2021– Here We All Come!

When I walked out of my door  this morning, it was hardly light; the sun still is rising at around 8.15 in West Wales. The moon was well up above the western horizon. Although technically in its 'waning gibbous' phase, it is still pretty full to the naked eye and the phenomenon of seeing the bright full moon and the first glimmers of rising sun was inspiring.

Seeing these two great celestial bodies together, reminded me of a passage in the 2nd Shaman Mystery;

 

The full moon hung low in the west, glowing like a Christmas bauble, outflanking the real baubles in every shop window. It was bitter cold in my garden as the moon sank on its steady course. Six of us stood on my lawn, holding hands through our gloves, our faces raised to watch the moon set. Magically, this full moon would drop below the horizon just after the winter solstice sun would rise above it. We’d set up a pagan circle under the dying moon, in almost the same way as I set up my therapy room. We cleansed it with a besom broom and smoking incense, and a sprinkling of Glastonbury water. I took my wand of yew and cast a circle which would enclose us and keep us safe. We called in the powers of the four directions; north, east, south, west and the central powers that come from a place and time so sacred, it existed before any place or any time. The centre of our circle was marked by a lantern (didn’t think a candle would last the event), which let out enough light for us to see where we walked while the sun rose. It was already getting lighter in the garden; dawn was arriving long before we would see the sun rise over the rooftops. But we could see into the west, where the moon’s last light was fading as dawn broke. I thought about the way the solstice sun would hang in the its southern-most latitude for three or four days, where its path from horizon to horizon was so short it offered nothing more than a glimmer of warmth and a few hours of light, making the night interminable. Once those three solstice days were through, the sun would begin to move northwards. It would grow warmer, week by week, And every day, the sun would rise earlier and set later.  

I whistled my dog into the field beside my garden. It is clothed in snow, and the glow from the moon coated the snowy field in an eerie yellow light. This is our morning ritual, to get out and walk around the 10 acre field together before even a cup of tea.

As I crunched through the snow, a thought occurred to me. What's the connection between you, me and everyone else on the planet today?

Probably you can guess.

"We're all heading into a new year. 2021, the 'coming of age' year of this century and the year above almost all remembered years where everyone is voicing one thought";

 LET'S HOPE IT'S BETTER THAN LAST YEAR!

2020 was a pretty dismal year in so very many ways. The pandemic raised its head very early on  and has dominated every news headline, every action, and almost every thought process since the spring. It's not over, but thanks the the intensely hard work and brilliant minds behind several vaccines, there is now light...light that is echoed by the sun's steady progress from deepest, darkest midwinter into a new spring.

The darkness of the winter morning, and the soft glow of the moon and the growing sparkle of the rising sun on the snow. cannot help but remind me of the way the covid pandemic has offered little glimmers of light. The way, despite being locked down and often isolated in their homes, people have risen above themselves in remarkable ways. Some have focused on keeping their physical health together, achieving longer runs, further walks, better yoga postures. Others have had to cope with difficulties in  mental health A lot of us spend time reconnecting with themselves, perhaps concentrating on a renewed appreciation of the little things. Some wonderful souls have raised millions of pounds, but for others, the thing they are most grateful for. is the fact that they are still here in this world. Perhaps we learn, when things are taken away from us, how to appreciated.

My husband has concentrated on learning the hardest language in the world (we both think); Welsh.  Puzzle magazines and 'learn an instrument' videos have had a great time of it in this crisis. I've baked myself into a floury mess, even trying my hand at sourdough with limited success. I have a friend who has walked miles (within the daily limits) and learnt to  photograph wildlife as he ambled along, People have  taken on new pets,  redecorated or rediscovered painting as a hobby, I've seen a lot  old garments up-cycled  into new ones. All over the UK, people have crafted up a storm. Tom Daley crotched a pair of personalised swimming trunks (and a cardigan for his son)!  Katherine Jenkins sang into her phone and gave Facebook viewers a weekly dose of music for free. while other celebrities used their kudos to raise funds or ginger-up government action. I think we've all learned something about ourselves in the past year. I've heard this from so many people. New understanding of the slow and mindful processes has permeated this process, for when we slow things down, we see them in new and more intricate ways.

Lockdown has allowed a lot of writers a huge chance to write. In the next few days, the 3rd Shaman Mystery, Beneath the Tor, will be once again available in Kindle as well as paperback.  

Meanwhile, I've been putting the finishing touches to the 4th Shaman Mystery, Through the Floodgate. which is now in production. This story is set in another period of deviations; the tragic floods of 2014. The Somerset Levels, which devotees of the Shamanic Mystery Series will know is where our hero, Sabbie Dare, lives, was deep underwater during that winter. This sparked my imagination and Through the Floodgate. was born, took shape, and now, I believe is the most relevant and thrilling book of all the series.

I'll be letting you know about these  events in the coming days and weeks. 

Meanwhile, of course I wrote on. I have almost finished my latest book for young adults. There will be more news about that soon, too.

All of that hasn't stopped 2020 being a grim time, I know. Death has stalked us even as we stayed in our houses. Not all who died did so of the new virus. Around the world there has been natural disasters, manmade disasters, police and state brutality We need to learn from all of this as we move into 2021. We could all do with getting back to normal,  visiting friends, heading off to a concert, browsing a library, having family round. 

So I'd like to know...

What have my readers been up to, since the start of 2020? What have you started  doing,  learnt about yourself, achieved through hard work or luck? And what do you wish for this promiseful year?

I'd love to know; leave a comment below.  In the meantime, I can only wish you

A most blessed, peaceful and hopeful 

new year, 

with wishes that you will get just the right level of excitement in 

2021