Rooted by Nature

It’s the autumn equinox, a time for foraging, self care and good books! Join me as I learn to truly enjoy the moment, meditate with trees and ease gently out of summer and into autumn. A gradual transition for mind, body and spirit.

Have a peek at what I'm up to on instagram @rootedbynaturepodcast

Feel free to get in touch by email on [email protected]

Library books stacked on my bedside table:

Why Women Grow: Stories of soil, sisterhood and survival by Alice Vincent
If Woman Rose Rooted: The journey to authenticity and belonging by Sharon Blackie
The Enchanted Life: Reclaiming the magic and wisdom of the natural world by Sharon Blackie
Love Nature Magic: Shamanic journeys into the heart of my garden by Maria Rodale
Empowering Practices for the Highly Sensitive: An experiential guide to working with subtle energies by Bertold Keinar
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a focused life in a noisy world by Cal Newport

My favourite books for autumn:

The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

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Sit back, relax and enjoy the summer because autumn is just around the corner! Join me as I take a look inside a beehive and follow the exciting life of a queen bee, the warriors that protect her and the cut throat politics of the colony that can overthrow her. I delve into the miraculous health benefits of honey, how it's made and what it can do for us both inside and out. I share my favourite breakfast granola recipe to be enjoyed outside on warm sunny mornings and I try to hold on to these last moments of summer before the seasons turn once more.

Join me over on instagram for additional content @rootedbynaturepodcast

Granola recipe

Ingredients

200g of rolled oats 

200g of jumbo oats 

100ml of melted coconut oil 

100ml of warm honey 

Half a teaspoon of salt 

Cinnamon to taste

100g of chopped nuts (pecans, almonds & hazelnuts)

100g of seeds (pumpkin & sunflower)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

Warm the honey and mix with the liquid coconut oil, pour over the rest of the ingredients, coat evenly and spread over a lined baking tray and pop in the oven. Bake gently, turning occasionally until lightly golden. Allow to cool before sealing in an airtight container. I like to serve mine with thick natural yoghurt drizzled with honey.

Some helpful time codes in case you'd like to listen to a certain part again

• Welcome to the beehive  02:40
• Worker Bees (warrior women)  04:35
• Male Drones out to get lucky  06:01
• Her majesty the Queen Bee  07:00
• The wonders of honey  10:19
• How is honey made  10:43
• Local honey  11:55
• Beeswax candles  13:04
• Honey's amazing health benefits  14:55
• Honey for a skincare routine  16:34
• Honey for our hair  17:23
• Honey's history  18:06
• Melissa the honey bee in Greek Myth  18:59
• Honey vs sugar  21:04
• How to make herbal honey  22:51
• How to make an oxymel  23:37
• How to store honey  24:23
• Protect our bees and help the beekeepers  25:15
• My favourite granola recipe  30:06
• Thank you for my lovely reviews!  33:33

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Join me as I revel in midsummer and send wishes into the woodsmoke on the summer solstice. I'll be reflecting on positive thoughts, how our hobbies shape our identity and how easily our intuition can lose its voice in our busy lives. I wander my garden, gathering flowers and inspiration for syrups and cordials. And I'll be experimenting with a recipe for a daisy balm to ease my toddler's bumps and bruises.

Instagram: @rootedbynaturepodcast


Recommendations

Nature & Nourish podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nature-nourish-with-becky-cole/id1331978126

Daisy Bruise Balm Recipe
https://www.beckyocole.com/daisy-bruise-balm-recipe/

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Early Spring has arrived and the April showers have brought May flowers. So join me as I explore weather proverbs and what they mean. Let’s dance around the Maypole and revel in Beltane celebrations and Celtic folklore. I do a deep dive on Hawthorn, a magical healing tree, guarded by the Fey. Look up at the stars with me, to see May blossoms in the Milky Way and navigate Mercury Retrograde as it takes us for a ride!

Instagram handle: @rootedbynaturepodcast 
https://www.instagram.com/rootedbynaturepodcast/

Recommendations
Icy Sedgwick
Podcast link: https://pod.co/fabulous-folklore-with-icy
Hawthorn article: https://www.icysedgwick.com/hawthorn-folklore/

Books
Forage: Wild Plants to Gather, Cook and Eat by Liz Knight
The Hedgerow Handbook: Recipes, Remedies and Rituals by Adele Nozedar

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It’s the month of the spring equinox, a time of natural magic as everything around us emerges from the earth and the world feels full of green shoots and new opportunities. It’s a tipping point where the wheel of the year turns, the seasons change and winter tips gently into spring.  Join me in a daily crystal practice, seed sowing, foraging and mental spring cleaning. Let's enjoy daffadowndillies, the cosmic magic of nettles, take a look at Easter & Ostara and venture down to the underworld with Persephone, the goddess of spring.

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It’s still so cold and grey but step outside and you will see so many beautiful signs of Spring, and I promise it’s just around the corner. It may still be time for warm blankets and candlelight but the sun is holding out a little longer each evening and descending in hues of pink and gold. The trees are budding, snowdrops are blooming and there’s so much to celebrate; Imbolc, Saint Bridget and a Celtic Triple Goddess! Join me as I explore the wonders of the Hazel tree, make a natural bird feeder, enjoy a hearty stew bubbling on the stove, tap into our intuition, dabble in tarot and finish with something satisfyingly sweet.

 Instagram: @rootedbynaturepodcast

 Chocolate Orange & Hazelnut Biscuits (adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe)

 Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, at room temperature

200g plain flour 

50g golden caster sugar

Handful of chopped hazelnuts

Zest from half an orange 

50g chocolate 

 Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan. Mix the butter, sugar, flour, nuts and zest together. Either pat into a baking tin to make shortbread fingers or pop in the fridge ready to roll and cut. Bake for 20 minutes or until pale and golden. If making finger shapes cut whilst warm and transfer to a cooling rack. Melt the chocolate and either dip, pipe or drizzle over the biscuits and then shamelessly eat them all in one go!

Recommendations

The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne
https://lightseerstarot.com/

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Happy new year everyone! In this episode I'll be talking about late winter, what's happening out in the natural world and why the mysterious owl is my favourite nocturnal creature. I'll be looking at Seasonal Affective Disorder and how I look after my mind and body to beat the winter blues, reflect on new year expectations and share my healthy breakfast muffin recipe.

Instagram: @rootedbynaturepodcast

Muffin recipe

Pre-heat oven to 180 fan (200 degrees or gas mark 6)

Dry ingredients

• 150g plain flour
• 50g spelt flour
• 50g porridge oats
• Quarter teaspoon of salt
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1.5 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• Half teaspoon each of ground cinnamon & nutmeg
• Crushed seeds of 2 cardamom pods
• 70g raisons (or dried fruit of your choice)

Wet ingredients

• 4 small black bananas
• 100ml coconut oil
• 100g full fat natural yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon of honey (add more to taste)
• 2 large eggs

I like to top mine with a whole pecan nut and sprinkle of pumpkin seeds. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Recommendations

The Secret Life of the Owl by John Lewis-Stempel

The Happy Newspaper, produced by Emily Coxhead

The Simple Things magazine

Pick Up Limes Youtube channel and website

MIND mental health charity website: https://www.mind.org.uk/

Disclaimer: Please note I am not a medical professional and in this podcast I provide inspiration for self-care, not medical advice. 

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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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