The Village - Surrey

🌱🔆 Just a little note to say we are still running, we are still doing wonderful things together……

Just not enjoying the social media side of the world 🌱🔆

Offerings // - The Village has created humble offerings to home educated children, with the intention of creating a sense of community, wonder and rhythm in the world. A small group of children gathering together on the land throughout the seasons on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for play, connection and child led learning.

🌾 Wildlings (Wild School)
Wednesday 09:30 - 14:30
Thursday 09:30 - 14:30
Drop off - age 6-11

🌀 Roundhouse Schoolhouse
(Learning of Core Subjects- English, Maths & Science)
Monday 09:30 - 14:30
Tuesday 09:30 - 14:30
Drop off - age 8-11

Winter Solstice // - Wildlings

We are all cyclical beings the spiral represents that of our human journey. Moving through the wheel of the year, the elements, cycles of nature and our old ways.

Walking the spiral is a symbolic journey to reach the light held at the centre - the suns return. Each child lit their own light from the central flame and journeyed back to the beginning.

Winter solstice is the oldest of our festivals. Since our human ancestors walked these lands, we have heralded the return of the sun and the promise of continuation for life upon earth. It has been believed that upon winter solstice the sun is born again, and it was never taken as a certainty that it would - much praying and celebrating needs to be done.

Wishing you love and light 🕯️🌀

Oak Tree // - Acorn Flour

We have started the process of making acorn flour. Countless generations of our ancestors survived off these native wild foods.

Acorns are super high in fibre, helping digestion in general and therefore the rest of our bodies. As a complex carbohydrate, they give us energy whilst keeping our blood sugar levels stable and are naturally gluten free too.

They are high in vitamins and minerals; calcium, potassium and phosphorus as well as vitamin k and a whole host of b vitamins are to be found in these little nuts. They also have an abundance of trace minerals that are so often lacking in our diets today. As with most nuts acorns are high in healthy fats.

To make the acorns edible, our ancestors developed techniques to remove the tannins (which are toxic in high amounts). We will be cold water leaching ours ready to make some delicious pancakes with.

Cold Leaching : Acorns, either whole or coarsely ground, are soaked in cold water, with the water changed daily. This process takes several days, but it preserves more nutrients.

Hot Leaching : Acorns are boiled, changing the water multiple times as it darkens to indicate the tannin removal. This method is quicker but tends to reduce nutritional value.

Drying : After leaching, acorns are dried, either by sun exposure or a gentle roasting, to remove moisture and prepare them for grinding.

The Darker Half Of The Year // - Stillness

We are on the deepening journey into darkness, introspection, and preparation for renewal. This period is as a threshold / liminal space between the lighter half and darker half of the year.

The dark season is a true time of turning inward. Trees lose their leaves, animals prepare for hibernation, and the natural world quiets, as do we.

This space invites solitude and a release of old energies. As the Winter Solstice approaches so does the promise of renewal, the cyclic nature of life, and the gradual return to light.

This period between Samhain and the Winter Solstice is seen as a journey through the darkest time of the year, a gestation period that readies one for the light’s return. It’s a time for rest, release, and where the circle of life remains.

Photo Credit by my wonderful friend

Settling Down // - Winters Grace

As we enter the darker half of the year, spanning from Samhain to Beltane, we cross into winter’s threshold, a season that invites us into deep dreaming, both within ourselves and in harmony with the earth. Traditionally, this time of year is seen as a period for deep rest, renewal, and connection, yet in our fast-paced, modern lives, we often lose touch with its subtle wisdom.

This darker half of the year is a time to honor our ancestors, especially around Samhain when the veil between realms is thinnest. It is a season for reaching beyond the everyday and deepening our connection with those who have passed before us. Winter also calls for inner reflection, slowing down to let go of striving and doing, mirroring nature’s own quiet retreat.

In our current world, rest may feel like an act of rebellion. With so many conveniences around us, we’re accustomed to comfort year round, yet the darker months offer us an opportunity to live closer to natural rhythms. Embrace the chill by turning down the heat, try being home by dusk to experience the transition into darkness as our ancestors once did. As daylight fades, lower the lights in your space; even a candle or a warm yellow light can be enough. This gentle dimming allows us to honor the darkness. Our ancestors believed that from Samhain - Imbolc (when the light returns to the earth) the night belongs to the dead.

Let this time encourage stillness, release projects and ideas, and cultivate quiet. Step away from digital distractions after dark and find moments for reverence within your home. Eat grounding foods like roots and slow-cooked meals to nourish yourself through winter. If you have children, remember they take cues from our calm, and slowing down can encourage them to embrace this season’s restful pace.

Winter is aligned with the North and the element of Earth, a time of exhalation, pause, and renewal. When we respect this rhythm, we honor an ancient wisdom that can still guide us today, helping us prepare for the return of light. At winter solstice we celebrate the return of the sun, at imbolc we celebrate the return of the earth.

