Each turn of the Celtic Wheel I share some seasonal reads that set the tone for the time of year and reflect the themes of that season, as well as a round-up of the books I’ve been reading recently and invite you to do so too. An opportunity for community sharing, and a way to celebrate some gentle seasonal inspiration. As you know, I love reading all year round but there’s something special about picking up a seasonal read that matches the mood of the world outside as the darker half of the year beckons. As we head towards Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, in a few weeks I’m starting to think about cosy reads as the evenings grow longer.

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Have you felt it too? The smallest hints of a seasonal shift in the air. The quality of light is gradually changing, the nights are no longer endless, the schools are back here in Scotland and the rain certainly arrived in Edinburgh in a big way this week! The Wheel has begun its turn towards Mabon next month. In the lead-up to each of the festivals in the Celtic Wheel, I try to spend time outdoors and in nature in order to reflect on the time since the last change of season, and gently think ahead to what the coming weeks might have in store. Each Celtic micro-season I share my journaling prompts, inspired by the natural world, to reflect on the season just gone and begin planning for the one to come. I hope you join me!

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I’ve recently been dabbling in a little illustration again, inspired in no small part by the brilliant creative team I worked with on Gloaming. As with Slow Seasons, I was really lucky to be involved in the mood boarding, briefing, developing and tweaking of the design and illustration of Gloaming to ensure the look and feel of the book reflected the words inside. Working with wonderful designer Lucy Sykes-Thompson and talented Edinburgh-based illustrator Flora Dewar was really inspiring, and I’ll be sure to share more of this process another day. Working together has inspired me to recommit to practising illustration myself. It’s something I did as a child and loved - in fact, at one point I wanted to be a writer and illustrator and wrote to my favourite at the time, Nick Sharratt, who wrote back encouragingly (I still have the letter somewhere!). Recently, I’ve been trying to reconnect with those creative things I did as a child that brought me joy and I heartily recommend doing the same as we soon enter the cosier seasons with more time spent at home. Here’s how I went about hand-decorating enamelware with harvest-inspired illustrations.

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Have you noticed the very first signs of the seasonal shift? We walked along the canal here in Edinburgh the other day, and as well as the magenta pink blooms of rosebay willowherb and frothy cream flowers of meadowsweet that sing of late summer, I spotted the first ripening brambles of the season, warm from the sun and plump and ready for picking. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - this time of year as summer transitions gradually into autumn is my very favourite. In a bid to stay present and not get too far ahead of myself, I’m practising some preserving mindfulness and bottling up as much seasonal goodness as I can - both literally and metaphorically.

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1 August marks Lùnastal (Scottish Gaelic, pronounced “loo-nas-til”) or Lughnasadh (in Irish Gaelic): the halfway point between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and Autumn Equinox (Mabon), and the beginning of Hairst - the harvest seasons in the Celtic Wheel of the Year. To celebrate, I thought it was apt to finally share news of The Big Writing Project with you, as Hairst is when it begins…

Gloaming: folklore, recipes + crafts to spark glimmers of light in the darker months will be published by Bloomsbury on 22 October (and 12 January 2027 in the US).

Gloaming is a collection of cosy crafts, soul-nourishing recipes and mindful activities to lead you through the darker half of the year - from Hairst (harvest) to Waretym (earliest spring). The whole thing is inspired by Scottish autumn and winter folklore and Celtic traditions of seasonal living, rooted in mindful noticing, guided time in nature and simple creative projects to help you embrace the darkness and find the light in autumn and winter.

I’ve been working on Gloaming a.k.a. The Big Writing Project for almost two years, since Baby L was 3 months old. It’s one of the main reasons I left teaching after ten years so I could give it my all and I’m so excited the secret is finally out! I’m sharing behind the scenes in my paid community and wee snippets on my Instagram. Do let me know if you have any questions about it and I’ll try my best to answer them!

