At the turn of Imbolc, the time of new life and awakening, we look forward to milder days and wonder what else we will find under our feet when we least expect it.

We’ve noticed snowdrops, even daffodil shoots and the tiniest ferns poking up by the stream where we have our sheltered morning circle. Buds on the oak, ash and hazel and the hare, vole and deer crossed paths with us last week when the biting wind encouraged us to wander through the dense plantations near our usual camp so we could find a calmer base for the day.

We discovered an amazing tree “cave” which quickly become the focus of everyone’s attention. The roof was rebuilt, a new floor laid, windows installed and our resident artist quietly captured it from the nearby creative seat.

Other creative endeavours include the making of a movie that captures the 4 elements of fire, air, water and earth. We are looking forward to seeing the production soon. When the directors aren’t working the Spa staff are busy keeping customers happy.

Inspired by our resident Robin, who is always there to greet us and spends the day hopping amongst us looking for easy scraps of food, there is also a wildlife ‘zine in the making,. The field guides are getting plenty use and we love all the different approaches the group have to it, from fact finding and drawings to word searches and storytelling.

Practical skills have been worked on too with the making of seat pads for the woods, and fire lighting which is now progressing without the aid of cotton wool. We aren’t quite ready to use Max’s bowdrill but it was great to see it in action

We’ve also enjoyed getting to know other parts of the estate close up through one of our favourite past times on cold days – hiding in the vegetation. Its a great way to feel empathy for the real wildlife doing exactly the same ting nearby. I get the feeling they are really watching us.