Love this! Today I notice the Kowhai trees are flowering on our street which happens every August. It's so lovely to see the bright yellow at the end of winter and brings in lots of birds too.
Your ideas about cycles of energy and action also made me think of women's monthly cycles, which come with different levels of energy and brain function 😆 ....and which we are largely taught to ignore.
A number of seasons , so fascinating and loved your pictures . Making the looking for and taking pictures sacred, a spiritual practise , perfect.
The season is changing here, the nights are drawing in with the velvet darkness. Making this week’s full moon , extra gorgeous . I look forward to learning about Riso and seeing some of your experiments.
Loved your thoughts about how our rhythms can/or could mirror the seasons in some way. Last year I took part on some training by the Ayni Instiitute https://ayni.institute/seasonsofleadership/ which looks at social change organising and leadership through a framework of seasons. Some of their ideas sound a lot like your own reflections about your thoughts eg for winter withdrawl/hibernation, then a flourish of new activity in spring etc. I certainly found the ideas and training helped me understand myself as well as small group dynamics where i volunteer in environmental activism. Thanks for the ace close ups of nature too
Thanks for sharing the work of the institute Malcom - very cool! There is so much wisdom there in nature we have just forgotten how to see it and be guided by it. Also glad you dig my photos!
Writing about the seasons and how they influence our lives reminds me of the conversation we're having in my Zoom gatherings. I've set them up by-seasonal and I share the qualities and essence of the seasons. I love what you've shared about the calendars. And your photos and cartoons. Thank you.
That sounds wonderful Paulette - the more we allow the natural world into our day -to -day the better off we will all be eh? Thanks for popping in to say hi :)
I have recently learned about the Wiradjuri seasons, which might also have some parallel for you on Ngunnawal country. They are really hard to information on, and I’m trying to learn a bit more! Let me know if you are interested and I’ll send you the resource l found 🧡
I love this, Gillian. I always look to nature for guidance, and write about it often. While I consider the seasons as my guide, I've never looked at them from this perspective. It's perfect, and I will take these thoughts with me going forward. Thank you.
I love the concept of living our lives like the seasons. We all need to hibernate every now and again in order to regenerate. Our seasons are extreme here in the Alpine region. You can't help be affected by them. I've often thought about what our Dhuduroa seasons are. I imagine one would be the great Bogong moth migration around October and November, which filled the skies and rock crevices with hundreds of thousands of moths fluttering down from Queensland in the light of the Milky Way. Sadly, the moths are endangered these days and you're lucky to see one at all. :(
Yes! Bogong moth - I imagine it would have been an important season for the Ngunawal calendar too. I can remember when I first started working in cultural institutions (Art Gallery, museum etc) in Canberra in the 1990’s that the moths were so numerous that they required daily cleaning up and removal. I love the extremity of seasons here too. The frosty winter almost makes summer bearable. Almost… :)
on a slight tangent but the thought that popped into my mind when reading this, I heard somewhere awhile ago now how everything has is growth period and then its resting time except for cancer, that is the only thing to continually grow. I feel knowing our own seasons and the seasons where we live and then adjusting our lives to them could only be good for us and the planet, one can dream. Also love that pic of the wattle flowers, such a pretty bloom up close
Love this! Today I notice the Kowhai trees are flowering on our street which happens every August. It's so lovely to see the bright yellow at the end of winter and brings in lots of birds too.
Your ideas about cycles of energy and action also made me think of women's monthly cycles, which come with different levels of energy and brain function 😆 ....and which we are largely taught to ignore.
Yes! Thanks for the prompt, I’ll definitely explore lunar cycles in a cartoon coming to you soon!
A number of seasons , so fascinating and loved your pictures . Making the looking for and taking pictures sacred, a spiritual practise , perfect.
The season is changing here, the nights are drawing in with the velvet darkness. Making this week’s full moon , extra gorgeous . I look forward to learning about Riso and seeing some of your experiments.
The moon was amazing this week, wasn’t it? I caught it full, setting through early morning fog and sunshine—beautiful!
Loved your thoughts about how our rhythms can/or could mirror the seasons in some way. Last year I took part on some training by the Ayni Instiitute https://ayni.institute/seasonsofleadership/ which looks at social change organising and leadership through a framework of seasons. Some of their ideas sound a lot like your own reflections about your thoughts eg for winter withdrawl/hibernation, then a flourish of new activity in spring etc. I certainly found the ideas and training helped me understand myself as well as small group dynamics where i volunteer in environmental activism. Thanks for the ace close ups of nature too
Thanks for sharing the work of the institute Malcom - very cool! There is so much wisdom there in nature we have just forgotten how to see it and be guided by it. Also glad you dig my photos!
Writing about the seasons and how they influence our lives reminds me of the conversation we're having in my Zoom gatherings. I've set them up by-seasonal and I share the qualities and essence of the seasons. I love what you've shared about the calendars. And your photos and cartoons. Thank you.
That sounds wonderful Paulette - the more we allow the natural world into our day -to -day the better off we will all be eh? Thanks for popping in to say hi :)
I have recently learned about the Wiradjuri seasons, which might also have some parallel for you on Ngunnawal country. They are really hard to information on, and I’m trying to learn a bit more! Let me know if you are interested and I’ll send you the resource l found 🧡
Rachel, I’d love to see the Wiradjuri seasons, thank you!
I’ll get to this today ☺️ when l have a moment. You’re welcome!
Loved how you talk about seasons here! Your line "use the seasons as a reminder to zoom out" is so good. Thanks for sharing!
I love this, Gillian. I always look to nature for guidance, and write about it often. While I consider the seasons as my guide, I've never looked at them from this perspective. It's perfect, and I will take these thoughts with me going forward. Thank you.
You are welcome Sue! It is lovely when our own musings are helpful for someone else :) thank you for letting me know.
I love this ritual of taking photos. It allows both immersion in nature and complete focus in the present moment. Mindfulness + nature!
Oh, you are right. I hadn’t framed it quite like that, but it definitely is - it feels meditative.
I agree!
I love the concept of living our lives like the seasons. We all need to hibernate every now and again in order to regenerate. Our seasons are extreme here in the Alpine region. You can't help be affected by them. I've often thought about what our Dhuduroa seasons are. I imagine one would be the great Bogong moth migration around October and November, which filled the skies and rock crevices with hundreds of thousands of moths fluttering down from Queensland in the light of the Milky Way. Sadly, the moths are endangered these days and you're lucky to see one at all. :(
Yes! Bogong moth - I imagine it would have been an important season for the Ngunawal calendar too. I can remember when I first started working in cultural institutions (Art Gallery, museum etc) in Canberra in the 1990’s that the moths were so numerous that they required daily cleaning up and removal. I love the extremity of seasons here too. The frosty winter almost makes summer bearable. Almost… :)
on a slight tangent but the thought that popped into my mind when reading this, I heard somewhere awhile ago now how everything has is growth period and then its resting time except for cancer, that is the only thing to continually grow. I feel knowing our own seasons and the seasons where we live and then adjusting our lives to them could only be good for us and the planet, one can dream. Also love that pic of the wattle flowers, such a pretty bloom up close
Yes Kate, One must dream! Then take tiny steps to make it real in our small circle of influence. xo
🙏🏼💛