Hello my dear friends,
 
The last time I sent a little love note your way I asked if you had the courage to choose you, to become who you want to be. I hope that little seed of a question has enabled you to find some new growth in your life.
 
I also told you that it was my intention to rewild my life, including my business, and become a bit wilder; not always do the things the way they’ve always been done. As I’ve been feeling into all of this I came across a post by Elizabeth Gilbert author of the bestselling novel “Eat, Pray, Love”. I’d like to share some of the words of her message with you below:
 
“I LOVE YOU BUT I’M LETTING GO”
 
How many times in your life have you needed to say this? And do you need to say it again?
 
I'm not just talking about letting go of a relationship. I'm talking about letting go of other things that you love, but which might be blocking you from the path that you really need to be on:

• You can love cigarettes, for instance, and know that they aren't helping you.
• You can love your hometown, while knowing at the same time that you need to go.
• You can love your house and know that it's too big for you to take care of anymore.
• You can love the people that you've worked with for ten years, but maybe it's time to let go, and start looking toward a new job.
• You can love going out to drinks with your friends on a weekday evening, while also knowing that this is the very thing that makes you too tired for the rest of the week to pursue your passions.”

 
The rest of the post spoke about how we only have one life, and this might mean that we won’t have the time to experience all the things we’d love to. In order to live the life that matters most to us then, we can choose to switch from riding life in the fast lane to the lane of “devoted focus”.
 
To do this we need to make focussed choices and we need to learn to say “no”.
 
If we want something really badly we might also have to say “no” to the things that we LOVE as well as to the things we don’t.
 
Elizabeth’s post shook me to my core.
 
All of a sudden I was feeling as if the foundations under my feet were crumbling away.
 
Was I on the right path, the one that I really needed to be on?
 
“NO”
 
Had I been feeling the need to rewild myself and my business because I wasn’t on the right path?
 
“YES”
 
More shaking!!
 
But I’d spent most of the last twenty or so years building these foundations, did this mean I had to build new one’s all over again?
 
“Not quite”
 
Well, what then?
 
“How about just a new fence and patio?”
 
If you’ve continued reading until this part you may be thinking (and quite rightly so) that Maureen has finally lost it. I’d like to reassure you this is just me talking to me, aka my best friend, my inner therapist, my higher self, God – whatever context works best for you. Talking to me works best for me. Let’s resume the conversation...
 
I’ve just had a new fence and patio built?
 
“Exactly”
 
You’re annoying me now.
 
“Why did you need a new fence and patio?”
 
The previous decking and old fence were rotting away. One of the fences was even being held up by an old yoga belt because it was nearly falling down. Also, it all looked tired and weary.
 
“A bit like yourself then? Looking tired and weary and needing propped up?”
 
Now that’s not nice.
 
“No but I have a point don’t I – I always do! Seriously think about this. What could your outer garden tell you about your inner garden?”
 
I’m getting tired and weary and needing propped up?? Really??
 
“No – stop being a drama queen. You’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last twenty odd years. You worked hard to build the life and business you have now. You have strong foundations. Perhaps your foundations just need a freshen up, some reinforcement, some maintenance, some love, new growth. Some rewilding?”
 
You’re right.
 
“Thank you – I usually am. Over to you now”.
 
I need to be on the path (or patio) of rewilding. My old self (decking) needs some maintenance. I need some reinforcement (fencing).
 
I love the current me, my life, my business but I want more and so it’s time to LET GO once more.
 
It’s time to let go of personal values and beliefs that no longer serve me. It’s time to let go of aspects of modern-day conditioning and a lifestyle that no longer serve me.
 
I no longer want:

• To be tamed.
• To be labelled.
• To be domesticated.
• To be shackled by limited expectations.

 
I want to:

• Live simply, the way I was before modern culture conditioned me.
• Write more, just for the sheer love and fun of it and see where it takes me.
• Travel more, have new adventures.
• Spend more time in my garden and in the wilds of nature where I feel grounded, alive, free, renewed and nourished.
• GROW

 I want to unapologetically be true to myself, to live an authentic life, to truly CHOOSE ME.
 
And so, the time has come for me to follow the advice given by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s time to change lanes and head towards the path I truly want, the rewilded path.
 
