#paxson

Thou Earth, thou Sky, thou Sun, thou Sea I am the center of thy circled cross, be thou represented equally in me! Who is this that appears with the dawning? She is clothed in mist, Her hair is pearled with dew. She emerges from the sea, She rides upon the wind, Her strength is the strength of the seedling surging toward the sun; Her beauty blinds the eye. Her beauty is as clear as water, Her fragrance stirs the heart like a distant song. When the wind whispers in budding branches and the new moon swings through the sky, She is here. When blossoms open to the sunlight and earth receives the gentle rain, She is here.

We hail thee, brother sun, whose conquering light Hath captured for the day so many hours, And dance our triumph over dwindling night, Surrounded and constrained by daylight’s powers. * Think not, oh, man, because the sun is now Triumphant, that his power must still increase; For it is not in nature to allow Growth unchecked, or motion without cease. *

I am Earth, the foundation, the sphere in which all the elements are conjoined.

“Hail, Lady of Earth, in whom all things take form!”

I am Earth. My body is the living soul, the rocks are my bones, the metals flow in my veins. The waves may beat against me, the winds buffet me, the fire sweep over me, but I abide.

I am Earth. I am the Bride and the Mother. Sun and rain quicken me; life springs from my womb to ascend into the heavens once more. From me come all green and growing things.

Child of the Earth, from Me all your substance comes.

Until the end of time when I am united with the Lord of Heaven once more, Earth I am and will remain.

“As you have seen and understood, so shall you be consecrated.”

(Seeker is sprinkled with salt, dressed in brown linen)

These boots were made for walking

Mens Winter Boots from the Canadian company SOREL have really registered on my radar. SOREL are known for their highly functional boots, quality construction and a little pinch of attitude. Whether its hill walking, après-ski on your winter holidays or just day-to-day tasks, you are sure to find just what you are looking for. Put simply, these are boots for men, no messing! And if they are good enough for David Beckham, well…

I first picked up a pair of size 10’s, thinking I would have to ‘go large’ for my size 10 feet, however, they are what you call ‘true to size’. Their first outing, after having stored them away for a while to ‘keep them clean’, was on a skiing trip in Austria where they performed flawlessly. The Mens Winter Boots I had were rated to -15 degrees Celsius. They kept my feet warm and dry in the crisp snow without resorting to extra socks and were equally at home on the piste as well as about town après-ski. Once back in Ireland, I found them to be great companions when out walking the dog either in fields of long grass or muddy woodland walks. Fully waterproof Nubuck leather, rugged construction and moulded EVA footbeds and outsoles make for a classy boot.

Compare this to your standard wellington boot. How many of us have gone out for a walk only to find the foot slips in the boot, the feet get cold due to no insulation and the backs are too high and so rub off the back of your knees? Not to mention the weight. Imagine a whole extra kilogram to lug around on each foot. This is where the new Autumn Winter 2016 collection of Mens Winter Boots from SOREL comes to the fore.

Take for example the Cheyanne, Paxson and Ankenny boots. Choose your style and you will be charmed by the boots good looks. The Cheyanne in Grey with yellow lace detailing has classic design elements with an edgy style. The Paxson in Buff is modelled on a hiking boot. The Ankenny in Black has attitude written all over it. These boots have one thing in common. They combine waterproof Nubuck leather with rubber and rugged nylon to block out the elements resulting in comfort, styling and great fit. Go play on the slopes, walk the dog, splash in the sea or go shopping. You won’t be disappointed.