Encounter in the Stone Circle

Image• Posted on July 18, 2020 by Colette O'Neill

Bealtaine Cottage, Books, care for the earth, Earth, Eco-Living, Ecology, Permaculture, photography

Morning

Posted on July 3, 2017August 14, 2020 by Colette O'Neill

The first week of July and there’s a feint scent of Autumn in the air this morning.

The morning brings a quiet and gentle beginning to the day, untouched by the continuing perplexities of man.

“Man has drawn artificial lines on the chest of the Mother Earth, which have no significance, except for the sake of war and clashes between countries. The soil seems to be the same, the trees the same, the grass the same, and the fragrance of the air, the smell of the earth the same.”
~ Girdhar Joshi

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Yes it is…all the same…at most times hard to believe when one watches the circus of life on MSM.

Bread and circuses, but we all know and recognise real life.

It has a colour and fragrance all of its own.

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“The earth is a mosaic, and most fail to notice the gossamer tesserae floating down from the realm of the mind that form its images of beauty and horror.”
~ Lawren Leo

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Abundance, Bealtaine Cottage, celebrations, Celtic Mythology, Celts, Cottage, Country Living, Culture, Earth, Fairies, Folklore, History, Inspiration, Ireland, Permaculture, photography, Summer, Uncategorized

Midsummer Rising

Posted on May 31, 2014April 29, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

Farewell Bealtaine!

Rising on the last morning of Bealtaine and looking out the window of the lodge to be greeted by mist and sunshine.

The heat of yesterday rose in a mist over the valley and mountains beyond.

Rising towards Midsummer is a most magical time in the west of Ireland.

Between the rain and the sun, the jigs and the reels, the land has grown a mantle of green.

Festivals are held in every village as birds, from thousands of mile away, fly low over the feeding grounds of this small island. Midsummer customs prevail in much of Europe and certainly here in Ireland, where the traditional bonfire is part of the celebration.

The fire is lit exactly at sunset on the eve of the solstice and celebrations continue until sunset on the solstice itself.

The sense of abundance is quite tangible and visible at this time, helping to create a celebratory atmosphere.

Midsummer was seen as a time when the veil between this world and the next was thin, and when the spirit of the land itself held sway.

This is encapsulated in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

This year I shall be lighting the Midsummer fire with wood cut around the time of Midwinter, in honour of my Mother.

It is a time for gathering and spending time together and a celebration I look forward to…

As I walked I the gardens this morning, there arose a great sense of peace and harmony, again something which seems to be released from the very Earth herself each year, at this time of ascension to Midsummer.

The promise of a good harvest holds firm as the beautiful weather continues.

Here is one of my favourite quotes by Carole Carlton…

“The festival of the summer solstice speaks of love and light, of freedom and generosity of spirit.

It is a beautiful time of year where vibrant flowers whisper to us with scented breath,

forests and woodlands hang heavy in the summer’s heat and our souls become enchanted with midsummer magic.”

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Bees, Cottage, Ecology, Garden, Gardening, Gardens, Inspiration, Ireland, Organic Garden, Permaculture, photography, Summer, Trees

Gardens in Early May

Posted on May 6, 2014May 6, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

Growth in the gardens has really taken off!

I was away for the weekend in Belfast and returned last night.

Making coffee and doing my early morning stroll of the gardens, coffee in one hand and camera in the other, it was a revelation…everything has grown and spread since Friday!

Fuchsia, Poppy and Lady's Mantle — Fuchsia, Poppy and Lady’s Mantle

No wonder, as a mix of rain and warmth has created the perfect conditions for plants.

Clematis, planted last year on the north-facing wall of the cottage...ready to bloom! — Clematis, planted last year on the north-facing wall of the cottage…ready to bloom!

It’s always a pleasure to walk out on a May morning.

It is primarily because of the growth as we ascend towards Midsummer.

The days continue to stretch before us and the promise of Summer holds sway.

