About a week ago, just before I shared the first part of my embodied fantasy story, I drew some oracle cards. The one I drew to guide me on my purpose in life was for Pachamama. For those of you that don’t know, Pachamama is the indigenous south/ central American name for Mama Earth. The title 👆was the message that jumped out at me from the reading, and has become my mantra. I’ve even made it into phone wallpaper to remind me of it often.

I thought I was fulfilling it fully these last weeks, sharing my stories despite them being a totally new thing for me to share, not knowing how they might be received, or what it might lead to. Just feeling that it is the right path.

But today came a different kind of test.

I took the dog for a walk in an area I’ve rarely been. I was feeling adventurous so continued along a new path a fair way down the mountain I’d started on, not knowing if the path would skirt back to my car. Eventually I turned off into the forest, again not really knowing where I might end up, but feeling called to trust, explore and follow my intuition.

I ended up exiting the forest on a road that I knew to be MILES away from where my car was (at least by road). I had no idea how these forests were linked. I tried to retrace my steps but somehow ended up on a different path with no view to the one I originally took.

I was LOST. And in a forest that is so huge, wild and remote that it is very common to walk for hours without seeing anyone. And there are few labelled paths.

Again, my gut feeling was to trust that I could find my way, and I felt instinctual tugs guiding me. They challenged me by guiding me off the path and through big patches of stinging nettles and blackberries, dressed in short shorts and a singlet t-shirt. Up over a very steep hill, and down again. And back into a seemingly endless wild patch of thorny, stingy plants. At that point the dog disappeared without a trace and didn’t come at my call.

Panic started to set in. I’d left my phone in the car, been walking for 1.5 hours or so, had only a little water remaining in my water bottle, and no idea how close I was.

Still, underneath it, I felt a call to trust and follow my instincts. I knew it was a test on how well I am capable of choosing to Trust as an act of Devotion.

Eventually I clawed my way out only to find the dog waiting on the other side -clearly he also had no desire to trek through thorny bushes again. 😜

I ended up retracing my steps, back out onto the road I thought was miles away from my car. This time I was guided to release that belief and take a new path through the fields. Ten to fifteen minutes later I was back on the original track I’d taken, feeling very grateful and incredibly proud of myself.

Two things stood out for me from this experience:

1. Even when the situation calls up anxiety or panic, I always have a choice. And the more I’m in my body, the more I can feel safe, guided and trusting, wherever I am.

2. ‘Let yourself get lost… you just might find something’. These are the words my ex husband and dear friend spoke to me 11 years ago when I first started to spend more time in nature and occassionally got lost with him in the Netherlands. At that time I had far less trust in myself and was much less connected to my instincts and intuition, so his presence helped me to embrace this principle. It reminded me today to look around and enjoy the journey, even though I didn’t know where it was leading, or how I might get home. I found a deep sense of connection to myself, to my resiliency and to Mama Earth.

The oracle card contains this principle because Mama Earth manages to hold space for an infinite amount of diversity, while still being so calm and peaceful that we all go to her to find our peace. It is her capacity to trust and hold space for all that diversity, and seemingly competing interests, that allows her to foster the beauty that is Planet Earth.

I feel so blessed to be receiving the guidance on how I too can embody this trust, safety and presence, while embracing the diversity of experiences and emotions contained in my human life.

While I don’t share this story to encourage you to go straight out and get yourself lost in the wilderness, I do want to say that I believe that each and every one of us has the capacity to come home to the body and choose to trust yourself and trust life, no matter the circumstances. Fostering and embodying your natural resiliency and trust, you can navigate through any number of situations that may have you feeling a bit lost.

Wishing you a beautiful and adventurous day! xx Cathy.

PS. If this message resonates with you and you would like to make use of the phone wallpaper I made, drop a comment below or PM me and I’ll share it. I would also love to know how this story lands for you.

PPS. Part 4 of my story - A Primal Origin Story- will be released soon. Subscribe below to receive it. And if you’re loving the embodied feelings and experiences these stories are guiding you through, please pledge your support by clicking below to keep receiving my stories (even if you are already a subscriber). 😘

Subscribe now

And shifting from that really is a learning process in my experience… I have had many aha moments, many releases and epiphanies. Each bringing deep blessings. Many times I hoped to be ‘cured’ of my self sabotaging habits. But ultimately I realise none of them ‘fixed me’. None of them allowed me to overnight drop all the habits that kept me small, or disconnected, or unhealthy. It takes time to learn to fly. Time to be more and more settled and content in my body that I’m consistently making conscious and alligned choices every day. And also softening and being gentle with myself when I fall off the wagon.

