The Alchemy of Autumn

 I sit on the stone ledge by the front door. A place I often sit in all seasons. The place to take my cup of tea or coffee and look at the garden. It is the afternoon and I have come outside to take a break and feel the last warmth of the early Autumn sun. Sunlight catches a cobweb, it's almost invisible thread stretches  from the rusted doorbell to the valerian plant below. A home connected to a home. 

A dragonfly darts about the garden, a shining fairy in disguise and the ivy flowers on the old shed are singing with a choir of honeybees. Sharing this feast are red admirals. Six of them. The red and white on their wings contrast against the bluest of sky, jewels of the garden, small treasures from heaven.

The Alchemy of Autumn has begun. It is visible of course all around us, but it is also a feeling felt in the stillness, the slowing down and in the bird song. A sensing of different energy and magic in the air, which to me is felt most strongly from now through to Winter.
The Autumn Equinox has passed and now the days begin to get shorter. It's time to get and do, what I call the the 'cosy things' or the hip or trendy term now seems to be 'hygge'  ;-)  Cosy socks, woolly tights, spiced tea, hot chocolate and soup. Time to light the fire inside or out, dig your hat and scarf out of the cupboard for long walks to look for mushrooms and toadstools. Time to light more candles now the evenings are darker and retrieve that half finished crochet that you begun last year. 

It's a time to gather and harvest and brew potions and wine, jams and jellies.  

 Have your ingredients ready, in this case blackberries. The other items are to help the spell. A magic wand comes in very handy if you are not so good at making Jam. Mine is made by a very talented young friend of mine and it's relatively new, so I wanted to test it and check it worked. ;-) (You can see more of her beautiful wands here)

Say the magic words and wave the wand.

Then.....'ta- dah'!  Blackberry Jam! ;-)

All there is to do now, is make a pretty label and pop it in your cupboard. 

                                                                               ~***~

'Alchemist: A person who transforms or creates something through a seemingly magical process'

On my desk a little Alchemy has been taking place.

Tiny paintings, treasures of Nature. I have used real gold to symbolise treasure and show that their importance is of equal value in the grand scheme of life. After all gold is 'nature's' treasure too, but we put so much more value on it than a flower or an animal and even water. (which I find scary sometimes)

                                                                'Between the Space of Golden Light

'Midnight's Treasure'

'Metamorphosis'

'I see the Golden Light that Surrounds You'

'In the Beginning' #2

'In the Beginning'#1

'Born of Gold'

"Here is all of life, all into one
 In moments such as this, all that lives and breathes under the sun is part of Heaven's kiss"

~ Crimson Skies. The Cinematic Orchestra

More gold on this Hare, this time not the real kind though, just paint. 

'Summer Gold'

'Night and her Magic'

'Night's Treasures'

'Hills of Home'

'Tor and Thorn'

'Tamarisk and Sea Holly'

'Sea Holly'

'Sea Holly Small'

'Magnificent Bee' (Pendants  #1 and #2)

After rather a lot of fiddly small painting I am having an urge to paint something bigger now. :-)

All of the above items will be added to my Etsy shop next Tuesday 27th September at 19.00 (7pm) UK time. 

Enjoy your weekend and fingers crossed the sun stays out for walks and gardening and whatever you are up to. 

Thanks for reading! x

Hello September

Memories of early summer flower days lie in a seashell on my table. How fleeting they seem now that September has arrived with her hedgerows heavy with blackberries, the early morning mists, rosy ripe apples and hips and haws.  

August was sunny and busy, and I never did get around to doing a blog post. And then I caught a horrid cough and my voice almost disappeared and I didn't feel like doing anything for a while.
It's always hard to try and cram all things into a post when you haven't done one in a while, so instead of doing that I thought I'd share some of the magical moments that I've had since I was last on here.
There was a trip to Brownsea island

Where I chatted with a peacock

And while we sat there on the beach for a while with our simple picnic of sandwiches and flask of tea, something magical and beautiful happened. Out of nowhere it seemed she appeared, a deer walking towards us on the waters edge.

Not a care for humans having picnics, but searching it seemed for something or someone? She walked past us, stopping, then wading out to deeper waters, looking, then carried on. 

It was one of those moments when you are just there and are not expecting anything at all, then something wonderful and quite extraordinary happens. :)

My feet have been recharged in the wild Atlantic's Cornish rock pools .

Beneath the water they have heard the sea weed whispers and the crackles and pops of the limpet and mussel.

And through their soles they've soaked up the salty song of the sea.  I think they may even have heard a Selkie too?

And I swam and played in the wild waves like the seals that we saw. My selkie skin took the useful form of a wet suit. 
Dreams and sleep beneath stars and the milky way, cut off from the mainland on an island.

Where a giants heart lies in stone.

  Golden magic from the top of a castle.

And a phoenix in the sky...

***

Perseid meteor shower gazing in the garden can be added to the moments ( did you see them?) and the rescue of a weasel behind the sofa! :-) I hope you, dear readers whatever you have been doing, also saw a little magic in August.
                                                                                 ***
Now September is here and the sweet peas are still blooming. Mr Robin Good fellow has come out from hiding in the bushes during his annual feather moult and is very pleased with his new set.

I have been working on some hangers which I'll be back to share soon. In the meantime, will leave you with my new 2017 Calendar which is available now to buy in my shop here.

Happy September! X