Yesterday I spent much of the day in a workshop group learning all about needle felting. It was a day well spent, for I was with others and being creative.
I made this…
We often forget how it feels to simply be.
To be oneself.
To be with others.
To be happy.
To be quiet and still.
To simply be!
We have forgotten…be kind, be kinder.
We are oft times unkind to ourselves.
We can never fully know or understand what others are struggling with, yet we all know the value of a kind word, a caring call or a shared coffee.
Being kind opens the door to personal happiness.
Body wellness is centred around being kind to oneself…something many of us never really think about…especially if we have others to care for.
In the past I have often posed the question, “who cares for the carers?”
Kindness changes everything.
This was the abiding message in the famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” and yes, Rime is the correct spelling!
Being kind and casting a blessing on ‘slimy’ creatures, allowed the mariner to be freed from the corpse of the Albatross.
It is an epic poem and one worth reading, for it is a marvellous story and lesson.
Recent conversations and experiences have led me to expect the unexpected in life at present! 
This morning, as I drove back from Mohill, another “experience,” happened. 
It was good that I had already pulled in by the side of the road!
As the thousand and more trees and thousands of plants of the Bealtaine Project grow taller and more dense, so it is the once barren land seems more and more as it is…an Ark for Earth, set into a monoculture landscape of Cash-Crop-Forestry and animal grazing fields. 
This summer witnessed the most Bees, Butterflies, Pollinators and Birds ever! 
The wildlife in search of home are migrating to the oasis of Bealtaine Cottage. 
They know where the food, shelter and ultimate habitat is to be found! 
So, I thought to myself, what if those with gardens, allotments, smallholdings etc., pledged to devote a percentage of what they tend or own to wildlife?
We are talking Arks, where wildlife can not only survive, but thrive! 
This takes the presumption that one cannot make a difference and turns it on it’s ridiculous head! 
For one can make a difference! 
Two can double that little Ark for Earth…hundreds can create a huge difference and thousands…well, thousands can begin to stack the odds in favour of Mother Earth! 
Now don’t get me thinking of hundreds of thousands or even millions, for my head will almost explode with possibilities…but you see where this is going, don’t you? 
And as for Guerrilla Gardening…oh joy!
What about seed bombs chucked out of the car window onto the motorway verges? 
We are creative people who care…if you’ve landed here on this website you most certainly are! 
So let’s get to it! 
Oh, and the Lughnasadh Garden is being worked on little by little, with a grand opening and dedication ceremony next Bealtaine (May 1st)
…the Ark is being extended…
…One Garden At A Time
and…it’s going to be mighty!
I treasure them as the words therein inspire me to keep on this busy path of sharing Bealtaine and caring for the Earth. 
This evening I have taken more photographs to share with you, as I share the words penned by Christine, who visited Bealtaine some days ago.
“Thank you dear Colette for the wonderful time with you in Bealtaine Cottage yesterday. 
We felt so nourished and inspired, your inspirational company, wise words and delightful home so full of beauty, vitality, and a healing presence. 
Almost like a dream for me waking this morning and feeling – wow – I was actually sitting with you yesterday in your garden, stroking Jack, enjoying our conversation, my eyes feasting on the plants, flowers and trees, the sounds of the light rain, the chimes, the birds and your soothing voice…a real treat. (Of course eating your gorgeous vegan brownies too).
We all feel very grateful to you. 
It’s a total inspiration having you create and share Bealtaine Cottage and being not far from us here, a ‘wake-up’ and an eye opener! 
We each felt so comfortable, at ease and at home…of course many questions bubble this morn inspired from our visit. 
And also some grief…some of what you shared about deep sadness for how we are living as a civilisation, how we have lived with such lack of respect for the earth, the animals and plant kingdoms and also each other. 
Such disconnection…and some of that being reflected in the challenges we have to face…
We went up to the Queen Maeve Cairn at Knocknarea after leaving you…such breathtaking views…
I felt very grateful and blessed for good souls like yourself, living from the heart, soulfully, passionately, the warrior energy to follow one’s own heart-calling and live it, a real warrior path…takes courage tuning into one’s own heart, not that of the tribe or the need to be accepted and fit-in.
