A Crunchy Life - January 2024 Newsletter
Think of this as a letter from a friend with a deeper look into this month's post. I share more thoughts and resources for tapping into a simple, intentional life filled with Earth-based practices.
Hello friends!
The January post is up and it is all about how I’m just not ready to hit the ground running in 2024 yet. I’m still in a slow, dark, cozy, hibernation space. Its dark and cold outside - 16 degrees F today. I know that soon I’ll need to get moving more but I’m just not there yet. It’s still a time of reflection. The seeds I’m planting now won’t be ready until closer to spring. It’s not time to emerge from hibernation yet. My creativity seems to understand this, it feels dormant. There’s still work to do in the darkness.
I’ve decided not to force anything right now. To rest, relax, let go of resistance, and see where this approach takes me. It just feels right not to force … anything.
The amaryllis bloomed the same day that four inches of snow blanketed my part of the world. I like the symmetry of that. About three more inches arrived a couple of days later. Needless to say, not forcing things has been easier than expected right now. It’s so beautiful - the sun is shining bright, melting the ice and snow on the sidewalks. It’s almost time to get back to moving about the city.
This month’s post talks about how I'm using my hand, head, and heart this month to continue inward and feel renewed for what comes my way in 2024. Essentially, how I’m doing what feels best to me right now.
Here is what I am exploring this month.
HAND:
Knitting. I love knitting. My dear friend had a bumper sticker on her car: I knit so that others don’t have to die. It always made me laugh because of all the reasons I know that went into her putting it on her car. She is a true textile artist. Her works are amazing and are imbued with emotion and passion. They are almost magical in their uniqueness, creativity, and beauty.
I come to knitting with a deep desire to create. I’m really good at scarves, dish towels, and wash cloths. I have dreams of sweaters and socks that never materialize. But that’s okay. Knitting for me is about something else.
Knitting has always been like the canary in the coal mine. Or should I say, the lack of knitting has. When I am on vacation, I knit. When I am relaxed, I knit. When I have blocks of time, I knit. When I can shift to slow a couple hours before bed, I knit. I notice that as my stress increases and I begin the inevitable downward spiral of forgetting — my knitting time decreases, until there is simply none left.
Midwinter and its slowness, focus, and reflectiveness, brings me back to knitting. Sitting by the fire and knitting is one of my happy places. And, during midwinter, I am reminded that knitting is more like meditating for me. Knit 2 Purl 1 becomes a mantra. My breathing slows. My mind clears. I feel refreshed when I have completed several rows. This is not at all about perfection or even completion. It’s about being present, just taking one stitch at a time.
Learning to knit
I taught myself to knit. The fiber arts skipped a couple generations in my family but I found myself compelled to learn when I was around age 24. I used primarily books but also videos since I did not have anyone to turn to for guidance. With the internet, there are so many resources available now to anyone interested in learning.
If you are interested in getting started with knitting, I recommend exploring Purl Soho. Consider beginning with their Learn to Knit Video Tutorial. After that, there are lots of videos to explore from basics to advanced techniques.
Purl Soho’s shop in NYC is a visual delight, even when it is packed with people as it has been the handful of times I’ve been there. Relying on their online shop, as I do, is easy. Their yarns are lovely and it is clear that their mission is so much more than just selling yarn. They are truly there to support anyone who wants to create. Their newsletter is always full of information (yet not overwhelming) and they provide free patterns, a wide range of video tutorials, and even free 1-on-1 Project Help.
HEAD:
Reading and journaling. As I mentioned in this month’s post, I am returning to three beloved books this month:
Intuitive Writing: The Remedy for Writer's Block and the Secret to Authentic Communication by Jacqueline Fisch.
The Creative Doer by Anna Lovind.
Pilgrim: Living Your Yoga Every Single Day by Britt B Steele.
I’m also engaging with readings that captivate and ignite my imagination: the old stories like The Madness of Mis, stories about the Cailleach, Demeter, Artemis, Hestia, Freyja, Sophia, Sappho; and, books about herbs and plants like The Green Mysteries by Daniel A. Schulke and Iwigara: American Indian Ethnobotanical Traditions and Science by Enrique Salmon. My process right now is: Read, reflect, journal. Repeat. Read, reflect, journal. Repeat.
A rocking chair, next to the fire, enjoying a warm cup of tea (and a tea recipe)
What I am also doing these days is spending a good bit of time next to the fireplace with a warm beverage. In fact, as I am writing this newsletter, that’s exactly where I am — in a rocking chair, next to the fire, enjoying a warm cup of tea (1 part lemon balm + 1 part rose + seeds from two cardamom pods + a splash of honey).