It would mean so much to me if you preordered, which you can do at the link below:

Preorder Gloaming

Plus if you live locally and want to be one of the first people to see my new book in person, then do join us for my Lùnastal Seasonal Gathering at The Cookbook Shop. I’ll be demonstrating two recipes from the new book (plus one from Slow Seasons), including the spiced honey fermented fruit you’ll be making with Odysea honey in Kilner jars to take home. Delicious pickle plates and seasonal cordial from Mara’s Picklery, a reading from Slow Seasons and a sneak peek inside Gloaming. Secure your spot here by 5 p.m. today when I close bookings to put in my order with Mara’s!

Now onto the rest of today’s newsletter! Things to make and do to mark the start of the harvest seasons…

5 Ways to Celebrate Lùnastal

To me, this is the start of a seasonal shift: the landscape turns increasingly golden, later Summer flowers such as dahlias and rudbeckias bloom, and the nights are starting to lose the endless quality of Midsummer. Lùnastal celebrates abundance as crops ripen on farms and the first blackberries appear, tasting of late Summer and the anticipation of early Autumn. There’s so much seasonal goodness to enjoy during this glorious in‑between time as late summer gives way to the earliest hints of autumn.

Blackberrying

The blackberries are beginning to ripen in the hedgerows – I’ve been monitoring my usual spots, have you noticed them too? When blackberry picking you’ll need dedication, gardening gloves, maybe a ladder or tall person and a large box or basket to collect them in. For the best flavour of berries, pick at the end of a sunny afternoon, opting for fruit that is plump and sweet. Pick sparingly from each patch, making sure to leave enough fruit for other foragers and plenty for the wildlife. What do you make with yours? I’ve got a whole section on blackberries in Slow Seasons with recipes for blackberry shrub, blackberry fruit leather and blackberry, chocolate and cardamom cake and I have to say these are among some of my favourite recipes in the book! Otherwise, a batch of bramble and bay leaf jelly is definitely on the cards as my stocks are dwindling…

Purple Hillsides

August sees the heather in full bloom and hillsides transform with purple hues. If you’re lucky enough to have heather where you live, head to the hills to see the spectacle up close. I’m biased but it’s pretty special here in Scotland. And even if you don’t have heather near you, I still recommend heading to a vantage point near you to make the most of the beautiful late Summer light and to see things from a different perspective if you can, to spend time in nature as it turns beautifully golden, and to spot wildlife as the seasonal shift begins. Even living in the city here in Edinburgh, a walk up Arthur’s Seat or Blackford Hill feels like a brain break from my day to day: something about the scale and distance never fails to put my worries into perspective.

Make a Lavender Garland

In both of my books you’ll find all sorts of simple, seasonal crafts to help you tune in with the time of year, to inspire creative flow and to celebrate the moment. Here is one such craft that didn’t make the final draft, but I thought I would share with you instead! You’ll need colourful string or twine, a small bunch of lavender & miniature pegs to make this simple Summer garland that smells amazing too. Measure the length of string for your garland against the space you want to hang it. Make small bunches of 3 small stems of lavender each, trimmed to around 3 cm. Cross the stems as you peg them to the string, evenly spaced along its length, make a loop at each end, knot and hang! The lavender will dry and curl a little as it hangs, but it will still look and smell beautiful. If you live near, I thoroughly recommend a trip to Scottish Lavender Oils to get your flowers - we went on Friday and I’m still dreaming of the otherworldly scent!

Enjoy Seasonal Produce

Late Summer goodness meets early Autumn produce at this trans‑seasonal time of year. Tomatoes are spectacular just now and the plant we grew from seed even has some budding wee toms on it! Our The Free Company food box has been filled with beautiful plums and I’m so excited for all the orchard fruit to come. If you have a farm who does veg boxes near you, why not check it out? They can be incredible value for money, while supporting the local economy and enjoying the freshest late Summer produce. Speaking of seasonal produce…

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Plum, Hazelnut and Chocolate Cake

I love baking with plums, when and if there are any left: they bring a lovely sharpness to cakes that feels fresh and vibrant for the new season ahead. This plum, hazelnut and chocolate cake has a delicious mixture of sweet and sour, nutty and fruity flavours that are perfect for this time of transition. To make the cake, you will need:

120g unsalted butter

120g caster sugar

2 large free-range eggs

120g self-raising flour

2 tbsp whole milk

50g plum, chopped into chunks (about 2 - 3 Victoria plums)

40g milk chocolate, chopped into small pieces

30g hazelnuts, chopped

For the topping:

150g plums, chopped into thin slices

10g hazelnuts, chopped

1 tbsp Demerara sugar.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160C Fan and grease and line a 20cm round tin.

