Wheel & Cross is a digital publication that explores how history, culture, tradition, and the natural world intersect across the seasons—especially in the southern hemisphere. It’s built on the idea that seasonal living isn’t just nostalgic or aesthetic—it’s practical, grounding, and deeply human. Through a mix of historical research, cultural insight, and real-life application, Wheel & Cross invites readers to reconnect with the rhythm of the year and the landscape around them.
At the start of each month, I publish the Wheel & Cross Almanac—a poetic and practical guide to what’s happening in the natural world. While it’s rooted in the seasonal rhythms of the Australian Capital Region, its gardening notes, nature observations, folklore, and food traditions offer inspiration far beyond one place.
In the middle of each month, I share the Seasonal Celebrations Digest, looking ahead to the following month’s festivals. These digests explore the history, customs, and meaning of seasonal celebrations, adapted for life in the southern hemisphere, and offer simple ways to honour the turning of the year at home or in community.
The Wheel & Cross archives are also open to all readers, with a growing back catalogue of articles, podcast episodes, and celebration notes that explore the deeper meanings behind seasonal festivals, cultural traditions, and everyday rituals. You can browse past content on the website anytime to find inspiration, historical context, or practical ideas for your own seasonal journey.
Wheel & Cross is written and curated by me, Geneviève Hopkins.* I live with my family just outside Canberra, on Ngunnawal Country, where I balance writing with motherhood, business, and daily life. My heritage is woven from threads of Irish, Cornish, Scottish, Germanic, Norwegian, French, and Canadian ancestry, and I spent my childhood moving between countries across four continents before settling in Australia. These diverse roots, combined with a lifelong curiosity and love of nature, storytelling, and seasonal traditions, shape the way I approach my work. I’m also the author of The Adventures of William Brambleberry: Aviator Mouse, a historical fiction picture book inspired by WWII stories and written for children aged 4–7. My writing continues to explore the intersections of culture, history, imagination, and place, with a particular focus on seasonal living in the southern hemisphere.
*Note on AI Tools for Writing
I use tools like ChatGPT, CoPilot, and Grammarly to support my research, structure my writing, and refine my editing. As someone living with a chronic illness, I’ve found these tools invaluable in managing brain fog and staying productive. They help me communicate clearly, organise my thoughts, and keep pace with my publishing schedule—something that would otherwise be difficult to sustain. I fact-check all AI-assisted content that isn’t already known to me or drawn from trusted academic and literary sources. My writing is unpaid and passion-driven, created in the margins of parenting, household responsibilities, and running several businesses. Including this note is part of my commitment to transparency and thoughtful engagement with new technology.
Why subscribe?
By subscribing to Wheel & Cross, you’ll receive thoughtful, seasonal content delivered directly to your inbox—no algorithms, no clutter. Each edition is crafted to help you reconnect with the rhythms of nature, explore rich cultural traditions, and find meaning in the turning of the year. As a subscriber, you’ll also be part of a growing community of readers who value reflection, seasonal living, and a grounded connection to place. Whether you dip in occasionally or read every issue, your presence here helps keep this work alive and evolving.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
