Here’s a joyful thing: when you start playfully interacting with time, spending more time in nature and properly connecting with your own true nature, you might just end up creating a short series of seasonal posts without planning it that loosely tracks the transition from Winter into Spring and the final post will satisfying land just as we arrive into the latter, the year’s true awakening (what I take for my personal New Year.) I was born in Spring so perhaps that’s why I have such a strong affinity to it as a new beginning but in which case, all the more reason to align myself with the cycles of the natural world which are also coming to life at this time of year—can you feel it? The shift is decisive now, not just a weather pressured warm day, one-off. It’s not even so much about temperature either - it’s still been pretty chilly where I am, particularly in the mornings - but the inundation of sound, light and insects has announced the arrival of Spring with a flourish. The pollinators are back to keep the food chain intact and suddenly everything feels alive again.
My intention this year is to not get swept along by that energy but instead to observe and absorb it as best I can. Like all the birds I’ve seen fastidiously nesting, gathering earthly smatterings to create a warm and safe cocoon for their hatchlings to grow in—which will take days, sometimes weeks, sometimes months before they’re ready to sally forth as independents; I want to take my time stepping out into this new season, as I have been since last October.
There are foxes in my garden too and I’m certain one of them is pregnant. I’ve been looking into how best to protect them for when I need to commence some urgent works required on my garden. According to everything I’ve read, the cubs, born blind and fluffy brown require not just Spring but almost a full Summer to find their footing and take on the world for themselves—and shouldn’t be disturbed before then. Now this is a rhythm I can get on board with. I knew there was a reason I loved foxes. My profession meanwhile, has other ideas.