Spring Equinox: Day 3

Another day of celebrating the beginning of spring, and today was a bit of a busy one. Lots of seasonal fun today!

Crumpsall Park Spring Equinox Walk

I started the day by leading a Spring Equinox walk for Friends of Crumpsall Park. The sun was shining, and it was warmer than it's been, so it really did feel like spring was in the air.

Blossom Watch

On the way home from the park I saw two beautiful cherry blossom trees in bloom. They look like candy floss!

Hannah’s Bookshelf Spring Equinox Special

Today was the first ever Spring Equinox Special on Hannah's Bookshelf, my weekly radio show on North Manchester FM. I talked about spring folklore, played some spring-themed music, and then shared some original Equinox-inspired bite-size short stories by contributors to the show. I also made some more white chocolate and Parma Violets cupcakes for the volunteers at the centre where our studio is based.

Chocolate Popcorn

Okay, this one's advertised as an Easter treat, but as far as I'm concerned anything with a bunny rabbit on the packet is perfect for the Spring Equinox! Little snack for after my radio show... Trio of Chocolate Popcorn from Joe and Seph's!

Ostara Wax Melts

We bought a new wax diffuser last year, but we couldn't use it at Imbolc in case it aggravated the horrible coughs we got with one of the many colds we've had so far this year. But we've fired it up for spring, and this season we've got bunny rabbit shaped Black Plum and Rhubarb melts from Mysteria Melts.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by Candlelight

Going to see a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons by Piccadilly Sinfonietta is now an annual tradition for us. It was part of our Imbolc celebrations for the past two years, but this year their performance at St Ann's Church fell during our Spring Equinox celebrations. It felt like this made more sense, as the Four Seasons does start with spring after all!

Hot Cross Bun Pie

We stopped off at McDonald's on the way home from the concert. Again, this seems like it might have been intended as an Easter special, but I think a Hot Cross Bun pie is seasonal enough for the Spring Equinox.

Imbolc: Day 2

It's the second day of our second year of celebrating Imbolc, so here's what we got up to on Saturday...

Bailey’s Wood Imbolc Litter-Pick

The Friends of Bailey's Wood litter-pick is a monthly event, so I can't pretend this was a specifically seasonal thing. But... the woods were very wintery, and there were hardly any signs of spring just yet, so it definitely felt very Imbolc-y!

Imbolc Chocolate

I got a little Imbolc present for me and Rob... Ginger and Lime chocolate (with snowdrops!) for him and Toasted Tea Cake chocolate for me, from Kernow Chocolate.

Imbolc Candle

We lit our Imbolc candle from Chalice Creations tonight. Myrrh, Roman Chamomile and Basil to scent our festive week.

Vivaldi's Four Seasons by Candlelight

I didn't expect Vivaldi's Four Seasons by Candlelight to become one of our annual traditions! We enjoyed a beautiful performance by The Piccadilly Sinfonietta tonight at St Ann's Church.

Imbolc: Day 3

Our third day of celebrating Imbolc season was full of woodland, candlelight and music. And festive earrings, of course.

Imbolc Earrings (1)

Brooms (and spring-cleaning) are symbols of Imbolc, and we were doing a litter-pick this morning, so it seemed like a good time to wear my new silver broom earrings.

Bailey's Wood Litter-Pick

It was the monthly Friends of Bailey's Wood litter-pick this morning. Although this is a regular event (so I can't say we did it specifically for Imbolc), I took the opportunity to look out for any signs of seasonal change. The woods were still looking pretty wintery, though, so I didn't see many hints that spring is on its way!

Vivaldi by Candlelight

What better way to celebrate the seasons than with Vivaldi's Four Seasons? We spent a lovely evening listening to The Piccadilly Sinfonietta play at Manchester Cathedral.

Imbolc Earrings (2)

As we were going to see Vivaldi by Candlelight, and as Imbolc (which coincides with Candlemas) is a festival of light, I thought it would be appropriate to wear my new sparkly candle earrings tonight.