It’s time to let go of some of the things I love and one of these is my business. Not the whole thing entirely, not its foundation, but some of its worn-out fences and decking! Who knows in the future it may come back revived and renewed with a brand-new hedge-row and patio?
 
The things I’ll be letting go of for now are:

• My business email list
• My business Facebook and Instagram pages
• Workshops and Well-being Programmes

 
What I’ll be holding on to (with much love):

My 121 counselling and coaching work, albeit in a reduced capacity.

• My website - https://www.ichooseme.org.uk/ - again this will be being rewilded so for a while there won’t be much content showing on it, but it will be a place where you can reach out to me if you wish to work with me on a 121 basis.
• My email address – [email protected] – if you just want to say hello!

Although it may feel like I’m letting you go too please remember this:

“Every time I meet more of myself, I can know and love more of you” …Yung Pueblo
 
I will always hold you in my heart with the fondest of memories and much, much, love and I hope that my words today encourage you to start saying “no” in order to live the life you truly want.
 
Remember too that every ending has a new beginning, and who knows we might meet each other again on a wild and wonderous path.
 
Big hugs,
 
Maureen xx

“You’re not the woman I married”, my husband said to me!! “No, I’m not, and I’m not going back to being her either”, I courageously replied, whilst shaking in my boots a little!
 
This conversation took place 27 years ago and today I’m even more NOT the woman my husband first married, thankfully though he’s grown to love the woman I am today, as have I.
 
He voiced these words to me as I neared the end of my first ever block of counselling sessions and I was beginning to discover the possibility that I might be the most important person in my life.
 
Today that possibility has turned into a way of life, and I understand now, without any doubt whatsoever, that my purpose here on earth is to know myself intimately and in order to do this I have to choose myself first.
 
Many people (including my hubby and myself initially) over the years have questioned this apparent selfishness, however, I feel I have proved them wrong.
 
By choosing myself first, my mental, physical and spiritual health has improved significantly and because of this, I have had the energy to care for many more people than I would ever have dreamed of through becoming a counsellor myself, as a Mum, and as an unpaid carer to my husband who has undergone two major brain surgeries in the last 10 years. I wouldn’t have had the energy to care for others if I hadn’t placed that "oxygen mask'' on me first.
 
From a very early age, we are hypnotised by society to think and feel that we are not the most important person in our own lives and so we enter the realms of never feeling “good enough”. We then proceed to live a life where in order to feel “enough”:

• We meet the needs of others before ourselves and end up exhausted and might subsequently suffer from mental and physical health issues.
• We feel we need to achieve and be successful otherwise we won’t be accepted in society.
• We overspend, over-eat, and over-work in order to fill that big black “not enough” hole.

We carry around a huge burden, what I call the “shackles of expectations and comparison”, and when this load gets too heavy we often numb the pain with alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, social media etc.
 
Deep beneath all of this societal conditioning, we have an unfulfilled longing to choose ourselves first and to have the freedom to just BE, but to do this would mean CHANGE and change can be SCARY. It takes a lot of COURAGE to go against the norm, doesn’t it?
 
I’ve found over the years though that change doesn’t have to be hard work; slow, tiny steps make the biggest differences. Also, we need to listen to the guidance of the most important person in our life – OURSELVES.
 
The best way to listen to ourselves is to STOP DOING. We need SPACE, SILENCE and SOLITUDE to find out what our “enough” is, instead of feeling we have to live in a world where we want more, more, more and we have to do, do, do.
 
As Ben Fogle says, “a calm, modest life brings contentment and happiness, away from the pursuit of success and the jealousy of comparison, we are free to be who we are, not what society wants to mould us into”.
 
So, as we step into Spring, a new season in our lives, it’s the perfect time to courageously ask ourselves:

• Who is the most important person in my life? (If it’s not you, do you want it to be?)
• If I allowed myself to be more courageous, what would my life look like?
• What would you like to grow more of in your life?
• How could you encourage that growth?

Having the courage to grow into the person I wanted to be is the greatest gift I’ve ever given myself and I liken it to REWILDING myself, becoming who I want to be.
 
