Time is a subjective concept, and our relationship with it is still not fully understood. We’ve all had the experience of time rushing past while we’re having fun, or seeming to stand still on a boring day at the office.
The positive side of this phenomenon is that we can learn to control our perception of time, making it work for us. Pagan teacher and writer Waverly Fitzgerald has devoted a great deal of her own time to exploring this concept and has devised a system to help us slow down our lives and ensure that time is always on our side.
Her book, Slow Time is intended to be used as a workbook, offering readers twelve weeks of reflections, stories and playful exercises to them transforms their relationship with time.
The ultimate aim of the book is to help people escape from the hamster wheel of ‘artificial time’ created by endless deadlines and schedules, and tune in to the more natural rhythms of life.
Fitzgerald uses the concept of ’seasonal time’ to help readers achieve this slower, more grounded state, encouraging them to pay more attention to the seasons. This shift in focus takes participants away from the rigidly imposed structures of work and other commitments, using a blend of recipes, folklore, rituals and stories.
A great way to keep in tune with the idea of living seasonally is to subscribe to her School of the Seasons blog, where readers can contribute their thoughts and observations on the changing scenery.
By tuning in to the ‘flavour’ of each season, many have found that Fitzgerald’s approach frees them from the perceived shackles of time, banishing the uncomfortable feeling that it’s an enemy to be fought – and one that will always win. One reader commented: “Now I can honestly say that time is a friend, a cherished friend, because I know that I will always have enough of it.”
Image: Photomish Dan
