Why A Newsletter?

Calling for a Spiritual Renaissance.

Renaissance - French word meaning "rebirth" ...historically a period marked by the revival of classical learning and wisdom.

Bron Marshall is The Imbolc Lioness - Illustration by S. A. Marshall

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I've been struggling to find my place, my voice in the world. I have a long neglected food blog / online magazine. Trying to create an income from food photography was soul destroying to be frank. The corporate and industry behind "food" where they actually pay, isn't the kind of business I wanted to endorse or support. My main client took once recognizable food (besides from dubious agriculture!) churned it up and regurgitated into frozen forms of various size and shape. My brief was to design recipes making them look attractive, recognizable, but most of all edible again.

I hated it.

The Canterbury earthquakes and living rurally made it increasingly difficult to find better clients, then my J was made redundant and I found out I was pregnant with our third. While I kept several Instagram accounts through all this, recently I've become increasingly frustrated with the algorithms, brevity and briefness of it all.

My relationship with food naturally has evolved and continues evolving, now far removed from where the flame first started. Once it was all about elaborate restaurants meals, then pretty styled recipes, now middle aged and perimenopause, it's more about affordability, digestive and gut health. While that possibly sounds quite depressing on the face of it, I find it a source of empowerment and challenge. Also food is only part of what I love and want to share.

My spiritual connection with nature has become more important. Not without it's own frustrations, as much of what is written about seasonal rituals and many of those celebrated in the Southern Hemisphere are all out of kilter. But this year marks the second year of a new beginning here in Aotearoa, New Zealand... A spiritual rebirth.

With Matariki given the acknowledgment it deserves, a national and statutory (Bank) holiday, we finally have a seasonally appropriate time for celebration. I will explain my understanding of Ngā mata o te ariki o Tāwhirimātea (literally "The eyes of the god Tāwhirimātea" ) or in it's shortened form "Matariki" in more depth next week, in the first new moon "Winter Solstice" edition of my newsletter. My knowledge is that of a Pakeha, New Zealander of European, mostly Scottish descent and my intent always, is to recognise and honour the heritage and culture of Māori without appropriation.

Juliet Batten writes in her book "Celebrating the Southern Seasons"

"The roots of the oak touch the roots of the pōhutukawa in sacred soil"

The introduced English oak and native pōhutukawa (NZ Christmas tree) are each unique and individual, but I love the idea that safe under the soil their roots meet. I truly believe we are on the cusp of a magical renaissance period here in Aotearoa. One where we will, with respect to the wisdom of indigenous culture and spiritual roots of introduced culture meet to solve the demands of the climate crisis. Through observing nature and connection with the seasons, the people and world around us, we can nurture a more joyful lived experience. An abundance of health for ourselves and all of earths living things. Blessings of creativity and celebration to fill our hearts and minds.

This is what I want to manifest. Thank you for joining me.

Seasons Blessings 💫

Bron