The tantalising thrum of potential
/Hello my loves,
It’s not quite spring yet, but lawd do I feel her promise! Buds are forming everywhere in my garden, on branches, stalks and bushes, and I can feel the tantalising thrum of spring starting to build and coil, ready to burst forth in a few weeks’ time. Right now, nature is full of potential. Nothing much visible is happening yet, but the energy is there. Early buds are really quite unassuming, just green or brown nubbins on stalky bushes and bare branches, and if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you could very easily miss them. Even if you do know what you’re looking for, it’s hard to believe they hold all that they do. Because buds hold everything. Blossoms, leaves, fruit and seeds, all of the life and all of the offerings that each plant holds, are tucked away in these modest little nubs, ready and waiting to burst forth when the time is right.
As per usual, nature is providing us with a helpful parallel for our own lives. Just like a spring tree, you have endless potential budding inside you, and I’m sure you’ve heard it calling. All those tiny inner buds that whisper to you about what they’d like to bloom into, all that potential coiled inside of you, waiting for permission to blossom. Perhaps it’s the potential to gather your courage and follow your calling, your life purpose, the reason you really came here. Perhaps it’s the potential to trust the voice within, and start to decouple a little from all the outer noise. Perhaps it’s the potential to respond with kindness instead of judgment. Or perhaps it’s the potential to choose a bath or a walk over that last half hour of work that nobody except you is pushing you for, and you really could do tomorrow.
At this time of year, and particularly this year, there’s not really very much to actually do. A lot of our regular distractions have been filtered out, and it’s still cold enough for cocooning, so what better time to grab a belly-warming chai and a comfy spot on the couch, and have a bit of a think. What inner potential would you like to blossom and grow in the coming months? What are some concrete, achievable actions that you could take to start to make that happen? Remember to keep it manageable – if you have a dream, something you’ve always wanted to do but never thought possible, perhaps you could start by promising yourself that you’ll start to turn down the volume on all the ‘I can’t because...’ thoughts that are holding you back. If you’re stuck in a social media spiral of daily case numbers and anxiety-provoking headlines, perhaps you could start to limit your exposure a little. But really, it’s your potential, not mine. I can’t tell you what feels right for you. That’s up to you my darling, and you might be surprised about what an exciting exercise it turns out to be. There’s no telling where it may take you, and that is very cool! So grab the journal, whip yourself up a cup of spiced sticky chai, and feel into all that’s waiting to flower inside you.
And if you don’t have any sticky chai loitering about, here’s the recipe for Hearth & Soul’s :). This recipe was created by the gorgeous Chloe, one of our sous chefs, and it really is such a soothing cupful of love, quite simply perfect for this time of year. Plus it has honey in it, aka amazing magical bee energy helpfully provided in a runnily delicious golden form. It’s super easy to whip up, and the brew will live in your fridge for eternity, or until you drink it all. Enjoy the chai, and enjoy your potential my darling. It’s all yours, it’s all there, and it’s full of power and grace. Have a think about how you could set it free.
Hearth & Soul spiced sticky chai
3 large cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 tablespoons cardamom pods
1 1/2 tablespoons whole dried all spice
10 cloves
1 teaspoon dried ginger
2 star anise, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons water
To brew a cup:
One cup of milk
A black tea bag, or a tablespoon of loose black tea (or you can omit this and just make it with milk)
Place all the spices in a dry pan (i.e. everything except the tea, honey and water), and toast them lightly, until they start to become fragrant. Place them in a mortar and pestle, or blender, and crush or blend lightly until they’ve broken down a little. You’re not looking for a powder here, just a nice chunky mix. Add the honey and water, and mix well. Store in the fridge until required.
To brew a cup, mix a cupful of milk, the tea bag or tea leaves, and ¼ cup of the sticky chai mix in a saucepan. Heat until almost boiling, then simmer for three or four minutes. Taste, and add more chai mix if you’d like it to be stronger, and more honey if you’d like it sweeter. Strain into a cup and enjoy while pondering your potential.
Love, Rachel xxx
