Slow Seasons: A Creative Guide to Reconnecting with Nature the Celtic Way

Woman’s Own Book Club 2023

’A truly beautiful book. Rosie’s writing makes me want to close my laptop, step outside, and appreciate the magic that each season brings’ Jessica Elliot Dennison

In her late-twenties, feeling utterly overwhelmed by the pace of modern city life, Rosie Steer found solace in the traditions she had been brought up with, influenced by her Scottish roots, that celebrated nature and observed the small steady shifts in the seasons.

The Celtic Wheel of the year is an ancient seasonal cycle that aligns with solar events - the solstices, equinoxes and their midpoints. For each mini-season, Rosie shares nature notes for what we can look out for as the days get warmer or cooler, the nights longer or shorter, alongside activities, things to make, flowers or fruit to forage, seasonal recipes to enjoy and a modern take on the traditional celebrations.

As the Wheel turns towards Yule on 22nd December, we can enjoy foraging foliage and pinecones to make Greenery garlands and wreaths, decorate and light a Yule candle to mark the shortest day of the year, and fill our homes with smells of citrus and spice making Festive fudge as a delicious homemade gift.

By slowing down and paying attention to the ebbs and flows of nature, we can find moments of calm whenever we need them.

Rosie Steer embraced slow-living and found solace in the ancient nature-centric traditions of the Celtic Wheel of the Year after suffering with her mental health. She set up her newsletter and platform on Instagram as a place to track small moments of joy through the seasons and fostered a loyal following in the process. She lives and works in Edinburgh. @everythinglooksrosie