We passed this beautiful velvet shank on our walk yesterday. One of the few winter mushrooms, this little lovely is identified by its brown, velvety stalk and white spore print.
We're only four and a bit days into 2025, but mushrooms have already played a big part in this year pointing me to what lies beneath and offering up their stories.
C J Cooke's book 'The Ghost Wood' , which I read over the new year, features the cordyceps fungi (review coming in January's Storytellers’ Library, later in the month), and Fia's song Mycelium has been played a lot in our household.
In my ponderings, I see the mycelium as a representation of not only connectedness and community but as a symbol of how there is a lot more work going on beneath the surface before you see the results. A theme for this year, as I grow and deepen my knowledge of story, runes, and the landscape around me.
The little velvet shank that appeared in my periphery yesterday was definitely there as a gift from the land, offering up its stories and I shall show you how so that you too may hear the message of the velvet shank …
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