This is only natural. Especially when many of us have had many years of practice at shrinking and over-compensating or compromising. Yet each step deepens the foundation of a new way of being. Allows us to break free of fear, monotony, mistrust, not-enoughness, resentment, boredom -or whatever plagues us- that bit faster. Until we can bounce back into feeling high on life in a matter of days, hours, minutes, and then moments.

It is my hope that my stories, both the writing and the reading/listening, can help this learning process.

So if you’re resonating with this and feel you too are in a process of learning to fly, why not jump off the branch with me and feel your body get on board with you?!

Happy Reading or Listening!

Love Cathy.

Read/Listen to Learning to Fly now!

PS. I can feel the support writing these embodiment fantasy stories brings to me, and can bring to you in living your best life. I would love to integrate it as a regular part of life, in those heat of the day hours when farm work is laid to rest. To do that it needs to be on the basis of an energy exchange. Thus I intend to create a thriving and supportive paid subscription to share all the nature embodied adventures that continue to flow in through me, as well as some beautiful bonuses and access to an inspiring tribe of New World Creators like yourself. To be part of this vision, please click below to pledge your support! Thank you beloved! 🙏

Subscribe now

I’m curious how you’re feeling these last days. It feels to me like this time is sizzling with potency and playfulness. A time for recapturing the wonder, curiosity and joy of living from innocence and openness. And that, in itself, requires some leaps of faith and shifts in comfort zone to expressing what’s true for you, not necessarily what people are comfortable receiving from you. Isn’t it true that kids can be so amazingly blunt and surprisingly wise?

Can you feel youthful energy waking up inside you? A desire to find your true expression?

Many astrologers are stating that there is great potential for manifesation and transformation in this portal leading up to the Lions Gate on August 8th. Particularly if you dare to shine your own unique light. I’m so curious and excited to see how it unfolds for us.

It feels auspiciously aligned with the release today of Part 2 of my new Fantasy Embodiment story, which dives into A Magical Manifestation. This adventure will take you deeply into a bodily experience of what it is to find your most potent manifestation energy - from the highs of experiencing your wildest visions and desires come true, to the lows and the transformations of feeling constriction fear or pain.

I can’t wait to hear how you experience it!

For those that are like ‘WTF is she talking about?’ - check out my recent post to get the downlow on my new Nature Embodied Fantasy Adventures.

I extend a BIG thank you to all of you who checked out Part 1 - Mesmerising, and especially those who let me know how you experienced the story, and your own Mesmerising magic.

It feels like this mode of writing is really opening something, and I’d LOVE to hear from more of you as the time is right for you to delve in and try Reading or Listening with your body.

They’re stories you can definitely read or listen to before bed to help you get a more restful sleep, feel more connected to yourself and perhaps receive more vivid dreams.

So on that note, I wish you a beautiful reading and listening experience and look forward to hearing all about it soon!

Much love, xx Cathy

Part 2: A Magical Manifestation

Yet to read Part 1? Here it is again:

Part 1: Mesmerising

Wanna keep up to date of new stories and updates from me? Subscribe for Free below

Subscribe now

PS. If you’re enjoying and benefiting from my blog and/or my stories and you know others you think might benefit, please take a moment to share it with them. You never know what the impact might be, as we create a new, more natural world together.

Hey Beautiful One, How are you? I hope you’re well!

This last New Moon in sunny, playful, shine your light Leo energy has given me a kick in the butt to get out of my incubator and share again. So here I am with exciting news :-)

As you may know, aside from my love of writing, I have two big passions -nature and embodiment. Actually it’s really one passion - Nature Embodiment, that I practice both through my own inner journeys and the 1-1 and group embodiment journeys that I guide, as well as through co-creation of the permaculture paradise I live on.

Over the years this passion has brought me countless incredible breakthroughs and made me a far more grounded, confident, authentic and joyful person (which I believe is the natural state for all of us). And now, through me getting bored and not knowing quite how to practice the ‘leaning back’ intention I set a couple of months ago, a new creative expression has been born.

Namely fantasy storytelling. Stories that invite you to Read with your Body.

It was born out of me asking for guidance on the reason for my boredom. The response was that it was making space for true creativity. I was invited to start writing, with no goal or end vision. No one else I was writing for. Just me getting creative for the sake of it.

What unfolded felt super exciting. Stories that give expression to my wild imagination, while bringing the wisdom and expansiveness of being in my body. A fantasy adventure with everything from magical animal guides to time travel and flying… all while feeling like I was actually transforming my body and my blockages.

