All Saints Day/All Souls Day is one of my favorite days of the year. I come from a very Swedish, immigrant family, with our roots and family hailing from the beautiful island of Gotland, Sweden. The first Saturday in November is celebrated by going to the cemetery to wash the family tombstones and once clean, placing a white pillar candle near the base of it. This is practiced throughout Sweden.
This weekend will be the honoring of ancestors in all shapes in forms. In my Nordic/Northern European tradition we celebrate our male ancestors on Alfablót which lands on the full moon of Slaughter Month which happens to be on Halloween this year October 31st. This full moon ceremony marks the start of Winter. Today as I write this there are many inches of snow on the ground. It truly seems
To find a moment of awe, wonder, and enchantment. (Even in the middle of a pandemic) I know you’re probably reading the title and then the subtitle of this post and asking, “Is she insane? Finding wonder in
“When the light returns to its source, it takes nothing of what it has illuminated” ~Rumi Recently the northern hemisphere celebrated the return of the sun, the return to the Light. It was really hard to concentrate or celebrate on that day because of the Corona Virus pandemic. Many of us were staying in place to help stop the spread of this virus. Nevertheless, I still missed my usual community
“I have a choice about where to stand in my inner landscape. I can consciously make the decision that I’m not going to stand in my fear, and I am going to stand in my hope.” — Parker J. Palmer I was speaking with a friend the other day who saw my post on walking a labyrinth as a centering tool during difficult times. “I wish we had a community labyrinth here
For many of us, we are living in a period we haven’t experienced before. COVID-19 aka the coronavirus is leaving many feeling unsettled, scared, and uncertain. This is a time where we are having to consider what are our essentials, what’s important, and how to stay calm. During our days of lockdown and Social Distancing, I have taken to being out in nature a lot but more importantly embracing
Every February 28th the publication of The Kalevala, The Finnish National Epic, is celebrated. Published this day in 1835 and again in 1849. The Kalevala ( pronounced “KAH-lev-AH-la), is the great national epic of Finland. Based on old stories that were sung and recited by the population of Finland, as well as the Baltic countries and Western Russia. The Kalevala itself was assembled from folk sources in the 1800s
Recently I discovered an old rune song in the Finnish archives which speaks of the spinning of new linen thread to end the last few weeks of winter by preparing a garment. This new garment signifies the handwork of winter during the darkest time of the year. This old rune song jarred memories from growing up with my fiber-filled Gotlander/Swedish family. My grandmother, an accountant by day, was a
The Fox Diaries is a beautiful collection that brings nature and beauty to life with each turning of the page. I highly recommend this lovely book for adults and children of all ages.
What a beautiful book! The Waldorf Homeschool Handbook has given me much food for thought by reading it. I love it and even though we have already been homeschooling for almost 8 years now with children in highschool, it has been wonderfully refreshing and has encouraged me to relook at how we go about our homeschooling journey.
Renee CormierMother-Daughter Book ClubVisually, this book is GORGEOUS! A Year in the Secret Garden is a treasure trove of activities, crafts, games, recipes and information all related to the classic children’s book, The Secret Garden, bringing to life this wonderful book to a new generation of readers. I cannot recommend this beautifully illustrated and detailed, information-packed book highly enough to parents, homeschoolers, teachers, and librarians. Ages 5+
