Get on and Shine with Holly Honeychurch
The Spring Queen is my new cosmic harp piece I’ve just released over on Late Nite Harp if anyone wants to go on a trippy, ethereal adventure before bedtime : )
Today the cats were out in full force. As my walk started, I thought I’d interrupted a meeting of witches and wizards after I met five cats down one lane alone. They weren’t friendly so I couldn’t get that confirmed but expected as much. After a while a semi friendly black cat allowed me a wee caress before settling down to do some business in the gutter (very conscientious I thought) - I also thought it was a good time to leave. I returned to my neighbourhood hoping for the friendliest cat in the world to be hanging out in its luscious green garden - we did a little squeak and out it popped! Bells ringing, fanfare all around, brushing up to us and wanting strokes. I love this catto! Feeling fulfilled, I headed for home only to notice another cat along the same street - a big, black cat, lying on a picnic bench, who did not take too much coaxing before it launched itself onto the low fence and was offering itself up for loving. This was by far the most amount of attention I’ve had all year from my favourite furry beasts. And I’m basking in the love. Long may it continue.
I’m a quiet, gentle activist for freedom and human rights. I’m not sure I’d be any good at actually being out there on the front line unless they needed a blubbering soul, overwhelmed with emotions at how beautiful a community can truly be. I’ll just be here in my kitchen, weeping with joy and happiness then. The Moment of Release.
Had a cool review from my latest track on Insight Timer just now. Someone wrote -
“Oh was this ever sweet. It was magical. At times it felt mysterious. And even sinister at times. But during the entire time, I was relaxed and under its spell. The droning sound was what I focused on and the harp sounds moved around inside me like little tiny butterflies flitting about. Going where they wanted. Bouncing and healing their way throughout my mind and body. This was enjoyable. Thanks for sharing this. 🙏🏻💗🥰. “
You can find the piece here.
How beautiful and grateful does this man look? It fills me with happiness knowing that he and his friends are free in Scotland now.
Good morning. Happy Friday! Here’s a short, peaceful guided meditation from Mooji - Seeing without eyes, knowing without mind.
I’m proud to live in a country where human rights, equality, standing up for justice and loving thy neighbour are top priorities. Today in Glasgow, an immigration police van was surrounded by locals and stopped from taking people away to who knows what horrors. On the important day of Eid, people stood together to help their neighbours. They succeeded. The people were freed! The new laws on immigration and deportation, controlled by Westminster - until Scotland becomes independent - are horrendous. England is getting more and more racist and I’m fed up with it. But today, the people won.
Power to the people, stick it to the man! I love you Scotland.
Today was another fun trip out on the train with sandwiches! I visited Dumbarton. I sat on a bench in the sunshine on the bank of the River Clyde. The tide rolled out, dogs frolicked on the shore with frisbees, the Dumbarton Rock stood tall in the distance. People were happy.
Feeling soothed by this sweetly, harmonic song. Hymn of Healing by Beautiful Chorus has a super peaceful energy about it.
I got a lovely message from the team at Insight Timer to say they are thrilled to announce my cosmic harp song Mermaids is being featured on their website and app today. How exciting! That means 500,000 people might listen to it woo! It’s a place full of healing and inspiration.
I’ve been taking some moments to watch (on repeat) this sphynx kitten/bat demon break an entire plate of cake in 5 seconds flat. Impressive work.
It’s 3:40am, I’m up and laughing at how LOUD the seagulls have just become out there on the rooftops above peoples’ sleeping heads while I’ve been conscientiously tiptoeing round like a tiny mouse. I don’t know why I bothered because they sound like tyrannosauruses out there.
Helensburgh has lots of lush nature and many unique stone houses. It felt special walking through the neighbourhood, especially with beautiful blossoms for company. I definitely felt windswept and alive. 😀🌬🍃🌸
I went on a trip to Helensburgh today. It felt expansive after the density of the city. The clouds were a treat and the weather very Scottish (hailing one moment, sunny the next). Managed to keep my fish and chips dry though hooray!
I love this as a concept. And I totally adore tulips. Their colours and sparkling petals brighten my day.
Sometimes I listen to the band Alcest. This song, Délivrance from their 2014 album Shelter has to be an all time favourite. It heavy, ethereal and spirals with strength up to some kind of bright heaven where I’m blown wide open by the sheer force and vitality of the music. Epic.
Easy peasy Mediterranean Fish Bake if you’re interested. T’was so yummy. And easy. My two fav words in cooking.
Just found a new DJ and I love her so much already. Miss Monique, a cute, smiley girl from Ukraine. She’s so smiley, it’s adorable. Looks like she loves what she does. This is a progressive/melodic house mix and it’s stunning. Absolutely gorgeous melodies and sounds. Dance on!
