May I be as River
Spring immersion, new spaces and bealtaine wishes
The river moves serpentine, green-gold depths catching late April sunlight sun to give a glittering illusion of scales. Sudden hot days tip the balance firmly into Spring-Summer, as the inhabitants of this strange little isle flock to woodands, hilltops and water. My home near the UNESCO site of Poncysyllte’s aqueduct is suddenly brimming with tourists. At once, the area is frustratingly busy and refreshingly diverse at the same time. All kinds of folk come here, and in the warmer months I might talk with Lebanese women on the aqueduct or Canadian holiday boaters, as well as the many floating business owners who set up on their canal boats for the summer. Then I slip away, underneath the aqueduct and along footpaths meandering far from the hum of people. Out of this human speaking skin and into the cold, wide waters of the River Dee.
Originating near Bala, 113km of Afon Dyfrdwy finally merges with the ocean between North Wales and the Wirral. The Welsh Dee Trust work with this water entity, training volunteer citizen scientists to collect important data. Dee is thought to come from the Brythonic word dēvā, meaning goddess or holy river. These name origins inspired the Roman fortress Deva Victrix. I’m not sure the Dee has a gender, but they are certainly powerful. One needs to know where it is safe to swim, as the river bed is made of huge rock shelves that cause sudden and strong currents. The safe places to swim, walk and sit are known to me, offering a polyphony of perspectives. Here are some sounds to transport you to the River’s edge:
Safe spaces for immersion are a theme at the moment. Having recently deleted my facebook account, I am now in the 28-day period where one must stay strong and not log back in, so that the FB minions actually delete your account. Staying clear and intentional during this time feels important. Social media has grown with me through my late 20s, 30s and now 40s. Deciding that enough is enough is prompted by many things, including an adult autism spectrum diagnosis and several ADHD-esque qualities. Where I want to interact with people online and in real life (IRL for the hipsters) is within independent, nurturing creative spaces, which foster inclusivity. May 1st is a good day for stepping into new spaces. The festival of Bealtaine (or Beltane) celebrates returning fertility of the land, and would have been a time when livestock would have been put out to pasture. The word Beltane roughly translates as bright fire.
To step through the fire and into some new spaces, I am pleased to share the latest episode of Desire Lines podcast on the theme of Sensing Simplicity: Interdisciplinary Spaces with Aaron Lelito. Aaron is an editor, writer, and visual artist from Buffalo, New York, US. He is editor of Wild Roof Journal, which you can find right here on Substack. I look forward to recording the last few episodes of series one with Ruth Cato, kruse and Walkspace West Midlands. As a member of Walkspace, I am pleased to announce that some of us will be presenting a Walking As Storytelling session at the 2025 Royal Geographical Society conference this summer. The theme this year is Creative Geographies.
May your waters run clear and your fires burn bright, until we wander again.
One For The Pot: Foraged Interest and Joy
Recently I subscribed to For The Wild’s Patreon, having been a long-term fan of their podcast. I did not regret it! FTW took a pause from making podcasts to make a series of beautiful e-Zines, all of which are available on the Patreon plus reading lists, films and more. While plunging into the neurodivergence section of my PhD research, I listened to audiobook versions of Unmasking Autism by Devon Price (which made me cry several times) and How to Thrive with Adult ADHD by James Kustow (a great overall introduction with excellent prompts and tips for life management). Jenara Nerenberg’s Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed for You focuses on women and has revealed some interesting sensory perspectives. Finally, friends Jo Jukes (a previous podcast guest) and Rick Wilson have a new album out. For local readers, they are performing at Oswestry’s Hermon Chapel on the 9th May.