Welcome back to 🌿🌙 THE EARTHY WRITER: My Rewilding Year 🐝✨
This is episode 16, where we explore what we can learn from looking at the sky. Recorded under the Full Beaver Moon in South Africa’s wilderness, this episode delves deep into how the simple act of shifting our gaze upward can transform our connection to nature and ourselves.
In this Rewilding Episode, you’ll learn:
- Why our ancestors’ deep connection to the sky matters for us today
- How watching the sun and stars can restore our trust in life’s natural cycles
- The scientific link between morning light exposure and better sleep
- Why feeling small under the vast sky can bring profound comfort
- How sky-watching offers a rebellion against modern hustle culture
About your host:
Hi 👋, I’m Gisele Stein. I’m a novelist and a nature-lover, writing magical women’s fiction from my cosy cabin on Wadandi Boodja in Western Australia.
Episode Transcript:
Happy full moon, wild ones, and thank you for tuning in. November 15, 2024, is the time to welcome the last supermoon of the year, the Full Beaver Moon. And it is called the Beaver Moon because in the Northern hemispehere, November is when beavers settle into their lodges after gathering food for winter.
Today, we are not paying tribute to the Wadandi People of Western Australia for a chance because I am not in Australia at the moment; I am currently in South Africa. Which is where my husband was born and those of you who have been following my journey for a while know that I, too, have a very special love affair with this country and the African continent in general.
And it’s been absolutely wonderful to be back and to spend some quality time with the elephants and the giraffes and what not. And, knowing I was going to be here in November, I had long planned for this challenge to happen here. So, for the past three weeks, I have been watching every single sunrise and every single sunset, and I also spend each evening staring up into the starry night sky, and in this episode I’m going to share with you all the things I have… remembered, and I’m using the word ‘remember’ deliberately here because the following things are things that, I believe, we all know deep down but in our busy modern day lives we don’t make them a priority. And if anything, this podcast hopes to be your monthly reminder to make space for these small acts of wildness in your daily life.
Think about it: when did you last take a moment to really look up at the sky? When did you last shift your gaze upward and just sit in awe, looking at the stars above you or the setting sun on the horizon?
Compared to just a few decades ago, we spend more time indoors and far too little time enjoying and engaging with nature.
Studying the night sky: My Learnings
Rewilding is all about returning to a more natural state of being, that is what this rewilding year is all about. And when I think about our ancestors, I can’t help but imagine how deeply connected they were to the sky. Think about it – they didn’t have Netflix or social media. So, the night sky must have been the most fascinating thing to watch. Just picture them sitting around the fire, sharing stories while watching the stars dance above them. They would have noticed patterns, tracked the seasons, wondering where they fit into this magical display happening all around them. I also believe that they would have been so much more in tune with that higher intelligence that I for one deeply believe to be out there. If you’re so in tune with this planet and this Universe, you know, walking barefoot, never missing a sunrise or sunset, sleeping under the stars each night, you would notice any subtleties that might occur, that might guide you through this life.
We all know that the Maya, for example, were absolutely fascinated by the night sky. They built this incredible architecture, perfectly aligned with celestial events. You might have seen that show “Ancient Apocalypse” where they talk about how these ancient civilizations had such advanced astronomical knowledge. How were the pyramids really build anyway? And on that note, I know that Graham Hancock’s theory of a lost civilisation is very controversial, but there is something that deeply resonates with people. It resonates with me, anyway. Because, if this were true, there once was an advanced civilisation that lived in perfect harmony with this earth, with nature. A civilisation whose focus was not on expansion, on capitalism and material things, but rather on a unity, a oneness with nature. So, the way they build their homes and streets, and how they interacted with the rest of the planet, would have been non-harmful, and I believe it is so important that we come up with a new story for humanity, a story that’s not about owning and expansion and “more, more, more”. So, I find there is a lot of hope in the idea that there once was an advanced human civilisation that “got it right.”
