Sunday 26 June 2011

The Return of the Sun King

Summer Solstice mood and the way we celebrate it:

Being outdoors, smelling flowers, having picnics, walking barefoot on grass, dancing and singing.
We make an outdoor fairy house and garden. Morgana still loves doing this and she receives gifts from the fairies too! She gets sparkly precious stones and crystals and other interesting objects.
My nature table at the moment has dark pink/fucshia cloths and roses with crystals and pink quartz, felt butterfly and birds but Morgana's nature table in her own room has similar things with an addition of a blue scarf with sea shells and beach findings.

Morgana and friends always play outdoors mainly, is only natural! She loves picking petals from the fallen flowers and mixes them in bowls with water and gets purple or yellow coloured 'potions'!
I have been pressing flowers with the children I look after. It teaches them to be patient as they have to wait for the result...a week or two at least!
We stop and look at ladybirds, ants, spiders, bugs...
I tell stories about them and the children want them again and again!

It is also a time when we, mostly Morgana and I, can be more spontaneous and funny and sometimes silly!

Here are some special moments captured in the last 10 years...







Above: dancing fairy Morgana, a willow butterfly we made at a workshop, Morgana is about 3 years old. Making fairy cakes for our annual fairy party ( midsummer gathering of friends each year!)






Friends in our garden...children dressed as fairies

Bath time for dolls!
Summer 2005



Summer is all about getting wet! Barbie dolls in the swimming pool too!


Now Morgana's feet!


it's all about freedom....the boundaries loosens, the rules are less strict in the summer: running back indoors for a drink straight from garden door!


 Morgana was in that summer's 2005 production of 'HAIR'...in our house!

Then we went to the 'BIG HOUSE' @ Unstone Grange near Chesterfield at the Macrobiotic Gathering


eating a summer's favourite: CORN on The COB !



guess who is climbing trees?!!!

Unstone Grange is a lovely place, Vegiventures organizes little retreat weekends there, check this out! is very family friendly, we go there each year!

Another place where we go for a long weekend is Wales ( family lives there!) and we always go to the beach in Porthcawl



Morgana's precious moments at the beach...

What do you expect from the beach in Wales but a few drops of rain?!

time to go home...


Summer 2006
painting
Cycling
row row row your boat...


on the merry go round with my sister Laura

last but not least at the OPERA ( near Witham- in an apple orchard- Essex- they had a summer evening opera al fresco!)

At a rehearsal of Dengie Hopes and Dream show with me and my sister taking part of the production of Treasure Island!
The rehearsals where intense so a bit of running around was good during the breaks!
backstage with make up...I am the ghost and my sister is a Pirate!

remembering dance moves and lyrics too!
nice memories of that week!
(resting at rehearsal)
midsummer dance with fairies Essex 2005


Summer 2008



summer 2009



Summer 2009 on the heath Blackheath


OXLEAS WOODS 2009



So enjoy the SUN this weekend 25th and 26th June 2011!

it is going to feel hot and humid for a few days! I was waiting for the Sun...I miss it sometimes!Coming from The land of Sun, Italy...I have the need to warm my bones....
so for tonight I will ditch the blanket!



this is a story that I told at Kindergarten for this time of the year!











Mother Earth

Mother Earth, Mother Earth, take our seed and give it birth.
Sister Rain, Sister Rain, shed thy tears to swell the grain.
Father Sun, Gleam and glow, until the roots begin to grow.
Brother Wind, Breathe and blow then the blade green will grow
Earth and Sun, wind and rain, turn to gold the living grain.