That growth is ongoing and this year I intend to grow some more and become a bit wilder! Wilder in the sense of DOING less and BEING more; giving myself even more permission slips not to do things the way they’ve always been done.
 
In particular this year, I’m going to be rewilding my business, courageously allowing it to grow into how it’s meant to be at this stage of my life instead of comparing it to what society thinks a successful business should look like.
 
So, you might notice some changes along the way, then again you might not, as I intend for any changes to be made slowly and simply. As always, I’ll ensure that you’re able to access the relevant information if you feel you would like to grow alongside me.
 
Why don’t you join me this year in growing something new my friend?
 
How about courageously CHOOSING to become who you want to be?
 
Speak soon, much love till then

Maureen xx

Hello Everyone
 
On Halloween I watched a wee leaf clinging on for dear life to its tree in the blustery wind and rain and it inspired me to write this little tale for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. It’s a fairly long read so grab a mug of something deliciously delightful and find a cosy, candlelit space before you begin. 
 
“Once upon a lifetime, on a cold, dark, wet and windy Halloween night there was a Little Leaf clinging desperately on to a lifeless Mother Tree from which it was birthed.
 
It could see nothing below apart from the darkness of the unknown, but it could hear the screams of what could only be the ghosts and ghouls of Halloween.
 
The wind began to blow harder and this, along with the weight of the rain upon the shrivelled body of the Little Leaf, meant it was becoming weaker and weaker. It was also crippled by anxiety at the terrifying thought of falling into that dark abyss below.
 
And then it heard the Mother Tree whisper, “my darling you, always remember that before there was light there was darkness.” 
 
The Little Leaf respectfully thanked its Mother for her words but didn’t listen to their wisdom and instead thought to itself, “well that’s a pile of *****, what good is that to me now as I cling here ready to fall to my death!” 
 
In that moment, The Wind puffed up his cheeks and blew fiercely into the face of the Little Leaf. It was wrenched from the safety of the Mother Tree and hurled up way into the night sky.
 
It was absolutely paralysed with fear now and couldn’t breathe. Its eyes were clasped tightly shut as it did not want to see the death and destruction that awaited below.
 
It was then that it heard a second whisper, this time from The Wind itself. “Don’t be afraid little one, open your eyes.” 
 
“No thank you Sir,” said the little leaf, “I’d rather not.”
 
“That’s a shame” said The Wind, “you’re missing an amazing movie, and we have the best seats up here in the starlit sky.” 
 
The Little Leaf was perplexed. 
 
It was about to fall to its untimely death and The Wind was inviting it to go and see a movie instead, jeeeezus, what was this world coming to!!
 
However, it had nothing to lose so it opened its eyes.
 
The movie was called “The Great Remembering” and was based upon the life of the Mother Tree whose whispers it hadn’t listened to just a few minutes before.
 
The Little Leaf watched and saw that, before its birth, the Mother Tree had spent a long time as a seed within the dark womb of Grand Mother Earth during Winter. It needed that dark place in order to grow strong roots.
 
Without the warmth and protection of that dark place those roots would never have thrived, enabling Mother Tree to be born at the Winter Solstice when the light returned and shone upon Grand Mother Earth once more.
 
The Little Leaf was subsequently shown in that big movie theatre in the sky, that without the darkness the Mother Tree would never have been able to grow into a little seedling during Spring nor into a young adult tree where it gave birth to the Little Leaf itself in the Summer.
 
It also saw that without that initial darkness the Little Leaf wouldn’t have been there in the first place to experience the following miracles of the year gone by:
 

• The growth of its leafy friends on the nearby branches during Midsummer.
• The stories of the owls and other creatures that lived amongst the branches of the Mother Tree.
• The birth and harvest of the juicy fruits on the Mother Tree during her first harvest in late Summer.
• The bountiful crop of ruby red berries that were the result of a second harvest that year during the Autumn Equinox.
• The gift of oxygen that Mother Tree gave back to Grandmother Earth in gratitude for her own birth.

 
​The Little Leaf felt exhilarated.
 
What a lifetime it had experienced, all thanks to the initial darkness and the growth of the Mother Tree of which it had been birthed from.
 
