Japanese Seasonal Living, A Year in the Wild, and Permaculture Homesteading
We've been living slow in late summer, but we've still got lots of good dirt for you!
When I was a child, my mum used to have this beautiful black lacquered cabinet. She kept all kinds of exciting, fancy things in there. And one day… she took this huge bundle of really brightly colored fabric, or at least that's what I thought it was, out of the cabinet and she kind of unfurled it to show it to me. And what I didn't know then was it was a kimono.
And from the moment I saw that, that was it. I was hooked. I was completely fascinated, enchanted, entranced, and I kind of fell in love.
Natalie Leon
Natalie Leon is a British Japanologist with a Master’s Degree in Japanese Studies who has dedicated her life and career to sharing Japanese culture with the world and with the United Kingdom. Her passion lies in seasonality, and celebrating every day. She recently published “The Japanese Art of Living Seasonally” which is her love letter to seasonal living in Japan. Natalie shares her deep passion for Japanese culture, a journey that began with a childhood fascination with a kimono. The conversation explores various aspects of seasonality in Japan, such as the concept of 'shun' (eating what's in season), 'kisetsukan' (awareness of the seasons), and 'kasane' (color layering). Natalie also delves into the folklore and spirituality of Japan, illustrating how these traditions are interwoven with everyday life. If you enjoy this episode, Natalie's new book, “The Japanese Art of Living Seasonally: An Invitation to Celebrate Every Day” serves as a loving invitation to incorporate these enriching practices into our daily lives.
We don’t all have the privilege of living out in the woods for a year so how do we bring some of these practices and experiences back? How do we cultivate a wild mind and a wild heart in these urban centers?
Claire Dunn
A revisit to a classic episode- Claire Dunn, here with us to dive deeply into the mysteries of nature and psyche through the pathways of deep nature connection. After our episode mulling over the idea of ‘eco-spirituality’, we thought sharing this conversation again would be inspiring. Speaking to us from Melbourne, Australia, Claire is a writer, speaker, barefoot explorer, rewilding facilitator, and founder of Nature’s Apprentice, a platform for education and guidance in rewilding our souls and the planet. For the last 15 years, Claire has been facilitating individuals in ancestral earth skills, deep ecology, ecopsychology, soul-centric nature-based practice, village building, dance, ceremony, and contemporary wilderness rites-of-passage. Claire is the author of the memoir, My Year Without Matches, which tells the story of her year living wild – and the recently released memoir Rewilding the Urban Soul exploring how we might embody wild consciousness even while living in the setting of a city.
I just had to really have a talk with myself and be like, you know what?….I chose a lifestyle where I am doing. It's not done. It's never going to be done.
I chose farming. I read somewhere the other day that it’s not “farmed”… it's farming.
Angela Ferraro Fanning
We enjoyed this follow up conversation with Angela Ferraro Fanning of Axe and Root Homestead! After our previous episode with her, where we heard about how she came to Axe and Root Homestead, we catch up with her progress in running the farm after she was certified as a permaculturist by Cornell University. Angela shares insights about the evolution of her farm, managing a variety of plants and animals, and implementing permaculture principles into her lifestyle. She talks about publishing her books “The Sustainable Homestead” and the “Little Homesteader” series , growing protein-rich crops as a vegetarian, and raising a family on a farm. Angela believes that the time we spend tending the land is an opportunity to create the legacy we want to leave for the people who come after us.
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Hope you’re having a great summer!
Mary & Emma