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Winter has a way of asking us to slow down. Not with force, but with a gentle invitation: to soften, to breathe, to listen. In a world that constantly asks us to move faster, the weeks around the year’s end offer a rare, unstructured space — a threshold between what has been and what is beginning to take shape.

For the past years, I have turned these twelve quiet nights into a personal ritual. Modern life rarely allows us true stillness, so I carve it out intentionally: late in the evening, after dinner, hidden in a small corner with a warm blanket and the softest light. I call it “returning to myself.” And it always brings me back — to clarity, to gentleness, to a sense of rootedness that feels like home.

This year, I wanted to share this experience in a way that feels accessible, calm, and quietly transformative. The result is ….

I had long wanted to visit the Fondation Carmignac on the island of Porquerolles – the largest of the Îles d’Hyères near Toulon. It’s said to be one of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean.

We were lucky: a mild autumn day, a pleasant number of visitors, and our dogs in top form. A day of hiking, a boat ride, fresh sea air, culture, and breathtaking scenery. Yes, life is beautiful. It takes about 45 minutes to walk to the famous Notre-Dame Beach – that postcard-perfect view is world-renowned. I believe even Monet once painted this very scene.

At the Fondation Carmignac, we were captivated by the kaleidoscope installation overlooking the garden, and by Feelings by Jean-Baptiste Bernadet – Vertigo. (Just like the U2 song of the same name – such a cool theme, full of motion and emotion.)

Enjoy this souvenir of sunshine, movement, art, and nature.

A total change of scenery — switching hemispheres, yet still on the same earth. This time: Australia. 🌏

I’ve travelled a lot, but somehow never made it here when I was younger. Back then, hotels weren’t quite ready to tackle the visa maze, and so the dream stayed tucked away — somewhere between curiosity and possibility. Years later, with age, a little patience, and family ties (my step-daughter lived there), I finally went. What followed was a journey of beauty, questions, and humility — a reminder of how vast and fragile our planet truly is.

Please swipe slowly — it’s worth it.

#6/8. For me, this sixth ritual — out of eight nature rituals — is about pausing, looking back at the past months, and finding balance and harmony for the time ahead. 🐾

The little reading dog in the picture stands as a symbol of thankfulness — a gentle reminder that everything still growing in the forest and meadows now belongs to nature and the animals as they prepare for winter. 🌿 It’s the moment when the gardener, the wanderer, the observer steps back, allowing the cycle of life to continue on its own.

This Saturday marked another sacred point in our seasonal circle —
Midsummer/JOHANNI/SOMMER SONNENEWENDE.

This season calls for patience (which doesn’t come easily to me),
for drawing from nature’s abundance — noticing it, honouring it.
And for reflecting on relationships —
I’ve just had to say a quiet, heartfelt goodbye.

If you want to bring this powerful time into your life —
this joy, this physical ripeness, this peak-of-summer heat —
surround yourself with the colours of the season:
blue, lavender, raspberry red.

Out of the ordinary. Into the full life: THE STORY of being HAPPY & COLORFUL 🙂

The nights around May 1st are Walpurgis nights – a time when many villages celebrate life.
Originally, because this is when the first fruits ripen and nature shows its fullness. Many people love this special time to honor life, get together, put up the may tree and celebrate hope and new beginnings together. In France, people symbolically give each other a lily of the valley.

✨ The 3 colors of this time of year, when spring turns into summer, are

Strawberry red – for joie de vivre, liveliness and the pulsating heart of summer.
➔ Artistic inspiration: Henri Matisse, whose reds stand for pure energy and joy.

Rosé – reminds us of tenderness, self-love and gentle strength.
➔ Artistic inspiration: Georgia O’Keeffe, whose rosé tones open flowers like souls.

Green – symbolizes growth, healing and the power of new beginnings.
➔ Artistic inspiration: Claude Monet, with his infinite, breathing gardens.

Let these colors consciously enter your life, e.g. in the decoration of our home or workplace, in our clothes or even deeper: in our thoughts and in our soul. Because in nature, May is also an invitation to the animal and plant world:

Time for new beginnings.

Time for joie de vivre.

Time to take courage for your own strength.

Have a wonderful and colorful may time 🙂

PS: You want to burn incense yourself – please be very careful – it is not completely safe – feel free to ask me which herbs to use at this time of the year. If you write MAY in the caption, I will send you 3 fantastic questions that you can ask yourself now in May to reflect.

There are moments when time seems to pause – the Wisteria you see here was probably planted at least 70 years ago and is perfect for today’s „glass of nature“:
the scent of wisteria is sweet and strong,
Bees dancing in slow motion,
A sky so clear, it hums peace.

Wisteria (Glycinie) – not just a flower,
But a memory keeper, a silent storyteller,
Whispering of ancient English gardens,
Of patience, resilience, and elegance in bloom.

This is what happens when you let nature lead.

🌸 Take the moment. Smell the bloom with me. Let your soul catch up and just enjoy.

The ancient perfume roses of Grasse are more than just an adornment for the perfume industry – they are a symbol of femininity in its purest form. Their delicate blossoms and beguiling fragrance remind us of the strength and gentle power of women. Like the roses in Grasse, which continue to sprout new flowers over time, women are also allowed to unfold, grow and shine in their unique beauty.

We have the incredible good fortune to see beautiful, ancient rose bushes grow anew every year on our property. Regardless of whether there is a lot of sun or little rain – they reliably show themselves in all their splendor and fragrance every year.

A fragrance that beguiles the senses has a certain magic. Just like the scent of perfume roses, which surrounds us with a touch of elegance and mystery, we women can radiate in the same way. We can discover our inner beauty and reveal our authentic strength more and more every day. The scent of a rose is subtle and strong at the same time, it casts a spell over us without imposing itself – just like a woman who rests in her strength but can still enchant the world around her – if she wants to. For me, these strong flowers are a sign of presence, determination and the ability to enrich the world around us. Let’s spread the joy of life soulsisters and radiate our energy. La vie est belle.

PS: Yes, the weather wasn’t great that shooting day – but I also think that’s important – the sun only shines on social media 365 days a year. And even the cloudy days have their unique beauty and power.

As if for the first time: experiencing the awakening of spring. The time when the days get longer again around 22 March. The transition from winter to spring. This day is named after a woman – the goddess Ostara who embodies fertility, rebirth and new beginnings. Therefore the Easter eggs – a symbol of fertility.

3 questions you can ask yourself now are
– what do I want to create? what seeds do I want to plant?
– Do I have both feet firmly planted in life? (yoga asana the tree)
– where do I need more balance? (Yoga Asana the Warrior 3)

If you feel like it, you can burn incense (I am happy to share my script just ask in the comments) – it is not really difficult and actually has a great influence on cleansing our emotional world. But: I find it really as important that the safety around it fits – your local fire brigade shouldn’t have to actually become part of the process.

Incense @lab.danum
Sand @fromthelastbeachtrip
Egg @ownchickens
Flowerbud @iris @livaria and @broom
Leaves & remains @acorns
3 thick stones (the 3rd month): @March

And as with so many things. It’s all about „just“ consciously thinking about it. Even the annual cycle only manages to be completely balanced twice a year – which means that everywhere on earth it is almost exactly twelve hours of day and twelve hours of night. The Latin derivation: aequus for equal and nox for night.

Happy Ostara to all women in this colourful world!