In this week’s audio, I share the opening reflection from my Substack post The Wild and Wooly Goddess of Wonder, along with three chapters of a story I wrote several years ago called The Woolgatherer.
This story emerged from a period when I challenged myself to write one children’s story each week, complete with an illustration. This story grew out of wandering imagination, bits of old stories, and the quiet magic that appears when we allow ourselves to “woolgather.”
In this recording, you’ll hear:
• A short reflection on wool, spinning, and the surprising wisdom of woolgathering• The rediscovery of the Wild and Woolly Goddess of Wonder• Chapters 1, 2, and 5 of of the fairy-tale story The Woolgatherer, introducing Laurie, Princess Johanna(Jazz), and a mysterious toad who may not be what he seems
Woolgathering once meant wandering through fields collecting stray bits of wool caught on bushes and fences. Over time, the phrase came to mean daydreaming or letting the mind wander. It came to be thought of as a waste of time.
But perhaps woolgathering is not such a bad thing.
Sometimes wandering thoughts are how stories begin.
And sometimes those stray fibers of experience can be spun into something warm, beautiful, and—if we’re lucky—something surprisingly golden.
🌿 Invitation
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the story.Would you like to hear more of The Woolgatherer in a future episode?
You can leave a comment or reply on Substack.
With warmth and wonder,Susan