I didn’t write it for others. Yet as it has unfolded I felt it is meant to be shared. So I’m excited -and a little nervous- to share this first excerpt with those of you that feel intrigued.

I would LOVE to hear your feedback on how you experience it and whether you’re keen to read on…

I already have the rest of this story ready, and if the interest is there, I would love to expand the offering to one that can regularly offer you a dose of embodied and empowering entertainment and adventure. Perhaps coloured to support you in utilising the invitations from the moon and planet energies? Or even ‘choose your adventure’ stories -remember those?!

I hope you ENJOY reading this. That it lights you up. And that we may get to go on more of these fantasy Nature Embodiment journeys together!

Much Love, Cathy. xx

Read Part 1: Mesmerising!

PS. Not subscribed yet but keen to follow my personal adventures, stay abreast of new stories and support my work? Subscribe for free below 💞

Subscribe now

I walked into the kitchen this morning and felt called to do some fermentation. Make some bread, a new batch of kombucha, and a batch of lacto bacteria to add health and vitality to the duck pond and filters. As I was busy with it, it struck me that fermentation is exactly what I was wanting inside. I could feel some undigested “food” to process - a little bit of stuck energy, unexpressed emotions, tension in my belly, and I wanted to transform it into fizzing vitality and health.

It’s been a beautiful and productive week, where we’ve been busy here on the farm with our friend Joel, who is staying with us and helping out. Though there has been plenty of flow, gratitude and satisfaction -and since making my recent new moon intention I can feel myself growing daily in trust, peace and abundance (most days) - still I felt the desire to give myself the space and stillness to fully absorb the sweetness of life -and of the yummy food I’ve consumed! Just like my kombucha scoby does quietly over time - transforming sugary tea into a delicious and mega healthy fizzy drink!

Isn’t it beautiful when nature shows us the processes that help us feel alive and fully appreciate this gift of life? Shows us how to live as human BEINGS not just human doings? How to create health and vitality from the inside out? (it’s not for nothing our gut is filled with a miriad of bacteria and is a natural fermentation container!)

In my experience, it does take some undoing of conditioning. Most of us are not that practiced at BEing. It feels far more ‘comfortable’ to be doing all the time, and identifying as someone who is “doing”, even when we feel depleted. So it actually feels kinda radical to not plan or commit to anything. To create space. Not even do anything social. And it really is amazing how just being with yourself, lovingly allowing space for whatever feels a bit stuck inside, can bring healing and release, prevent festering and dis-ease, and create fizzing lightness and joy. Just like a lovely glass of prosecco (or kombucha 😋)

So I’m going to continue my fermentation now and send you fizzing health and vitality vibes today dear one! May you feel the space to just BE with your beautiful, natural and magical self! xx

PS. If you have questions for me that you think I might be just the right person to answer, drop me a line, or comment below.

PPS. Enjoying reading and not yet subscribed? click below and journey with me on this joyride that is life!

Subscribe now

After a deep spell of introspection, I’m coming out of my hermit hole. 😉

There were so many moments I wanted to write to you over the past few months. But something in me held back. It just didn’t feel like the right time. I’ve been in a death and rebirth cycle—one I’m only now finding clarity in. And with this New Moon in Gemini -the archetype of the messenger, and also my sun sign, I feel ready to share.

What’s been unfolding? At the core, a quiet but steady longing—for peace, flow, focus, guiding me into a different way of being. A life rooted in the kind of trust that lets me lean back and be held by others and by the Universe. That’s let’s me be guided rather than taking the lead and “figuring things out”.

But that trust? It’s not easy to embody. I’ve spent years of finding safety and comfort in a pattern of going it alone, strategising, initiating, and retreating whenever I felt unsure or vulnerable. Even when I wanted to soften into flow, I kept defaulting to old habits—jumping into action at the first sign of uncertainty. Unexpected expenses I didn’t have funds for. A disappointing response to something I offered. A misunderstanding. Suddenly I’d be busy again, tweaking things, doubting myself, switching directions. Always trying to fix. It became a safety blanket and a statement of my worth—ironically wrapped in stress.

At the heart of it was this belief: If I don’t make it happen, nothing will. It felt so normal…even responsible. It’s the belief much of our world runs on. But underneath, it was rooted in scarcity. In isolation. In the idea that I had to prove I was worthy, over and over again. That it was unsafe to trust or to receive.

That belief quietly shaped everything. Even inspired action sometimes came from a space of fear—leaving me feeling out of sync and unseen.

Does any of that feel familiar to you?

