This morning I pulled an oracle card. Now, for the non woo-woo among you, before you roll your eyes, bear with me please. Whether you believe the universe speaks through cards, dreams, chance encounters or your slightly bonkers auntie Brenda is neither here nor there. What matters is the question it made me ask myself. What if everything that’s happened to me has actually been taking me somewhere? The last 4 years or so have been fairly static. Settling into a pub job that gives me the luxury of a 9 day working month was a little too comfortable. But with that teetering on the edge, it’s forced me to look back over the last, well, 15 years. After leaving Australia for the last time, qualifying as a Homoeopath and Nutritional Therapist (which I no longer practice), meeting the right man and some how buying and paying off a house, it’s all been a bit of a blur. The cushy pup job is (probably) coming to an end before the end of the year and as any normal human being would do, that sent me into action mode. I started this Substack, have applied for the odd remote job here and there (and thankfully not been successful), discovered that I love writing and just this week have started this Skool Community. Giving up the therapy business, ending a well-paid, remote corporate job, and getting entrenched into a pub job for nearly four years didn’t look like a spiritual path while I was living it. They looked kind of like mistakes and problems. But just recently I’ve realised that I got everything I ever wanted (before) - the house in a little village in the countryside, the freedom to do with my time what I saw fit (most of the week), and a great relationship that’s heading toward 14 years strong. The journey towards just before the pub job started, showed me what I wanted in my life. The pub job taught me boundaries (and then some). Now I’m writing and have the beginnings of a paid community. None of those chapters were wasted. They were stepping stones.

So......I've gone and started a community. If you'd asked me six months ago whether I'd have one, I'd probably have rolled my eyes and wandered off into the woods, but after writing consistently for the last few weeks, I realised something. I don't want followers. I want people. People who think modern life has got totally bloody weird. People who enjoy a good story, a proper walk, old traditions and asking awkward questions. That's what this place is. The free community is where I'll share my writing, an alternative perspective here and there, and you can expect pictures of stuff that connects us to nature. If you fancy going a little deeper, the membership includes a monthly seasonal remedy (along with the folklore and history behind it), a gentle walk in nature, and a look at the old wisdom that still has something to teach us - head over to COURSES to upgrade. No pressure. No gurus. No pretending you've got your life together. Just a way to help you feel a little more rooted, a little less overwhelmed, and remind you that there's another way to move through the world. And because every good gathering should begin with introductions... Tell us where you're from. And if you had a completely free day tomorrow, where would you go? I'd probably end up on my bike in a forest. Cheers, Philippa