Every morning I take my coffee with me and wander around my large garden. I live in Australia and have planted many of our native trees and shrubs. I love to see them grow and spread, providing food, homes and safety for birds, all kinds of insects, spiders, lizards and even snakes.
In season, I check the native apple-berry vine and the midjimberry bush for any of their small, ripe fruits, and enjoy their subtle, sweet pop on my tongue. Then I go to the largest tree in the far corner of my yard, a huge double-trunked spotted gum. There, I rest my forehead and my palms against the smooth bark and, through her, pass on my love to Mother Earth, Gaia. In return, she grounds me and also raises my spirit.
It is a wonderful start to my day that I miss at the moment as I am in the middle of a 3-week trip in my motorhome, travelling interstate to visit 4 of my 5 sons and their families (the other son lives in Japan). I spend as much time as possible in nature, and this beautiful country has such a lot to offer.
I’m a new subscriber here. I love the connection you draw between ritual and story, then story and objects. In the past, I didn’t give much weight to ritual, and I had some stress around the “unnecessary” objects I kept in my home. But just in the last few years, I’ve begun to notice the rituals in my life that I hadn’t noticed as well as the helpful boundaries those rituals provide. And objects, while too many can be overwhelming to me, the ones I do have must have meaning. Without story they really are non-things. Thank you.
I think you are so right about objects needing to be those with meaning in order not to overwhelm. We are story-making animals and the weaving of objects and rituals gives so much meaning to the everyday.
Jan, your 'wonderings' always are spot on for me. This newsletter reflects my inner thoughts and feelings right now.
Thank you for introducing me to Byung-Chul Han's book, Non-things: upheaval in the lifeworld- I know that I need to read his book at this time in my life !
Rituals and objects are an important part of my life as well. My 'objects' bring me much joy; objects from people that I love and have loved, with wonderful memories attached to them. At times the nostalgia is overwhelming though, but then I stop, take a breath, and am thankful for ''the rythmes of '' my stories.
Really resonate with this Jeannine. And I know what you mean about how we can fall into objects too -- the nostalgia can be overwhelming -- I love that ability to pause, breath and step back from that.
I wish I could respond with a ritual of my own Jan… sadly my life is such that, at least until I retire (I hope) I have to go with the flow of chaos that surrounds me, rather than creating my own! I dream of that day though… I can imagine it!
There are many things that transport me back through time to another place and another country though - I think the most vivid will always be stubbled fields and small rectangle bales of straw stacked ready for loading on my dads rickety trailer - whenever I see either, I feel my child-heart beating once again, I see my father, bronzed by the sun, bare arms and pipe protruding from his mouth - the nostalgia swallows me whole for just a few moments, invariably there are tears but they are as joyful as they are sad. 💛xx
Before I sit down to write at my special writing desk/altar, a corner carved out of our little bedroom, I plug in a strand of rainbow fairy lights. This tiny ritual at a tiny table in a tiny apartment in a big city grounds me; signals to my body, mind, and heart that it is time to write!
Every morning I take my coffee with me and wander around my large garden. I live in Australia and have planted many of our native trees and shrubs. I love to see them grow and spread, providing food, homes and safety for birds, all kinds of insects, spiders, lizards and even snakes.
In season, I check the native apple-berry vine and the midjimberry bush for any of their small, ripe fruits, and enjoy their subtle, sweet pop on my tongue. Then I go to the largest tree in the far corner of my yard, a huge double-trunked spotted gum. There, I rest my forehead and my palms against the smooth bark and, through her, pass on my love to Mother Earth, Gaia. In return, she grounds me and also raises my spirit.
It is a wonderful start to my day that I miss at the moment as I am in the middle of a 3-week trip in my motorhome, travelling interstate to visit 4 of my 5 sons and their families (the other son lives in Japan). I spend as much time as possible in nature, and this beautiful country has such a lot to offer.
Hi Jan,
I’m a new subscriber here. I love the connection you draw between ritual and story, then story and objects. In the past, I didn’t give much weight to ritual, and I had some stress around the “unnecessary” objects I kept in my home. But just in the last few years, I’ve begun to notice the rituals in my life that I hadn’t noticed as well as the helpful boundaries those rituals provide. And objects, while too many can be overwhelming to me, the ones I do have must have meaning. Without story they really are non-things. Thank you.
Thank you, Emily
I think you are so right about objects needing to be those with meaning in order not to overwhelm. We are story-making animals and the weaving of objects and rituals gives so much meaning to the everyday.
Thank you, Jan.
Jan, your 'wonderings' always are spot on for me. This newsletter reflects my inner thoughts and feelings right now.
Thank you for introducing me to Byung-Chul Han's book, Non-things: upheaval in the lifeworld- I know that I need to read his book at this time in my life !
Rituals and objects are an important part of my life as well. My 'objects' bring me much joy; objects from people that I love and have loved, with wonderful memories attached to them. At times the nostalgia is overwhelming though, but then I stop, take a breath, and am thankful for ''the rythmes of '' my stories.
Really resonate with this Jeannine. And I know what you mean about how we can fall into objects too -- the nostalgia can be overwhelming -- I love that ability to pause, breath and step back from that.
Enjoyed your perspective, thank you. Look forward to another Sunday. ☮️
I wish I could respond with a ritual of my own Jan… sadly my life is such that, at least until I retire (I hope) I have to go with the flow of chaos that surrounds me, rather than creating my own! I dream of that day though… I can imagine it!
There are many things that transport me back through time to another place and another country though - I think the most vivid will always be stubbled fields and small rectangle bales of straw stacked ready for loading on my dads rickety trailer - whenever I see either, I feel my child-heart beating once again, I see my father, bronzed by the sun, bare arms and pipe protruding from his mouth - the nostalgia swallows me whole for just a few moments, invariably there are tears but they are as joyful as they are sad. 💛xx
What a beautiful memory, Susie. The rituals will wait for you :) xx
Before I sit down to write at my special writing desk/altar, a corner carved out of our little bedroom, I plug in a strand of rainbow fairy lights. This tiny ritual at a tiny table in a tiny apartment in a big city grounds me; signals to my body, mind, and heart that it is time to write!
love this Nikki -- these small physical actions that ground and centre us x