Since the last eclipses in March, it’s been like the Universe has been slowly inviting me to let go of this way of being, and the belief that underpinned it. Life kept presenting me with situations that I couldn’t control or solve—externally shaky, internally confronting. At times I’ve felt completely unmoored. There have been tears, fear, and grief. But also… spaciousness. To notice how much I’ve clung to needing answers. And to imagine who I might be without that. Space to experience life in flow and notice how ungrounded and false my beliefs often are.

I’ve started to learn how to sit with the insecurity (inner and outer). To breathe through it. To let people see it. Realising it is as natural as feeling secure and only gets bigger when I resist it.

Learning to trust, even just a little more each day. It’s been vulnerable and raw. And also healing and like deep relief in my body.

Now—while I don’t have it all figured out (and maybe that’s the point)—I feel something new growing. A willingness to experiment with being guided. To resist the urge to take over. To let people and life come to me, instead of always rushing forward.

It’s scary. But also… it sparks my Gemini curiosity and playfulness. 🤸‍♀️

So here’s what I’m stepping into: I want to co-create. I want to soften into trust—of myself, of others, of the unfolding. I want to honour the beauty of what’s already here. To live from joy, from vision, from the magnetic force of appreciation and openness. Letting my desires spark excitement and trust and then let myself be guided and surprised in the path to their fulfilment.

This is the intention I’m planting with this Gemini New Moon. It feels revolutionary.

What about you, dear one? What seeds—of change, of creativity, of curiosity—are you planting right now?

I’d love to hear from you.

With love,
xx Cathy

Subscribe now

I recently started a journey with the Gene Keys. For those of you that don’t know it, it is a beautiful and empowering system for seeing into your own personal challenges, and unlocking your gifts and essential qualities using the art of contemplation. To describe them is complex, but if you’re curious, I highly recommend you check it out and get your own free profile at https://genekeys.com/

Anyway, part of the magic is the “art of contemplation” -> learning to observe your shadows with a smiling awareness. These shadows could be anything from bodily tension or pain, to behavioural patterns, to emotional reactions or triggers, or just negative beliefs or thoughts. For all of them you will feel a bodily response and can dedicate part of your awareness to ‘looking’ at that response with a smiling energy.

And that smiling energy is surprisingly potent. It can really break down barriers. The same way a smile from someone else can bring just enough light to a bad day to blow away desperation and hopelessness.

With eclipse season fully underway now, you may, like me, be experiencing heightened sensitivity and vulnerability. Maybe some old pain, triggers or difficult experiences have been arising. This season is a powerful invitation to release and shift self sabotage, pain and resentment, particularly around relationships. And to do that we need to dare to see our shadows. Because like an upset child, they don’t go away by being ignored or repressed. In fact they get more demanding as they seek new ways to get your attention.

But it can feel scary to look at your shadows. They can feel overwhelming. So practicing having part of your awareness stand by you like a close friend, smiling lovingly, is so powerful and transformative. Because ultimately your shadows are not your enemies. Like a friend who’s been hurt, they deserve your love, encouragement and understanding. They are just the vulnerable parts of you calling for your embrace.

So this week, that’s what I’ve been practicing. Noticing when a shadow is calling for my attention, and taking a little time to smile at it. Sometimes I feel the shift immediately. I can feel a knot of tension inside me dissolve and I can respond to life with balance and trust. Other times I still need to find an outlet to release emotion, like crying or shouting or dancing. Yet through it all, it feels comforting to have this ‘smiling close friend’ holding my hand and reminding me I’m not alone. Reminding me I am loved, and I am able to release the pain and the beliefs and behaviour that make me feel like shit. It’s like self parenting.

Every moment truly is a new opportunity to choose new beliefs or behaviour. To step into my gifts and my soul’s essence.

So if you are experiencing some shadows, firstly I send you compassion. And I invite you to find a part of yourself that can smile lovingly, even if only with the eyes, and gently hold yourself. Knowing that beneath the shadows are some beautiful and unique gifts and fulfilling experiences waiting for you.

Much love, x Cathy.

PS. Just as it’s transformative to look at your shadows with love and tenderness, the same goes for others. When we feel sensitive or triggered, it’s easy to make others into our enemy and feel the victim. So I invite you also to look at your fellow human beings with a little more softness, knowing they too are probably going through some turbulence right now, and they can no doubt use your humanity too. When you start opening your heart with a smile, you will find it is infinitely powerful. 💞

Enjoying my Blog? Support my work and keep up to date by subscribing below

This week I’ve been brainstorming and getting creative on how I can make the breadth of nature/ permaculture wisdom and principles palatable for people in a 1 or 2 day workshop (with practical components).