In a stand mixer or in a bowl with a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time with a little flour, then fold in the rest of the flour followed by the milk to loosen the batter a little, stirring until combined.

Fold through the 50g of plum, chocolate and hazelnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and top with the thinly sliced plums, a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts and Demerara sugar.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

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If you enjoy my seasonal newsletters, do consider joining us in my paid subscriber community for more regular posts. Together in this wee corner of the Internet we are creating a beautiful community of like-minded old souls who want to slow down, simplify and connect with the seasons. Here’s a flavour of what I’ve been posting over there this last month:

Celebrating Lùnastal and behind the scenes of the Big Writing Project Reveal

Gooseberry and Elderflower Pavlova

Lùnastal Glimmers

Seasonal Reading: Lùnastal

Seasonal Reflections

Seasonal Craft: Flower Crown

Thanks so much for being here and all your support! See you again for Mabon xxx

Preorder Gloaming

Finally, I can share the Big Writing Project with you! For the last almost two years I’ve been working away in secret on my second book, a.k.a. The Big Writing Project! Gloaming: folklore, recipes and crafts to spark glimmers of joy in the darker months will be published by Bloomsbury in the UK on 22 October (and the US on 12 January 2027). It’s a warm, restorative guide filled with cosy crafts, soul-nourishing recipes and mindful activities to inspire creativity and nurture connection to lead you to engage more deeply with the world around you and make the most of the season you’re in. You can pre-order it here, and it would mean the world if you did. In today’s post, I wanted to share a wee peep behind the scenes of my second book, how it came to exist, and a little of its journey to publication.

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Here in Scotland summerfruit season is reaching its peak, and it’s one of my favourite times of year in the kitchen as we head towards Lùnastal, the first of the harvest seasons. We’re planning a trip to our local pick your own next week, so I spent some time this week sorting the freezer and making some yummy things with last year’s berries to free up a little room to top it up with fresh ones this coming week. I wanted to make something to really celebrate them, and for me a summerfruit pavlova is the definition of a seasonal showstopper. Light but satisfying and balancing fruity and sweet flavours, it’s my ideal recipe for a gathering - especially as you can make all the elements in this recipe ahead of time.

Having bottled my elderflower last month, I’m now using the cordial to infuse my makes and bakes all summer long. You guys loved the elderflower drizzle cake almost as much as I did, so I thought I’d pair our favourite summer floral flavour with one of my summerfruit favourites: gooseberry. In this case, pink gooseberries picked in the Borders last year! The results of my kitchen experimentation are shared with you here: a gooey but crunchy pavlova filled with lightly whipped cream and an aromatic elderflower custard, all perfectly balanced by sharp gooseberries. If you can’t get your hands on them it would also be delicious with any sharp-flavoured summerfruit.

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Glimmer [n]: a faint or wavering light, feeling or quality; a small sign.

Micro-moments of joy that make our nervous system feel soothed.

Lùnastal, the first of the harvest seasons, is just around the corner, so I thought it was time to take stock of some of my recent glimmers - the small seasonal joys I’ve been noticing and nurturing as Summer has peaked and the land begins to turn golden. Here’s what I’ve been baking, making, doing, reflecting and working on recently. I hope you join me in sharing yours too!

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Each turn of the Celtic Wheel I share some seasonal reads that set the tone for the time of year and reflect the themes of that season, as well as a round-up of the books I’ve been reading recently and invite you to do so too. An opportunity for community sharing, and a way to celebrate some gentle seasonal inspiration. The year has now peaked after Litha, the Summer Solstice, and we head towards the first of the harvest festivals, Lùnastal, at the start of August. For me, many of the books that feel like late summer involve coming-of-age or explore the restlessness and fatigue of a season of endless light. Many of these novels’ settings become almost characters in themselves, a catalyst for change or conflict.

