Colette O'Neill… Author, Publisher, photographer. Creator of Goddess Permaculture.
There is pure Alchemy happening at Bealtaine Cottage right now. The great Magnum Opus of the year is taking place all around us. The Alchemy of Transmutation refers to the change of one substance into another. The flowers of the Blackcurrant became food for the Bees and as they fed, so the flowers became food for humans […]
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Autumn is a time of early shadows as the season of summer passes over. And cobwebs everywhere! And here, in the Northern Hemisphere, one can easily notice the later dawns and earlier sunsets,as Spring is ushered in south of the Equator. Equinox is all about balance…the balance of equal day and night, of dark and light. […]
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First of all, the recipes have just been posted over at Bealtaine Cottage Kitchen on the Good Life website…and here’s a link: https://bealtainecottage.org/bealtaine-cottage-kitchen/ Sammy-Bear is well and truly zoned out here on the sofa. I was going to sit down, for I’ve been out most of the day at the pond, finishing clearing the pond-weed! […]
Read MoreRitual, everyday ritual, is incredibly powerful! Examine the ritual of power, be that in the opening of parliament, royal celebrations, religious ceremony…and you begin to see the importance and power of ritual! So where does this fit into a sustainable life or a permaculture smallholding? It is simple to understand in the context of power… […]
Read MoreAutumn in the permaculture gardens continues in a glow. It’s near mid October…my favourite month, my birthday month! “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables Stoves are keeping the cottage and the lodge warm and snug. The nip in the morning and evening […]
Read MoreLucky me! I received this beautiful pair of hand-knitted socks from Ally (a subscriber to Bealtaine Cottage), in time for the Equinox, a special Mabon gift! Ally writes, “Your lovely words and posts have given me much pleasure over the past few months…” Ally, the socks are simply beautiful and I shall treasure them, wearing […]
Read More, Equinox was a magical day, spent in the beautiful woodland around Lough Meelagh, about three miles from Bealtaine Cottage. Equinox is always a special time, with day and night perfectly in balance, a time to enjoy the last long stretch of day before time moves inexorably towards the dark. This is a Bog Oak […]
Read MoreAs a species on this Earth, we are separated from other life forms by consciousness, in that we are aware of our own existence. In being aware, we are able to make conscious choices every day, as we proceed through the maze of miracles and events that makes up our lives. “Live like a tree, […]
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It is a rare thing…to be lost for words. A day in Autumn that changes one perspective on life and the meaning of it all. Where shall I begin? Perhaps where I started, this morning, camera in my dressing gown pocket and mug of hot coffee in my hand, traipsing out in rubber clogs onto […]
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