A fun idea popped in to have people take on the ‘persona’ of a desired plant. Get to know its needs/ wants/ favoured companions etc… and then seek out that sweet spot for it.

I’m excited to try this out in the upcoming Thyme to Grow workshop. AND it struck me that this is a great exercise for us humans too, right?

I mean, how many of us move through life resigned to our circumstances? Unaware or ignoring our needs and desires? Spending precious time and energy with those that bring us down?

Yet we are much more movable than plants. Perhaps too malleable and that’s why we stay in struggle?🤔

That might sound counter-intuitive but a few years ago I realised that I have had the tendency to stay in situations that don’t really suit me long after I know they’re not quite right. Why? BECAUSE I’m so adaptable. I can make the best of a bad situation, so to speak. It can become my comfort zone. Where a plant might simply die in a situation it is not suited to. Or at least obviously not grow well.

So that adaptability is both a blessing and a curse. Just because we CAN adapt, doesn’t mean we should. Because with the literally limitless array of possibilities that surround us, a planet full of beautiful places, billions of people we could call friend, lover or community, and enough money to make us all millionaires, it simply cannot be true that we can’t find a situation where we are truly thriving. Abundant, resilient, synergistic, supported. All those things we want for our plants. We might have to fight for it a bit, but there’s no reason to believe our sweet spot isn’t waiting for us to claim it. Our place in a balanced and beautiful ecosystem…

So, on this Equinox and the official start of spring (or autumn if you’re in the southern hemisphere), I invite you to reflect on what seeds of desire/ change you want to plant, and what you want to move away from/ let go of? Then let your imagination start designing and envisioning your thriving sweet spot - sending up a prayer to help you create it!!

I wish you much fun, love and trust in this process, xx Cathy

PS. Watch this space to get the recording from the Thyme to Grow workshops, and learn nature’s principles to help you design and co-create abundance with the Mama herself 💞

Subscribe now

PPS. Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting we all need to move. Physical place of living is but a puzzle piece. This is more about becoming conscious of where you’re accepting the lack of what you truly want or need, and embracing the true generous nature of life and your own power to choose and to believe.

This last week has been an interesting reflection of my individualistic conditioning, and what happens when I can open to true collaboration and let myself be inspired.

Last week we held not one but two workshops. For neither workshop was I the leader, though I initiated and co-created both. Both were a roaring success, with participants going away with big smiles, having had a lot of fun, learned a lot and feeling empowered and inspired to create. So that was incredibly satisfying to witness and also to experience for myself - I’ve also created these workshops to continue my own learning journey. 😉

At the same time it was interesting to witness my own ego process. There were times I wanted to intervene. To share my own experiences or concerns about the structure or timing of the day, for instance.

Now the first responder within me sees this behaviour as good. I want to make sure people have the best time, get the most done, or learn the most etc…

The second responder knows that this is my inner control freak or “hero”. The know it all. It comes from fear. Fear of failure, of future imagined repercussions, of disappointment etc… It’s perfectionist behaviour.

Not only this but it’s disempowering. If I do intervene, I do not allow the facilitator to have their own learning process. To do it their way. To respond to challenges as they come up and learn and improve. I show a lack of trust and faith in them.

This right here is at the base of why collaborating, delegating and living in community sounds wonderful but in reality is challenging. We have to re-learn to swallow our pride and to trust others. To let go of the need to be right or to ‘save’ others. To TRUST. And to have FUN. Because as soon as it’s not about having fun, things tend to get hard. Stuck. No creativity flows.

This is such an important lesson for me that just keeps coming back as I integrate it deeper and deeper. Also in my own creative processes, where I often need the reminder to keep it fun and creative.

I’m glad to say I controlled my impulses and didn’t intervene in either workshop (except for one time reminder). And I’m sooo glad I didn’t. It felt so beautiful to see both Loudi and Raoul teach and share in their own unique and charismatic ways. To feel part of something greater. To feel the community gather around them, and Sabine and I as organisers, in gratitude, joy and fun!

Here’s a few pictures to share the vibe in advance of the videos being released:

This is collaboration. This is community. And I feel deeply grateful for all those around me teaching me to let go of this old conditioning and embrace a life of trust, togetherness and fun.

Today is a full moon eclipse in the practical, detail oriented perfectionist sign of Virgo, so feels fitting that these old perfectionism shadows are coming up now for release.

So tell me: How does pride and perfectionism show up for you? What would you love to release right now? Please share in the comments below - I love to hear from you!!

