Flocks of starlings wheel in well-coordinated patterns across the sky. I haven’t seen them here in such numbers. Now as I walk up the lane they burst through the tree cover chattering and swirling around mean though describing some elemental spell before flying on into the wide expanse of the field and hills behind.

This year, in this time, I look for any signs or symbols in nature that might be positive. I can understand how our forbears watched the sky so closely, uncertain of the future. The cloud and now the storm and heavy rain have lowered the sky, darkening and making everything claustrophobic. Green hazelnuts and ash keys have been thrown on the ground landing amongst moss and Enchanter’s Nightshade as though a part of a huge casting of the runes.Spells and runes