Sit back and listen to the audio version of the article. Or watch the Video version at the bottom of the page.
There are some good things about getting older… not doing what one is supposed to is by far my favourite!
So I don’t celebrate New Year’s Eve, because I don’t want to. There’s nothing new about it! For me, it’s never made sense to have a ‘new’ year begin in the middle of winter (or summer for those in the Southern Hemisphere)…
I refuse to celebrate an arbitrary date change in the same way I stubbornly refuse to put my clocks back just because someone has decided we should. It does not get dark at 4:30 pm in my world! ;o)
Being properly in tune with the natural cycles is important. The more disconnected from nature our species becomes, the more insane our world becomes.
The Real New Year
A New Year for me is Spring when things really are new. New leaves, flowers and shoots show us when the real new year has begun.
The earth’s energies in winter are quiet and restful and I feel it too with every fiber of my being. If it wasn’t for the dog, I doubt I’d leave the house at all!
And even if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, the middle of the summer with intense heat is also a time of rest…
Don’t do New Year’s Resolutions now!
Now is not the time to start flogging yourself with an intense new fitness regime or whatever other ‘New Year’s resolutions’ a misaligned society has suckered you into. The energy isn’t there for new anything…
That’s not to say one should do absolutely nothing. I’m spending my time reading and researching. I’m learning about the soil, herbalism, electroculture, to name but a few.
This quiet restorative time is precious and I’m determined not to waste a single second of it.
As the energy rises and we get closer to the Real New Year I will start to get a little twitchy. That’s when I will put what I’ve learned into an action plan…
I will plan what I’m going to do at the allotments (I’m working on 3 this year!). I will create a planting plan for my garden incorporating the herbal knowledge I’m in the process of acquiring.
So when the Real New Year is here (Spring Equinox) – I will be ready for action! And with hopefully no house moving to contend with, everything will be done at the right time.
Planning is the real key to success
Having an overall plan view enables you to see where your ideas are not working. Having a good plan will save you time, money, and the heartache of getting it wrong (which I’ve witnessed hundreds, if not thousands of times!).
Liberate yourself from the collective unconsciousness and use this time wisely – learning and planning instead of doing…
If you’d like to learn a quick and easy system to plan your garden, then take a look at the online garden design courses I offer, they are the fast track to successful garden planning.
Or if you’d like a sample of the simple system I teach, then choose a free garden design web class.
But anyway, whenever you choose for this year to be new, I hope that it is as good as it can possibly be for you.
All the best
Rachel
P.S. for those wondering when I do my New Year’s Resolutions, they seem to naturally start of their own accord after the Autumn Equinox. Every October without fail I either find myself making big life changes or going on a health kick of some description. Perhaps I should move to the Southern Hemisphere where it would be Springtime and make more sense! 🤷♀️
P.P.S I’m sure our ancestors had a better grasp of when the New Year really starts – the clues are in the month names for those who know Latin-based languages – Sept should be month 7, Oct – 8, Nov – 9, Dec – 10. Which makes March month one. Seems we’ve all been ‘fooled’ into thinking January starts the year… mind you, what haven’t we been fooled into believing in this bizarre realm…!
4 replies to "The Real New Year (it’s not now!)"
What an interesting and totally fresh perspective! Lordy girl, that’s quite an intimidating reading list you have going on. I’ll be interested to learn all that you can pass down to us.
I do New Years just because it’s a great reason to party with friends in the dead of winter. I don’t do resolutions because I don’t wait to do something. If something needs doing I plan for success ASAP – why put it off until Jan 1? Right now I’m engrossed in building lighted shelves for microgreens, sprouts and hydro lettuces – my first time growing! Wish me luck.
Hey Arlynn, that’s fantastic, let us know how you get on with your microgreens! Mine need more lights and are looking a bit lackluster at the moment…
Yes, I can’t wait to get reading, I could happily spend all day doing so! I will gladly pass down what I learn – though these days it’s remembering everything that’s the hard part, not so much the reading! ;o)
Hello Rachel – so enjoyed your objections to how we are influenced by those in power. If we don’t follow what our inner guide is saying then we fall out of balance. I bought your garden planning whilst in lockdown and without a base that I owned – since I have bought a property that has a step/paved garden and not at all sure of how I can make something stunning out of it? Any info that would set my imagination into action would be gratefully received.
With thanks in advance
Thanks, Heather!
Which course do you have? The Fast-Track Garden Design Formula is the best on levels but if you have the Small Garden Design Formula then that does cover them as well. If you look in the Additional Videos section of the course, towards the bottom there is the Changes in Level video.
Also take a look through the plan packs and inspiration galleries, they will help you too. But to begin with the best advice I can give you is to initially ignore the level change and just design it as if it wasn’t there. Once you’ve worked out what you’d do without it, then it’s easier to try and incorporate it as you’ll have freed up your creativity.
Good luck and feel free to ask any questions if you get stuck in the members’ area.