Watching the sunrise promotes healthy circadian rhythm
But coming back to watching especially the sunrise: When you expose yourself to early morning light, you support a healthy circadian rhythm, which helps you to get more restful sleep at night. And that is because of the wavelengths at sunrise and sunset, which have the biggest impact on those parts in our brain that regulate our circadian rhythms, and also our mood and our alertness.
A study from 2017 also found that people who were exposed to more light in the morning fell asleep more quickly at night and had fewer sleep disturbances compared to those who were exposed to less light in the mornings.
And on a more spiritual note, the colours of sunlight at rise and sunset are also especially helpful for activating the pineal gland—which is said to be the portal to divine wisdom.
Watching the night sky: A sense of “we are not alone in this universe”
Over the past few weeks, I could really feel a difference in the way I felt about certain things that are going on in my life at the moment, certain worries or uncertainties that I have. Because by looking up into the sky, I’m provided with a sense of perspective. I feel smaller, but not in an insignificant kind of way, but more in a “I’m part of something greater” kind of way. And my problems feel smaller, too, in comparison to that vast expanse of the sky above me. And I get a very similar feeling when I’m sitting in front of an elephant. I feel like I belong, and that all is going to be okay.
You see, it makes it easier to remember, and this is what I said in the beginning, spending time looking at the stars makes it so much easier to believe that we are part of this Universe, and that there is a higher, divine energy out there available to us, providing wisdom, providing a sense of being carried and being taken care of.
And whatever sorrows and worries we might be feeling at any moment in time will pass.
Watching the sky reinforces that there is a power far greater than me and my mind or my ego.
I am reminded that there’s a higher intelligence that’s contributed to such beauty and this intelligence is far greater than me and the measly problems I’ve conjured up in my mind. Being in awe of something so beautiful, yet so natural is incredibly calming and helps me put things into perspective.
Sunrises and sunsets remind me that we are unable to appreciate the light without the dark and even in darkness, there is light. And when the sun has set in one part of the world, it is rising in another.
So, on those deep, subconscious levels, watching the cycles of the sun and the moon and the stars can restore trust in the timing of our lives, and faith that all will be okay. Because we know that, whenever we enter darkness, light will come again after that.
Looking at the sky – my conclusion.
So, I truly believe that pausing in our busy lives to enjoy nature’s natural beauty is the ultimate form of sacred self care. It is also a rebellion against the hustle culture and the patriarchy, and a celebration of the feminine way, the gentle way of living in harmony with everything that surrounds us.
And I think it is so important in these strange times we live in that we find whatever resonates with us to connect with this planet and with this Universe, and watching the sky is one of the easiest ways to do so. It’s becoming so apparent that many of the current issues we are facing as a collective species stem from this disconnection with nature, having removed ourselves from the rest of earth.
And this shows in our own health, physical as well as mental health, but also in the health of our planet. Being part of the solution, of the healing is to be the crazy one, the wild one who stops to bathe in those warm colours of the setting sun, the one who walks barefoot in the park or finds joy in a bord singing outside her window or a plant breaking through a crack in the pavement.
Every little wild thing you do matters.
The sun rises and sets every single day, and it offers its beauty to everyone, everywhere. Yes, watching a sunset from a beach or mountain peak can be incredible – but we don’t need these perfect settings to appreciate this daily event. The same wonder is available whether you’re glancing up from your bedroom window or noticing the changing light on your way home from work.
These small moments of natural beauty are there for us every day, in any location. We just need to take a moment to look up and notice them.
So, I hope you go out this week to do something wild, watch the sunset, watch the stars on a clear day.
The next time you hear from me will be for the full moon in December, which brings us to the second last challenge of my rewilding year. I started this year around my birthday in February, so there is one final challenge to come in January.
Thank you so much for spending some time with me today.
Until December, bye bye.
Hi ♥️, I’m Gisele Stein, author of feel-good novels with a little magic and places like characters, which i craft from my cosy cabin on Wadandi Boodja in Western Australia. Have a look at my books here. I’m also podcasting as The Earthy Writer, to document my rewilding year: Every new moon, I set a new rewilding intention for the month, and every full moon I share my learnings with you…