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Now that we have passed the longest day and shortest night with Litha at the end of last month, the Wheel begins to turn towards Lùnastal at the start of August. Here in our city tenement, the swifts have been chasing each other over the rooftops and the evenings are gorgeously golden. As an antidote to how quickly time seems to be passing right now, I’ve been trying to tune into noticing these moments in nature, as well as spending some time with my journal too. On each of the festivals in the Celtic Wheel, I try to spend time outdoors and in nature - even if just a walk round our local park - in order to reflect on the time since the last turn of the season, and gently think ahead to what the coming weeks may have in store. Each Celtic micro-season I share my journaling prompts, inspired by the natural world, to reflect on the season just gone and gently plan for the one to come. I hope you join me.

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This week was my Litha Seasonal Gathering: a Summer flower crown workshop at Edinburgh’s Gorse with Ochre Botanical Studios, and I thought it would be nice for those of you who don’t live locally for me to share the step by step instructions for making your own everlasting flower crown, some pictures that I hope will inspire you, and some ideas for materials you can forage or source to make your own.

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Happy Solstice! Today is Litha or Midsummer in the Northern Hemisphere. The ancient festival celebrates the longest day and shortest night as the Earth tilts closest to the sun and the evenings seem endless here in Scotland. Litha is the second Summer festival in the Celtic Wheel of the Year. It is a time associated with light, growth, fertility and abundance. Marking these ancient celebrations, taking time to take stock and engage in small acts of making is an antidote to the hustle and bustle of everyday life for me. A reminder of the bigger picture and the rhythm of the seasons.

Speaking of which, a warm hello if you recently joined me from Nostalgia Corporation who made this beautiful film telling the story of our Edinburgh home and how I built it around the seasons. Lena and Ilya really captured the soul of our home and the video has had a really lovely response so far. You can read the full transcript of the interview here too.

Here are some ways that I’ve be celebrating the Solstice this weekend, and how I’ll be led by the season in the coming weeks – I hope you join me.

A Simple Picnic Dinner

Like a cup of tea drunk outside, food eaten outdoors seems to taste better. There’s no better treat to mark Midsummer than a delicious meal outdoors. Fill an old basket with tupperware and a flask: keep it simple with a seasonal salad, frittata or a pastry, bought or homemade, fresh seasonal fruit and maybe a traybake pre-cut into slices – guaranteed crowd pleasers in portable form! And if you’re short on time like me, even a cup of tea and a biscuit eaten outside on your lunch break instead of in front of a screen can do wonders to fill your cup.

Fire and Light

As a time associated with light and abundance, communal bonfires lit during Litha were often thought to symbolise the sun and its life-giving powers as well as to ward off evil creatures. Introducing the symbolism of light and fire to your Solstice celebrations is a way to connect with these past rituals. Perhaps a beach bonfire with ritual intention setting on scraps of paper you then burn? Even just lighting the candles for a special meal at home can be a powerful reminder to savour the light. I favour beeswax dinner candles for their honeyed glow, and my favourite soy wax scented candles are by St Eval (Bay and Rosemary is my year-round go-to) - they last forever and smell amazing.

Floral Celebrations

The Summer Solstice is a time associated with wearing and decorating with flowers in many European countries. Gathering and decorating your house with simple jam jar posies is a lovely way to bring some of that natural abundance indoors, whether foraged wildflowers, locally grown blooms or even an arrangement of herbs! This week has been British Flowers Week and Flowers from the Farm has a great list of local growers. I’m really looking forward to my Summer Flower Crown workshop at Gorse with Ochre Botanical Studios this coming Wednesday in Edinburgh (if you’re local, click here to sign up to be notified of future gatherings, workshops and retreats first). If you live further afield, the technique is in my book, Slow Seasons: it’s essentially like making a wreath (i.e. wiring together small bundles of blooms - it’s incredibly satisfying and good for busy brains like mine!). A gorgeous ritual to mark this Midsummer moment, especially when made in circle with friends.

