Emerging from the Depths of Winter

For the past several weeks we have been on our annual Winter break, where we don't run any services. HARE has a break in the depths of Winter, usually between the Winter Solstice /Yule until around Imbolc (1st February). Sometimes our break is a little longer. We don’t usually run anything on site during this time. We feel the Cailleach (Goddess of Winter) call us to surrender to rest during this season. To listen to our bodies, to plant seeds, percolate ideas, find wisdom, strength, and transformation in the stillness, and come back refreshed.

We have processed some great ideas during this time, that we have been percolating for a very long time, and finally feel that 2026 is the year to bring them to you. We have spent the last week or two bringing some of these ideas to life, and we are so excited to share them with you really soon.

Our site, Hazel Woods, near Mitcheldean is beginning to wake from its Winter slumber, and show signs of early spring. With lots of little Lesser Celandine leaves emerging from the soil, and bare branches revealing tiny buds. We have spotted these beautiful jelly ear on an old elder recently.

We have been enjoying seeing snowdrops grow and flower in gardens and verges over the last few weeks, and we are noticing the sunny blooms of forsythia and daffodils begin to bring us some colour.

We are beginning to prepare for Spring and all the exciting offerings we have coming up in 2026. Our first event of 2026 will be our Land Stewardship Volunteer Day on the 28th February, from 10:30am to 3:00pm. If you would like to immerse yourself in nature in our peaceful woodland, meet like-minded people and support us to get our site ready for all the exciting happenings of 2026, you can find more information on the Land Stewardship page of our website.

Keep an eye on our socials and look out for our Spring newsletter which will be coming to you in the next few weeks. If you're not already subscribed to our newsletter, you can do this at the bottom of any page of our website.

See you in the woods soon!