So thanks again dear Colette. Much love to you, to Jack and Sammy Bear and of course your beautiful space and it’s healing spirit. 
On this night of the first new moon of Lughnasadh, I am content to be compared to a warrior. 
For, in so many ways, my journey to this point has been a battle at times…not with Mother Earth, but over the twelve past years, on my own, when I have had to motivate myself to stay with the project. 
There have been times along the way, when I have felt nurtured by others, the kindness of strangers on the internet who have supported me when I have needed it most. 
Serendipity has played a huge part in the Bealtaine Project!
This year has witnessed a beautiful maturity in all I have planted and continue to love. I, in turn, feel nurtured by Mother Earth… There is a lot still to be done as we move into uncertain times. 
There are important messages to share that empower us to act in support of Mother Earth, such as I share on my Twitter and FaceBook accounts…
Digging Mother Earth releases 
Likewise…
We are putting out double the amount of 
Carbon is a gaseous food absorbed by plants…so let’s plant more! 
Social Media is a powerful tool and can be used for great good in getting simple messages like these out there!
And, like all old warriors, I’ll just keep on keeping on!
It was James Lovelock who first suggested that there would be a very few countries which would escape the worst vagaries of the oncoming Climate Change… 
Much of our media remains silent about the problem and there hangs an eerie silence in the air around centres of political machinations. 
Our extractive mentality and the demand for higher profits combine to destroy our very own habitat..this is the truth of what’s happening worldwide…we cannot escape our acquisitive nature! 
We appear to be caught in a vicious circle of greed versus need…and we know which one of those two is winning! 
This is another Bank Holiday weekend here in Ireland and the pubs, takeaway food shops and restaurants are doing a roaring trade! 
Over 56 billion farmed animals are killed every year by humans. 
These shocking figures do not even include fish and other sea creatures whose deaths are so great they are only measured in tonnes…has anyone else noticed the scarcity of fish like Cod and Haddock in our supermarket deep freeze and the sly introduction of Pollack? 
Yes, fish stocks are in decline, as evidenced in the supermarket offerings! 
We are gobbling up our habitat at an alarming rate! 
Throughout the world, about 900 million trees are cut down annually, as of 2014. 
But, hold on, I hear you say…what was that you said about James Lovelock and…? 
Yes, that’s right, ” a lifeboat for humanity!” 
According to scientist James Lovelock, we are on the cusp of a global catastrophe that will make the present recession look trivial.
Lovelock is a former NASA chief scientist. 
James Lovelock invented the electron capture device (ECD) whch alerted the world to the depletion of the ozone layer…remember the aerosol crisis?
However, he is most famous for the Gaia hypothesis, now a theory, that the world is itself a living organism…and one I know to be true! 
Though his predictions for the world are dire, his predictions for Ireland are of some small comfort. Because of our proximity to the sea, our relatively high latitude and our low population density, we may be spared the worst excesses of global warming.
Personally I think there will be many places that will make the transition successfully, but the criteria for these places will be different according to geographical regions. 
How do any of the generation that will meet this head on prepare for the crisis? 
Well we can begin by practicing living with less, using less, consuming less and growing more…and build a new way of living with Mother Earth from there!
It continues to be developed at Bealtaine Cottage…
I’ve been spending much of this week catching up with a great many tasks that were backing up around me…cork-tiling the bathroom floor and part of the Lodge floor, clearing the tunnel for the winter crops and all the usual stuff such as clearing and mowing the paths in the gardens! 
I have got a lot done because I made the decision last week to come off Facebook…and have shared my thoughts with you on this… 
I posted a number of pics on FB this morning, as so many people delight in seeing Bealtaine Cottage! 
It is, however, almost impossible to respond to comments left on FB as I simply do not have the time and am resolved not to negate my commitment to this blog and the second website at bealtainecottage.org 
Those of you who have followed this blog for any amount of time will be aware of the enormous workload I carry and will, therefore, totally understand this. 
Recently I came across this quote by Joseph Campbell and was deeply moved to meditate upon it for a while. 