Seaweed Pressing

If you’re not a flowery person, there are plenty of other natural sights and signs to look out for at this time of year - and even preserve. Seaweed is often overlooked; I only really started to appreciate the different shapes and varieties when I found out that you can press and preserve it, and began to admire the range of organic textures, colours and creative potential this natural material provides. It’s something that feels so nostalgic to me - I grew up by the seaside, and feel the sea is part of my very soul. There’s a whole section on different seaweeds you can spot in Slow Seasons, as well as step by step instructions for how to press seaweed to make into art - a popular Victorian pastime and one that has seen a resurgence in recent years. I’ve got my eye on a seaweed press from Studio Wald (whose flower presses went down a storm at my Beltane Seasonal Gathering), but a stack of heavy books will do for now!

Elderflower and Summerfruit Cake

Herbs and flowers were traditionally foraged by our ancestors at this time of year, thought to be gathered for their magical properties. Elderflower is pretty magical to me: its micro-season, delicate flavour and scent so incredibly evocative of early Summer. I love using it in cordials (like the recipe for elderflower and rose cordial I shared on Instagram) and in a simple elderflower vinegar. This elderflower and summerfruit cake was on my shortlist to include in Slow Seasons but sadly had to be cut, so I thought I’d share it with you here instead! You can use any seasonal jam: strawberry, gooseberry or raspberry would all be delicious.

To make the cake, you will need:

175g sugar

175g butter

175g self-raising flour

3 large free-range eggs

2 tbsp elderflower cordial

For the filling:

Summerfruit jam, approx 6 tbsp.

200ml double cream

Elderflower cordial, to taste (1 - 2 tbsp).

• Preheat the oven to 160C Fan. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

• Add the eggs one at a time along with the cordial and a little flour.

• Fold in the rest of the flour until fully incorporated.

• Pour the mixture into two 20cm lined tins and bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

• Once baked, allow to cool a little in the tins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

• Once cooled, spread the jam on top of one of the sponges.

• Whip the cream to stiff peaks (be careful not to overmix) then fold in the cordial and spread on top of the jam.

• Place the other sponge carefully on top of the filling. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

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I will see you next for Lùnastal, the first of the harvest festivals and mid-point between the Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox at the start of August. In the meantime, I’ll be here sharing my weekly posts in my paid community, with a recipe, craft, journaling prompts, seasonal glimmers, activities and seasonal reading recommendations spread across each season. I’d love it if you joined us there - here’s a flavour of some of my recent posts:

Setting the Table for Litha (and my Solstice menu)

Litha Elderflower & Lemon Drizzle Loaf

Litha Glimmers

Seasonal Reading: Litha

Seasonal Reflections (journaling prompts)

Air Dry Clay Flower Frog

Earl Grey and Strawberry Scones

If you live locally then do look out for news of my seasonal gatherings (and secure your spot to hear first by signing up here). Thanks so much for being here and have a wonderful rest of June and July! See you soon xxx

You can find more seasonal musings, recipes, crafts and lifestyle ideas in my book, ‘Slow Seasons’, which you can order from a number of places here, or from me on my website directly here.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere this Sunday is Litha, the Summer Solstice in the Celtic Wheel of the Year, and so I thought I’d share some simple ways I’ll be marking the occasion at home: slowing down, taking time to set the table and eating delicious seasonal food together. Here’s how I’m setting my Summer Solstice table this year, and two simple but delicious recipes on my menu for a Litha celebration.

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In my mind, the lead-up to Litha is synonymous with one distinctly floral ingredient: elderflower. Foraging for the creamy white, sweet-smelling blooms has got to be one of the great joys of late May and early June. Picked on a sunny morning, it’s foraging mindfulness at its most sensory. To celebrate the peak of elderflower season here with the Summer Solstice on its way, I thought I’d share a recipe that celebrates the flowers, a wee bit of elderflower folklore and some foraging tips in today’s post.

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Glimmer [n]: a faint or wavering light, feeling or quality; a small sign. Micro-moments of joy that make our nervous system feel soothed.

