What an intense journey that was! Anyone who was brought up in an urban environment and experiencing a rural one, will be able to relate to this, our ambivalent attitude towards darkness, how we say we love the peace and the tranquility of the night, but are actually terrified of falling prey to the monsters our upbringing has peopled it with. Caves, especially graves are full of a quivering sort of life, not the absence of life. I seem to remember that the Oweynagat cave was reputed to be an entrance to an underworld, full of devils especially cat devils. As far as I know, there isn't an underworld in Irish mythology, but how could the Christians understand a religion that didn't have a Hell? Christianity is all about darkness, death, fear and shame. Before that did the darkness have all that stigma? I doubt it, but I'm not a scholar.
I’m very interested in nature & the urban environment. I have an Instagram account but haven’t accessed it since the beginning of COVID. I was uploading images of my urban landscape which I was photographing while walking the dog. I have a Visual Arts background and it was a way to make the walking time more creative and thought provoking. This is more than likely why I’m interested in your Substack. 😌
Maybe you should take it up again! Especially with your background in Visual Arts... you will know how to make your images stunning! I dont have any of that artistry, but luckily for me I have a really good camera on my phone. 😂 I would reallly love to see what kind of plants are growing in urban Australia! I'm sure many other people would too. Something to think about?
After posting my message it occurred to me that you’re coming out of a long (?) winter which I’m sure would affect mood…
I live in an inner western suburb of Sydney and have access to parts of the inner harbour foreshore and surrounding parkland. I walk our dog twice a day — in fact, we just got back from being drenched this stormy Friday afternoon.
I’ve outgrown city life and would love a more rural lifestyle but had kids relatively late & they are still independent to a certain degree as they are completing uni degrees & living at home… 🍂
Same here! My two boys are also at uni, we'd love to downsize but not until they've left home... although my eldest will be living in Dublin for his final year, and the younger will be living near his college during semester. This coming year will be the first where they will both be away from home more than they are at home. I'm not sure I'll like it! There is a woman I follow on Instagram called the Urban Forager who lives in London, and it is incredible how nature inserts herself into the inner city without most people noticing.
Posted comment before I was finished. Meant to add I've never been to Sydney, but it sounds lovely where you are. You have probably found, or are finding lots of little forgotten corners of wildness among the built landscape, and I think many city councils are becoming very aware of biodiversity. I hope you have plenty of trees around you to absorb the heat and sun!
I identify with much of your personal reflections and am in the midst of sorting, redefining and slowly moving forward. 🪷 You mentioned in yesterday’s post that you’re not walking much. Walking daily & a deep breathing practice have become essential for me.
Hi Frances. I love walking and generally walk about 6km a day. I find it rejuvenating in so many ways. I dont let the weather put me off. When I slip into a period of low mood, though, I tend to retreat and hibernate. Its hard to find the energy to do anything then. That's what happened in March and much of April. But the last couple of weeks I've been back out there and it really increases my happiness and positivity. I walk daily around the area in which I live, luckily I'm rural, and feel I have come to know the local landscape well, yet it always surprises me. But now we have the longer warmer days and I have access to a car, I will venture further, and can't wait for that! Where do you walk? Thank you for your comment. 💕
What an intense journey that was! Anyone who was brought up in an urban environment and experiencing a rural one, will be able to relate to this, our ambivalent attitude towards darkness, how we say we love the peace and the tranquility of the night, but are actually terrified of falling prey to the monsters our upbringing has peopled it with. Caves, especially graves are full of a quivering sort of life, not the absence of life. I seem to remember that the Oweynagat cave was reputed to be an entrance to an underworld, full of devils especially cat devils. As far as I know, there isn't an underworld in Irish mythology, but how could the Christians understand a religion that didn't have a Hell? Christianity is all about darkness, death, fear and shame. Before that did the darkness have all that stigma? I doubt it, but I'm not a scholar.
I’m very interested in nature & the urban environment. I have an Instagram account but haven’t accessed it since the beginning of COVID. I was uploading images of my urban landscape which I was photographing while walking the dog. I have a Visual Arts background and it was a way to make the walking time more creative and thought provoking. This is more than likely why I’m interested in your Substack. 😌
Maybe you should take it up again! Especially with your background in Visual Arts... you will know how to make your images stunning! I dont have any of that artistry, but luckily for me I have a really good camera on my phone. 😂 I would reallly love to see what kind of plants are growing in urban Australia! I'm sure many other people would too. Something to think about?
After posting my message it occurred to me that you’re coming out of a long (?) winter which I’m sure would affect mood…
I live in an inner western suburb of Sydney and have access to parts of the inner harbour foreshore and surrounding parkland. I walk our dog twice a day — in fact, we just got back from being drenched this stormy Friday afternoon.
I’ve outgrown city life and would love a more rural lifestyle but had kids relatively late & they are still independent to a certain degree as they are completing uni degrees & living at home… 🍂
Same here! My two boys are also at uni, we'd love to downsize but not until they've left home... although my eldest will be living in Dublin for his final year, and the younger will be living near his college during semester. This coming year will be the first where they will both be away from home more than they are at home. I'm not sure I'll like it! There is a woman I follow on Instagram called the Urban Forager who lives in London, and it is incredible how nature inserts herself into the inner city without most people noticing.
Posted comment before I was finished. Meant to add I've never been to Sydney, but it sounds lovely where you are. You have probably found, or are finding lots of little forgotten corners of wildness among the built landscape, and I think many city councils are becoming very aware of biodiversity. I hope you have plenty of trees around you to absorb the heat and sun!
I identify with much of your personal reflections and am in the midst of sorting, redefining and slowly moving forward. 🪷 You mentioned in yesterday’s post that you’re not walking much. Walking daily & a deep breathing practice have become essential for me.
Hi Frances. I love walking and generally walk about 6km a day. I find it rejuvenating in so many ways. I dont let the weather put me off. When I slip into a period of low mood, though, I tend to retreat and hibernate. Its hard to find the energy to do anything then. That's what happened in March and much of April. But the last couple of weeks I've been back out there and it really increases my happiness and positivity. I walk daily around the area in which I live, luckily I'm rural, and feel I have come to know the local landscape well, yet it always surprises me. But now we have the longer warmer days and I have access to a car, I will venture further, and can't wait for that! Where do you walk? Thank you for your comment. 💕