We are Scott and Sandy, and we are very fortunate to live in a beautiful and fairly remote part of Wales, the famous Dyfi Valley where Taliesin was rescued from the river. An area that was a traditional meeting place of the local Celtic tribes, being neutral ground and famed also for it's connections to Owain Glyn Dwr. Today it is in the forefront of green development, with many people working in that field.

Scott is native to this wild and ancient country, whereas my ancestral origins are from almost everywhere else in Britain bar Wales! Scott has always had a deep interest in spiritual and philosophical matters and a desire to preserve home life from the disintegration facing so many of us with long working hours and so on. He has always encouraged me to stay at home with the children, so they can come home rather than to an empty house. So far we have been fortunate in this. He is also passionate about local, simple living and environmental concerns.

From early childhood I have been interested in the traditional, simple life. Due to the generation gaps in my family, I was lucky enough to experience home cooking on a black Victorian range, complete with singing black kettle, tin baths, an outside tap and privy. I think part of me would rather live like that still!

My early schooling seemed to include much of the the seasonal cycle with many fun activities based around them. My parents, who took me on woodland walks to see owls and odd folk who had taken to living the alternative life, also shaped how I saw things.

So when I had a family of of my own I had a strong desire to save these traditions and try and put some spirituality into life, to counteract the satellite TV culture. Finding a spiritual path that fitted was harder, but eventually I found myself settling into a Buddhist/Pagan outlook that allows me to keep my British seasons and local deities but have a strong grounding in the nature and patterns of the mind.

Hearthstone is place where we both try to connect with our roots and the cycle of the year by exploring old customs and stories and where we look for things to encourage us in this. These things we want to share with you...

Best Wishes,
Sandy