womens-wellbeing

Meeting my Ancestors in the Orchard

Night comes early and I step out into the dusky chill. Wispy clouds scud across the moon and an owl calls.  The dark silhouette of the ash tree reaches down to touch my hair as I pass.

This Samhain I am greeting my beloved dead, the newly departed spirit of my mother. This has not been an easy grief. It was heartbreaking moving her into a nursing home where she died in February this year.  It’s hard for me and her to find forgiveness for that.

So I come to the community orchard to make my peace and honour her. The formerly neglected fruit trees have recently taken on a new lease of life as the setting for a memorial garden. A dedicated group carried out bramble clearing, sowed wildflowers and created areas to put plaques and natural offerings such as painted stones and carved wood. 

The gently weaving path takes me past the thoughtfully placed dedications that have appeared over the summer. I am carrying my offering – a piece of lovingly smoothed wood and I place it down with tears and gratitude, both to my mum for her life and to the community for this blessed space of connection.

The veils are thin on this All Hallows Eve. I hang candles in the trees and they bring a comforting light to the space. Apple trees are said to represent wisdom and immortality, standing amongst them helps me connect to the many layers of our world. I cut through an apple to reveal the star of pips and make my offering to the beloved spirits.  ‘May you never hunger’ spirals out with my breath, reminding me of the possibility for renewal that comes from making peace with death.

I am an artist, musician and orchardist living on the Gower Peninsula. I am writing this blog to share with others the power and joy we can feel as we immerse ourselves in nature recovery. By returning to our mother earth, I believe this will lead us forward into a more sustainable way of living. Self care and community care are vital to develop our resilience and then from a more grounded base we can create the world we want to see, starting with small and possible actions. 

If you enjoyed this, please like and share. Click below to subscribe for free to my regular posts (normally every few weeks). You can unsubscribe at any time.

    All photos and text are the copyright of Witchhazel Wildwood unless otherwise stated.

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    Wild Wellbeing – October 2025

    The changing colours of our inner landscape

    Autumn walks are the best.  I love the crunch underfoot, as I walk along the path by the river.  Stretching above me, the wooded hill is a myriad of changing colours.  The red, orange, yellow, green, brown leaves pile up at the side of the path, nestling a log dancing with delicate fungi.  As I pass a rocky outcrop, the last of the salty coastal sea-beet offers itself from its position at the high tide mark.  The pools on the estuary floor glint as the sun’s rays strike out from the clouds through a delicate sprinkling rain.  In front of me is the centrepiece, the luminous, shimmering rainbow arching over the valley and landing itself enticingly close  – this way lies the crock of gold!

    I started the day with anxiety, unable to see the gifts that the day had to offer me.  Yet now I am out walking in the weather, nature has carried me softly into the present.  There is so much to see on the earthly stage in front of me that the past or the future are no longer a concern.  My mood has completely shifted and the bright new day has cleared away my inner clouds and brought me a flood of ideas that I can’t wait to implement when I get home.   

    If you recognise this pattern, you may, like me, be sensitive to changes in atmospheric pressure – barometric sensitivity.  The gathering clouds can feel like they are pressing down on our heads and pinning us to the bed, causing depression, fatigue, stress and pain for some.   The mind stops functioning and any joy left in the day scurries into a dark corner.   Through the numbness, I have learnt to listen to the whisper which tells me to get myself out into nature.   This works every time – nature connection is the path we can step onto whenever we feel out of kilter, when the day deals us a bad hand or we are overwhelmed with life.  Our mood may feel dark, but putting one foot in front of the other, whether down the garden path, or through the park or wider landscape, we let the safe arms of mother earth lead us gently forward and into a bigger and more open world.  We are then creating an opportunity for the clouds to part and the light of the day to reflect back at us.  If we are lucky we may even stumble upon some unexpected treasure we can curl our fingers around to accompany us on our day.

    I am an artist, musician and orchardist living on the Gower Peninsula. I am writing this blog to share with others the power and joy we can feel as we immerse ourselves in nature recovery.  By returning to our mother earth, I believe this will lead us forward into a more sustainable way of living.  Self care and community care are vital to develop our resilience and then from a more grounded base we can create the world we want to see, starting with small and possible actions.

    If you enjoyed this, please like and share. Click below to subscribe for free to my regular posts (normally every few weeks). You can unsubscribe at any time.

    All photos and text are the copyright of Witchhazel Wildwood unless otherwise stated.

    0 CommentsLeave a comment