The Wind blew the Little Leaf further up into the air and asked, “can you see anything else down below my little friend?”
 
The Little Leaf who was now feeling pretty courageous looked down to the earth fearlessly.
 
In the distance it could see a warm, cosy patchwork quilt on the ground made up of leaves that looked just like it yet we’re ever so slightly different.
 
Despite that difference they looked very welcoming, their wet leaves glistening with raindrops in the darkness.
 
The Little Leaf remembered that they were the friends it had grown up with in the treetops of life and they seemed to be beckoning the Little Leaf to join them.
 
It also realised that these were the voices of the so-called ghosts and ghouls it had heard earlier but it was fear and limited beliefs that had made them into scary screams.
 
These voices were becoming louder again but this time they were eagerly encouraging the Little Leaf to fall from the sky, “just let go” they shouted, “we’ll catch you!” 
 
And it did just that.
 
It let go of all those previous fears, limited beliefs and Great Forgettings.
 
As the Little Leaf drifted downwards it smiled at The Wind, winked at the stars and gave thanks to the darkness for the life of the Mother Tree and the light she had gifted to the world.
 
The Little Leaf fell effortlessly towards the ground and to the warmth of its new home where it lived happily ever after, sound in the knowledge that its soul purpose was to become fertiliser for new life to be born once more amidst the darkness.
 
The End.”
 
Is it the end or just a new beginning my friend as the Wheel of the Year turns once more? 
 
Whether you believe in fairy stories, the festival of Halloween, the festival of Samhain or in nothing at all, I want to wish you all the energy of new beginnings as a seasonal New Year begins.
 
Just like that little leaf did, I also invite you to remember that we humans also need both darkness and light to thrive and grow but we too have to be willing to firstly surrender to that darkness. 
 
Some of us may at times also need the help of a gust of wind or other fallen leaves to remind us that the dark doesn’t need to be a scary place, so please reach out if you need to; whether that be to a friend, a health professional or just to yourself with a journal, a cuppa, a nap or a delightful book.
 
It’s time for me to also take the journey of the Little Leaf and begin my Winter hibernation period.
 
In my cave I’ll be continuing to slow down and reach even deeper into the darkness in eager anticipation of my next rebirth whether that be as fertiliser or as a wee seed! 
 
As such I’ll be mirroring Mother Nature and turning inwards which means lots of “being” in the form of rest and reflection and less “doing” in the form of socialising and continuing to step back from social media for a bit.
 
Before I begin my retreat I want to thank you with all my heart for your love, support and friendship over the past year.
 
Have a restful Winter, stay well, and take good care of yourself.
 
I’ll see you when the snowdrops pop their heads up once more.
 
Maureen xx

Hey, it’s been a while, how have you been?

I hope Summer has brought some warmth into your life and that these words meet you in a quiet place today where you can find a few moments in solitude, to step away and rest awhile from the busyness that Summer often brings.

Back in the Spring I knew I needed to start over and grow something new in my life and that was to keep striving to live a more loving, heart-centred life, to remember the simplicity of slow living and what matters most. My garden once again guided me on how to do this.

When I last wrote I spoke about growth and renewal and how I hoped that the little seeds I had planted would grow into beautiful Cosmos flowers in the Summertime. Well, they did…here they are, aren’t they wonderful? I’ve also managed to grow some sweet peas and sunflowers from seed so I’m feeling pretty proud of myself!

I’ve got to say however, it wasn’t all plain sailing! My back ached quite a bit with all the bending and digging and I lost a lot of seedlings and plants along the way. I nearly gave up at one point thinking I wasn’t good enough to be a gardener and I felt like ****! My old "not good enough" stories were beginning to rear their scary heads once more.

Health warning! Please don’t read any further if you’re offended by the word S**T!

Intrigued? Then please read on for some more deep "doo doo"!

More often than not we believe that we heal and grow through all things “love and light” and I have been guilty of this belief in the past. However, the truth is that true growth - our true gold - can only be gained by digging deep into our own **** stories.

As Tommy Rosen eloquently puts it, “the manure of my past became fertilizer for my future”. He goes on to say this is the “true mantra of every successful person in recovery”.