Nights are shorter and days grow longer…

Enjoy the rest of the pics!

Blessings XXX Colette

It's easy to believe in Fairies...isn't it? — It’s easy to believe in Fairies…isn’t it?

Bealtaine Cottage, Bees, Birds, Climate, Earth, Inspiration, Ireland, Lifestyle, Permaculture, photography, Self-Sufficiency, Spring, Thoughts, Wild Flowers, Woodland

Warm,Naked Earth

Posted on April 14, 2014April 14, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

The naked earth is warm with Spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun’s kiss glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze.
~Julian Grenfell

…except, in Permaculture gardens, little is naked, most is covered, yet the earth beneath the green mantle warms just the same.

April has set Spring firmly in place, with early sunrise and birdsong to lift the dullest spirit!

The boys awaken to the sunshine…

Honesty comes into flower…

Ribes sets the bees buzzing…apparently the Bumble Bee is losing numbers here in Ireland, as well as the UK, but certainly not at Bealtaine Cottage…the place is abuzz!

Amelanchier is coming into flower…yet more of the succession planting for the bees!

The playhouse is being transformed into a hen house…an upstairs~downstairs hen house to suit the due pecking order!

I’ve been busy with the brush and wood preservative, making sure that this little house sees another 10 years!

Chard has over-wintered well in the tunnel and will keep producing right up until the newly sown Chard is ready to pick…so very easy to grow!

Photinia, Red Robin has opened its new leaves…a burst of red!

Perennial Poppy has weathered the frost well!

Quince is in flower against the barn.

These gigantic shells have been moved to hang on sticks driven into the earth, making a contrast to the emerging green!

Spring is bursting forth into a riot of greens, as the first Cuckoo of the year heralds its summery arrival…earlier than last year!

The Fairy Wood is a mass of lime green Spurge!

The Lavender-painted Barn takes on a new look, making a wonderful backdrop to Spring.

Newly painted benches are ready to withstand another year of crazy Irish weather!

Primroses emerge in places where birds have dropped seed!

And the warm earth, no longer naked, continues to push forth magic!

Magical Woodland by an Irish Castle

Image• Posted on February 26, 2014February 25, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

Bealtaine Cottage, Climate, compost, Crafts, Dogs, Edible Gardens, Garden, Inspiration, Permaculture, photography, Spring, Trees

A Day in Early Spring

Posted on February 3, 2014February 3, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

Juicing is a great way to ensure one has the maximum of vitamins and minerals and this is something I do every day.

It’s also a reason to keep greens growing all the year around, as even small bits can be added to the juicer and vital vitamins extracted.

I’ve used some small bits of Kale that have escaped the frost and storms.

There is no waste in Permaculture, just compost and more vegetables growing! Compost is the food needed to grow food!

Slowly, slowly the Willow is cut and stacked…time is running out as the buds thicken! Baskets, Fedges and Obelisks are standing here!

These beds are fairly sheltered and continue to produce Kale, which is processed in the juicer.

Fine Willow used in basket weaving waiting to be harvested. The gardens look colourful all the way through Winter, as the stems of Willow, Dogwood, Ash and Birch are revealed.

So much rain has fallen here in Ireland this Winter and now, in the early days of Spring, the flooding has begun to dominate the landscape. Here at Bealtaine cottage I spent much time in the early days digging out drains and water channels, as well as keeping them maintained over the past ten years…and it has paid off, as you can see from the lower pond. The water runs free, out into the streams and rivers that take it to the Atlantic Ocean.

In sheltered areas all over the gardens the ferns have remained green, though a little bit droopy. The winter was mild and warm, with plenty of rain!

This is the beginning of the wood pile for next winter. It comprises of coppiced logs of Birch, Ash and Hazel. The twiggy bits are thrown into the back of the pile as they make wonderful kindling! These logs may be small, but are perfect for a small wood-burning stove!

