Web of Life Book Club Dunoon

06/11/2026

My mind has wandered this past month, lost perspective and really in general has gotten lost in the mundane that seemed 'oh so very important!'.

It took a walk to the bottom of my garden and a beautiful damselfly landing and resting on my left breast to bring me back inn to presence. She sat looking into my eyes, i could see the multi-faceted nature of her wee eyes. We stood held in that moment for what seemed like so long. I told her that she was so beautiful and that I was so very thankful that she chose and trusted me to land on. I like to think that she was enquiring, where have you been all this time? she thought that i had become lost as I hadn't visited in a while...

The damselfly population around my pond often appears at times when I most need the reminder of how magical this world really is. Not the noisy, demanding human-constructed one, but the reality where we connect with the non-human aspects of Gaia.

My current reading book - The Nature Embedded Mind by Julie Brams - is going to help me reconnect. the introduction is an invitation to come back to your self. It is such a lovely book that will lead me on a magical and meaningful path back home. I look forward to playing with the exercises .....

12/10/2026

I am hoping to simplify life by porting the book club over to my Substack page.

If you would like to continue reading along with me you can find the new page by following this link;
https://mhairiscott.substack.com/s/web-of-life-book-club

You will see links to my Web of Life and Gaia Gathering pages through the Healing and Growing Through portal.

I will leave this page live until November.

I am a fibre artist living in Argyll, Scotland and I hope to share with you my creative, healing journey. When I learn new ways of expressing my inner voice through creativity I come closer to Me, living a more healthier, authentic way of being. Click to read Healing and Growing Through Gently Unfol...

09/10/2026

Our next book is 'The Nature Embedded Mind' - How the Way We Think Can Heal Our Plant and Ourselves" by Julie Brams.

The book will explore the broken relationship between humans and the non-human world, our strong and persistent belief that we are separate from and different from the rest of the natural world.

07/10/2026

from one of my favourite films Bladerunner .. Mark Fabian captures this moment in his book as he describes the conscious act of making our lives sacred, of value and of worth to yourself;

as the character dies "His last act is to release a dove symbolising will, freedom, hope and peace. Then he expires, leaving a shook Deckard (bladerunner and Harrison Ford) to contemplate what there'll he is doing with is life .......

Roy Batty's story illuminates how the solution to nihilism is simply caring about something. In his case, it's the cause of the replicants and the simple wonder of living - all those moments that make up the meaning in a life. Even if life ultimately amounts to nothing, it's still great. Full of fun and feeling, beauty and the sublime. But care can go beyond aesthetics and adventurism. All of us, if we sit quietly long enough, will find our spirits moved by something." (pg.214)

life, existence and the universe has great meaning, the opposite of nihilistic beliefs.

25/09/2026

From Beyond Happy by Mark Fabian;

"I realised that i needed a bit more joy in my life to maintain motivation for the hard stuff. I needed more emotional payoff. I realised that in steeling myself for the hard slog of achieving challenging goals, which inevitably involves a lot of bad moods like frustration and disappointment, I had made myself numb not only to difficult emotions but also to pleasant ones. When good things happened, they didn't register much emotionally..."

I think when we face the challenging times of today, rapidly unfolding climate change, the creep of unfettered technology to name but a few, we can become overwhelmed and even guilty to be smiling, happy or content. It is somehow easier to be down, fearful or numb, as we know this music well and any contrast has in the past proven fleeting.

But in reading this passage I am reminded of the importance of preserving and protecting those moments of happiness, joy, positivity, as they are the strengths we draw upon to help us do what we must.

So the next time that you stop allowing in the joy, pause .... and offer thanks for this boost in energy, for this lightness of being that will carry your forwards. Feel it in all its glory and let the memory of it stay close and give you wings.

Art - The Laugh by Julia Pappas

16/09/2026

"...make sure you spend time with yourself. Be comfortable with boredom. Take it as an opportunity for quiet reflection. Make space for that voice from deep within. For your intuition to articulate itself you will probably have to listen very carefully, at least at first. You are likely to mishear your intuition. You're likely to misinterpret your intuitions through the lens of your outer world - the conditioning you receive every day from the environment around you. Nurture that inner dialogue to develop it's own language, one likely to come in feelings more than words or ideas, and give it time to grow courageous, honest and authentic. It takes practice to hear your own advice with precision. Then turn to the world again and figure out what you want to do with that advice."

Beyond Happy by Mark Fabian, Pg. 19)

Cleanse your lens of perception! I have heard that quite often in the past wee while from different sources. With massive external changes going on right now we need to ensure that we are perceiving and relating to our world authentically, in ways meaningful to us as unique individuals. Our power lies there. By being internally held and driven from that place of clarity we are being of best service to self and Gaia. Your potential is held in that very personal space of knowing and being, uncluttered by noise, seeing through the clear lens of your own intuitive self.

Art by Olafur Eliasson

15/09/2026

This quote from 'Beyond Happy' sums up where I am and have been for quite some time now. Renovations of the self are rarely easy but once you uncover all of the dusty and foosty layers you can hold those parts of you that have been hidden through fear or denial. wellbeing is a lifelong travail but you never know what is going to pop up next!

"I will also be honest about the many challenges involved in achieving wellbeing. For example, one of the first steps is to bring all the things you dislike about yourself into loving self-awareness, and then either make peace with them or resolve to change them. Persevering through this personal renovation can be miserable, but ultimately it will pay off through personal growth, self-esteem and serenity." (Pg. xiv)

If we come to know and understand who and what we are, then we are less likely to behave in destructive ways to self, each other, the non-human world and Gaia herself.

06/09/2026

as we move closer to autumn and as this book club evolves, I thought that I would share where I am at with the Web of Life Book Club.

whilst physical meetings are paused indefinitely I will continue to read through the list of books that I brought together at the start of 2026.

as I read them I will share quotes from moments that spark something inside of me.
it is my hope that you will join me from the comfort of your own favourite chair as we read through the seasons.

so grab a book, this month it is Beyond Happy by Mark Fabian, a steaming hot cuppa and get cooried in ###

06/09/2026

hello there! as i start my book for September I am reminded of the reasons why I chose to include this book on my list.

I first came across Mark Fabian talking about his book Beyond Happy whilst listening to an interview on the Accidental Gods podcast with Manda Scott

Here is the link to that interview on YouTube...

I will pop in this month to share some of my favourite quotes from the book as I go. Hopefully it may inspire you to join me as I read through my list. As we feel the seasons turn it becomes easier perhaps to coorie in with a good cuppa and book.

Speak soon...

26/08/2026

Not this Thursday but next. Please attend to show your interest and concern.

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐔𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 's Hall, Dunoon. We are delighted to host an event with Dr Chris Ford, who we have contracted as our Planning and Energy Consultant for the Giant's Burn Windfarm's Public Local Inquiry. We wish to keep you informed and need your involvement and input as we prepare for this important stage in the process.
𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄☺️
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