As a person in recovery from an addiction to codependency, I have had to deal with lots of my own ****, and as a therapist I am often told by my clients that I make them feel like ****!!

I have come to realise however (and I think many of my clients have too thankfully) that when we allow ourselves to really feel all this messy stuff, that is when we begin to heal. It is only when we dig deep into our scary stories of the past, our shadows, our darkness, and become courageous enough to “go within” that we alchemize that **** into rich golden fertilizer which we can use to create strong foundations in which we can grow and flourish.

To “cook” that manure however means having to get uncomfortable! We have to face our messy middle which consists of painful wounds, shame, guilt, demons etc. It’s no easy ride but’ believe’ me it’s worth it in order to heal and to grow into a healthier, stronger person.

We also must face the reality that transmuting our **** into golden fertilizer isn’t just a once and done journey. It’s a seasonal thing. We will have good days, comfy days, messy days, **** days but they are all fertilizer for our futures. We also need to wake up to the fact that we are not separate from Mother Nature, but part of her, and she has some pretty messy seasons too, but all are essential to growth and evolution.

​In the last year, all of humanity has been through a collective period of discomfort and a hell of a lot of ****. But we now have a choice of whether or not we stay awake and become better human beings because of that ****, or fall back asleep in the comfort of our old harmful stories and habits.

For me I’ve been choosing that messy “doo doo” road once more, diving deeper into my own ****, pushing further into my underworlds, safe this time in the knowledge that, hopefully, not only will this create more golden fertilizer for my own future but for my family, community, and humanity.

This work has involved me facing triggers surrounding addiction and racism. In the past I have “danced” around these issues avoiding the fears that rise up within me, making me feel uncomfortable, as I face even deeper truths. But as I ask my clients to do, I have to take accountability for my own ****. Instead of running away, this time I’ve sat with my mess and felt and smelt it all.

Books such as ‘Euphoric Recall’ by Aidan Martin and ‘Me and White Supremacy’ by Layla F Saad have been invaluable to me as tools to dig even deeper. As Layla says on pages 24/25 of her book, “there is no feel-good reward at the end other than the knowledge that you are doing this because it is the right thing to do”.

As we enter the last weeks of Summer, I invite you to use its remaining energy to test how rich your manure is! Do you need to dig even deeper into your own stories and the manure of your past?
For me it’s time to start slowing down after what was a busy summer period. It’s now also my intention to step away from social media for a wee bit so you might not hear from me as often. However, if you feel you do need support, please contact me at [email protected] or book a 121 session via the link on our website www.ichooseme.org.uk

My friend, I would normally leave you at this point surrounded in love and light but I realise that instead you might feel as if I’ve left you in a pile of smelly manure!! Never forget however that if you choose to dig deeper, I may actually be leading you towards your own fertilizer for the future, your Golden Garden Within – a bit like my own wee garden that is now positively blooming!
​
Much love till next time
Maureen xx

Whatever you choose to call today I’m sure like me you feel the shift in energy around us as we begin to edge out of Spring towards Summer.
 
For me this time of year represents growth and renewal, as the warmth and light of the sun touches our lives just like it has been touching these wee seeds I planted recently, encouraging them to grow into little seedlings and then hopefully emerge into beautiful cosmos flowers in the Summertime.
 
Beltane for me is also a wonderful time of year; to aim to live a more loving, heart-centred life, to start all over again, to remember the simplicity of slow living and what matters most.

As Benjamin Button says...
 
“It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. You can change or stay the same; there are no rules to this thing. I hope you live you’re proud of, and if you find you are not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”
 
What is your heart telling you today my friend?

• Do you need to start over?
• Is it time to grow something new in your life?
• What matters most to you?

 
Much love till next time
 
Maureen xx

Hello again and how are you doing?
 
I've recently been feeling that the Earth is awakening big time, coming alive again.
 
Can you feel it too?
 
Recently the Spring Equinox arrived on our doorstep bringing in lots of light energy. The equinox means that the length of each day and night is near enough equal, and much-needed balance begins to seep into our lives.
 
I’m taking time out this week to feel into which of my winter dream seeds I want to plant in the ground and nourish in the next few months, in order to harvest and celebrate their creation in the Autumn.
 