I’ve been stocking up on straw recently, as this makes great mulch around the garden helping to suppress weeds and line paths.

Green Beech hold their leaves right through Winter, adding even more colour and shelter to the gardens!

And look who’s keeping an eye on me as I type…my loyal Jack!

Celtic Mythology, Celts, History, Inspiration, Ireland, photography, Spring

The Enchantment of Belcoo

Posted on January 8, 2014January 10, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

It’s late as I write this blog…I really should be in bed, but the beauty of the day has filled me with enthusiasm to share it with you!

I made a journey to Omagh this morning to visit my mother.

The day was bright and the sky clear as I set off on the journey North.

I drove up around Lough Allen, across the border at Belcoo, through Enniskillen and onto Omagh.

On the way I stopped by Lough McNean at Belcoo.

Legend has it that this was the scene of an ancient massacre.

It’s a strange place, resonating some kind of ancient energy.

The mountains around the Lough stand guard over deep, dark waters that mark the borderlands

The landscape pulls one in as if by magic, forcing the eye to examine the shadows in search of something…something…some memory of being here before…

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Blessings

Animals, Art, Bealtaine Cottage, Buddha, Cats, celebrations, Childhood, Christmas, Crafts, Inspiration, Life, Personal, photography, Spirituality, Thoughts, Winter

Midwinter Cottage

Posted on December 6, 2013December 6, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

The air is still.

The storm has passed.

Stillness and silence pervades the cottage.

Jack is in his bed, and the boys continue to doss away the morning in the Lodge.

A midwinter scene repeated all across the northern hemisphere.

Someone remarked on the increasing silence they noticed in the world around them.

Midwinter is a silent time, suffused with echoes and occasional sounds from strange places.

Places that are more difficult to pinpoint on the landscape…it’s a trick played on us by Mother Nature as she paces the dormitories of sleep and hibernation.

Candles illuminate the darkness, dispelling matt grey for moving shadows.

Jingles of Christmas on the radio, some lovely, most rapaciously dreadful, urging the listener to get out now and spend, spend, spend!

And so the radio is switched off and music switched on, low and evocative.

Midwinter enchants us all with memories of stillness and light, fires and food…times past, selected for our personal album of memories.

I found this photograph recently.

It was taken around Midwinter, in a photo-booth in London, when I first ventured away from home and Ireland.

Scents were what I most missed.

The scents of home, like turf and coal smoke, wisping out of chimney pots on rows of terraced houses.

London was filled with new, more exotic scents, especially places like Portobello Road Market on a Saturday morning, where Patchouli oil perfume lingered in the air.

Working patchwork, brings me back to early days, in London and the sheer wealth of fabric shops and stalls, Laura Ashley and the love of William Morris retro!

Colours, fabrics and textures continue to fascinate.

Natural fabrics hold most memory…perhaps because they are from the natural world, where energy is hosted.

Sackcloth and old lace cover a jam jar, filled with Honesty.

Cotton gingham of various colours in the kitchen.

Willow, wood and clay pottery, mugs and bowls.

The morning, washed by soft midwinter light…not to be bought and packaged for Christmas, but absorbed by the celebratory soul.

Blessings from this midwinter cottage…

Autumn, Celtic Mythology, Celts, Folklore, History, Inspiration, Ireland, Permaculture, photography, Spirituality, Thoughts, Trees, Woodland

The Girdle of Green

Posted on October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

An old castle on an island in the forest, not far from Bealtaine Cottage, and where I walked today with my daughter, Cara, whose birthday we celebrated, with a walk through this magical landscape on a glorious autumn day.

This is Lough Key and the castle once belonged to the MacDermott clan who lived here hundreds of years ago.

The castle is mentioned frequently in the ancient annals, being a focus for both fighting and partying.

Brian of the Carrick, Chief 1585-92, is reported to be last head of the clan to live on the island.

There is reference to Castle Island in the annals of Lough Ce as early as 1184.

