stories of the sun
Below you will find resources to accompany my book 'Stories Of The Sun'. For more rewilding story resources, please visit my Substack, Cerridwen's Cauldron, here.
Wheel Of The Year
Right click on the photo and save this simple 'Wheel Of The Year'. Print it out if you wish and use it to follow the festivals, discussed in the book, through the year and celebrate the passage of the sun and the seasons.
The sections in gold are solar festivals and those in green are farming festivals.
Many people celebrate the wheel of the year in different ways. There is no right way, but if you would like to learn a little more about the traditions associated with these points in the year then this website is a good place to start: Wheel Of The Year.
January
Resources To Help You With Sun Salutation:
Do remember to listen to your body and only do what you are comfortable with. If you have any injuries or health conditions that may impact on this exercise then you may want to discuss this with your doctor or physiotherapist before trying out the exercise.
If you have never done yoga before it is recommended that you seek out a yoga teacher to get you started.
Click on the underlined links below to explore the resources.
Holly's Harmony Yoga - Online Demonstration of a Sun Salutation
Yogapedia - Different versions of Sun Salutations with diagrams of the poses
February
Embroidery For Beginners: Top 10 Stitches and how to get started via Love Crafts on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGa4PoQB408
DMC Embroidery Stitch Guide - https://www.dmc.com/uk/p-embroidery-stitch-guide.html
Embroidery Supplies - https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/l/cross-stitch-and-embroidery
Right click on the image below and save. Print out as A4 to begin your embroidery.
MARCH
Time Detox:
I lived without time for 24 hours - Grace Booth - Grackle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y__Ua9Z56y8
Resources for suggested activities:
Local walking routes - https://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/routes
Jenny Maizels Sketchbook Club - https://www.jenniemaizels.com/sketchbook-club/
Rewild Yourself by Simon Barnes -
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11194/9781471175428
APRIL
I love soundscapes and I often use them in my work in heritage interpretation. They are extremely evocative and they are of vital importance when it comes to our sense of belonging.
Above is an example of a soundscape I recorded in a cottage garden and below are some ideas for creating your own soundscape:
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Your usual walk perhaps a dog walk or a daily run
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Your kitchen whilst cooking dinner
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Your back garden or doorstep
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Find a spot in your local green space or wood and sit for a while, recording whilst you are there.
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The sounds of your favourite holiday spot
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The local allotment
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A trip to your local nature reserve
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A walk along the beach
May
Example celebration of the light:
An Incantation For The Sun
Belios and Danu I call on you
Bless this place with love,
Fill this place with joy
Bring this place prosperity
As the sun strengthens its light I call on you
June
Solar Wheel Wreath Ideas
July
Sun Mala
Resources:
(below are some resources which you may find useful when creating your mala.)
How to Make A Mala - via Pop Shop America on YouTube
How To Use A Mala - via Himalayan Institute on Youtube
Mala Mantras - via Tibetan Mala Shop
Suppliers:
(below are some suppliers I have used that I find are reliable and affordable)
August
Mindful Moment-
Blue Skies
Incidental Music: Journey Into The Light Meditation via Pixabay
september
Right click on the image opposite, save and print out onto label paper to create labels for your Pickled Leeks, Orange Chutney and Apple Butter.
The recipes for these preserves can be found in 'Stories Of The Sun' by Dawn Nelson
OCTOBER
The pictures accompanying this section are of my own nature journals. There is no right way with nature journaling and so below I have included some different links to different nature journalers that I enjoy following, so that you can explore their different styles and pick up some hints and tips from them.
Alex Boon Art - Excellent examples of nature journalling and brilliant hints and tips to start you on your journaling path
John Muir Laws - I highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic nature journals from the USA
Raspberry Thief - Dedicated nature journaller Angela creates some utterly stunning nature journals.
Clare Walker Leslie - Advocating nature journaling in all its forms, Clare Walker Leslie will give you plenty of inspiration.
Emma Mitchell - Emma journals for her mental health and her books are wonderful explorations of nature and remedies it holds within it.
November
The easiest way to make candles is by using sheets of beeswax as shown in the picture accompanying this section but there are many different ways of doing it and places from which you can buy supplies. Here's just a few that I have used and you might find useful. These are in no way sponsored links and are purely for your consideration.
Hobby Craft - Packed full of craft supplies at reasonable prices.
Etsy - Etsy is a great place to find beeswax candle making kits of all colours and varieties
Soap Kitchen - A supplier of soap making products, bath bomb making kits and candle making supplies.
december
Completed Winter Solstice Battenberg using the recipe featured in the December chapter of "Stories Of The Sun' by Dawn Nelson
Below is an example of a sigil/rune you could use on your Battenberg. Here I have used a simple sun and the rune 'Fehu' for wealth and prosperity.