Happy full moon & much love, Cathy

These last two weeks have dealt me some blows. A bunch of uncertainty. Sudden urgent requirements I hadn’t planned for, with threats of potentially severe consequences. Communication and expectation misalignment and breakdown. All in all it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster.

The story is long, and I won’t go into it here. But I wanted to share some observations on how I moved through it.

First, after receiving all the urgent requirements, I got my ‘mega productive, drop everything and problem solve’ persona on. I was sooo efficient!!

Until… I felt exhausted and a bit lost. I’d basically dropped all the projects that were important to me, including my self care.

Then, I went into escapism, spending many hours reading books, watching tv etc…

Then I went inwards, gave myself a little real rest, and found my creativity and inspiration back, quickly adapting, solving problems that came up and coming up with innovative new solutions, including a new Workshop Schedule!

Then came a communication breakdown and it seemed my expectations were majorly misaligned for the future… I panicked. Wanted to run away, seek a simpler life, felt unappreciated and desperately sad.

Finally, I took time to go inward again and felt that this latest challenge is just an opportunity to reassess what my true desired lifestyle and dreams are, and see whether the choices I’m making are aligned. And open up to the ways I can create this and what I maybe need to let go of.

I share all this to clarify two things:

1. I’m far from perfect and the perfectionist in me would love to say that after all these years of personal development I’m able to take great care of myself and transform whatever challenges within minutes or hours, not days…

2. I’m also incredibly proud of my ability to find my certainty, resiliency and trust within days and not months or years as it once was. In fact, once I’ve decided to take response-ability and go inward, I can usually find peace and resiliency within an hour.

I’ve achieved a lot of great stuff in my life. I have a beautiful life here in Tuscany, I own a home and a farm, with loving and healthy animals and plants. I’m proud of this blog, of the beautiful relationships I have, including with my ex (and farm partner). I’m proud of the wonderful chakra healing experiences I’ve been able to facilitate with people, of my permaculture workshops and of the work I did in the renewables sector. My dedication to my path has led to the most amazing breakthroughs and discovery of new levels of wisdom, pleasure, confidence and manifestation magic.

Yet the thing I’m most proud of is my resiliency.

It feels like such a huge gift to be able to move through life’s challenges and create safety, security and trust where it would be easy to believe there is none to be found. Because we’re all wired to be wary, if not negative. We can all go down that black hole. It always seems easier to seek peace and security outside of ourselves (in a job, relationship etc…) But all those certainties can feel uncertain from one moment to the next. So learning to move through the heavy emotions, the fear, the grief, the disappointment and resentment that naturally come up in life, and find faith and peace… Wow! That’s what it's all about.

And that feels like the gift I’ve been put here on this Earth to share.

So today I’m sending love from my tender yet resilient heart to yours, xx Cathy

PS. Interested in the workshops? Here’s the new program! Recordings for these first two workshops happening this week will be available soon!

Subscribe now

Since moving to Italy 5 years ago, perhaps the biggest lesson life keeps training me in is finding this balance. I believe you could call it the dance of life.

Being a Permaculturist AND an Engineer, I LOVE to design. To envision, problem solve, figure things out from big picture to detail.

Yet the nature of life is unpredictable. We cannot control everything. Being a farmer (and outdoor workshop-giver 😉) in an area with four seasons, and a culture interlaced with bureaucracy and “RELAX” as its motto, challenges you daily to accept this.

Some time ago I asked Mama Nature about this: How do we find the balance and use our unique envisioning and problem solving gifts, yet not get too attached when things don’t work out as we planned?

She responded as such:

“This is precisely the dance that you're all being guided to learn right now. How to envision your life and love your visions AND love and enjoy your reality at the same time. This seems a contradictory situation to the mind, but if you don't master that second part, you end up focussed on negativity. On low vibe stuff that brings you down. And the beautiful vision you have can't be recognised from there. You won't feel the necessary peace, trust and worthiness to receive guidance and to take the opportunities that present themselves. You'll always be searching and never SEEING. Let that sink in for a moment my love... YOU hold the key.

You've got to learn to make peace... with everything. And especially within yourself. In particular your 'lower self'. You humans often feel divided between the upper self (the mind, the divine masculine, the doer) and the lower self (the physical, the divine feminine, the emotional & instinctual). You end up living in an either/ or existence. How would it be to integrate that into one flow? To be the holding, feel your carrying capacity for the deeper parts of you that have been hurt by all the negativity. Hold space so that they may release and the energy can flow again.”