For a long time I had a challenging relationship with these deep, dark, cold midwinter months. Going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. The lack of light and the increasing cold weighed on me. I thought it was a “me” problem.
As time went on, I decided to befriend this time of the year. I no longer remember the catalyst, and that doesn’t seem important any more. Along the way, I learned and reflected a lot on my ancestors and how they approached midwinter. I had the benefit of being able to go to work from a warm house into a warm car into a warm school. And, I would do the same at the end of the school day. The elements were important and definitely impacted my experience of going to and from work, but it was nothing like when I lived on the island or my ancestors daily life in the deepest of winter.
My ancestors were more connected to the rhythms of nature in their daily lives and they certainly did not have the level of comfort that I did. Midwinter was a challenging time for them in a very direct way. A time of cold, starvation, uncertainty, liminality. A time of rain and snow, puddles and mud, dampness and cold. Lots of layers in an attempt to keep dry and warm. (The wet feet alone must have been a miserable challenge.)
There’s a knowing that it is important at this time. It is the rhythm of the cycle of life in this amazing world. It is an important time for rejuvenation and preparation so one is ready when the busy-ness of milder, warmer days return. Whether it is projects that need to be done around the home, a feeling that those who came before are closer, a sense that something is growing within, or signs that the season will soon be changing again, there’s a recognition that this time and this work is important and not to rush it. It’s a time to gather the family and the animals together for warmth. It’s a time to rest, to dream, to divine. It’s a time to pay attention.
Imbolc and Candlemas Practices and a Hearth Oil Recipe
Now, as I approach the end of January I feel the growing energy of Imbolc and Candlemas. They fall on the cross quarter day between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox - the middle of winter in this place I live. A day where the the solstice and equinox are in balance, in union. Candlemas and Imbolc are linked together in their origins and we have built our own family rituals around them that ground us in time, place, and spirit.
With Candlemas we thank and celebrate our candles for all they have done getting us through the dark days of deep winter, and Imbolc is a celebration of the awakening of the land from its winter sleep and the return of the sunlight. Both are about the transition from dark to light, from dormancy to growth.
Pancakes or Crepes and Chamomile Tea for dinner followed by Rice Pudding or Creme Brûlée afterwards. Adventuring outside. Beginning to lay out our plan for this year’s garden. It’s a day that is both nurturing and comforting as well as filled with anticipation and excitement of what is to come.
This month, well, the entire winter season really, finds me sitting next to a roaring fire for some part of most days. Our hearth is in the center of the house and all must pass by to go anywhere. It’s literally a hub of activity. And, not just as a thoroughfare, its a resting place to read, to listen to music, to watch a movie, to nap. Our hearth works hard all winter to ensure we remain warm, rejuvenated, hopeful, and inspired.
On Imbolc we will bless and thank our hearth with a hearth oil made for the day. Clearing our path into the new sunlight by cleaning and purging that which is no longer necessary throughout the house.
Hearth Oil Recipe
1 drop Cinnamon Bark Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oil
2 drops Sandalwood Santalum album essential oil
4 drops Lavender Lavandula angustifolia essential oil
1 drop Jasmine Jasminum grandiflorum essential oil
1 drop Rose Rosa x damascena essential oil
2 drops Frankincense Boswellia carterii essential oil
1 drop Scotch Pine Pinus sylvestris essential oil
1 tablespoon Solubol (because we use our hearth oil as a spray)
According to Aromahead Institute:
Cinnamon - Supports lessening stress and increasing feelings of optimism
Sandlawood - Supports meditation, inner unity, quiet mental activity
Lavender - Calms, soothes, nurtures, and encourages balance in all body systems
Jasmine - Supports comfort within oneself
Rose - Soothes and heals the heart, brings a feeling of love
Frankincense - Supports reflection, introspection, tranquility, and quiets the mind
Pine - Calming yet uplifting while helping to improve air quality
We use the hearth oil to anoint our hearth as we say a blessing/prayer of thanks. This is the perfect blend for how our family interacts with our hearth. Our hearth provides a warm space for us to gather, relax, recharge, even enjoy a meal. The essential oils in this spray support this quieting, relaxing, uplifting, harmonious environment.
HEART:
Writing. In this month’s post I mentioned how I am writing outside of my comfort zone this month - I’m writing a fairytale about my life. Creative writing is not something that comes easy to me. In fact, for most of my life, I’ve been intimidated about trying any form of creative writing. My sister is a poet and a creative non-fiction author. That is her realm, not mine. In college, everyone complained about how challenging the creative writing courses were so I avoided them like the plague. Having a framework to work within is very appealing to me - kind of like knitting; I find a pattern useful. I just never expected to find that pattern in fairy tales.
