The Turning Year - Field notes for August
A monthly collection of things to notice, savour and celebrate as the natural year unfolds and the seasons turn.
August is a month of savouring slow days and has so much for us to appreciate, from dahlias in bloom, the richness of the greens in the landscape contrasted with the golden crops and grasses. Simple moments of spontaneous fun and daily adventures create the summer memories we want this month. Holidays and breaks create space for ideas to take seed as we relax, change our routines and take a break from work, even just for a long weekend.
At the start of each month I create a note of things I want to notice, seek out, savour and celebrate in the month. It helps me ground into the month and the turning year. Pausing at the start of the month has become part of a rhythm I enjoy and make intentional space for, it helps me think of ways I can connect to the seasonal wisdom I can see in nature. My field notes are prompts I come back to and explore in my journal, and with my camera, and act as a reminder of the nourishing things I can appreciate and hold gratitude for in the month ahead.
Creating a set of notes acts as a gentle reminder of seasonal observations, things I want to remember to connect my senses with, and things to think about as the month unfurls. It feels playful, a little poetic and helps me looking at the bigger themes I can draw from the month and also the small details I want to intentionally notice.
Field Notes for August
A month of savouring slow days.
Harvest season begins marked by Lammas and Lughnasadh.
Soft summer rhythms change daily creating space for adventures and spontaneous fun.
Hot air balloons take to the sky above Bristol. Dahlias bloom. Grasshoppers buzz and crickets chirp in meadows. Delicious homemade berry ice cream is savoured.
Birds begin to fly south. Grasses begin to yellow and brown. Blackberries ripen, seeds form and the season gently begins to shift.
It’s a month to gather the harvest of golden crops and the seeds of your ideas and dreams.
Wherever you are in the world you can create your own field notes for the month. Find a small notebook and start thinking about what notes you want to make about your seasonal noticings, the things you choose to savour and appreciate in the month and any celebrations you want to make a note of.
Creating a moment each month to look forwards can help you shape your month intentionally, create a seasonal living practice which can feel nourishing and add a rhythm to your month as it begins. Creating field notes for the month can be used for years to come, and provide you with a record of your observations of life. In the future these seasonal moments might begin to shift. For now though these field notes can serve a purpose for you and can be added to year after year.