She then guided me on a beautiful healing cocoon journey that I wish to share with you today. We’re in the sacred ‘Dark Moon’ phase. The final day of release and clearing of the soils within you before the new moon comes tomorrow inviting you to plant the seeds of renewal. So it is a powerful moment for clearance. For healing. For acceptance.

This is a healing journey to release any stress, heaviness, pain or energy blockage you may be experiencing in your lower body. I experienced a wonderful physical release of lower back heaviness as well as pain in one of my ovaries, and expansion of the energy flow through my whole being.

We also got a special guest visitor during the meditation. I wondered whether to tone him down, but I love synchronicities and often receive beautiful messages in the form of animal interactions. Upon reading this, I couldn't delete his sound healing message:

"In meditations, the Rooster teaches you self-protection and vigilance. This Spirit Animal also mingles with your auric field to cleanse negativity."

(Source: https://whatismyspiritanimal.com/ )

So, on that note, I wish you a beautiful journey.

Many blessings, xx Cathy.

PS. Actually dancing is also a great way to release and to FEEL this dance of life. So I share one of my fave tunes for ‘tuning’ into the Dance of Life - Re-Membering how to Love. Catch & Release - Matt Simons Deepend Remix

In last week’s blog I talked about how we respond to fear, and my own journey to unearthing and embodying my inner warrior.

But how does change really happen?

They say change always starts at home, and I’ve come to believe this deeply. Every transformation in the world begins with one person, one moment. The energy we bring—whether uplifting or oppressive—creates ripples far beyond us.

So I’ve been reflecting on the moments of true change in my life—and in nature.

👉 There’s truth in the saying, “As one door closes, another opens,” and it seems to me that the key to change is that the first door must really close.

Whenever major shifts happened in my life, they came when I fully released the past— the previous version of me that was identified with things working out a certain way. With beliefs about what is possible, who I am or who I should be…

👉Once I truly let go, or let these old versions of me and my reality die, change often happened almost instantaneously. But the process of letting go sometimes took a long time.

The inner warrior who remains calm in the face of fear is able to transform this fear and stand strong because they embrace endings. Accepting death—of identities, paths, expectations—is part of the process.

I feel I’ve journeyed quite deep into acceptance of death and endings in my life. Two burnouts. The end of a marriage. Leaving a successful engineering career. Walking away from projects I’d poured my soul into. Some may call it quitting. I call it courage. Each time, I had to grieve the loss of an identity, yet my life became richer for it.

Nature shows us this truth. Trees let go of their leaves to nourish their roots and thrive. A caterpillar must surrender to transformation to become a butterfly. The vast, life-giving fungal networks exist because of decay.

Living close to nature has taught me this: Every time I release, I make space—for life, for change, for joy.

Today is a full moon in Leo, nature’s invitation to let go and shine your light brightly and boldly.

There are many ways to be a force for change in this world. One of the most radical is to choose a life that reflects your deepest values and desires, even when others call it unrealistic, naive, or even selfish. True courage is not just in fighting against what feels wrong, but in boldly creating what feels right.

👉 So, dear changemaker: What do you need to release to make space for the transformation you desire? What door needs to close firmly for a new one to open?

Sending love and courage, xx

Subscribe now

PS. If you struggle to know what you truly desire, I hear you and I’ve been there. Also this is something that becomes clearer and flows to you naturally the more you land in your body, face your fears and make space for your own expansion. So keep breathing and keep the faith - you are one of nature’s miracles!

PPS. To celebrate the Full Moon and the tides of change it brings with it, I’ve recorded a special visualisation as a gift for you to help you answer this question and feel the space this release opens up in you. Subscribe below to receive it in your inbox 🌝

Fear is something we all face, and today, it seems to be more pervasive than ever. Whether it's fear of danger, oppression, the unknown, failure, or rejection, it can quickly become overwhelming and all-consuming.

Most of us, growing up, learned to cope with it through one of the four stress responses: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Personally, I often defaulted to flight or fawn to gain the ‘safety’ of fitting in. It didn’t feel empowering or authentic or even really safe. In fact, it often left me feeling ashamed and disconnected.

👉 But what if we didn’t have to stay trapped in these responses? What if we could transform our fear into fuel for growth and action? What if we could stand strong and grounded, unshaken by the storm around us?

Looking to nature and to our ancestors, we see that even the most peace-loving people used to be brought up learning to be deeply present in their body, alert to their senses and instincts, reverent and respectful of Mother Earth, and had some skills in defending themselves. In other words, they grew up fostering and growing their inner warrior, with the innate ability to face down fear.