The Return of the Sun King
by Christine Natale


Once upon a time, there was great sorrow among the fairy folk. Something had happened to the Fairy Queen, Titania. She had fallen asleep and would not wake up. The winter had come, terribly cold and full of ice and snow. In the fairy wood, no fires were burning. The seed babies were safely tucked in their beds, deep under Mother Earth’s coverlet of leaves and moss. The gnomes and dwarves were working deep underground. The water sprites waited under their ice roof, which covered the crystal lake and bubbling brook. Most of the fairy folk, those who tend the flower children in meadows and forests, were left to wander through the winter, seeking warmth and shelter. They sought these in the homes of mortals, hoping to rest beside the fires both in castle and in hovels. Where ever fairy stories were being told at night or where ever Christmas candles were burning, there they were allowed to rest awhile. This winter, the Fairy Queen and her troupe had been wandering and wandering. The snow blew in great swirling clouds and Old King Winter laughed and crackled. Jack Frost had a jolly time pinching their noses and toes. Worst of all and sad to say, there were not enough resting places for the fairy troupe. Most of the stone castles were dark and deserted and had been so a long time. The houses, great or small, where real fairy stories were still being told were few and far between. And the Christmas Candles burned in but a few windows. One very dark night, after Yuletide, but long before Spring was due, the Fairy Queen began to grow very sleepy, as mortals do when they begin to freeze. Not being a mortal, she could not die but she could not wake up either. All of the fairies tried to wake her up. They danced and fluttered around her and sang songs as loudly as they dared. At last, with the help of two white snow-hares they managed to bring the Queen back to the stone
circle, which is their palace and dancing place. Without their Queen, the fairies were entirely without direction and purpose. Many also fell asleep and the ones who stayed awake were mournful and very miserable. Lady Spring finally came back from her house in the South. She sent old King Winter back to his ice palace in the frozen Castle. The ice melted and gentle rains fell. Seed babies began to awaken and the first flower children appeared. The fairies grew hopeful and hurried to bring Lady Spring to the bed of her sleeping sister.
Lady Spring took Titania’s hands and breathed the promise of Spring over her. She sang her magic song of roses and butterflies, of newborn lambs and nightingales. Titania’s cheeks grew rosier and she seemed to breathe more fully than before. But alas! Her eyes would not open, nor would she speak!
Lady Spring grew sorrowful and this brought a tremendous Spring storm. She had to dry her eyes quickly so as not to bring on a flood. She took leave of Titania’s attendants, saying, “I must continue on to waken all of the seed babies. Guard your Queen well and wait for Summer.” The fairies promised to do their best, but in truth, the seed babies and flower children were not taken care of as well as they should have been. Day by day, the fairies could see the ascent of the Sun King on his fiery steed. He was still far away, just over the horizon. Little by little he came closer and the day began to grow longer than the night. Finally, it was Midsummer’s Eve and the Sun King reached the pinnacle of the sky. He was riding very high over the palace of the Fairy Queen. The fairies shouted and clamored, pranced and danced, trying to catch the Sun King’s attention. He was too high up to hear them, but he soon noticed that the Fairy Queen had not come to greet him on this, their meeting day. The Sun King turned his steed toward the Earth and came as close as he could without harm. Of course, everything grew tremendously hot and the flower children took refuge under the broad leaved trees and bushes. Still, Titania did not wake up. Here hands and feet were still icy, although her hair shone golden in the brilliant light. Then the Sun King took off his mantle of fire and climbed down from his sky horse. Without the fire mantle, he would not scorch anything or anyone. Still, he was almost too bright to look at! He came to the Fairy Queen’s couch and he bent down and kissed her. He took her hands in his and felt them grow warmer and warmer. She opened her eyes and drew a long breath. She arose with all of her sleeping companions.
What rejoicing there was! Such a shouting and singing! Each fairy nurse ran to find her poor neglected flower child.
Titania thanked the Sun King for bringing her back to life. She told him how dark and
cold the winter had been. She wondered what to do the next time King Winter’s might was stronger than human love and light. “Do not fear,” said the Sun King, “For the darkest winter has passed and Winter’s power will someday be totally overcome. Human beings will remember to light their fires again. The Christmas candles will burn brightly in many homes and around the hearths, real fairy stories will be told again. I myself will proclaim this from the skies. For the light of the world has come to birth in human hearts and this can never again be extinguished.” Then the Sun King mounted his winged charger, put on his fire mantle and rode back to the summit of the sky. The fairy folk waved him on his journey with love and gratitude. That Midsummer night, they held the most joyful festive there ever was in all of fairy land. And if the lights have not gone out, they are dancing still.

Christine Natale 2003 All Rights Reserved.







and, finally, this is something I got from some book a few years ago and I put on the wall of our parent and child session's room!


Happy Home Recipe



4 cups love                    3 cups forgiveness

2 cups loyalty                1 cup friendship

4 quarts faith                5 spoons hope

2 spoons tenderness      1 barrel laughter



Take love and loyalty. Mix thoroughly with faith. Blend with tenderness, kindness and understanding.

Add friendship and hope.

 Sprinkle abundantly with laughter.

Bake with sunshine.

Serve daily in generous helpings.

Saturday 25 June 2011

ST JOHN's FIRE

24th June 2011 - on my Kitchen table! Friday we had pizza and baked potatoe chips with garlic and rosemary. We ate it fast and I forgot to take photos so trust me the children loved it! ( We had little friends with us!)



St John's day in Italy is very memorable with fireworks that you watch from the shore on to the sea, it is truly spectacular!

This is an excract from Wikipedia:

The celebration of Midsummer's Eve was from ancient times linked to the summer solstice. Some people believed that mid-summer plants, especially Calendula, had miraculous healing powers and they therefore picked them on this night. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again. In later years, witches were also thought to be on their way to meetings with other powerful beings.
In Sweden, Mid-summer celebration originates from the time before Christianity; it was celebrated as a sacrifice time in the sign of the fertility[citation needed].
The solstice itself has remained a special moment of the annual cycle of the year since Neolithic times[citation needed]. The concentration of the observance is not on the day as we reckon it, commencing at midnight or at dawn, as it is customary for cultures following lunar calendars tend place the beginning of the day on the previous eve at dusk at the moment when the Sun has set.


