Foraging Food, Poems & Mindful Moments
Wild Ivy Newsletters
Our downloadable newsletter is set out like a mini mag which offers small helpings and highlights from our monthly retreat days; including the magic moments, from forage to fork, what we ate, talked about and found in the fields and hedgerows of our place and minds. As always held in the essence of nature.
Winter 2023
At this time of the year the earth bursts forth with the vibrant shoots of new life, and within us all fresh ideas and a renewed energy begin to grow as we shed the old reclusive layers of winter.
That first touch of warmth, light, life. Lifts our spirits. The sound of the birds. Reminds us we are here. If we have learnt nothing from the last two years. We know there is always light after darkness. Fears are quashed when light comes. Where a black wakeful night can seem, alone, hopeless, dark. That contrast of colour and light must have recovery, quiet, time. Night time. Winter is that moment. And is needed. Not feared.
Connecting to this season we are living in.. connects us to our place. Our bodies like nature, must slow down. Taking slow nourishing breaths, deep rest. We will be infused with sparkle to begin and emerge again. For now, sit in this wintery time. Cook nourishing foods. Choose to be kind to your body. Walk slower. Take deep fresh breaths amongst the spindly trees, read slowly, meditate at first light, the time will come for us to remerge in colour and light. For now, we are being wintered. Bask in its beauty.
Hope you enjoy our February newsy letter. See you soon for joyful adventures in nature in 2022, C&R xx
December 2022
Wishing Tree
Bringing nature inside and creating festive foliage things. We loved this exciting month gathering, twigs, branches and berries. And learning more and more that Nature knows. The colours, textures, light and bitter cold, are a perfect combination. We gathered around our fire decorated with crystals and enjoyed mulled berry juice and almond mince pies, we foraged for winter branches, twigs and berries, listened to the wind, Silent walked home. And In socks and slippers made, played, created gift wreaths for the wild animals using berries, coconut seeded natural ornaments, dried oranges and natural string. We enjoyed a banquet of Christmas flavours in our vegan lunch and a cosmic light show after the deep dream journey. Thank you to the beautiful women who made this a magical moment in time for us all. This is community. We can’t wait to do more of the same in 2022! Hope you can join us! C&R xx
November Earth's Wisdom
Around the fire, a lovely group of women met, under the November sunshine, for chai tea and fire cooked caramelised chestnuts. It was a lovely mix of best friends catching up, new friends coming for the first time and repeat Wild Ivy friends coming again. This was our official half day retreat, however much was packed into Earth's Wisdom. Our day focused on connecting each of our senses... Every smell, taste, touch, sound and sight from all the activities was savoured in the moment. We mindfully cooked together and created powerful home healing foods to take home. We crushed, chopped, scrunched and poured the Kombucha, Saukraut and Fire Water, before heading out for our foraging walk in the fields. We collected Rose Hips and Sloes from the hedgerows and found a moment or two of peace in the simplicity of nature as Rosie led the mindfulness silent walk home. Lunch was a celebration of the season, stuffed pumpkins, mushroom risotto and nettle oranchini, roasted whole cauliflower with foraged tapenade, roasted aubergine and lemon balm and our poached home grown pears with coconut was a wonderful end to a perfect day.
October Nature's Gathering
Newsletter
We joyfully gathered amongst apple, plum and pear trees on a glorious sunny day. We sipped warm spiced cider and cooked rustic bread sticks over the fire and enjoyed it with our wild foraged dips. Our autumnal tepee was a restful refuge for our meditation and sharing circle. Then after a sparkling fire release with shitake mushroom miso, we ventured out to search the fields. The glistening red berries of the moment from the fields waved hello, and shone brightly on our foraging walk, which was a wonderful prelude to our delicious freshly grown and home-cooked vegan lunch, awaiting us on the vine and apple adorned lunch table. In the afternoon we made wild flower bee bomb, picked flowers for our Wild Ivy Flower Press Journal, gathered marrows from the veg patch and had a struggle at squeezing the juice from the apple press which was semi productive! We really experienced slow mindful living in action... an antidote to the rushed world we all inhabit!
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August's Hedgerow Vitality
Thank you to all who came to our Hedgerow Vitality Retreat on the 22nd August. Each minute of the day flew by filled to the brim with all that our surrounding nature had to offer us. There was something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature, whose messages assured us that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. We walked in silence, listening to the rustling of trees, drank cacao and gathered our lunch -feeling the earth between our hands. Lunch was a celebration shared together, with all contributing to the veggie feast before us.
July's Disconnect to Reconnect
Newsletter
For our inaugural event we welcomed our guests for the first time into the beautiful environment to be still, forage for food in the hedgerows, create art from nature, experience guided meditation, enjoy a delicious vegan feast in a peaceful place and take home gifts. A powerful first coming together after a year of disconnection. Everyone returned home feeling grounded and nourished.
