When I started this blog, it was with a view to getting back to the wildness that moves me. To finding in the wildwoods of Hampshire the power to heal myself. I walked for health. I wanted to take home pieces of the woodland that helped me to cope with my health and the daily issues of stress and anxiety. The woodlands inspired me to create art and I wanted to fill my home with the wild art of the woods that were slowly succumbing to the encroaching houses. I felt desperate to capture this feeling before it was gone.
And then I moved to France. The wildness that I desperately craved, I found all around me. Not in danger of suddenly disappearing, instead this wildness is celebrated and I found my true home. Now, at last I understand what re-wilding is all about. It's about staying connected to nature, to having in your home less plastic, more natural substances like wood or stone, wool or even glass. Give up the plastic, use paper, re-use man-made things if you have them, so long as they don't go to landfill. I've seen beautiful knitted bags made from woven carrier bags! If you have plastic, reuse it, but don't invest in any more!
It's this ethos of living naturally that is becomming more and more a part of my daily life. When we shop, we fill our trolley with goods (usally a lot of cat food tins) and at the checkout we dump our shopping back into the trolley only to empty it straight into the car! We unload it right into the cave at the other end. No bags needed at all. Sometimes a box may be used, but that's it! The cans are then squashed and put into the recycle bin, a complete cycle.
You don't have to be as extreme as we have been, but you can still think about making a difference to your life and that of the planet. Use less, reuse more and live carefully.
This ethos is becomming more of my daily life and helping me to get up in the mornings, to seek the healing that this way of life brings me. And of course, the biggest part of this journey is wool! It's all around us, waiting to be spun and then knitted or crocheted into a thing of beauty. I can always find a way to justify my wool obsession :D
This is a beautiful post Yarrow, I love it. I am also striving towards what you are talking about. I despise the "plastic" world so much yet I use those things. I'm not at a place yet where I can denounce modern things that don't serve me or the Earth well, but each day I'm working towards it! I love that you are justifying your wool obsession lol! :) Beautiful soul. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Rain, for such lovely, kind words. I know how much you're looking forward to your new start and I can't wait to read about it.xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear you're in a good place spirituality as well as bodily x
ReplyDeleteI am jealous!!! Your post makes me want to move there.... not possible but I can dream. I think a few knitted carry bags are possibly in order to reduce rolling around! I like to make them too, so I may be a bit subjective.....
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