The Summer Solstice is just around the corner, so I thought it was time to take stock of some of my recent glimmers - the small, seasonal joys I’ve been noticing and nurturing as we head towards Litha. Here’s what I’ve been baking, making, doing, reflecting and working on recently. I hope you join me in sharing yours too!

Read more

Each turn of the Celtic Wheel I share some seasonal reads that set the tone for the time of year and reflect the themes of that season, as well as a round-up of the books I’ve been reading recently and invite you to do so too. An opportunity for community sharing, and a way to celebrate some gentle seasonal inspiration. We’re well on the way to Litha, the Summer Solstice, and there are so many books that are evocative of this specific time of year to me.

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We’re now halfway between Beltane, the start of Celtic Summer, and Litha, the Summer Solstice next month. Nature has fully burst into life, and the heatwave is definitely here in the UK. In today’s post I’m sharing some gentle journaling prompts inspired by the shifting seasons to reflect on the moment we’re in, notice the passage of time and nurture the nascent Summer’s growing abundance. A permission slip, if you will, to go gently as the Wheel keeps turning.

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Sometimes the simplest arrangement of flowers is the most effective. The Japanese art of Ikebana - translating roughly to “making flowers come alive” - is one such example of a more minimal, structural approach to flowers, emphasising simplicity, balance and negative space. Arrangements are often more asymmetrical and naturalistic, focusing on selecting the most beautiful stems and harnessing their shapes to tell a story. A flower frog or kenzan is used to anchor such arrangements, and is a great tool to have in your kit if you’re interested in arranging flowers. They are a weighted tool that usually sits at the bottom of a receptacle to hold the flowers in place with holes, pins or a wire “cage” (rather than flower foam which contains harmful microplastics) and allows each flower to sing. Since coming across handmade flower frogs made from clay, I’ve wondered how I could make my own.

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Something about this time around Beltane has me dreaming of picnics - in fact, there’s a whole section of picnic recipes in my book, and it was one of my favourite parts to write! Ideally, I’d pack a basket with each and every recipe in there to enjoy under the last of the cherry blossom or in the bluebell woods, but these days even the simplest of picnics - a fresh cake or pastry and a flask of tea or coffee - are treat enough for me. You can’t beat a traditional scone with cream and jam served with Earl Grey tea, but every now and then I like to mix it up with seasonal flavours, and for this recipe experimented with combining the tea and the fruit together in the scone - and the results were very delicious indeed!

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This Friday gone, 1st May, was Beltane, meaning we have officially reached the mid-point between the Spring Equinox (Ostara) and Summer Solstice (Litha) here in the Northern Hemisphere. This was a time associated with symbolically casting off the darkness and letting in the light and has been celebrated by Celts for thousands of years as the start of Summer and the farming year. Many of the festivals in the Celtic Wheel celebrate light and fire, particularly Beltane, as a festival of light, growth and creativity. Today we can look to the traditions of the past and mark them in our own, modern ways; a chance to pause and take stock, to notice nature around us and to celebrate the turn of the seasons. Here are some things I’ll be making and doing to celebrate Beltane.

Fire Rituals

At each of the seasonal celebrations in the Celtic Wheel, I like to light the candles, take stock and reflect. Fire is regarded as a purifying, healing element and the ritual lighting of the Beltane bonfire would have been an important part of this day, representing the growing power of the sun. In the past, families would walk or dance around and even jump over the fire, sometimes with animals as a type of ritual cleansing. Another ancient Beltane ritual was the extinguishing of the hearth fire and lighting of a new, communal fire then used to relight each hearth, symbolising community connection. These days, I light beeswax candles as a symbolic nod to the tradition. As I do so, I take time to reflect on the things I’m grateful for in this season, and make gentle plans for the next six weeks of the year, a time of growing abundance.