I do certainly feel like being outdoors more at this time of the year and really worship the sun! I am almost 'allergic' to indoors!
So that is it for now as I am itching to get out and about and enjoying dancing with the fairies!

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Summer Solstice and how the Sun is affecting us on Earth

Summer Solstice  day! The longest day in the year. The Sun is doing scary things at the moment and I am sure it is contributing to my headache if not causing it!


This is an article from March when I first started to notice more certain symptoms...




How Recent Solar Flares Are Affecting Us

Posted by: naiaweb

Solar Flares are on the Rise star flare
Our sun is presently in the midst of an active phase of its 11-year solar weather cycle. What this means is that the surface of the sun is erupting with sun-storms and solar flares. Eruptions on the sun's surface can blast tons of plasma into space -- sometimes right towards the Earth.
Over the last month the sun has been extremely active. There have been five major solar flares recorded since Feb 14, culminating in a massive flare that occurred on Wednesday, March 10th. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting similar events for upcoming days.
What exactly is a Solar Flare?
A solar flare is a magnetic storm on the Sun which results in a gaseous surface eruption. In addition to releasing radiation, solar flares kick up massive eruptions of charged particles and magnetic plasma in what scientists call a coronal mass ejection. These tremendously hot, high-energy particles and gases are ejected thousands of miles from the surface of the Sun.
When aimed in Earth's direction, strong solar flares can potentially disrupt satellites and power grids, as well as pose a hazard to astronauts on spacecraft. They can also spark dazzling shows of the northern lights, or aurora borealis.
Space weather trackers classify solar flares in three classes: C, M and X. The weakest types of solar flares are Class C storms, Class M tempests register as medium strength, but are still powerful, and the Class X storm is the most powerful type of flare.

green flarePowerful Sun Storm
On Wednesday the sun erupted in a mega sun-storm which registered as a Class X1.5 event – representing one of the most powerful types of flares. The solar flare unleashed a wave of charged particles that is aimed straight at Earth and should arrive in the next few days.
When the wave arrives, it could supercharge the Earth's aurora borealis when the particles interact with our planet's magnetic field and atmosphere. This solar storm is so powerful it could spawn a show of dazzling northern lights activities that could potentially be seen across much of Canada and the uppermost states in the United States.
In the meantime, charged particles from a March 7th sun storm event should be reaching the Earth today (March 10).

How do Solar Flares affect us?
A recent study in the New Scientist magazine indicates a direct connection between the Sun's solar storms and the human biological system. The conduit which steers Earth's weather through the Magnetic Field on Earth is the same conduit that facilitates the influx of charged particles from the Sun through the magnetic (auric) field around the human body.
The increase in the frequency and amplitude of geomagnetic sun storms is causing large-scale planetary changes which include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tornadoes, and windstorms. There is also indication of human disturbance as result of the solar activity.
Geomagnetic Activity Influences Human Consciousnessenergy_body
Solar activity is known to influence human consciousness. Solar flares affect the Central Nervous System, all brain activity (including equilibrium), human behavior patterns, and all of our psycho-physiological (mental/emotional/physical) responses.
Symptomatically, solar flares can cause us to feel nervous, anxious, worried, jittery, dizzy, irritable, lethargic, exhausted, nauseous, and queasy. Some people may become unusually forgetful, and others may experience heart palpitations. People may also endure periods of prolonged head pressure and headaches.
Clearing Our Cellular Memories
The solar flares and photonic waves emanating from the sun are changing the fabric of our physical reality as they exert a powerful effect on our physical cellular level, causing our cellular memories to awaken and clear.
Unprocessed emotions from past traumas and experiences are stored in the form of low frequency energy as cellular memories. Photonic waves from the sun consist of higher frequency energy that serves to elevate the lower emotional frequency of our cellular memories.
As these cellular memories are re-calibrated to the higher frequency, we may find ourselves spontaneously releasing the lower emotions of sadness, anger, and grief, without knowing why. These sudden periods of 'release' may last up to twenty minutes, and may also include the sensation of the body heating up in the form of a "hot flash”. It may feel like a surge of unexpected feelings has surfaced from out of the blue, and have just as suddenly dissipated.
Awakening Our Soul Purpose
The elements of our Divine Blueprint are interwoven within our cellular memory. The recent infusion of photonic energies is amplifying our cellular memory, causing various elements of our Divine Blueprint to leak into our waking consciousness. As a result, many people are beginning to remember their Soul Purpose, and are suddenly driven to make changes in their lives to realign with a sense of higher purpose.

