St Martin's Day, the day no wheel turned

Tomorrow, 11 November, is St Martin's Day.

In the old days around Ireland, no wheel was turned on Martinmas. The spinning wheel sat idle, the mill stopped, and nobody yoked the horse to the cart. People believed bad luck would follow anyone who did. It also marked the end of the harvest and the turn into winter proper.

I love that. A whole day where the wheels stop, because everybody agreed they should.

Everything spinning

Life is lifing at the minute for a lot of us. The washing machine is going, the phone is buzzing, the head is racing through tomorrow's list before today is even done. Sometimes it feels like we're the wheel ourselves, going round and round and never getting to stop.

The old custom gives us permission. If our grandparents could leave the mill standing for a day, we can leave a few things alone for an hour.

Try this: a still wheel hour

Pick an hour this week. It doesn't have to be on St Martin's Day, and it doesn't have to be a full hour. Twenty minutes counts.

1. Stop one wheel on purpose. Leave the washing machine off, put the phone in another room, let the dishes wait.
2. Sit somewhere comfortable and let your body settle. Feel the chair holding you up.
3. Notice what's still moving. Your breath, the clock, the rain on the window, your thoughts. You don't need to stop any of it, just watch it.
4. When you feel the pull to get up and do something, notice it, and see if you can stay a wee while longer.
5. Finish slowly. Stretch, have a drink of water, and go back to your day at your own pace.

If sitting still with your thoughts feels uncomfortable, that's okay. Keep your eyes open, look out the window, and come back to the room whenever you need to.

The old people used to hope for a mild spell around now, a St Martin's little summer. I hope you get one, even if it's only an hour on the sofa.

Mind yourself.

Orla Marie