I'm so looking forward to the Australian Fairy Tale Society Conference on June 12-14. With two days of zoom sessions so everyone can attend, plus a full in-person day in Newtown, Sydney, it will be full of magic and enchantment, and wonderful faery tale guests including favourite authors Juliet Marillier and Kate Forsyth, amazing performers
In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I'm looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! The Australian Fairy Tale Society’s March story was Hansel and Gretel (12 of 52), which was fun (and slightly disturbing!) to dive in
Mabon : Autumn Equinox : Harvest The autumn equinox falls around March 20 or 21 in the southern hemisphere – in 2021 it falls on March 20 in Australia and New Zealand – and September 22 or 23 in the northern hemisphere – in 2021 it will fall on September 22. It’s characterised by the
Ostara : Spring Equinox : Blossoming The spring equinox is celebrated around March 20 in the northern hemisphere – in 2021 it falls on March 20 for most of the US, Canada and Europe – and around September 22 in the southern hemisphere (in 2021 it will fall on September 23 in Australia and New
In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I'm looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! Wow, February flew by, but I managed a book a week at least – and one of them (The Invisible Life of Addie
“Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.” Alan Watts, American Zen Buddhist I’ve had a few queries about my meditation CD Sacred Journey lately, so I figured I’d post this interview I did when it came out... I’ve also made it easier to order the
THE CHINESE CALENDAR “In the perception of the smallest is the secret of clear vision; in the guarding of the weakest is the secret of all strength.” Lao Tzu New Moon Blessings, and Happy Chinese New Year! In 2021 the Chinese New Year begins on the new moon on February 12, and ushers in
Lughnasadh blessings to my friends in the southern hemisphere (and a magical Imbolc to those in the north)... This cross-quarter day falls on February 4 this year in the eastern part of Australia, and February 3 in WA – you can check out the exact time for your region here... As the Wheel turns from
I’m wishing my friends in the southern hemisphere a magical Lughnasadh, and to my friends in the north, an enchanted Imbolc to you, as the Wheel turns from the cold and dark and snow of winter to the first signs of spring. This year Imbolc falls on February 3 – you can check the exact
In 2019 I challenged myself to read a book a week – and hit 52. In 2020, I managed more than 70. I'm looking forward to trying to match that in 2021! My first read for the year was Who Am I? by Anita Heiss, which is heartbreakingly sad, incredibly moving, yet ultimately filled with
Kirli Saunders is a proud Gunai woman, and an author of poetry, plays and books, including Bindi, Kindred and The Incredible Freedom Machines. She is a teacher, cultural consultant and artist, and developed the Poetry in First Languages program, delivered by Red Room Poetry. Kirli has won several writing awards, and was named the 2020 NSW
I’ve always felt conflicted about today, “Australia Day”. I am so grateful to have been born in Australia, and to have so many opportunities and blessings that people in many other countries don’t have – and that, unfortunately, many people here, our Indigenous people, do not have. Australia has a brutal history of invasion, land
Someone asked for some recommendations of books to read by First Nations authors, so here are some that I read in 2020 and early 2021. There are many many more – let me know if you have any favourites and I'll add them to my TBR list... Living On Stolen Land by Ambelin Kwaymullina Who
The start of a new year is always a somewhat nostalgic time, as I reflect on the year just gone, and what I’d hoped to achieve – but I don’t think there’s a single person on the planet who could have predicted their 2020! At first, I was disappointed that I didn’t achieve much this
Hooray! I hit my 52-Books-A-Year, Book-A-Week goal at the end of September, and ended up reading more than 70 books by December 31. So many amazing reads this month, including Tiddas by Anita Heiss, Pages and Co: Tilly and the Book Wanderers by Anna James, and A Song Below Water by Bethany C Morrow. I
Litha : Summer Solstice : Fruition The summer solstice falls around December 21 or 22 in the southern hemisphere – you can check the timings for where you live here – and June 20 or 21 in the northern hemisphere. It’s the longest day and the shortest night of the year, with the sun rising
Yule : Winter Solstice : Rebirth The winter solstice falls around December 21 or 22 in the northern hemisphere – you can check the timing for you here – and around June 21 or 22 in the southern hemisphere. It’s the longest night and the shortest day of the year, and marks the transition between
November was NaNoWriMo month, so I didn’t get a chance to read as much as I’d like to, but it was for a good cause (I hope!)... Took the Children Away (60 of 52) by Archie Roach is a gorgeous book, which combines the lyrics of his iconic song with beautiful illustrations by Archie’s late wife
Hooray! On November 30, close to midnight, I “won” my ninth NaNoWriMo. Nothing like leaving it til the very last minute 😂 But I hit just over 50,000 words on my NaNo project, which will be the companion novel to The Snow Queen’s Daughter. It’s not finished yet, but the story is weaving together, and
October started and ended with two awesome magical reads, Darkness Unknown, the first book in Selina Fenech’s new paranormal trilogy Beshadowed, and Last Born Daughter, the third book in Kastie Pavlik’s series Children of the Morningstar. Inbetween were many versions of Little Red Riding Hood, as well as some scholarly musings on this popular faery
