“The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run with the Wolves.
Tag Archives: natural history
Japan’s 72 gossamer-light and poetic microseasons
The traditional seasons in Japan are marked out by impercetibly small changes in nature across 72 miniature seasons in a year, each lasting 5 days and reflecting the fleeting, impermanent and diaphanous beauty of nature and all of its wonders. There are 24 divisions or sekki in the calendar that are split into 72 kōContinue reading “Japan’s 72 gossamer-light and poetic microseasons”
Hanako the 226 year old koi
Hanako means flower girl in Japanese. Hanako lived the majority of her life in the pure spring waters of a pond at the foot of Mt Ontake near Oppara. It’s believed that the purity and relative isolation of the pond contributed to her longevity. Hanako lived through the English colonising of both Australia and NewContinue reading “Hanako the 226 year old koi”
Omnia tempus habent: a delightful medieval rhyming calendar
Omnia tempus habent – All things have their season. Ecclesiastes Here is a medieval rhyming calendar outlining the labours of the months in the fields, dating from 14th century England. The mis-spelling of the words reflects their Old English origins. Discovered via the fun and enjoyable book Weatherland: Writers and artists under English skies byContinue reading “Omnia tempus habent: a delightful medieval rhyming calendar”
Thirty great medieval epithets for people and beasts
Why do we say a gaggle of geese, a flock of sheep, a pride of lions or a swarm of bees? Well it harks back to medieval times when sportsmen grouped together collectives of beasties to refer to them in movement or attributing a quality to them – presumably while the poor creatures ran awayContinue reading “Thirty great medieval epithets for people and beasts”
A Brief History of Auckland’s 53 Volatile Volcanoes
There are approximately 53 volcanoes in Auckland, which have over thousands of years produced an array of interesting lagoons, tuft rings and lava flows in Auckland city. The biggest, most active and most visible volcano – Rangitoto sits on an island of the same name in Auckland harbour.
The ancient and elusive fairisle of Hy Brasil
Hy Brasil is a mysterious phantom island that was thought to exist off the west coast of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean for hundreds of years. The area being nautically challenging for seafarers, it was an elusive and mysterious place, hailed in pre-Christian times as being the Celtic Elysium or land of promise. During ChristianContinue reading “The ancient and elusive fairisle of Hy Brasil”
Book Review: The Origins of Creativity by Edward O. Wilson
In his latest book The Origins of Creativity, Wilson singles out creativity as humanity’s most important legacy which has allowed us to evolve and dominate other organisms on the planet, as well as being the seed from which humanities and the sciences have flourished.
Mysterious Rongorongo Glyphs from Easter Island
A collection of 24 sacred wooden objects from Easter Island bear Rongorongo inscriptions, a system of glyphs that was discovered in the 19th Century and is still a mystery to historians. Numerous attempts at decyphering the proto-writing have been unsuccessful. These pieces of wood (a lot of it driftwood) are weathered, burned and damaged andContinue reading “Mysterious Rongorongo Glyphs from Easter Island”
Words and Music: Earth the slumbering pūriri
In the Beginning Earth Breath on me Earth the cool breath of life Earth the slumbering pūriri Earth the misty valley Earth the departed sun Earth the tingling blue sky Earth the dark sheen of a woman river Earth the mottling tides tumbling ashore Earth the sweeping godwits Earth our home Earth the giving landContinue reading “Words and Music: Earth the slumbering pūriri”
Content Catnip 