Subscribe now

In 2011 I had an experience that made me realise just how disconnected I was from my body. And that this was what made me feel so powerless and insecure.

So after my first burnout in 2012 I began to explore this and ended up in a powerful 3-day immersion with a woman who worked with bulls as a way to bring people back into their own power. The bulls, much like all animals, could sense the energy of the people around them. When I was tense or fearful, they would move away from me, energetically or sometimes physically pushing me out of their space, unwilling to engage with that energy. It wasn’t rough or malicious—it was more of a clear boundary. An instinctive response to the unease I carried. But as I grounded myself and found a more calm, confident presence, their response shifted. They became more open, less distant, as I aligned with a more centered, empowered version of myself.

This experience opened my eyes to the profound impact our energy has on the world around us, and how, by simply embodying our inner power, we can transform fear into something that supports and strengthens us.

In more recent years, my own inner warrior and grounded presence has developed enough for me to be able to move through fears that felt bone deep. Panic inducing and almost life threatening. It led me to gain the self knowledge and clarity to make truly informed choices that did not spring from fear but from true desire and trust.

👉Take a moment right now and imagine yourself as a warrior who is facing down danger. You breathe deeply into your belly, actively calming your nervous system and readying yourself to face that danger. You feel your feet planted firmly on the earth, unshakeable in its support of you. You feel weighty. Powerful. You are alert and tuned into your instincts and your senses. Your reflexes are sharp. Feel how the fear still exists, but it doesn't dominate you. It informs you, motivating you to stay present and to take conscious action.

Can you feel the difference between this response and a fear dominated reaction, even if that fear reaction is to fight? As a warrior you respond from peace, trust and humanity.

Dominated by fear you are tied in knots of worry, anxiety, insecurity and separation -unable to make conscious choices or access your true power and truth.

We may not all stand at the veritable front line. Or even believe in war (I for one do not). Nor does this inner warrior require you to be in your masculine energy all the time.

What we do share is a desire to be in our authenticity and integrity. To be making empowered choices that stem from our own set of values.

👉 So today, I invite you to take a deep breath, root yourself in your body and in your truth, and step forward with courage. Feel yourself embody that inner warrior. Whether in small acts or bold movements, your presence, your choices, and your embodied power matter more than you know.

Wishing you an empowered day infused with courage, trust, love and peace.

PS. If a deep empowered connection with your body feels hard to reach for you, and the exercise above gives only a small glimpse of your inner warrior, do not be disheartened. It takes time to peel off the armour and to release anxiety from your body. Take this as a little gifted reminder of your inner strength and peace, and have faith that you have all it takes to fully embody your soul essence. My Naturally You page will soon offer a variety of great resources to allow you to dive deeper. So send yourself some love and get subscribed to journey with me 💞

Wanna give your eyes a rest? Relax and listen to my post below ♥

Subscribe now

This blog has been a long time coming. It has been written and rewritten—over and over—as I’ve slowly unraveled, softened, and expanded into a life that feels truly natural.

My path back to nature has been unfolding for years, sometimes consciously, often subconsciously. With every step, I’ve been peeling away layers of tension, insecurity, separation, and the old fear of lack—patterns passed down through generations and stored deep within my body. As they dissolve, something incredible happens: I step more fully into my true confidence, not by proving my worth, but by remembering my place in the vast, intricate web of life.

For so long, I tried to simplify what is, by nature, beyond comprehension. I believed I had to be an expert, to have all the answers. And yet, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I truly know. The fear of being “found out” as a fraud used to haunt me. Now, I embrace the freedom of being a lifelong student of nature, of life itself.

A Pioneering Life in Harmony with Nature

Every day in this wild, untamed life in southern Tuscany—rooted in nature and growing within a vibrant, evolving community—I rediscover the playful confidence of childhood, blended with the wisdom of knowing I can’t do it all alone. I don’t have all the answers. What I do have is an open heart, a keen intuition, and a deep love for observing, learning, and sharing.

I’m here to experiment. To explore what works, what doesn’t, and why. To connect with others who hear the call of nature and long to create a world where our gifts and energies flow together in harmony. This is a journey of expansion, of empowerment—a dance with the unknown, guided by trust, joy, and curiosity.

I don’t know exactly where this path leads. But I do know that nature supports us when we step into our fullest expression. And that every moment is an invitation to enjoy the ride.

If you feel called to walk this path with me, subscribe below and become part of this pioneering journey. Let’s co-create a life that feels as natural as breathing.

🌿 Join the Journey →

Subscribe now

🌿 Explore My Offerings → [Naturally You! & Naturally Skilled Pages]*coming soon*.