In this extract from her new book The Season of Frost and Fire, ‘green witch’ Rebecca Beattie explores winter storms, and how to weather them. Do you love them? Or do they frighten you?
If you have been wondering if you are the only person in the world who loves a storm and who is, in fact, soothed by the sound of howling gales, then I can reassure you that you are not alone. Storms can feel exhilarating or soothing, depending on your circumstances. Tucked up in bed with the blankets wrapped tightly, you might feel becalmed into gentle sleep. As a child, I loved to hear the wind rattling the roof slates of my mother’s house, and to this day I still find it relaxing rather than fearful. According to some psychologists, we are sometimes soothed by the ‘amniotic sound’ of a storm – when it sounds far away and we are safely sheltered from it.
Others suggest that a storm can have a positive effect, with the sound of raindrops giving the effect of ‘pink’ noise. This is a bit like white noise, but includes deeper, more constant sounds, with lower sound waves, such as those of the ocean, wind or rain. It also helps to block out the sound of people talking or traffic noise. You can find many recordings of ‘sounds of nature’ that include storm sounds and the patter of rain to help send you off to sleep.
If you are not a storm lover, it is worth remembering that storms are a crucial part of natural processes. Our non-human animal companions, knowing what is approaching, will frequently seek shelter in which to wait out the tempest. If the storm brings lightning and lashing rains, we must remember it is not only refilling our waterways, rivers and reservoirs, but also carrying essential minerals and nitrogen from the skies and reintroducing them to the ground. This then feeds the seeds and roots, the fungi and the micro-organisms that live under the surface of the earth. High winds can also encourage trees to push the fingers of their roots deeper down into the soil, building strength and resilience. While this is not to deny a storm’s potential for destruction, if trees are uprooted then their fallen trunks become food and growth sources for other life forms in the woodland. Nothing in nature is wasted, and so it should be with us.
Instead of seeing storms as something to be endured, what if we saw them as a source of energy and strength, and a reminder that we are a part of the land, and not its rulers? Storms gift us with an opportunity to release and let go of some of our grief in the rain, our anger in the wind, and our suppressed words in the thunder. Yet they can also teach us surrender and humility, offering the perfect opportunity to face some of those fears that haunt us and laying a few personal ‘monsters’ to rest.
So where do we start? Let’s begin by looking to some of our prehistoric fears for inspiration.
Try this: facing your prehistoric fears
Our ancestors of the past often personified the forces of nature, and gave them a name and a personality. This helped them to make sense of a world they could not control. Perhaps we could take a leaf out of their book? I would invite you to take inspiration from our ancient ancestors’ approach to life, and create a character that represents your fears of something wild and unruly, inspired by the winter storms.
I would therefore invite you to sit for a while, with a notebook and pen. Think of one area of your life that feels beyond your control. Perhaps it is something that wakes you in the middle of the night with a start, or disturbs you during moments of downtime. What is the nagging feeling that you can’t shake off? The thing that makes you catch your breath, and your stomach churn? Ask yourself the following list of questions, and allow your imagination to run wild.
If you were to give this figure a name, what would it be?
· If you were to give it a face, what would it be?
· Would it have the head of an animal or a human?
· What clothing would it wear?
· What would it like and dislike?
· If you were to make it an offering in appeasement, what would that be?
Somehow, by being really specific, you may find that your fears begin to lose some of their terror and allow you to shrug them off and go on your way.
Rebecca Beattie is the author of The Season of Frost and Fire: A Witch’s Winter in 13 Rituals (Elliott & Thompson), which is out now in hardback and ebook, £16.99.