Appreciating the Flowers

Beltane for me means the beginning of abundance in the natural world and the season of so many beautiful purple and white flowers - from bluebells that carpet the forest floor, to hawthorn (the aptly named May blossom) in the hedgerows. Many flowers in May have a micro-season of just a few, short weeks - like one of my favourites, lily of the valley, which are all the more precious for their fleeting nature. Next will be peonies for just a few short weeks. At my Beltane Seasonal Gathering yesterday, Marion from Ochre Botanical Studios had gathered locally grown flowers for us to press together, and several guests observed that the activity really made them slow down and pay attention to each tiny detail and petal. I hope you can get your hands on some flowers to celebrate Beltane and press them, or maybe even make a posy to pop on neighbours’ or friends’ doors. Look out for more flowery crafting at my next Seasonal Gathering (sign up here if you want early access when tickets go live).

Sowing Seeds

There’s still a nip in the air here, but sowing seeds is always such a hopeful activity for me. I’m planning my tiny pot garden in our communal patch again, and the dahlia tubers and cosmos have just gone in. Getting my hands in the earth is always so grounding I find, and waiting for those first shoots to appear a reminder of patience. Even if you only have a small windowsill, you can plant herbs and pea shoots - there are instructions for the latter in my book that sprout in just a few short weeks and can be cut and will come again. While I sow and tend my seeds and plants I’m also sowing the seeds of other ideas and plans for Summer and beyond to look forward to.

Opting Outdoors

In the past, Beltane was often celebrated with huge community gatherings and rituals on hills; here in Edinburgh, locals would head to Arthur’s Seat to revel in the light of Summer and more recently folks gather at Calton Hill for the Beltane Fire Festival. Wherever you live, it’s a good reminder to go outside - perhaps on a bluebell walk, to a local National Trust garden or to a favourite (now rapidly fading and falling!) blossom spot. Take a flask of tea and your journal or flower press and spend some mindful time outdoors if you can. I share journaling prompts each season if you find a guide helpful. Something about the magic of the unfurling world during Beltane always makes me feel extra reflective. The Woodland Trust has a great list of places with spectacular bluebell displays, so I hope you can find one near you.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Caramel Shortbread

While Beltane is a season of growing abundance, the “hungry gap” is still very much here in Scotland - we’re still a few weeks off the first Scottish strawberries and all the Summerfruit after that, and while I know it will be worth the wait, I’m craving fresh flavours. It’s now that my larder works hardest, and here freeze dried raspberries add that promise of new season zing. This white chocolate and raspberry caramel shortbread balances buttery richness from the shortbread, sweetness from the white chocolate and a sharp tang from the freeze-dried fruit. Perfect for a Beltane picnic.

INGREDIENTS

For the shortbread:

• 125g plain flour

• 40g caster sugar

• 90g unsalted butter

For the caramel:

• 300ml condensed milk

• 40g butter

• 40g light soft brown sugar

For the topping:

• 100g white chocolate

• 5g freeze-dried raspberry pieces

METHOD

1. Make the shortbread. Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan. Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl, then lightly rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Press it together into a soft dough with your hands. Press into a lined 20cm tin, prick with a fork, and bake for 25 minutes until golden. Cool in the tin.

2. Make the caramel. In a heavy saucepan, heat the butter, sugar, and condensed milk until dissolved. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and cook until thickened and a rich caramel colour. Pour over the cooled shortbread and leave to set completely.

3. Finish with the topping. Melt the white chocolate gently and pour over the caramel. Sprinkle generously with freeze-dried raspberries. Chill until firm, then slice into squares.

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I will see you next for Litha, the Summer Solstice, at the end of June. In the meantime, I’ll be here sharing my weekly posts in my paid community, with a recipe, craft, journaling prompts, seasonal glimmers, activities and seasonal reading recommendations spread across each season. I’d love it if you joined us there - here’s a flavour of some of my recent posts:

Beltane Glimmers

Seasonal Reading: Beltane

Activity: Celebrating Blossom Season

Seasonal Reflections

Craft: Preserved Flower Wooden Eggs

Recipe: Coffee, Chocolate and Hazelnut Choux

If you live locally then do look out for news of my seasonal gatherings (and secure your spot to hear first by signing up here). Thanks so much for being here and have a wonderful May! See you in June for Litha xxx

You can find more seasonal musings, recipes, crafts and lifestyle ideas in my book, ‘Slow Seasons’, which you can order from a number of places here, or from me on my website directly here.