Forecast: Changeable

Rain before seven, fine by eleven? I’m not so sure. This morning, when I got up, it was raining. An hour later, I put the washing on the line in the sunshine. By lunchtime, it was “raining cats and dogs,” and my laundry was soaked again. 

Here is a fun fact about how downpours are described around the world. In France, it elegantly rains “like a peeing cow”. In Greece, “it rains chair legs”. The Irish sky is “throwing cobblers’ knives”. And in Wales, forget the umbrella, go for the helmet as it’s “raining knives and forks”.

If nothing else, the weather keeps us talking.

Living in Britain, you can sip your morning tea in a T-shirt, wrap up for a walk by midday, and peel off the layers again by teatime. Predictable? Not quite. It reminds me a little of life changes, like menopause—one moment, sunshine; the next, a sudden storm or heatwave. Just when you think you’ve got the forecast sorted, it shifts again (thanks to our hormonal symphony).

In 340 BC, Aristotle (often called the father of meteorology) wrote four volumes called Meteorologica. The word comes from the Greek meteoros (“high up”) and logia (“to discuss”). And discuss it we do! Within a year of moving to the UK in the 90s, I learned that the weather was our national ice-breaker. It fills silences, opens doors and even hints at someone’s mood. How we express ourselves about the weather can also tell a lot about our inner weather. 

Because truthfully, our inner weather matters as much as the outer.

Pause. Take a breath. Tune in:

• What is your inner weather like right now?
• If your mind were a sky, what would it look like? 
• How about ‘taking the temperature’ of your energy level? What number comes to mind on a scale from -10 to +10, with zero being neutral?
• Are you feeling foggy, sunny, stormy, cloudy, rainy, or even under the weather?

As leaves turn and evenings draw in this October, take a moment each morning to check your inner forecast before you check the sky. Notice the patterns, and remember that weather constantly shifts, both outside and within.

You may not control the clouds, but you can carry your own kind of sunshine. Dare to be the Change you want to see in your organisation, family, community and life.

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” — John Ruskin

Join a Women’s Circle of Change: Where Your Story Matters

This circle of change is a space to connect with nature, yourself, and others who are each walking their own path.

Whether navigating change, seeking genuine connection, or simply longing to slow down and breathe deeply, you are welcome here.

Together, we will gently rediscover the strength in what has been forgotten.

Come as you are, to a space where you can soften, breathe, share, explore and simply be.

Friday 31st of October – Waldron, East Sussex

Your story matters. Step into the Circle.

No experience necessary.

Get in touch: [email protected] – 07947 319 362

Mathilde Barbier