I do love fairy tales. Not the mass produced fairy tales of today. The deep, often dark, fairy tales that propel me to think and question. I love trying to dig out messages and meanings. Most importantly, I love trying to find a message for myself.
In Sharon Blackie’s Hagitude program, we worked with Sharon on many aspects related to her book but the ones that struck me the deepest were the sessions on the process of myth making, writing a life story, and crafting a fairytale.
Writing my fairy tale
This month I decided to write a fairy tale to take the first person out of my story. By doing so, it is an exercise in reflection and I am able to take a step back, gain new perspective, see events and people in a new light.
My fairytale includes various stages of the fairytale heroine’s journey, key events, significant people/helpers/allies, challenges. And, then I have symbolized aspects of it. The characters - human and more than human - are portrayed through archetypes. This has been so powerful as it has released me to freely consider those characters and their roles in my life.
Some of my favorite characters in the story are:
a wise elder woman - who traveled across the ocean from a far away tribe to the place where the girl lived and gave her a prophecy.
a goose - who taught the girl that love, once it exists and is true, cannot be destroyed.
a wizard - the wise old man who taught the girl to remember.
a fox - the trickster who taught the girl to remember what she didn't want and the importance of holding on to and nurturing her self.
an otter - who taught the girl to let go and that safety can be found in relationship and in touch.
a polar bear - who taught the girl to embrace her emotional depths with grace and courage especially in the face of adversity and provided her the space to delve deeply into the solitude necessary for self-discovery and wisdom.
Some of the characters I’ve enjoyed writing the most are those of place. Castles. A forest. A punchbowl waterfall. An island. The Ocean. Tapping into what captured me - the good or not so good - in each of these places has been powerful.
Sharon’s course and substack
Are you interested in fairy tales and how they relate to your life? Sharon has a wonderful course titled: Finding Ourselves in Fairy Tales. Its a three-part self study course. Its an on-demand course with videos, written, audio and web resources.
From Sharon’s course offering:
“We are storytelling animals, hard-wired for story. We begin to perceive, explain and make sense of the world through the stories we find in childhood – or the stories which find us. They are the stars we navigate by. Stories teach us everything we know, and their lessons are deep and rich. In fairy tales, for example, the tasks which must be undertaken are the stuff out of which souls, not just shirts, are forged. These stories help us to reimagine ourselves, because at the heart of them is transformation: they help us to believe in the possibility of change. We come to see that there are other ways of imagining the world and our place in it – and of living more intensely, and more richly, in a world that is often filled with challenge, and sorrow. I’ve worked in this way – as a psychologist, academic folklorist, writer and teacher – with European fairy tales now for more than two decades. Join me to explore the ways in which, even as adults, we can find ourselves in fairy tales.’
Sharon’s substack is also a wonderful space for inspiration and information. She can be found at: sharonblackie.substack.com
Final thoughts for this month:
This month I leave you with the house spirits of Kashubia.
In Kashubia, a rich retinue of old gods and mythological creatures still exists. It is said that about 32 gods and 93 other spirits and creatures were reported to ethnographers around the turn of 19th to 20th centuries.
As I sit by the fire with my tea, knitting, journal, or a book I like to imagine that the Krośnięta are here with me. Krośnięta are small home spirits - male and female - living around the household, similar to the Tomten and Nisser. The are connected to one family, work on the farm, and during times of great poverty may even turn pine cones into gold.
As described by Lamus Dworski:
Krośnięta “resemble humans in appearance. Their favourite places to hide is under floorplanks, under roots of apple trees or under lilac bushes. They love to hang around barns and stables, where they take care of the animals in the absence of the people. Tiny braids in horses’ manes and tails are obvious signs of their presence. Sometimes krośnięta decide to reveal themselves to their hosts, and then they ask for small favors: for example whether they might cross the host’s floor with their wedding retinue, or whether they might have a dance party the whole night. The Kashubians were leaving small treats for krośnięta, like a small bowl of flour, potatoes or milk. Treated well, krośnięta are very kind to their hosts and could even repay by leaving treats as well, even such lavish ones like golden coins. They can also help with household chores: sweep the floors, peel the potatoes or knead the bread.”
For the rest of the month, I will be over here sitting by the fire, eking out the last of my inclination towards hibernation and reflection and hoping that the Krośnięta are warm and cozy as well. After all, once Imbolc comes things around here are going to get busy for all of us.
Love,
Karen