Wellbeing Confessions & Introducing the Writer Village 🫶
Lived stories & full body memories.
Hello, fellow lover of letters. Welcome to cosy November - a time when we brew lots of tea and read more. There are so many books to dive into, podcasts to binge, and things we can do for our emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, and overall well-being during the darker months. I have a long list of favourites. And because I believe in the power of community, reviving The Village and the magic of lived stories, you can find alternatives to viral content below. I believe in supporting female writers, mother creatives, hobby bloggers with small audiences and artists whose words touch your heart. Let’s create a nourishing ripple effect that lifts everyone together.
I realised that where I’m at right now, all I need is: less theoretical knowledge and more living and I want to share the same with you today. Creating space and feeling into spaciousness. That way, fully embodied experiences can touch me in a way no mental knowledge really can.Â
Where are you at right now, what do you need more of and less of?
(have a look at the PDF below if you’d like to explore this question more)
It took me a long time to make peace with the need to simplify my knowledge consumption and refrain from formulating concepts, ideas, and practices to share that are useful or inspiring but do not reflect where I am at.
So, instead of acting on accumulated information (that I know served me well at other times), I’ve been thinking about what I did as a child around this time of the year. I never struggled with the darker months then, likely barely anyone did as a child. Naturally, we don’t look for concepts or best practice suggestions in our early years. We live with the seasons, don’t resist change.
Our childhood memories carry so much richness, full body experiences and no logical reasoning for remembered moments. We keep memories of smells, feelings, and physical sensations.Â
Lasting memories, stories of full-body sensations
I can almost feel my child-like excitement spreading from head to toe, the smell in the air, the burning pain when peeling the shells off chestnuts. The feeling of impatience and refusal to let them cool down. Because, oh, the nutty taste of chestnuts straight from fire is heavenly...and afterwards the tingling of half-frozen fingers carrying lanterns and flickering old torches (that have survived many adventures) through the darkness.
Cherishing memories.
Growing up in the Allgäu region, nestled in the heart of South Bavaria at the feet of the Alps, most years around this time we crossed the mountains for a short autumn holiday. We stayed in a small South Tyrolean mountain village in the Trentino-Alto Adige (North Italian) region.Â
I remember that here in the Alpine region, snow would sometimes surprise us early at higher altitudes, making the drive across the mountain pass a humbling experience. A short stop at the top was then a must for a quick snowball battle before we would carefully drive down on the Italian side where the weather was often slightly milder. It’s only a short three-ish hour drive, crossing Austria in between and can mean driving through multiple weathers and seasons.
I remember my childhood excitement for this annual trip. Going on endless walks in nearby forests, one of them we were certain was enchanted. Exploring the village and surrounding farms, played hide and seek in the apple tree fields this region is known for. Bellies and barns were filled with freshly harvested produce; 5-litre apple juice cartons neatly lined up, shelves filled with so much jam that the year‘s supply would last for multiple winters to come.
During walks home from just another dinner at the local pizzeria, we always crossed the small local graveyard where candles and beautiful decorations made us stop and wonder. This time, when the darkness comes early, the air grows crisp, and nature prepares for rest, we were naturally talking about the mysteries of life and death. We walked from grave to grave, not knowing the deceased people, wondering what their lives might have looked like. Were they apple farmers, did they work in the nearby towns down in the valley? What was the meaning of their names? Naturally, our conversation would move on to our own family members who used to join some of these trips. We shared stories and kept memories alive as they were no longer with us in their physical bodies.Â
I knew from an early age that we turn to our dearly departed ancestors, lighting candles, decorating altars, leaving food out for their wandering spirits or placing wreaths on their graves in many parts of the northern hemisphere. Carving pumpkins or sugar beets to ward off restless ghosts and gathering around bonfires to lighten the darkness was a normal part of this time of the year.
In contrast, modern Halloween was a foreign concept to me as a child. Dressing up walking from house to house to carry buckets of sweets home later in the evening? I had no idea. To this day, I have not taken part in any of it.
With more perspective today, I can see how all seasonal traditions and rituals, no matter whether we call them Samhain, DÃa de los Muertos, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, or something else, remind us to pause, reflect, and appreciate the beauty and fragility of life. We’re provided with an opportunity to honour the past, celebrate the present, and contemplate the future, all while nature slowly withdraws, preparing for winter, for the silence that holds the seed of the new within. Â
I’m trying to adopt that idea more without pretending to be a hibernating tulip bulb.
I give myself space to adapt and change things depending on where I’m at physically as well as mentally and emotionally.
I have my interpretations of holidays and allow myself to experience them the way I need. I honour the fact that I am shaped by the countries I have lived in over the years and my friends and loved ones from around the world. We are all participating in a rich tapestry of human experience that transcends borders, cultures, and religions and unites us in our shared journey. The challenge is that there’s the temptation to do it all and participate in everything. This led me in the past to holiday burnout, doing pretty things but not really feeling them. The only thing I seem to have the capacity for this year is lived experiences that my body knows.
So I slow things down, maybe a bit counterintuitively at times and purposefully simplify. I go on walks like I did as a child and write for myself. That way, I can hear into the quiet and connect to what feels true for me right now. I find solace in much-needed spaciousness. The bare minimum. It's about embracing the art of rest, a practice we can likely all commit more time to.
If you have the desire to read, explore seasonal well-being through the eyes of others, and reflect on navigating the darker months with ease, I highly recommend the personal stories and lived experiences of the women below.
Introducing The Writer Village Series
Enjoy stories written in the Village not behind big walls of famous writers’ castles or scientists’ research labs. The Village is relatable, human, has rough edges, and a caring heart. It’s not perfect but welcoming everyone. Make yourself feel at home and read on!
I asked for recommendations since I had limited space to explore and read recently. I expected to get maybe a handful and was blown away by over 30 female writer recommendations. I am eternally grateful for people supporting people in times when communities are ripped apart. Maybe we can do this again soon on a different topic?
I am unable to link all but you can find the generous shares and Village love here.
- When a word is a walking stick
- A new ancestor
- walk, and the path unfolds
- Some Days. On letting go & holding on
Prioritising Rest in Difficult Seasons Claire’s
Embracing slow working when you have a 9-5 job- Growing seeds
- Seasonal Rhythms: Samhain
- Reading cosily this autumn
- Reclaiming November - Embracing the darkness
- 10 *Practical* Ways To Start Slow Living
- A commitment to a slower, more joyful autumn & winter
- art & mental health Create Me Free
- artist, & farmer celebrating the liturgical year through its agrarian heritage and seasonal rhythms.
- What is the Celtic new year?
- When things get tricky…slow it right down…
- breathwork for the nervous system & rhythms of fall
- Earthly rituals for the senses and the soul
- Why we should care about the past at least once a year
- & What is magic
- Autumnal rituals
- November Notebook - take a deep breath and let those shoulders drop.
Who else should be named and what other pieces did you love on this topic? Please share in the comments and don’t hesitate to nominate yourself 🌟
Be gentle with yourself, be kind to your heart. Listen to your needs, always and especially over the winter.
If you would like to support my work, please subscribe and consider becoming a paid supporter since all the money is going to a charity empowering women and children. 💛
Interesting to read that catering to the dead, making rituals, and feeding them is/was still alive in parts of Europe. I didn’t know that. I thought it was only visiting graveyards and leaving flowers.
And thanks for sharing my article :)
Thank you so much for the mention!