  

Hemlock contains several poisonous alkaloid chemicals, the main one being coniine which derives its name from the Latin name of the plant.  All parts of the plant are poisonous, and it is the seeds that contain the highest concentration of coniine.  Coniine is a powerful neurotoxicant that disrupts the transmission of nerve signals. 

It can be really easily identified by its smooth, purple or blood-blotched stems (photo on the left), and if you dare get too close it has an unpleasant even foetid smell!  Its smell is one way that this plant stops anything from eating it, so its survival strategy is excellent.  

This plant has spread to practically every continent and some see it as being invasive....or perhaps it is telling us humans something!!

So why choose a most toxic plant to co-work with?

Actually the plant chose me, and has nudged me ever since we met deeply some 4 years ago!

A deeply feminine plant with a very strong, protective aligned stem, and feathery soft leaves and flowers.  She is connected to Saturn and the element of Water - so for me co-working with her energetically she was showing me how to release toxic emotions stored in the body.  She also showed me how she could help with transformation (releasing the old self to make way for the new), purification and protection (acting as a protective force against negative energy), when co-working with her.

I co-created a beautiful essence* with this plant on Solstice with the addition of a very heavy rainstorm during the co-creation process!!  Her teachings every day since are eye-opening and definitely transformational.  For me this plant is a strong Teacher plant, and co-working with her requires courage and reverence.

And for the untrained foraging eye...Hemlock looks a lot like Yarrow or the parsley family.....so my rule is always NEVER touch the umbellifers, and if out foraging if you're not 100% certain......never touch!!!  I did hear a story a couple of years ago where some young children were asked to go and collect cow parsley for their horses...off they went and brought back loads of what they thought was just cow parsley...you guessed it, 20% of that content was Hemlock!!!  Luckily no-one died but a long stay in hospital was required and a harsh lesson for children and parents! 

It does make me marvel at nature....there are loads of plants out there that can kill us and the immediate reaction of the human is to eradicate it!  Instead why don't we spend time learning its story, its medicine through the energetic felt-sense, get to know how it wants to co-work with everything around it.  As far as I can see Hemlock has adapted very well in damp, shady environments, not bothering anyone...until us humans come along and think we know better.

My fascination with toxic plants continues.....

*the essence bowl was situated well away from the plant so no biological parts could enter the bowl.  Interestingly, when I dowsed to check the radius of her energy it encompassed an area 15m wide!

"Socrates was a philosopher. He went around pointing out errors in the way things were done. They fed him hemlock."  - Gil Amelio

The transition into summer has felt easier this year....the journey of finding peace and stillness from the 21st (Solstice) through to the 25th (time the Sun stood still - never increased in height over these days) actually for once felt like I had indeed rested and stood still.  So easy to do at the Winter Solstice, and this year in particular I feel I have found it this time at the Summer Solstice.  Now the Wheel turns towards winter...eventually!!!!!  NOT YET!  But for those of you that really struggle with the busy energy of summer there is a sigh, a pause to go yes we've got over the high point.....phew!!

Summer Blessings to you all,
Karen x