Uncertainty, upon uncertainty, in an uncertain world. What do we do and where do we turn to in an uncertain world, where politics seems to operate outside the realms of rationality, and economics is a wonderland turned upside down? Everyone has their own coping strategies (or not) - we can't offer any panacea, however we do recommend turning towards Nature. Nature can tell us to "slow down", to focus on the things that really matter in our lives and to offer us the keys to regeneration. After the exceptionally hot and dry summer, we are blessed with a mild, lush autumn. We are still short of rain (it may seem like it rained for most of September to some people, but actually we only had a just above average amount of rain for September, and now in October, we are well down on what we have come to see as normal rainfall).
This autumn is a true blessing. Anyone who has spent time these last couple of weeks in forests, will be impressed by the volcanic activity of the mushrooms. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi species, and they are springing up everywhere. When conditions are right (moisture and warmth after a dry summer), the fungi know to trigger their fruiting response, to maximize reproduction. What we don't see for the rest of the year is the quiet growth of hyphae beneath the surface of the soil, or under the bark of trees, or almost anywhere in nature where conditions are right. Fungi are some of our most ancient ancestors, and they are essential to the web of life. In fact their mycelial growth is what generates life in many situations. Fungi are also great survivors, and can shift into resting spores for decades or generations when conditions are challenging. Maybe this can offer some consolation to us, in our restless, busy lives. However uncertain the world feels, beneath our feet we stand on the backs of great survivors.
