Times of change. Connect with nature and re-enchant your life.

What a time of sudden change! The world seems to have completely transformed these last weeks, and yet where I live I don’t notice it much at all. Other than everything being more silent, more calm. But it is a blessed stillness, like a sigh of relief. I don’t know why, but it brings peace of mind and a feeling of rightness in my life. I think that it is so good for the world to slow down just a little, to become more considerate, sober down, finding clarity. Tuning into what really matters in life. Nature, family, our nearest relationships, hearty food, going within and reconnecting with ourselves. It’s as if nature is telling us: We can no longer carry on this way. The time is now: I am reminding you who you are. Will you remember?

We’ve gotten so used to sending our kids away to be taken care of by others, so used to getting our food from a shop, often shipped from the other side of the world, so used to a lot of things and conveniences which we do not really need, so used to going to a job which does not bring us joy or meaning. So used to our routines and a life often lacking in magic, so used to being separated from our spouse and family for most of the day. Now, in these strange times, comes an opportunity to remember and reconnect with our roots.

I live surrounded by trees, forest, fields, fjords and mountains. I know that I am blessed and privileged. Yet I have worked so hard for being able to do this since my early teens, and every action of my life has revolved around this very goal. The dream of living more in harmony with nature, living off the land, being more self-sufficient, working from home, spending more time with my kids, my partner and my animals. Also being in service to Humanity and trying to bring value to the world around me, but most importantly right now, being a good mother to my little baby boy, and raising him in a way in which he may one day be part of the solution as well. Finding new ways to live on this planet, and bring forth more of what we truly need, like re-enchantment, beauty, sustainability, freedom, play, creativity and wonder.

Us introverts have been training for this our entire life.

Here are some things you can do right now, which will make you feel better for sure!

• Plan your garden or find some ways to grow things inside, or on your balcony.
  
  
• Sow seeds. You can activate them in the saliva of your mouth before planting, so they will grow into food custom for you. Just a bit of everyday magic.
  
  
• Even though you avoid people, you don’t have to avoid the forest or the mountains or the seaside. It is the best of medicine! Even if going outside is not an option for you, try to connect with nature in other ways (like nature films, nature audio tracks).
  
  
• Learn to appreciate the small things around you, you don’t have to go far or travel to another country. Try to see the world with child-like wonder. Even though you may be worried, it is still possible to notice beauty everywhere.
  
  
• Practise the art of home-making. Pretend you are a Disney princess while doing domestic chores. Rapunzel really made the most of her quarantine!
  
  
• Do some baking and cooking you’ve been dreaming about. (I’m definitely making some cinnamon rolls. And every morning I pick up a bottle of fresh sap from my birch trees, makes me feel like a fairy! Spring is coming and it’s time to forage anything green and healthy.)
  
  
• Do some spring cleaning and organizing in your house, it feels so good afterwards. Maybe now is a good time to make your home more cosy and fairytale-like?
  
  
• Let in fresh air and make your home smell of your favourite herbs or essential oils.
  
  
• Experiment with creative clothing and styles which you are not yet confident enough to wear publicly.
  
  
• Look for those things at home you’ve been wanting to do but didn’t have the time for.
  
  
• Great things can happen if we give ourself space and time to be still. Create art for the sake of creating. Now is a chance to connect or reconnect with other sides of yourself.
  
  
• Learn to do as much as possible without money, the best things in life are free. But support your local community and small businesses when possible.
  
  
• Don’t spend unnecessary time reading disturbing news or worrying, instead, focus on solutions. Answers already exist for most of our problems. A new and better world is already possible if we just make use of all those brilliant solutions.
  
  
• This is our opportunity as a society to rethink and create a new way of living that is not only beneficial to us but also for our planet. This is essential to avoid further (and worse) outbreaks, and thus care for those we love. Though the future may now appear uncertain, take a moment to check wether your personal values are going to effectively help the planet and create a positive future.

“When this storm passes, maybe…just maybe, enough of us will not want to return to the world we just left so suddenly, a life that seemed so impossible to unwind.
Every seed must be plunged into darkness before it emerges into light.
A new world is willing to be born.
Maybe now we can return to a simple life.
One where we live in harmony with the millions of other life forms we are supposed to share this place with.
One where we can find our true nature. “

Mary Reynolds

The landscape where we live is still covered in snow, just as it is supposed to at this time of the year. And it’s soo beautiful! In one month hopefully things will start looking a little bit greener. For now, all we have to do is enjoy the last of the winter! Here is some pictures from earlier years at this time of year, which I never posted on my blog before:

Every winter we go cross country-skiing!

Chilling with Zelda <3

This pyrography candleholder was a gift from one of my followers (darkwoodenpath) several years ago, I use it all the time!

Her I had spent some days at my Grandmother’s where I was finally learning to crochet. My mom and grandma is crocheting experts! So I feel a duty to get reasonably good at it as well. Don’t want the skills of my ancestors to die out 😉 First I crocheted many leaves and flowers. Then I made a pillow, and it took quite a lot of time. Never posted it here on the blog, but here it is:

The front and the back of the pillow. And yes, it is impossible to keep those white cat hairs off!

Finally, the very first sure signs of spring, Coltsfoots!

This is how I store my birch sap! Maybe I can show how I tap it later, but basically we drill a small hole in one of our birch trees, put in a hose which leads to a big bucket (through a hole in the lid). I then pour it over to glass bottles with a funnel every morning. Super clean magical water full of nutrients and minerals!

How are you all doing in these strange and mysterious times?