Since 2023 I've been putting together an almanac and nature guide. It first started as notes on my phone and it's now become a fairly huge project and labour of love. I'll be posting things like:
How to find south by looking at Orion and the branches of trees
When foxes have kits and swallows migrate
The early signs of spring
Irish folklore about the Devil spitting on blackberries and how to ward off bad luck if you catch sight of the new moon
How to know if there's a storm coming by examining the clouds
I recommend this blog for anyone looking to learn about and connect with nature in new ways. It would also be helpful to writers for help with your natural settings, in fact, this project started when I was doing research for a fic!
About This Blog
This blog grew naturally out of my project to put together a perpetual almanac and guide to nature for my friends and I. All of the things I've learned have brought me so much unexpected joy and have really changed simple things like walks and how I look at trees, the stars, clouds, the weeds in the verges and more.
The Lay of the Land
In monthly almanac posts I'll share what's happening with the plants, the animals and the skies, as well as some applicable folklore and traditions. These will be tagged with #almanac and posted in the first few days of every month.
!! Please note that while it may sometimes cover edible plants, this almanac is not a foraging guide !!
I'll also be posting about natural navigation techniques and general knowledge to help you understand what you're looking at and to give you things to observe and notice year-round. These will be tagged with #naturalnavigation and/or #natureknowledge.
I'll add my sources and further reading/listening recommendations to each post.
Posts will relate largely to the Northern Hemisphere, with plant and animal information mostly applicable to Ireland, the UK and northern Europe. Some information can be flipped for the southern hemisphere (e.g. the sun and moon travel across the southern sky for those in the northern hemisphere, and the northern sky for those in the southern hemisphere).
Come Along
If you'd like to come along for the adventure, I recommend that you keep your own notes of the posts and tips that interest you. You can also think about looking ahead and using other sources to note the dates of the spring and neap tides where you are (highest high-tides and lowest low-tides) and the dates of the new and full moon. When recording monthly information about the planets, I recommend you look for their rise and set times and what portion of the sky you can expect to see them in. This is not only another thing to track, but it will help you correctly identify the planets. If you aren't living in the same part of the world as me, you could also note down what the plants and animals are up to where you are.
Mad excited to share this project with you all!