Wild School days

Autumn Equinox // - Alban Elfed (The Light of the Water)

Blessings upon you today, in the spirit of Autumn Equinox as we thank the earth.

Today we find ourselves in a moment of balance and reflection, where the day and night are of equal length. From this point the darkness will overtake the light as we fully enter into the darker half of the year.

Autumn Equinox is a time to give thanks for the harvest and the abundance of nature, while also acknowledging the decline of the sun’s power as we prepare for the cold months ahead. It’s a period of reflection, balance, and gratitude.

As we, alongside our furry and feathered relations, carry out the last of our scurrying for the year, gathering in nuts and berries, may we slow down and begin the ceremonies of this season - gratitude, preparing for winter, cutting ties and letting go, its a time for long term planning and nurturing the seeds of ideas.

Alban Elfed is a time for community, feasting, and reflecting on the cyclic nature of life, death, and renewal, deeply tied to the natural world and its rhythms. It honors the Earth’s bounty and prepares for the quiet, introspective months to come.

The name “Light of the Water” evokes the life-giving and transformative power of water, connecting the equinox with the emotional and spiritual aspects of life. Water is also associated with reflection, flow, and adaptability, themes appropriate to a time of shifting energy and transition.

How do you celebrate with your family? 🍂☀️

Bramble // - Tree Lore

Bramble is revered for its associations with protection, resilience, healing, and the cycles of nature.

Bramble is found all over the world but is native to most of Europe. It was often planted around property boundaries to keep intruders out, both physical and spiritual. Bramble was seen as the guardian of sacred spaces, growing wild and dense at the borders of groves or holy sites.

In the old days bramble was used as a remedy for burns and scalds, it was also used for boils, ruptures and hernias. Blackberries are incredibly high in vitamin C, 100g of blackberries hold 35% of your RDA. They are super high in antioxidants and therefore help our immune systems and are excellent for our brains.

By Alban Elfed (Autumn Equinox) it is said all your blackberries should be harvested. If your blackberries are collected after this date, it is said that the devil would curse them by spitting, trampling, or urinating on them, rendering them sour and inedible. This was symbolic of the shift in seasons from abundance to decline, with the darker half of the year beginning.

The autumn equinox marks the point of balance between day and night, after which darkness begins to overtake the light as we draw in towards the winter.

Hawthorn // - Tree Lore

Hawthorn is described in traditional wisdom as ‘nutrition for the heart’. The hawthorn tree is deeply associated with fertility, protection, and the liminal space between worlds.

Our old ways know that the hawthorn tree is regarded as a fairy tree. It was considered bad luck to cut down or damage a hawthorn tree, doing so would result in bad luck, misfortune, illness, or even death.

While the hawthorn tree symbolises life and fertility, it also had a darker association with death. In some traditions, it was believed that hawthorn marked burial places or entrances to the underworld. Its connection to both life and death reinforced the belief in its power over the cycles of nature and existence.

Hawthorn represents the delicate balance between life and death. The smell of hawthorn blossoms in May was thought to resemble the scent of death. Bringing hawthorn flowers indoors was believed to invite death into the household. However, hawthorn was often used in wedding ceremonies, and young women would weave hawthorn blossoms into their hair. In some communities, a bride would wear a crown of hawthorn to ensure fertility and happiness in her marriage.

Medicinally, hawthorn strengthens the heart muscle and supports a normal heart rhythm. The berries have been used for centuries as a natural remedy for all kinds of serious heart concerns. These include angina, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, irregular heartbeat and even congestive heart failure. Hawthorn has been used to treat heart disease all the way back to the first century!

Hawthorn is also a potent energetic medicine, helping to open the heart to giving and receiving love, and can help in healing heartache. It encourages self-love and self-acceptance and brings courage.

Rowan Berry Threading // - Mothers Fire

The Rowan tree is seen as a tree of protection and in ancient times these trees often grew besides homes as an antidote against witchcraft and enchantment. Rowan is seen as a protector against evil forces, a bringer of wisdom, and a symbol of life and regeneration.

The berries were threaded and hung in homes and by doorways to protect the home and keep livestock safe. Rowan is considered as a guardian of sacred spaces, making it an intermediary between the physical and spiritual realms. You can allow the thunder and lightning to rage outside your doors, knowing Rowan stands, protecting all ventures, both within and without.

The berries of the Rowan, marked by a five pointed star, were said to represent knowledge and insight. This five-pointed star was often associated with the pentagram, a symbol of protection and power in many ancient traditions.

The berries also hold medicinal benefits, but can’t be eaten raw, so no nibbling. They’re anti inflammatory, antioxidant and packed full of vitamin c, they also help with stomach problems and sore throats.

Wild School
Breathwork with