Gwenton Dermyn (Spring Time) as Story
Living by kairos time in Boscastle, Cornwall.
In the north at home we only have two seasons - wet and dry. Here in Cornwall gwenton (spring) unfurls slowly and it is ridiculously pretty.
I arrived at Sunnyside in Boscastle Harbour in time for the Celtic festival of Beltane - celebrated on May 1st to recognise spring giving way to the warmer weather and abundance of summer.
Kairos vs Chronos Time
Kairos, an ancient Greek word meaning in the ‘right’ moment, the story of a season or with the sense of right timing. Chronos refers to a sequence, or measurement, of exact time - such as a day an hour or a deadline.
My choice this month to live in the flow of kairos requires a commitment - to believe and follow the magic of it.
It’s a quirk then, that in the 1700s Cornwall was an important centre for clock-making and in 2023 no public clock (that I’ve noticed) is ever on time.
I read about a German spa town that puts the clocks on random time and staff work flexible hours led by their circadian rhythms. I’m not heading to Germany this year, but I love this idea and would be fascinating to feel it in action.
Solar/Lunar Time
Linda Geddes wrote that the human propensity to sleep is “shackled to the sunrise.” 1
The sun rises before 6am now and sets after 8.30pm. The village folk are late risers and the few ‘early’ morning walkers and their dogs don’t emerge until after 8am. The cafe doesn’t open until 9am.
In North Cornwall the sun rises over the land and sets over the Celtic Sea. I’ve learned I have a powerful southern hemisphere inner compass. It has taken a month to stop sensing south as north and west as east and recalibrate.
Living by the monthly moon cycle means loose attunement of activity. Resting at the dark moon, sowing ideas at the new moon, harnessing ‘doing’ energy the week before the full moon brings things out and into the light.
We are approaching a full moon lunar eclipse in sync with the coronation of a king this Saturday. I’m thinking I will celebrate by heading to the pub at Crackington Haven to see a local ‘cow punk’ band.
Tide Times
The tides don’t have a direct impact on my kairos living. They do add drama to a landscape that never fails to take my breath away.
Concentration Time
Attention Restoration Theory2 suggests we can replenish mental fatigue and restore our power to concentrate by spending time in nature. Walking daily helps to slow down and listen to my thoughts. I welcome the sparks of ideas and the process of letting go of others.
There are two picturesque local circular walks, one north and one south of the harbour. I’ve given myself permission to allow lots of time to think. My thoughts wander far away, spiral and circle back again when walking.
The flow of the day includes nature time, time for food and chores and chunks of meditation and writing time when it feels right. I notice when I am tired or need to pause and rest too.
Paying deep attention has the power to stretch time. I’m finding the right tempo for me. The forthcoming month stretches out before me and I am grateful for the time to pay attention to the rhythms of every single day.
I am not maintaining a ‘to do’ list but rather write a ‘what I did’ list - a travel diary to prompt the memories for future me. Today it includes a morris dancing lesson outside the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic at dusk.
Listening - a podcast binge of A Very British Cult about life coaching and the full force of the new Cash Savage and the Last Drinks album “So This is Love”
Reading - “Tree Wisdom” by Vincent Karche (translated from French)
Eating - the ‘Farmers Lunch’ at the Boscastle Farm Shop
Step Count - accumulative total 253,927 (as at 3 May 2023)
Why we should be watching the sun, not the clock. Linda Geddes, The Guardian. 11 January 2019.
Heather Ohly, Mathew P. White, Benedict W. Wheeler, Alison Bethel, Obioha C. Ukoumunne, Vasilis Nikolaou & Ruth Garside (2016) Attention Restoration Theory: A systematic review of the attention restoration potential of exposure to natural environments, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 19:7, 305-343, DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2016.1196155
Hi Leanne! I am loving your writings and images and the idea of kairos time is sooo attractive. Really enjoying following along on your travels 🪶
Missing you...but loving your stories. Big hugs across the ocean...xx