Hello my loves,

This week saw me shiver in ecstasy as the first cool tendrils of autumn wound their way around me. With the autumn equinox almost upon us, it’s no surprise that I’ve felt her slipping and sighing and sinking her way into the world, and let me tell you, I am relishing it. There’s something just so right about being snugged up inside, safe against the outside chill, as driving rain pounds on the roof and lashes the windows. After the humid heat of summer, autumn’s whispering cool seems to speak straight to my soul, soothing it and comforting it and delicately suggesting that I might like roast chicken for dinner.

It’s the season to sink into the warmth of the kitchen, as risottos and braises and congees and heartiness start to stream forth from the stove-top. And it’s the season to sink into yourself, to snug up and rug up and take some time to reflect. The autumn equinox is one of the two points in the year when the day and the night are of equal length, and all is in perfect balance. It’s coming your way around about March 21st if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, and at this point in the year, I like to take time to reflect on balance as it pertains to me. To have a bit of an emotional scan if you will, and notice if anything feels off-kilter.

Balance has been an ongoing theme for me in this life, so a regroup is always timely. You see my darling, I am a doer. I have an immense capacity to do. Do, do, do, all the do-dah-diddly day. And let me tell you, I’m great at it. I am the best doer you ever saw, which means I can do lots of things and make lots of things and create lots of things (like restaurants! and alll the recipes! and weekly love notes! and seven thousand other things I haven’t even ever told you about). I have so much yang I hardly know what to do with it all. However. There has to be a balance for the doing. And that balance is being. Just being. Sitting in stasis, with a book maybe, or a cup of hot choc, or nothing at all but your heart. Stopping and sitting (or sinking into a hot bath), and not doing anything at all. When the universe started to tap me on the shoulder about this, I laughed in their faces. I mean, what the hell?! Doing is one of my special talents! Look at everything I’ve done because I’m good at doing the do! Why would I stop doing that? And to think I thought they were the smart ones! Pfft.

But as with all lessons, the volume keeps getting turned up until you can’t help but listen. Reference me, in the middle of building Hearth & Soul, when a rumbling tummy pain escalated over the course of a few hours into surgery for an unhappy appendix. Yes folks, I literally blew my own gasket. At the time I couldn’t understand why my appendix had chosen to give up on that week of all the weeks. Why on earth would the universe lay me flat on my back right in the middle of the biggest thing I’d ever done? I’ll tell you why: because I wasn’t fucking listening.

Life isn’t always about doing things in the shortest possible timeframes, and throwing everything you have at the world on a daily basis. There’s a time for doing, that’s absolutely true, but one must also allow oneself to be. If you’re a doer like me, that’s not easy. I’ve worked hard on this for years now, and while I’ve made huge inroads, I still have more to do (or not do 😂). 2020 was a year of forced being for the entire world, but over the last couple of months, where I live at least, the energy is definitely ramping back up. So, it’s time for my yearly stocktake. How is it with my do and my be? As usual, my do has probably edged a little further ahead than it should. And so, to bring back the balance, I’ll gently nurture my be. I’ll give her baths and books and scorched almonds and rest. And by doing that, I’ll make space for my do-muscle to take a breather too. And everyone will be that little bit happier.

And so my darlings, I wish you a beautifully balanced weekend. I’ll be cosying and cooking and reading and bathing, and enjoying every second of it. Whatever is on the cards for you, I hope you find a slice of stillness somewhere, a delicious moment or three to ponder, rest or ever-so-simply be. Until next week my loves 🧡.

Love, Rachel xxx

PS If you’d like to feel further into the energies of the autumn equinox, the incredibly clever Rebecca Wyldewood is holding an hour-long online event this Sunday 21 March. In it she’ll explore this juncture of the year in relation to womanhood. Rebecca says: beauty and ageing are particularly poignant themes for the Autumn Woman, and my upcoming webinar aims to explore our relationship with these concepts, as well as balance, surrender, acceptance and letting go. You can purchase tickets here.