Sue Jennings

The eye of the peacock

Peacocks are revered and respected in many countries and are believed to possess medicine magic. They are the national bird of India and their ‘eyes’ are considered to see the past, the present and the future. Peahens are considered excellent mothers and care for their young until ready to leave the nest. Peacocks are symbolic of vision, wisdom, honour, love, protection and re-birth. The colours of their feathers shimmer when displayed, which is unique.

The dragon of Glastonbury Tor

Dragons seem to be becoming popular again and naturalists now think that there were dragons once upon a time! There are many stories about the Tor especially associated with the permanent spring water that tumbles into two wells: the white spring, and the red spring (so called because it has lots of iron that causes red mineral deposits). Both types of water are said to contain healthy minerals. Glastonbury is also knows as Avalon or the Island of Apples from the days when the surroundings were under water.

Spring is here

At last they are out: the daffodils, narcissus, snowdrops, crocuses—and the tulips are on their way. There are shrubs of bright yellow forsythia, delicate winter jasmine and pots of sweet smelling hyacinths. The days are a little longer and although there is a nip in the air, it is definitely warmer than last month! Even the catkins and pussy willows are just beginning to show—new growth and a promise of fulfilment, after the damp of winter

A little bit of nostalgia

Another new year is time for memories–pleasant things from the past and then things we want to change for the future. Maybe we want to change our routines or maybe our attitudes. Perhaps we want to get in touch with someone we have lost contact with. Was that argument really worth it? Did we need to feel hurt about a careless remark for so many years? Lets remember the good things!

One for the boys—and maybe the girls too!

A Happy New Year to everyone and I hope the festive season was fun and full of good things; food, gifts, singing and lovely decorations. We talked about light and dark last month, but it is still very relevant during all the celebrations. We have lots of lights in our decorations, stars light up the sky when it is frosty and clear, and winter sunshine can be blindingly bright. But read on, this month we will talk about football!

It is Spring time and things are a'growing!

Various traditions have different starting dates for Spring: the Celts said it was 1st February and celebrated Brigid or Bridie. We seem unaware of Springtime until the days get longer, the bulbs begin to shoot and it seems brighter and more colourful. There are all sorts of sayings about March, perhaps one of the most memorable is that ‘March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb’—or the other way round! March gives us the March Hare and, of course, the name originates in the noisy god of war, Mars.

Let's keep our hearts light!

It is winter for us now and the days are short. The weather can be foggy and damp. Shall we have snow this year? Always we ask the question yet we have not had ‘real snow’ for many years. Usually we think about the word light as the opposite of dark. Today we are thinking about light as the opposite of heavy. What can help us feel light-hearted especially if winter seems a bit gloomy?

The stars in the sky—just too many to count

In this country there is often too much cloud to really see the stars – if the sky is really clear then it can look like black velvet with holes where the stars shine through. Over deserts and tropical forest the skies can seem enormous and we can truly see billions of stars

Days are getting darker—light the candles

Autumn has closed in. All the colours of the leaves are changing, winter is approaching, yet we have some warm, sunny days. The autumn feels damp and there is a strong peaty smell as we plant the bulbs for the spring. Everything is changing, everything is contrast. In some countries snow is already falling, and in Norway the large moose scratch themselves against tree trunks as they watch it. Little wood mice run around trying to find warmth.

Creative ideas for spring

This new series, written by Dr Sue Jennings, provides regular worksheets for the development of creative ideas for residents. Cut them out and start your own workbook, adding your own ideas as you go along. By the end of the year you will have your own manual that you can use again and again.