The Quickening
March's Newsletter
Oh, then, on that spontaneous, light-filled day, the world
will begin singing again after our dim, silent millennial waiting—
—you and me and every one of us. After the dark days
the sun will be no longer reluctant in his shining (we’ll
lift our faces to him, believing him to join with us, jubilant,
peering from behind the heaving clouds).
The quickening is a word used to refer to the first movements of a foetus in the womb. More specifically the first movements felt by the mother. It was used regularly during the medieval period and during the 17th century, those who were sentenced to death for various crimes (and it wasn’t difficult to receive this sentence back then), could ‘plead the belly’ if they were pregnant.
If you place your hands on the earth at this time of year, you can feel the quickening. The shoots as they move upwards, the mycelium spreading out, the creatures stirring in their sets, dens and burrows. Above is as below, with the lambs arriving in the fields, the birds occupying nests and the deer’s bellies rounding.
The earth is pleading the belly. Tread gently on this quickening land, brush lightly passed the tree buds, peer cautiously into the waters. Watch for the stirrings of the land for the earth needs us to hold it, as it holds us, whilst it brings forth its gifts.
March’s Stories are of the landscape and the folklore of the Downs as I visit three schools this World Book Week to teach pupils from Yrs 3 to 8 how to tell their own stories with my Bard School workshops.
Writing must continue in earnest as my deadline for ‘The Little History of Storytelling’ gets ever closer and I have more exciting news on the writing front which I will share with you later in the month. I am also completing an online course in Old English with the British Library this month as well as prep for workshops in April.
If you haven’t had a chance to read last Wednesday’s post, can I also take a moment to say how much I appreciate you all taking the time to comment, like, interact with my posts and in general be stand up, good eggs. Putting any kind of creative content out into the world is a brave undertaking and you folks make it so much easier, more enjoyable and rewarding with your support.
In world flooded with information I value your precious time and so I’m getting more organised with my posts as 2025 progresses. My intention is to post articles for all subscribers on a Wednesday and to post extra articles for paid subscribers on a Sunday. Sometimes I may manage a post every Wednesday and Sunday, sometimes I may have less to share that month and so I won’t necessarily post on those days, just for the sake of posting.
Here’s what March’s posts (all being well) will look like:
2nd The Story Forecast
5th - Whales in Winchester - Winchester Cathedral Visit write up
9th - Legends of Britain - Dandos Dogs
12th - The Wonders of World Book Week - events write up
16th - Lessons From The Land - Blown In With The Tide
19th - Stories From Lore - Water Dwellers
23rd - ‘The Importance of Beds’ - Beds through time and stories of them
26th - The Storyteller’s Library
30th - Round up Vlog with some exciting news
The posts in bold are for paid subscribers. Let me know what you’re looking forward to most! In the meantime, I hope March brings you new shoots and a spring in your step.
Story Of The Month
The Princess & The Pea
I will be attempting to use the subscriber chat more and we will be gathering there for discuss a monthly seasonal story and the books we are reading.
This month, as we awake from our hibernation, we’re exploring the story of the Princess and The Pea. Join us via the subscriber chat (free for all).
Plant Of The Month
Hellebore
The hellebores are merry in my garden this month and I love to watch them gradually unfold, heavy with the dew of misty mornings, hanging their heads against the rain and hail of late winter.
They can usually be found in the wild in wooded margins and bloom yearly. Various local names include, bear’s foot, green lily, boar’s foot and fellon-grass.
the dark purple or black hellebore is also know as the Christmas Rose. Plant one beside your door and you welcome in Christ.
The stinking hellebore, a slightly different variety to that in our gardens, was used as an Elizabethan cure the various ills of cattle, including swollen udders and foot and mouth.
The Gauls are reported to have laced the tips of their arrows with hellebore juice and that the meat they killed with these arrows was more tender.
In Gerard’s herbal he notes that Hellebore is of use to ‘those molested by melancholy’ however there is much evidence that in the past when this plant was given to children suffering from worms, it more often than not, ended badly.
We know these days, that it is not a good idea to eat hellebore as it is toxic, in varying degrees, to both humans and animals. As with many of our garden plants, it is therefore best to admire it in the borders rather than serve yourself up a salad of it.
March’s Listen :
A Visitor’s Companion To Tudor England by Suzannah Lipscomb
I’m in the depths of research in Tudor England, mainly the lives of the ordinary folk rather than royalty, but this one is a great whistle stop tour of the places in England where the Tudors have left their mark, and as an audio book available via Spotify it’s perfect for the daily commute.
Upcoming Events For February/March :
3rd March - World Book Week - Portsmouth Grammar School
5th March - World Book Week - The Petersfield School
7th March - World Book Week - Hambledon Primary School
April - Words From The Green Spaces - third vlog in the Portsmouth Pupil Laureate Project available
12th & 13th April - Easter Through The Ages - Weald & Downland
14th & 18th April - Weald & Downland Living Museum - Easter Storytelling for Eco-Easter
26th April - Wild & Creative Storytelling Workshop - The Land Trust
For more information and to book me for your event, visit my events page using the button below.
Featured Paid Post:
A little insight into the process of researching and creating a telling of a seasonal story, perfect for this time of year.
March’s Reads:
Above is a list of the books which, time allowing, I am hoping to read over the next month. I will be collating the books I read into one multiple book review post called ‘The Storyteller’s Library’ and will post it towards the end of February.
Absolutely loved that 🌱 the Earth is pleading the belly ✨
Thank you 💚💫