I have so many dreams in my head that I want to come true; so many seeds to choose from, and I know if I let it, my head could begin to make this process messy and complicated.
 
Thankfully my heart is taking the lead and telling me to approach the task in hand in a child-like way and just have fun! Kids just get in there don’t they...no fear.
 
So I’ve decided to get inspiration and clarity this week by going out to play with some friends, skip in the woods, pinch some daffodils, paint by numbers and get my hands dirty whilst I plant sunflower seeds - amongst others!!
 
Sometimes, to make our dreams come true we just need to connect to our child within; that spring-like, playful, curious little spirit.
 
I’m off to find a dandelion to make wishes on...do you want to come?
 
Much love till next time
 
Maureen xx

​Hello my dear friends
 
I hope this little note finds you safe and well.
 
When I last wrote I invited you to join me in immersing yourself in the energy of the ‘Moomins’ to ease gently into 2021 and not become caught up in the 'shoulds' of a new year.
 
As we enter February I am continuing to live and work at a slower pace and allowing ideas and plans to emerge naturally alongside the seasons. Winter is still with us but I can feel a shift. The days are slowly but surely lengthening and it feels like the life force of the earth beneath my feet is awakening. Can you feel it too?
 
Last February I wrote a blog about “Embracing our Seasons” (Click here to read the full article - https://www.ichooseme.org.uk/blog/embracing-our-seasons ) and during my reflections over the last few weeks I was drawn to read this again - given it was written just before the world was literally “locked down” due to the pandemic.
 
I smiled when I read this line…
 
“I am no longer limited by the expectations of others or society and therefore feel much more in control of my own destiny…”
 
Initially I thought “well that was a lot of pants! Covid-19 put paid to that.” But as I read further I was reminded of the seeds of intention I planted last year …
 
” In the weeks, months, and years to come, it is my intention to step through the gateway of my brand-new life and create a beautiful wild garden. I know this will involve much personal growth and transformation.
 
I fervently hope that my journey will not only transform me but also my community.
 
Who knows if we all choose to nourish and nurture ourselves with lots of love and self-care, we may even be able to transform the world ...... “mighty oaks from little acorns grow” and all that!”
 
Covid-19 hadn’t put paid to my intentions last year and I am reminded that it takes time for “mighty oaks to grow”!!
 
Last February I merely began the next stage of my life journey:

• I began to create a wild garden outside my home.
• I researched a lot about what living and working with the seasons would look and feel like and embarked upon a course with the amazing people from ‘Folk and Field’ who also created the visual shown in this blog.
• I chose to nourish and nurture myself big time and just flowed with what each day brought, whether it was good or bad.

 
I can see now that my wild garden continued to grow in the spaces in between each season of my life last year, even though I might not have been aware of it at the time.
 
Now at the ripe old age of 54 I may be limited in some ways by the pandemic but I am not limitless, and as Wayne Dyer once said…
 
“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside”.
 
There is much growth still to emerge and grow deep within me, in those spaces in between; many possibilities exist, none of which have yet been chosen.
 
My childbearing years and the vast majority of my ‘working’ years may be over, but this doesn’t mean that I no longer have a role to play in society. I was fortunate enough to hold space in my womb for a new human life to emerge and grow. However, there is space now for new growth, new creations.
 
I am not sure yet what that new growth will be but I trust I will be guided on which choices to make in those spaces in between. I hope too, as I mentioned last February, that this growth will help not only myself to continue to flourish, but also my community.
 
This month I feel I am being guided by the energy of the Celtic Festival of Imbolc which takes place on February the 1st and is associated with the pagan fire Goddess Brigit (also known as Brighid, Bride and Saint Bridget in Christian religions).
 
For me, Brigit’s energy symbolises the transformation from Winter (Crone energy) to Spring (Maiden energy) and the insatiable appetite for new beginnings and rebirth. It didn’t surprise me to read also that the word ‘Imbolc’ means “in the belly” in the old Irish Neolithic language, and that the seed of my own earth child Ryan was planted in my “belly” during the month of February 1998!
 
And so, my friend I send you Imbolc love and blessings this February and in all the spaces in between.
 
Maureen xx

Hello my dear friends.
 
I love stories... 
 