During this time the park was called Moylurg and the Kings of Moylurg were the MacDermotts.

The real pleasure lies in walking among the mighty Oaks that guard the Lough.

This Oak tree was warm and welcoming…an ancient heart holding the history of the land within.

Just resting against this tree made me feel joyous…what amazing energy and strength emanates forth from trees like this!

The mighty Oak has had importance and great significance to the Celts, from ancient to modern times.

This is where the ancestors worshipped and held important events in the old calendar, for the Oak Grove was considered sacred.

Oak trees grow in almost every part of the world.

The Druids made their magic wands from only three woods…Yew, Oak and Apple.

As the sap begins to drop in the trees and the leaves turn colour, Ivy, that has previously been shaded out by canopy, emerges into its own, as a permanent reminder to us all that spring will return.

The evergreen girdle of Ivy, on many trees, keeps a host of small birds and insects warm and fed over the dark days of winter.

Similarly, the girdle of Moss, around the base of the mighty Oak, will secure the winter for many small creatures.

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Art, Climate, Cottage, cows, Garden, Home Made Wine, Inspiration, Ireland, Permaculture, photography, Spirituality

The Haunting…

Posted on September 26, 2013July 24, 2015 by Colette O'Neill

With great longing for home and sadness of leaving, I made the journey back from Connemara today.

As I passed Kylemore Abbey, the clouds began a hasty descent, down over the mountains of the pass…

I longed for home, but was mesmerized by the play of light and mist that is a magical part of the landscape of the West of Ireland.

A landscape that haunts one forever…

Their cottage is surrounded by the most ethereal play of light, being near the shoreline and surrounded by mountains.

I first met Terri and Lol when they visited Bealtaine Cottage to learn more about Permaculture and quickly bonded in a deep friendship.

I meet so many wonderful people here at Bealtaine and am often invited to visit with them, though rarely take the time to do so…

I’m glad I made this journey into the hauntingly beautiful land of Connemara…the images will inspire dreams for many nights ahead in Winter.

The past three days in Connemara have inspired me in many ways.

I met some fine people and talked about wine making and permaculture.

Connaught, the province of Ireland where Connemara lies, has, historically, been associated with immense poverty and harsh living conditions, though its beauty has kept it populated, albeit sparsely in parts.

Many Irish have emigrated from here, down through the centuries, especially so during the Great Famine.

Yesterday morning, I walked in the gardens as the sun rose, and watched the mist slowly lift from the fields, that run down to the shoreline.

Terri and Lol have planted lots of Willow, as a wind break and are developing a sustainable smallholding around their cottage.

Living this close to the mighty Atlantic Ocean, the land is swept by salt-winds and gales, that roar in over thousands of miles of turbulent sea, making landfall, with all the power and destruction only those winds can carry.

The soil is scraped off rock and carried on the winds, to fill crevice and glen.

Even the cows have learned to forage and climb like mountain goats in search of food!

This beautiful creature stood atop the rocks watching the sun rise, as I walked in my dressing gown around the cottage gardens.

In the distance, my little camera picked out the walls of ancient cottages, abandoned to the elements of sea, rain, wind and sun, casting imaginary sounds of past lives upon the mist that lifted heavenwards, in the warm morning air.

As I drove towards home, leaving this magically, evocative landscape behind me, the sheer beauty of Connemara urged me to stop… and take one last image to share with you…

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The Quickening

Posted on September 14, 2013September 14, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

As we approach the Equinox, the sun appears strong and bright in the morning sky, a clear sky at that, gathering together the ingredients for a perfect Autumn day.

A day for walking, stopping often and observing the quickening of change, in all that grows and flies.

I watched the Swallows flying high in the clear sky above the cottage…one of many preludes to the incredible migratory flight to Africa.

I looked down, earthwards and noticed the Sedum opening clusters of pink, one of the last meals of the year for the bees.

All is change.

All is good, on this calm bright morning.

