Miri O'Connor

Samhain is calling... Hello moon lovers! Autumn is beginning to make itself known here in Oxfordshire. The evenings are drawing in, the hedgerows are changing, and I’ve found myself spending rather a lot of time underground and in wells lately... Since my last newsletter, I’ve been continuing my mission to find, map and unblock the forgotten wells and springs of my local area. Alongside this, I’ve begun offering well healings for those who have an old well, spring or water source on their...

As I write this, the moon is waning. The waning moon is a time of release. A time to notice what has become too heavy to carry and to gently set it down. It asks us: What are you ready to let go of? For me, the answer is becoming clear. In May, I spent a week as Artist-in-Residence at The Dreaming retreat, in Wales. Surrounded by an ancient Celtic woodland, waterfalls, and some truly remarkable women, I found myself having conversations that shifted something deep within me. Their...

I’ve been noticing a change in the air lately. Today also marks the Lunar New Year, the beginning of the Year of the Horse. I still catch myself thinking Chúc Mừng Năm Mới, the greeting I learned when I lived in Vietnam working as an English teacher. It was the biggest celebration of the year and the whole country seemed to pause at once. Streets emptied, families gathered, and for a few days life moved to a different rhythm. I even once dressed as the moon for a school celebration. At the...