Hello, I am so glad you have found your way here… I’m Lyndsay — mother, creative and storyteller with a background in interiors PR.
Step inside Story & Thread., a cosy, layered home where the threads of creativity, interiors and mothering meet. Here, we unearth the stories from the seasons of our lives, with a house & a garden at the heart, and everyday beauty as our guide…
“You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves,
stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows,
sending up warm bouquets of air”.
—Mark Strand, The Coming of Light.
Dearest reader
Earlier this week, we lit a candle together at A Seasonal Salon, winter edition, as we were bathed in the translucent kind of winter light. It was such a joy to share my seasonal insights with a group of beautiful souls, many of us noticing something stirring from deep within. It was so nourishing to witness the experiences and reflections of others and to cast some light on a winter of rest and dreams.
Above is an audio recording of the salon and below is a written guide, with details of poetry, quotes and artwork that I refer to for all within The Beauty Thread. I will also be sending out some smaller snippets from the Salon over the coming weeks for all subscribers which I hope will provide some micro-doses of seasonal love.
My intention for A Seasonal Salon. is to make space and time to fully immerse ourselves within the season, and this specific moment within it — to not only move through this silvery light-laced portal together, but to engage in the threshold it represents, illuminating the path of soft emergence in the season ahead.
We will explore words, ideas and contemplations woven together about the subtle beauty in winter; our reflections on the season so far; this moment within the season as a portal and an anchor; the sacred quality of the light in winter; what is stirring and the seeds we are sowing on the journey towards the Full Snow Moon in Leo; and the three flames of solar goddess Brigid.
I hope that the Salon allows you to steep yourself within the richness of both the personal and collective experience of the season…
The winter edition of A Seasonal Salon. is an opportunity to gather together — as the light returns, we cast spells, kindle dreams and lace them in light.
Welcome to A Seasonal Salon., winter edition — thank you for being here.
Light a candle with me.
If you can (and I realise it can already be tricky to squeeze this time into your day), do take some time to get comfortable and take a moment to arrange your space…
perhaps with a view of the world beyond your window, or if you are tucked up, have something in your sights that feels ‘of the season’ — I was burning a festive essential oils blend, accompanied by some early spring-like tulips that I couldn’t resist, and a piece of amethyst (the February birthstone).
light a candle with me — I will light a candle to open the Salon so it would be lovely if you wish to light a candle too. White candles are associated with Brigid, the goddess associated with this time of year, symbolising purity, the colour of milk, and of snow, but any candle will do!
make sure you have a notebook and a pen — we will move through a series of seasonal reflections, ideas and fragments, with an opportunity to muse and contemplate. All are entirely optional and you are welcome to simply sit and absorb what you are called to.
Have something to sip (and to nibble on) that feels warming and nourishing.
The subtle beauty in winter.
In the past, I struggled in the winter months and often daydreamed of jetting off to sunnier climes to escape the harshness of the season — anyone else? After many years of unlearning, and reconnecting with a more ancient part of myself, I now sense the silent softness that sits side by side with the bleak conditions, the permission it gives us, and the depth of beauty that lies in the dark. When things are stripped back and stark, there is more space to see.
Beauty is noticing. When we notice and observe, we place reverence on the stuff of the everyday that is embedded in our lives. Being in the presence of beauty allows us to both awaken and surrender, to soften and to come alive in the same breath. Beauty nudges us along our path, and it bring us home.
Beauty in winter is often more subtle — perhaps that’s what makes it all the more precious, and all the more magical?
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