Instant Manifestation158528main_solarflare_516
Another ramification of the influx of photonic energy is that since it represents a higher frequency, it increases the power, speed, and manifestation capacity of our thoughts. We are quite literally able to exercise 'instant manifestation'; whatever we think, we create instantly. We have never before experienced this heightened level of manifestation potential.
Photonic energy blends with the vibratory frequency our thoughts, so it is vitally important that we place our attention on what we want to create, rather than what we do not want to manifest in our lives. We will manifest rapidly in the direction of our thoughts, and it is up to us to decide where to direct our attention.
For those of us in the process of positive change and transformation, this energy is empowering and advantageous. On the other hand, those who are stuck in the past through victimization and anger will continue to manifest even more negativity, until they are ready to release the old way of 'being' and shift to a higher, more positive vibration.
The good news is that we have free will to decide how we choose to use this rich and accessible resource of electromagnetic energy.
Additional Affects of Recent Solar Flaresnews.2008.690
The increased frequency and intensity of solar flares is helping to break apart old patterns that are no longer needed so that new patterns can emerge. This is a dynamic and inevitable process of change that has caused many people to feel agitated and uncertain in recent months. Solar flares have also wreaked havoc on technological instruments such as computers.
As the increase in solar activity persists, new symptoms are emerging. Dimensions of time and space are beginning to 'wobble' erratically. Some people seem to be losing track of time, and/or they are losing words when speaking. For others, the day seems to simply disappear.
A number of people are having difficulty sleeping, tossing & turning in the night and often experiencing unusual dreams. Others report that when they close their eyes at night, the world around them spins.
Some of us are feeling huge power surges in our bodies; these surges are often followed by a drop in energy level. There are reports of nausea, body aches, pains, and dizziness. Some people are feeling a sense of overwhelming grief, while others are experiencing euphoria. There are reported cases of visual disturbances, inner ear issues, buzzing in ears, throat and thyroid issues, and cold feet.


have a look at this amazing link with lovely images of what the Sun is doing right now during the Summer Solstice!

http://www.universetoday.com/86993/sun-celebrates-solstice-with-flare-and-a-cme/

Saturday 18 June 2011

Moonchild

The Moon, full Moon, wow...what a Moon!

read these extracts from experts...

FULL MOON ENERGY: LUNAR ECLIPSE

This is a very powerful and unique occasion! Not only is there a full moon in Sagittarius tonight, there is also a total lunar eclipse occurring!! The effects may make us feel more passionate than ever about our beliefs. The full moon stands in the tension between the sun and the earth. Her full-faced brilliance turned toward the earth releasing all the sun-kissed energy absorbed during the New Moon. It is sort of like a tug of war between the earth and the sun. So you may find yourself caught between your passions and old patterns of thinking.
To add to this forceful energy, there is also going to be a TOTAL lunar eclipse on the same day. During a total lunar eclipse, the sun and moon line up in such a way that the moon is completely covered by the earth’s shadow. Eclipses are powerful times for great transformation! Its energy helps reveal those areas in your life that may be calling for transformation.This is an epic event where paradigms will surely change! There will be big changes in the world according to astrologer Christopher Witecki. This lunar eclipse will ask us to change our minds and open our hearts to our deepest passions. It will ask our minds to get on board with our heart’s desires.

Full Moon Release

With the full moon and eclipse energy swirling among us, this is an excellent time to release those things that no longer serve you. Full Moon rituals may include writing a letter or list of everything you want to let go of and clear out in your life. What is CLEARLY NOT working anymore? What could you let go of? Is there anything that feels like it is holding you back? What would you like to change?After you have completed your list, you can tear it up, flush it down the toilet, burn it, whatever you feel, but make sure it is a symbolic gesture that represents releasing and letting go…


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okbgQ80NzzE

Sunday 12 June 2011

PITTER PATTER RAINDROPS

Here comes the rain,
Flowers and grass and Earth
Drinking gladly
The gardener saying thank you

A walk in the woods

Sunday 12 June 2011

A walk in the woods in the rain...so invigorating....We love muddy boots and pitter patter raindrops sound through the leaves...oh, and thanks the trees we didn't get that wet! So it was fun...
nevertheless to have such a cool day in June is strange!
The plants and the grass were thirsty and grateful indeed...

And we were happy to be there, in Oxleas Woods of course, where else? I practillay live there!

So, here is the proof of our wet walk!



Take a walk on the wild side...

doo doo do bee doo bee doo

peek-a-boo!
 This is Morgana's secret Den, ooops, not so secret anymore...
oh but you don't know where it is!


Morgana's new Hunter's boots bought today!


shelter from rain...

And we made sure all our fairy houses were still good...




time to go back and say good bye...after two hours walk...




Oxleas Woods is fun!

Susannah and Morgana 12 June 2011