I’m not the greatest morning person. My body loves sleep. Today though, I was wide awake at 5:30am and thought what a blessing! Before my lizard had chance to get tired, I got up, got ready and got out into the city at dawn. Exquisite bird song awaited me as I roamed (it was more of a saunter actually) the streets, stopping to admire incredible 19th century architecture of Glasgow’s West End. Eventually the sun came up and I climbed up higher to greet its full golden light. My face felt warm, the air was sweet and the light sprinkling of frost melted away.
I used to run a wildlife sanctuary of sorts when I lived deep in the countryside of the Peak District. I bought lots of squirrel proof feeders (the squirrels had their own feeding station and it was fun to watch them get fully into the box with just their tail poking out). There were two giant silver bins in the shed where peanuts and seeds were stored and every morning I joyfully bounced round the garden flinging nuts and sunflower hearts far and wide, dancing happily to my own merry tune. I scooped up big handfuls and threw them all over the grass, all in the hedgerows and then I watched. Blue tits, gold finches, pink breasted bull finches, chaffinches, long tailed tits, blackbirds, woodpeckers, pheasants, sparrow hawks…they all came. There was a special needs squirrel who was blind and had possibly had a stroke - it still managed to feed and get through a winter before I stopped seeing it (always a forlorn moment to realise they’d disappeared for ever). There was a limping pheasant I named Sir Limpalot who was past his heyday and often got attacked by other pheasants. I’d always try and give him extra nuts when I saw him. I protected a fledgling blue tit, dazed and confused at its new life by making a little shelter with a roof tile and prayed it got through the night on the ground. It did and eventually became like all the others, loosing its fluffy pudge-like appearance so I didn’t recognise it anymore.
At dusk and during the night hours badgers visited, a whole family of them, squeaking and shuffling, the young ones bumping bums and wriggling about to get the best feeding spot. I’d hear them thundering down the side of the house, excited to find the tasty treasures. An anxious fox bravely came out the hedge and into the open, scared of its own shadow most of the time. Everyone fed together. There was a gang of rats who lived away from the house, in the compost bin. I’d see them scampering over the lawn to the bird feeders. They’d play and mess about in a big ball. Proper frolicking took place until a sparrowhawk swooped in and ruined their fun, sometimes taking off a family member in its wake.
When the snow came, I ran out of bird food and delivery vans couldn’t drive up to the house to restock. I improvised, cooking up pasta and rice, anything I could find in the pantry really. They weren’t impressed.
One day we found out we were leaving and I realised I had to wean them off all this abundance. It was sad for me. My way to nurture was to keep them fed and happy. So gradually the food got less, the 30kg of seed stopped being delivered and the feeders went empty. I hoped the next people would feed them a little but I couldn’t expect them to be quite so dedicated as I was.
Then off we went, on a cat sitting adventure and birds took a back seat.
Now, two years later, I find myself living in Glasgow, in a first floor tenement flat with my kitchen window open throwing out a few handfuls of peanuts each morning into the back garden, watching the waiting squirrel get showered in them and bury each one in all kinds of mad places (I’m expecting lots of peanut saplings soon). I love the greedy wood pigeons gulping them down, the magpies chattering together and bobbing their irridescent green tails as they vie for the best feeding spot. I love watching the little half coconut feeder hanging on the washing line gradually disappear though I never see who’s nibbling away at it.
In the city wildlife is tamer. No one’s shooting the animals for a start. No one’s trying to hunt them down and capture them. Wildlife in the countryside has good reason to be scared. I appreciate that every day as I hear the local robin sing to me just outside my window and see crows on the ground, in amongst the people. Crows are harassed in the countryside. Now I can see them close up. They’re gorgeous.
I love seeing the fox pass me by in the street on a dusky evening walking tall and proud. I love going in search of blackbird’s evening song which echoes along the streets of the sandstone tenements. Their resonance sounds suprisingly richer in the city because of the buildings that it echoes off - something I’d never experienced before and now totally adore.
That experience in the countryside lit a fire in me and gave me a poignant connection with the land, flora and fauna. I loved becoming a friend of wild things and even now, with just a handful of peanuts, it still feels perfect.
Time to go, the wood pigeons have just arrived.
Here’s my second digital diorama - Buzz Masquerades.
Buzz dances in the moonlight with alley cats, a chandelier sparkles above and a gasping pink peacock completes the scene.
Harp music - The Labyrinth - As the World Falls Down - David Bowie.
Listened to two epic sets today. The first was techno trance and the second was a hard trance set. Both by Bryan Kearney in his kitchen, having it large : ) Fabulous tunes and melodies drop throughout and it made me remember dancing outside with other smiley people. Can’t wait.