And I hope one day to write a story of my very own.
 
Recently I came across this little video which is the introduction to the book “Moominland Midwinter” by Tove Jansson: https://youtu.be/7HCceZMp4wI
 
The actual book tells the story of ‘Moomintroll’ who woke up early from the hibernation period that he and his family embark on each year throughout the harsh winter.
 
Moomintroll can’t get back to sleep, so he decides to stay awake for the remainder of the winter season.
 
He becomes increasingly more and more angry at the sun’s absence, at the winter snowstorms - and at those who seem able to enjoy rather than resent the season of mid-winter.
 
This story - as most fairy stories do - holds vast amounts of learning!!
 
This story for me, especially during another lockdown deep in midwinter, reminds me of the lessons that can be learned if we choose:

• Learning to live with uncertainty
• How we sometimes have to get lost before we can truly find ourselves
• Surrendering to the rhythms of life rather than resisting them.

 And so my dear friend I invite you to let the energy of ‘Moomin’ into your life today! 
 
Let’s surrender to the rhythm of midwinter and move ever so slowly out of hibernation (the pandemic is certainly helping us with this!!!)
 
Here are some of the things I’ve been doing recently, moving gently into my day:

• Rising before the rest of the household.
• Lighting a candle for a time before switching on the lights.
• Having a bath or shower in candlelight. You don’t just have to do this at night!
• Listening to soothing music as I work.
• Nourishing myself throughout the day with hot drinks, soups and stews.​

 Working at a slower pace, allowing ideas and plans to take root at their own pace - as who knows what 2021 will look like moving forward.
 
Taking naps if I need to. If I’m working I might take a nap instead of a walk after I’ve eaten. I trust my flow.
 
I don’t allow myself to get caught up in the ‘shoulds’ of new year resolutions.
 
In essence, I’m still resting and nourishing myself just as Mother Nature is all around me.
 
Remember spring is just around the corner.
 
Until then my friend, keep cozy, keep snuggling in.
 
Sending all my love and warm midwinter light...
 
Maureen xx

Hello!
 
Just popping out of my hibernation cave on this shortest day of the year to wish you a Happy Winter Solstice and to send you all my love and light for the Festive Season.
 
It’s been a difficult year that has often left us in dark places. However, a new solar cycle begins today with the arrival of the Winter Solstice.

​After experiencing the longest night and darkest day, we are about to journey towards the Summer Solstice when the nights will grow shorter and the days become brighter.
 
Meantime, the energy of HOPE wraps her arms around us reminding us that, for now, we need the darkness of Winter to rest and renew so that we can grow once more in the Spring when I’m sure a brand-new life awaits us all.
 
So for now it’s time to slow down, snuggle up and enjoy a cup of something soothing and warm, knowing that those brighter days lie ahead.
 
Abundant blessings to you in the coming year my friend.
 
Maureen xx

Samhain for many people including me, is a celebration more like New Year. It is a time when it feels although the veils between the earthly and spiritual worlds become closer and we remember and honour our ancestors.

The Gaelic meaning of Samhain is “summer’s end”. The end of the natural circle of life and the beginning of a new year.

This festival always reminds me that it is time to STOP - and believe you me that doesn’t always come easy. It’s a lesson I am having to learn over and over again!!

And so this Samhain, a bit like making a New Year’s Resolution, I am really going to strive to release the need to DO over the winter months and, like those autumn leaves, let go and just BE.

As COVID rages all around me I will - by the looks of it - be forced more than ever to stop and spend more time indoors than I have for a long time.

It is my intention, during this dark phase, to truly take time to rest, renew and reflect upon the roads I have already travelled and look toward the roads that I can choose to travel when the light returns once more.

As I enter my hibernation cave you may not hear much from me over the Winter months. So, until we connect again, always remember there are many beautiful gifts waiting to be discovered if we are simply willing to stop and take a deep dive into the darkness.

On this ancient Celtic festival my friend - on the dawn of a New Year - I invite you to become courageously curious and embark upon a path to your own inner world by asking yourself the following questions:

• What in your life needs to be prioritized?
• What area of your life needs to see more of the light?
• What is worth STOPPING for?

Much love always

Maureen xx