It has inspired me to “go with the flow” much more and to simply get on and do whatever tasks need doing, rather than planning and then becoming despondent at what I have not achieved…I can be my own hardest and most severe taskmaster! 
I am determined to come away from this driven approach and relax into life more! 
I could do with taking lessons from Sammy-bear, seen here by the Catnip in the tunnel, out of his mind! 
Cats remind us all how we should relax…frequently and often! 
This is a dark time, filled with suffering and uncertainty. Like living cells in a larger body, it is natural that we feel the trauma of our world. So don’t be afraid of the anguish you feel, or the anger or fear, because these responses arise from the depth of your caring and the truth of your interconnectedness with all beings.
I have found this to be comforting as I attempt to make sense of the chaos! 
This is a bank holiday weekend here in Ireland, and also the great festival of Lughnasadh!
I will stride forth on Lughnasadh Eve to a high point on a nearby mountain to welcome in the new season and pay tribute to Mother Earth and in particular, Mother Ireland. 
To celebrate the season is to turn one’s back on the machinations, arrogance and hubris of Man, seeking instead, the warmth and generosity of the Great Mother…Earth, in all her beauty! 
Before I go, just to let you know, I am writing a blog on the Bealtaine Cottage Good Life website, all about using sheep wool in the tunnel as I prepare it for the Autumn/Winter sowing and planting.
This is not a blog about Climate Change or, even, extreme weather…enduring it is quite enough! 
This is about an extraordinary human being, who, 400 years before James Lovelock, set out the case for our Earth being alive…as I know her to be today! 
For this and other beliefs, Giordano was burned at the stake in the year 1600. 
Giordano Bruno, born Filippo Bruno, was an Italian 
He is remembered for his cosmological theories, which conceptually extended the then novel 
He proposed that the 
He also insisted that the universe is in fact 
Beginning in 1593, Bruno was tried for 
So, you can begin to see why I have warmed to this rather extraordinary and brave human being!
Not, as some would imagine, for having strong views…but for daring to question!
Bruno’s 
The Inquisition found him guilty, and he was 
In short, Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake just over 400 years ago for maintaining that the Earth was alive!
After many years of isolation in the science community, James Lovelock was acknowledged as the bearer of truth, sometimes a painful burden to carry in a society fixated with staying well inside the box!
I know from my intimate work with Mother Earth, that she is indeed alive.
Her voice grows louder with each passing day…indeed, many of you hear or feel her communication.
The change in acceptance of James Lovelock’s Gaia theory was summed up in a declaration published by scientists from the four international research programmes in 2001 which said…
“The Earth system behaves as a single, self-regulating system,comprised of physical, chemical, biological and human components. The interactions and feedbacks between the component parts are complex and exhibit multi-scale temporal and spatial variability.” 
We need to make peace with Her…and to do that we need to listen!
I have seen it too! 
It is a Universal force of such incredible energy that at times, I feel overwhelmed by it. 
This force has made governments tremble and grown men cry. 
It is unstoppable, all-consuming and, at times, can appear very frightening indeed. 
Mankind has tried to tame it, harness it, even destroy it. 
All to no avail. 
She abides… Have you heard her call? 
Are you listening? 
Her name is Earth. 
She is our Mother, our home, our future. 
Humankind’s greatest priority is to reintegrate with the natural world. ~ Jonathon Porritt 
If we are to use our tools in the service of fitting in on Earth, our basic relationship to nature–even the story we tell ourselves about who we are in the universe–has to change. ~ Janine M. Benyus
Our little Spaceship Earth is only eight thousand miles in diameter, which is almost a negligible dimension in the great vastness of space. ~ R. Buckminster Fuller
The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction. ~ Rachel Carson
The world of life, of spontaneity, the world of dawn and sunset and starlight, the world of soil and sunshine, of meadow and woodland, of hickory and oak and maple and hemlock and pineland forests, of wildlife dwelling around us, of the river and its wellbeing–all of this [is] the integral community in which we live. ~ Thomas Berry
We can do nothing and keep revolving, remaining perfect fodder for governments, corporations and empires, or…
we can connect with Her and begin to evolve into what we are meant to be…part of Her.
