Welcome!
The Hearthstone Post is a missive of the sacred + the seasonal, written from the perspective of an artist, farmer, & mom.
Together, we’ll explore the agrarian heritage of the liturgical calendar and how our varied homes & landscapes reflect it - embracing theologies of time and of place.
“The moral law lies at the center of nature and radiates to the circumference. It is the pith and marrow of every substance, every relation, and every process. All things with which we deal preach to us. What is a farm but a mute gospel? The chaff and the wheat, weeds and plants, blight, rain, insects, sun—it is a sacred emblem from the first furrow of spring to the last stack which the snow of winter overtakes in the fields.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘Nature’
Hi folks! I’m Kristin Haakenson.
In life on our farm in the Pacific Northwest, I lean into the agrarian patterns of the liturgical year & look at how they invite us to put down roots in our homeplaces. My artwork & resources are visual fables; they use flora, fauna, and heritage traditions of bygone days to reflect on the ancient rhythms of the Church year.
My hope is that these resources would help to enrich your own journeys through the liturgical calendar right where you are, making the fruits of ancient traditions present in our modern lives and varied landscapes.
“Kristin is an invaluable resource for the seasonal, liturgical calendar, and her drawings are absolutely DELIGHTFUL. I’m so grateful she’s sharing her wisdom and talent with the rest of us!”
Tsh Oxenreider, The Commonplace
I’m a big believer in the multifaceted nature of liturgical living, and so, in addition to my work here at the Hearthstone Post, I also founded and co-edit Signs + Seasons: the monthly publication of a liturgical living guild, sharing reflections from writers across the globe.
What is the liturgical calendar?
The Christian liturgical year (also known as the liturgical calendar or Church calendar/year) reorders time – it weaves the story of Christ into the seasons of nature and the rhythms of an agricultural life, knitting together sacred story with agrarian tradition. It’s an incarnational way of approaching time: feasts, festivals, and fasts dot the landscape of these cycles, allowing nature and theology to illuminate one another.
This calendar breaks down the sacred/secular divide to remind us of the sanctity in our everyday rhythms & work - the calendar is an ancient yet ongoing dialogue between generations of regional traditions & the mysteries of Christian theology.
“Like attending the warmest, most enthusiastic class! Kristin is so generous with her knowledge and research and I savor each post. Liturgical living, seasonal knowledge, recipes, gorgeous illustrations!”
Katy, Are You Shrieking?!
Missives
If you’d like to dig deeper into conversations about the agrarian heritage of the calendar, and discover ways to fold these traditions into your own rhythms and your own landscape, please consider subscribing!
The Hearthstone Post is reader-supported.
Your presence is what keeps this place thriving, and I’m so grateful for it.
If you’d like to join a community of folks seeking to embrace these ancient rhythms in their here-and-now lives, please consider subscribing!
Free Subscription
Being here with your ideas, questions, and reflections enriches the work I’m doing and the overall conversation about the liturgical calendar as spiritual formation. Any thoughts you’d like to share, messages, comments, re-stacks, etc. support this space - and I’m so grateful for them all!
As a free subscriber, you’ll receive:
a monthly missive - a journey through a particular liturgical holiday, filled with reflections, art, & photos.
Paid Subscription
For those who are able to support a monthly or annual paid subscription: your generosity helps to buoy my work through the purchase of additional books for research, art supplies, and more! I’m so thankful to have your voice here.
As a paid subscriber, you can expect to receive:
a monthly missive that dives into a liturgical holiday, filled with reflections, art, & photos; new printables (for paid subscribers to enjoy) complement each monthly missive
access to the Hearthstone Scriptorium: my library of printable art and resources
occasional additional posts reflecting on the liturgical year & theology of place, as well as behind-the-scenes posts about how my local “liturgical ladies” group is celebrating as a group
occasional video chats
“Kristin Haakenson produces possibly the most beautiful Subtack I've seen. And don't assume beauty means lack of substance. Her essays are actively helping me to learn more about saints, liturgical living, and of times gone by.”
Derek Petty, Seeking the Narrow
“I love Kristin's art and thoughtful research on liturgical seasons.”
Grace Hamman, Medievalish
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey through the sacred year, as we all work to live out these rhythms in our own various homes & landscapes. It’s a privilege to walk alongside you!
Pax vobis,
Kristin
