Mindful painting and seasonal creative rituals from Surrey Art School. Oak Gall Ink has been used in written manuscripts since Roman times – the recipe is simple but requires a little time and patience. Tune into that feeling of anticipation and lean into this slow method of making.

When it comes to foods that support my inner winter, I incorporate warming spices that boost circulation and calm inflammation, as well as omega 3 rich foods which help regulate mood.

My go-to inner/outer winter recipe is this warming Baharat spiced bean stew, topped with Za'atar roasted cauliflower. This middle-eastern inspired dish hits all the flavour checkpoints: spicy, salty, sweet, bitter and sour.

A lovely interview and incredibly generous and in depth instructional recipe on how to get started botanically dyeing at home this autumn by textile artist, botanical dyer and knitter, Leya Williams.

Recipe and photos by Le’Nise Brothers. This is a wonderful recipe for the inner spring of your menstrual cycle. The quinoa supports your rising energy levels and the pomegranate is high in antioxidants that help your liver breakdown the oestrogen that is rapidly rising during this time. Don’t forget the coriander - this herb is a powerhouse for helping your liver balance hormones!

It’s a quiet, connective moment; something that brings calm and clarity to an otherwise busy day full of the usual distractions of school runs, work and general life chores.

For me, this is what foraging is about. I do it from a nature connection perspective. I’ve found that by learning about the different properties of the wild plants growing on the land we look after at home, I am more inclined to remember their names, pointing them out to friends when I spot them in their gardens or out on a walk, and excitedly telling them what they can make or do with the flowers, leaves or roots.

Rosewater has amazing anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Use it as a toner for hydrating and balancing the PH of your skin, and soothing irritation. Add it to coconut oil or shea butter for a luxurious moisturiser.

Roses are also perfect for teas as they contains antioxidants plus vitamins A, B, C and E and (as long as you’ve got your hands on clean, organic roses) rosewater and rose tea can be drunk to soothe sore throats, ease digestion, reduce stress, and further hydrate your skin.

And when you’re not spritzing yourself or ingesting it, you can use it as a room mist for its gorgeous aroma.

This Monday, 21st of June, marks the Summer Solstice (or Litha) and another turn of the wheel.

Solstices are a natural time to pause and reflect on how far you’ve come in the last half of the year. Your achievements, your realisations, and what you now want to release. The sun’s cycle ends and begins again, and the underlying energy changes direction.

At Summer Solstice the sun’s light and energy is at its peak. Everything has been growing, rising, and now it begins to wane. Now passes the longest day, and the turning point of the year. It’s time to take a breath, look inwards, and consider what you want to carry into the coming seasons.

This evening marks the beginning of Beltane, lasting from sunset on the 30th of April through to sunset on the 1st of May. This festival celebrates the peak of Spring, the beginning of Summer, and the fertility and potential of the land and the living. Energy is high and nature’s bounty is beginning to grow abundant!

May Eve (30th of April) was traditionally spent outdoors, walking in nature, and lighting, gathering around (and even jumping over) fires. In the morning, people danced around the maypole, which symbolised the joining of the Earth and the sky, entwining ribbons to symbolise the union of god and goddess, of male and female energy. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever look at a maypole the same way again.

At this time, the very earth we walk on is bursting with potential growth and new life. You have a chance to harness this increasing natural light and energy! Intentions you set and plans you made over the darker months can now be seized upon and set in motion.

It’s been an extremely heavy couple of weeks in the news, and this month marks a long year of lockdown here in the UK. This world can feel like a dark place, even with the days becoming literally lighter.

Go gently. Being aware of the seasons and what they can mean for you is one thing, but pressuring yourself to align activities and plans with them when you actually just want to curl up in a ball, or rage against the world is another.

Imbolc, on the 1st-2nd February, is the celebration of new life, the earth awakening, and a time to explore the ideas and wisdom garnered from a peaceful winter.

Light and energy is increasing. This is a great time to harness the natural growth and fertility in the air and create a new beginning of your own. A new product, a new project, a whole new business! Take a cue from nature and plant your own seeds and ideas so they can take root.

Solstices are a time to pause and reflect, preparing for the shift of energy in the next half of the year. Now, on the shortest day of the year (for the northern hemisphere), darkness has reached its peak and we can celebrate the return of warmth and light to the earth.

Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) occurs on or around the 21st of December and shares traditions with Christmas. It’s a time for celebration, coming together and showering each other with love and appreciation (and gifts!).

Tomorrow, the 31st of October 2020, is Samhain (pronounced sowin) - a fire festival to welcome the winter and darker half of the year. Samhain is seen by some as the most important festival on the Wheel of Year as it marks both the beginning and the end of the cycle, and the Celtic new year.

"The God, as Sun King is sacrificed back to the land with the seed until the Winter Solstice, and the Goddess, now as Crone, mourns Him until His rebirth at Yule. He travels the Underworld learning its wisdom. This is the time of the descent into darkness, of pre-conception, out of which new life, new ideas, will eventually emerge."

Tomorrow, the 22nd of September is the Autumn Equinox, or Mabon on the wheel of the year. Though this equinox is the astronomical start of the autumn in the northern hemisphere, it is seen as the peak of the season on the wheel of the year. And personally, I go by the appearance of glossy, marbled conkers across the leaf strewn parks.

Mabon marks the second harvest, the harvest of fruit, and is a time to give thanks for the earth's bounty. It's also traditionally a time to rest after the intensity of summer and hard work of harvest time, and to reflect on the year so far.

Lammas is the first day of the harvest season and traditionally a time to celebrate the earth's bounty and give thanks. It's also a timely reminder to plan for the autumn and winter as it marks the end of the summer season and a return to darkness (dun, dun, dun!).

I know that those with seasonal affective disorder or who simply don't like the cold may not feel like celebrating this turning of the wheel, but it's also a reminder to grab these blue sky days and make the most of being outside. It’s also a good time to consider what you may want or need over the darker months ahead. How can you plan and prepare?