Listening to an Older Rhythm in 2026

Listening to an Older Rhythm in 2026

This year at Global Contact, I feel called to turn our attention toward a more place-aware and spiritually attuned way of living through the year.

Instead of orienting ourselves primarily by the familiar twelve-month Gregorian calendar, Global Contact is turning towards the D’harawal seasonal calendar*, the calendar developed by the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which Global Contact stands in Berry.

I step into this  journey with humility.

I am not Indigenous. I do not carry this knowledge in my bloodline. What I do carry is gratitude for the privilege of living and working on this land – walking upon it, eating food grown from its soil, swimming in its waters, and being shaped by its changing skies.

The D’harawal seasonal calendar reflects thousands of years of careful environmental observation. It is not a fixed thing but a living system grounded in ecological knowledge like noticing flowering patterns, animal behaviour, wind shifts, storm cycles, heat, migration, and regeneration. It is Country speaking through pattern.

In contrast, the Gregorian calendar is consistent, but it’s pretty disconnected. It doesn’t tell us when the lightwood blooms, when the storms gather, when certain foods are unsafe, or when particular animals change behaviour. It is universal. The D’harawal calendar is local, rooted, and relevant.

As I write this, we’re in Burran, the season of heat and gathering storms usually occurring in the first months of the year it’s defined more by environmental cues than fixed dates. Burran is marked by heightened kangaroo activity and the flowering of the weetjellan (lightwood). These aren’t just decorative details; they are ecological indicators & practical signals relating to food safety in intense heat, increased fire risk, and the likelihood of violent summer storms and asking us to play close attention and be vigilant.

Throughout 2026 our e-newsletters and blogs will follow the rhythm of the D’harawal seasons. We will share what we are learning, explore the environmental cues described within the calendar, and  offer & invite reflection on what it means to live more attentively.

My intention as Custodian of Global Contact is simple: to raise awareness, to honour the Traditional Custodians of this land, and to deepen our collective relationship with the living patterns around us.

There is something profoundly grounding about allowing local seasons, rather than abstract months, to shape awareness.

I hope you might walk this unfolding year with us. Not as experts. But as people willing to notice.

Because sometimes the most meaningful shift is not adding something new. It is remembering what has been here for ages.

Choose LOve

Patsy/Purnima Griffiths

*For those who wish to explore further, I have listed some references:

https://www.bom.gov.au/resources/indigenous-weather-knowledge/indigenous-seasonal-calendars/dharawal-calendar#bom-anchor-list__item-d-harawal-seasons

https://aiatsis.gov.au/collections/item/i9780980481013

D’harawal : seasons and climatic cycles image / compiled by Fances Bodkin ; illustrated by Lorraine Robertson