I’m constantly reminding myself to lift my head from my laptop or smartphone (or juicy fantasy fiction book) and look to what’s happening in the natural world for guidance and clarity.

It can be so tempting to allow school schedules, work deadlines, and the mandates of the Gregorian calendar run the show that is our precious and fleeting lives—leading to those all too familiar feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, and frustration that we aren’t able to “keep up” or “maintain” with what society expects of us.

But the more I’ve been able to simply look up and tune into what’s happening in the natural world around me – the way the light moves, the timing of morning bird song, the color of the leaves, and the blooming of flowers—the more I’ve been able to flow in my own rhythm and in harmony with nature.

The more I’ve been in the natural rhythm of life, the more empowered and grounded I’ve become.

Living and creating with the seasons is something I guide the women of The Creative Sisterhood through monthly.

This month of August, we are working with the theme of Honoring Change—using the energy of this final month of summer and easing into the season of harvest (for those of us in the northern hemisphere, of course). It is a time to honor the change from spring’s growth and summer’s rest as we transition to the season of harvest work. It is a time to celebrate all the growth that has happened over the past season and set intentions for what we will reap.

This month’s handcraft in the sisterhood is a wheat braid.

Ancient European traditions around the time of the first wheat harvest in August included braiding the initial stalks of grain and tucking them behind mirrors, hanging them above doors, and in back pockets as an offering and good luck for the coming long harvest. By braiding a simple braid ornament for your home or workspace, it helps you to tie back to the mysteries of the sacred land and traditional celebrations of this time.

Want to join us by making a braid of your own?

You’ll need:

• 9 stalks of wheat (either foraged or purchased at a local craft store or floral shop)
• A bit of twine
• Ribbon
• Sharp pair of scissors

Soak your wheat stalks in the bathtub in about an inch of hot water for thirty minutes. Don’t soak for more than an hour—they’ll become too soft.

Remove from water bath and dry on a towel.

Bundle the seed heads together so that the bases of all the seed heads are relatively even. Tie a piece of twine to bind the stalks together right beneath the seed head. Lay the bundle on a flat surface and carefully divide the stems into three sections that each have three stalks.

Now simply begin to braid them. Keep braiding until the thicker parts of the stalks become too hard to bend, and then tie off the braid tightly with another piece of twine.

Take a sharp pair of scissors and cut the stalks off evenly, leaving about 2 inches below the knot.

Tie a pretty piece of ribbon to cover the twine knots, if you wish. Hand it in your home with the seed heads downward to pour blessings of abundance into your home. Tag me on instagram so I can see it!