by Juliet Batten | 7, Jul, 2022 | Seasons Newsletter, Uncategorized
A profound cultural event has just taken place in Aotearoa: the first Matariki public holiday. At last, the new year has come into alignment with the seasonal cycle of Aotearoa! — the return of the sun at winter solstice; the return of the stars at... 
by Juliet Batten | 24, Feb, 2022 | Uncategorized
Pōhutukawa love to stretch and yawn, to lean their limbs out into space, even as their roots remain firmly anchored in cliffs and solid ground. In the park where I walk, one such ancient tree has stretched a mighty limb out over the path. The bushy end of the... 
by Juliet Batten | 20, Oct, 2021 | Seasonal inspiration, Seasons Newsletter
How do you bring yourself into alignment with the season? Which season? If you are in the northern hemisphere you will be in autumn right now, and approaching Halloween, Samhain, the festival of the dead, at the end of October. So here’s... 
by Juliet Batten | 22, Jul, 2021 | Seasons Newsletter
What do trees and grizzly bears have in common? According to forester Peter Wohlleben, who wrote The Hidden Life of Trees, bears prepare for hibernation by eating and eating to grow fat and sustain themselves for months of sleep with no food. And would... 
by Juliet Batten | 2, Jul, 2021 | Seasons Newsletter
Mānawatia a Matariki! Matariki has risen and it is time to celebrate. Welcome Matariki! Why has Matariki become so popular for both Pākehā and Māori, to the extent that in 2022 it will become a public holiday? Is the adoption of this festival just another...