Tomatoes slowly ripen here on the veranda.

Thank you Tara Angell from New York, for the amazing little seeds these grew from.

They’re all over the garden and have become more Irish than the Irish as the saying goes!

The spiders spin and weave their magic all over the gardens too.

I hear people say, “Where has the summer gone…is time speeding up?”

Perhaps it is, but my body is more and more in tune with the seasons and time seems almost irrelevant.

The morning merges into afternoon and the quickening of autumn reveals itself in the darker evening…yet to come!

If time is the measuring stick of our existence, then we are not living in the present, in the here and now.

I often reflect on these pictures I take, and ask myself, “What was I feeling then, at that moment?”

The clock was a horrid invention really…it ticks and measures and makes us panic and fret!

Today, I don’t need a clock or a calendar…I smell the season, I see the time…it’s morning, for the sun shines in from the east!

The light has weakened and changed, the summer is behind us.

Flowers on the Buddleia have turned into heavy droplets of seeds for the birds to feast their way through winter.

Pumpkins stand to attention!

Masses of red berries assure the birds of a kind over-wintering at Bealtaine Cottage, where Nature has bestowed abundance on all living creatures.

The lacy cobwebs dance in the morning sun.

And the mellowing leaves of the Ribes reflect in the mirror stillness of the water barrel.

Time to light the stove and boil the kettle…this is a morning, where stepping back outside, with a mug of tea, seems the only really sensible course of action to take!

The light beckons…

Missy observes from under the table…

And I pass through the cottage to return to the gardens…

Celtic Mythology, Celts, Cottage, Folklore, Garden, Lughnasa, Organic Garden, Permaculture, photography, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Wild Flowers

Celebrating Lughnasa

Posted on July 31, 2013July 23, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

Lughnasa (earlier, Lughnasadh) was the feast of Lugh.

A harvest festival, its celebration marked the end of the period of summer growth and the beginning of the autumn harvest.

Its original name does not survive in popular tradition, that being now the common word in Irish (Lúnasa) for the month of August.

The festival is rather known as the Sunday of Crom Dubh (the god of harvest), or in varying areas as Lammas Sunday, Garland Sunday, Bilberry Sunday, or Fraughan Sunday.

The first weekend in August marks Ireland’s changing-of-the-season festival of Lughnasa.

The Irish playwright, Brian Friel, wrote the now famous,“Dancing at Lughnasa” which is all centred around the pivotal point in the Celtic calendar, Lughnasa.

The Celts regarded the Earth as a fertile Goddess, to be nurtured and honoured…a way of living I now follow, as a care-taker and care-giver to Mother Earth.

The gate-keeper to the sanctuary of Bealtaine Cottage.

Today is the final day of summer in the Celtic Calendar…Happy Lughnasa!

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Angels, Bats, Garden, Ireland, Permaculture, photography, Spirituality, Summer, Trees

An Angel at Sunset

Posted on June 16, 2013June 24, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

Sun and rain has enabled wonderful growth.

The rocket stove has allowed me free tea all day…just a few twigs to boil the water.

The Potager beds are filled with plants and new growth, as the seaweed is watered in by the Atlantic rains.

Last year’s Blackcurrants are being emptied from the freezer to make this year’s wine.

The race is on to use the remaining harvest from last year as the summer promises yet more abundance.

The brilliance of this sunset beckoned me out to capture it in photograph and share it with you!

There is a mist descending on the mountain.

The bats are beginning their night patrol.

The day is almost over.

The sun is setting in the west.

It is 10pm.

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Abundance, Bees, biodiversity, Celts, Garden, Gardens, Herbs, Inspiration, Ireland, Life, Permaculture, photography, Seeds, Summer, Thoughts, Uncategorized, Wild Flowers

The Magical Garden

Posted on June 5, 2013June 5, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

The morning is hot and sultry.

The sky is clear blue.

Ireland basks in heat.

