Mid Winter is here and there's so much to celebrate. Join me as I walk through the frosty woods, mark the winter solstice, revel in the christmas sparkle, release the seasonal stress, make candles and lip balm, enjoy the long cosy nights and listen to a poem to get you in the mood for Christmas and the delight this month brings.

Instagram: @rootedbynaturepodcast

Lip Balm Recipe
14g of beeswax
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
2 teaspoons of honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of coconut extract

Recommendations
Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year by Beth Kempton
The Christmas Chronicles by Nigel Slater
Christmas at River Cottage by Lucy Brazier

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Autumn is in full swing! I’ll be talking about the trees and their falling leaves, acorns, the blood moon, starlings, what’s in season, blackthorn, sloe gin and bonfire night.

Instagram: @rootedbynaturepodcast

Reading List

Books
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
The Wisdom of Trees by Max Adams
The Glorious Life of the Oak by John Lewis-Stempel
The Hedgerow Handbook by Adele Nozedar
The Herb Almanac: A seasonal guide to medicinal plants, Chelsea Physic Garden
Flower Fairies of the Autumn by Cecily Mary Barker

Online
Britannica
Historic Royal Palaces
The British Druid Order
The RSPB
The National Wildlife Federation
The Wildlife Trusts 
The Woodland Trust
Ask Nature

Audio Credits
Music and sound effects from Pixabay

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You may be wondering what Halloween has to do with feeling connected to nature and being aligned with the seasons, well there’s a lot more to Halloween than meets the eye!
I'll be talking about Samhain (the Celtic fire festival) which is where this strange and spooky festival came from, along with witches, fairies, apples, pumpkins and magic. Even if you're not a Halloween fan like me then it’s still the perfect time to say goodbye to summer and embrace the winter, reflect on the year and divine what’s to come, honour ourselves and lost loved ones, bring nature inside to spruce up our homes, bake sweet treats, make the most of the apple harvest and best of all, tap into the amazing energy that’s abound this time of year and work a little magic of our own.

Instagram: @rootedbynaturepodcast

Reading List
The Wisdom of Trees by Max Adams
Natural Magic by Doreen Valiente
An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present by Doreen Valiente

Audio Credits
Music by SoulProdMusic from Pixabay
Sound Effect by Cristian_Changing from Pixabay
Sound Effect by Placidplace from Pixabay

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In this episode I’ll be talking about the autumn equinox, harvest time, foraging, moon gardening and sharing delicious recipes for elderberry cold & flu syrup and blackberry & pear crumble.
 
Instagram: @rootedbynaturepodcast
 
Elderberry Syrup Recipe

Ingredients
elderberries
water
sugar
lemon, ginger or cinnamon & cloves (optional)
Method
Tip the berries into a saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 20-30 minutes on a medium heat. Sieve the juice from the berries, squeezing as much out as possible. Return to the pan with the sugar (450g to 600ml of juice) along with any additional flavourings and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Decant, cool and store in the fridge for a few weeks or freeze to see you through the winter.

Blackberry & Pear Crumble Recipe

Ingredients
75g sugar (demerara preferably)
 75 butter
 150g plain flour
 pears
 blackberries
 vanilla extract (optional)
 caster sugar (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan. Peel, core and chop the pears and place in a buttered oven dish along with the blackberries and caster sugar if required. Put on the lid and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile grate the (fridge cold) butter into a bowl, add the demerara sugar and flour and rub together to form crumbs. When the fruit is baked, remove the lid and sprinkle over the crumble topping and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the crumble top is cooked through and golden.

 Reading list
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
The Glorious Life of the Oak by John Lewis-Stempel
The Wild Remedy: How nature mends us – a diary by Emma Mitchell
The Hedgerow Handbook by Adele Nozedar
The Almanac: A seasonal guide to 2022 by Lia Leendertz
The Way Back Almanac 2022: A contemporary seasonal guide to nature by Melinda Salisbury
The Herb Almanac: A seasonal guide to medicinal plants, Chelsea Physic Garden

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