Samhain (pronounced ‘Sah-wain’) celebrated on the 31st October, marks both the end and the beginning of the Celtic Wheel of the Year. Halfway between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice, Samhain is a cross quarter festival marking the ending of Autumn and welcoming the first signs of Winter. It is the third and final harvest festival, where the cycle of birth and growth comes to an end, and there is a move towards death, hibernation and a dormant phase in nature.

The sound of the rain creates a comforting cosy rhythm on the windows, the wind is whips around the roof and a wave of appreciation gently moves through me. A familiar feeling of the joy of being cosy at this time of year brings with it a distant felt memory of moments of this season from years gone by. I think about my autumn manifestos written over the years and know it’s time to create the next one.

A seasonal shift is happening. Cobwebs glisten with morning dew, there’s a coolness to the damp lawn underfoot, and a few remaining pops of colour are present in the garden from dahlias, anemones and roses.

The greens in the trees have started to fade, red and yellowing leaves have been spotted here and there, and sycamore seeds are hanging and ready to spin to the ground.

Welcome to Frondescence and my first blog post and journal entry marking the start of this new season in my life and career. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here, it means the world to me you are finding this space and are taking the time to read this and explore my website.

Frondescence means to ‘gain foliage’ and ‘the condition of unfolding new leaves’. 

I want to tell you my journey of ‘unfurling’ and how I came to create the Frondescence ecosystem, and it starts with you…