Roses on the veranda are making a spectacular show and the delicate scent fills the morning air

As we ascend towards Midsummer plants have suddenly taken off and appear to have grown overnight.

Poppies have opened all over the gardens, even in the tunnel.

These self seed and come up more intensely year on year.

Herbs are filling the beds as bees buzz busily overhead.

The grass within and around the stone circle has turned to meadow.

Cow Parsley vies with Ferns for space around the Stone Circle.

Bluebells are just visible in the lushness of a June morning in the west of Ireland.

There’s a sense of magic in the air around the ancient stones!

A Walk through the Permaculture Gardens of Bealtaine Cottage on the Last Day of Bealtaine

Image• Posted on May 31, 2013March 2, 2016 by Colette O'Neill

Animals, Bealtaine Cottage, Cats, Climate, Cottage, Country Living, Dogs, Eco-Living, Garden, Lifestyle, Permaculture, photography, Sustainable Living, Trees

Generous Sponsors and Crazy Floors…

Posted on May 9, 2013May 9, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

You may have noticed the difference on the blog…lots more photographs, new format and better quality images.

I would like to thank some of the sponsors, who have so generously enabled me to pay for all of this…Tracy at Goldkisses Art, Bandon Pottery Ireland, Suzanne Taylor, Sharleen Adams, Daniel Raphael, Joanne Louise…and all the rest, Thank You! Your generosity has enabled the work of Bealtaine Cottage…thank you so very much!

My photo allowance with WordPress had reached it’s limit and I was deleting blogs and pictures to facilitate uploading more!

I have now bought the domain of bealtainecottage.com and purchased more storage space for photos.

The future of this blog is secure for the year ahead.
So, back to work!

Over recent days I have been hard at it, tiling the kitchen floor…not with any old tiles! No! Broken, unwanted bits of rubbish that was on it’s way to the dump…only to be recycled on my sad old kitchen floor!

The bags of rubbish included some rather nice tile strips and chunks…ideal for star-bursts and spirals…

It can be fun trying to be creative with rubbish…and that is the challenge!

From the sitting room side, the floor looks quite acceptable.

It has rained all night.

My little cottage-on-a-slate is dripping, as are the painted stones.

The clouds hang over the mountain and the streams gush from the hill behind the cottage.

A friend who lives nearby gave me this lovely old milk churn with no bottom in it…painted Emerald Green with a rust-proof paint.

Another friend brought me this lovely Pieris to sit inside the churn, in it’s own bed of acid soil from the bog.

Outside, the sound of gushing water dominates the morning air…

Angels, Climate, Garden, Herbs, Inspiration, Ireland, Life, Permaculture, Personal, photography, Spring

Looking Back at March 2012 in the Photo Album of Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture Gardens

Posted on December 30, 2012December 30, 2012 by Colette O'Neill

The gardens came back to life with new leaves on the Photinia

Blossom opened on the Nectarine tree in the polytunnel.

Rhubarb seemed to grow in spurts overnight!

Home made Blackcurrant wine was started as I began to empty the freezer.

Lichens opened up in the warmth of the Spring days.

Beautiful, delicate colours of Spring.

The warming sun began to work it’s magic on the north facing gardens of Bealtaine Cottage.

Garden benches dried out and warmed up enough to beckon the visitor to stop awhile!

Sun, glorious sun…this old piece of driftwood stood up to it’s eighth winter of storms and winds.

As always, there was an early crop of herbs and greens from the tunnel.

Late March was so warm, we headed off to the beach for a swim in the Atlantic Ocean here in Donegal Bay.

You can see the Hills of Donegal in the background!

Animals, Cats, Climate, Cottage, Food, Garden, Herbs, Inspiration, Life, Lifestyle, Permaculture, photography, Smallholding, Winter

Winter in a Permaculture Garden…and Sam!

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Colette O'Neill

Awoke to frost this morning and a brilliantly clear, blue sky.

The stove had stayed lit all night, so the cottage was warm.

It’s easy to see the level of insulation in homes, looking up at roofs, as I drive to Drumshanbo on an errand.

Many of the newly built homes appear to be poorly insulated.

I took my tea outside and walked around in the sunshine…

The sheer beauty of a winter morning is stunning.

The play of winter light upon the earth is a delight to behold!

The winter stems of Spiraea colour a deep orange.

Missy followed me to the tunnel.

Her visit to the Vet’s on Monday has perked her up a bit…

Even though the covering of the tunnel is frozen, plants inside continue to flourish and will stay green and healthy for the winter.

Parsley is very healthy as it grows strong beside the water bin…an ideal micro-climate!

Washing the plastic covering on the tunnel last month allows maximum winter light through to the plants…every little helps at this time of year!

The Lemon Balm grows well and will continue all winter, unless we have extreme weather.

Introducing Sam…one very naughty little kitten!

Sam was found on Samhain, hence his name.

He had an eye infection, which is now cleared up…though he fought me every time I applied his medication!

Sam had his second vaccination on Monday and is on medication for a bad cold, though that does not stop him being this adventurous!

Animals, Birds, Folklore, Food, Inspiration, Ireland, Life, photography, Wildlife, Winter

When a Fox Comes Calling…

Posted on November 12, 2012November 12, 2012 by Colette O'Neill

The winter deepens.

We are but four weeks away from the midwinter.

This is a time to leave out food scraps for the birds and mammals facing into the cold short days and bitter long nights.

The plight of hungry animals was literally brought home to me during the winter of 2010.

Snow had fallen on frosted ground.

There was no thaw.

The frozen ground held sway for six long weeks.

One very beautiful, but frozen day, a handsome fox boldly walked up to the back of the cottage.

Food that was put down on the ground for the birds had tempted the hungry animal.

As I snapped these photographs, the fox looked up and stared right at me.

Hunger fuelled courage.

Autumn, Garden, Inspiration, Ireland, Life, Lifestyle, Permaculture, photography, Spirituality, Thoughts, Trees

The Illusion of Separateness and Our Sacred Mother

Posted on October 23, 2012March 5, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

A human being is part of the whole, called by us “universe,” limited in time and space.

He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

This delusion is a prison,restricting us to… our personal desires and to affection for a few persons close to us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from our prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all humanity and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ~Albert Einstein

The Earth, once regarded by ancient tribes as the sacred Mother, is , once more, regarded by the awakened mind, as integral to our lives.

I was reminded of this as I walked the land this evening, taking the photos below.

The moon was waxing and the sky crystal clear.

The thought occurred to me that we are not separate…

We are not separate.

We are all connected.

We are all one.

Do you doubt this?

Each time you take a breath, thank a tree!

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Cottage, Country Living, cows, Crafts, Dogs, Frugal Living, Gardens, Inspiration, Permaculture, photography, Self-Sufficiency, Spirituality, Thoughts, Uncategorized

The Return of Romance

Posted on August 24, 2012March 28, 2014 by Colette O'Neill

Simplicity of living is much sought after these days.

There are television programmes and magazines devoted to the simple life.

We are drawn towards images of romantic simplicity…think of all the wonderful books translated into gorgeous films that espouse life before the Industrial Revolution.

I have to admit an interest here, as my most read novel is Pride and Prejudice and favourite film is the translation of that book onto the big screen by Deborah Moggach, directed by Joe Wright.

It is simply exquisite in it’s attention to detail that reflects the beautiful simplicity of everyday life.

And that is what we have been seeking, through consumption, for several chaotic decades now…a return to the simple life.

So, let’s define the simple life.

Well, it is simple enough to define, for it simply means, “less of!”

Yet all the media, while espousing the simple life, cheer-leads us to consume more.

So, I urge you to read the book and see the film.

Within the romantic idealism of past times there sits a very clear message…less is more.

De-clutter your life.

Embrace the sunrises and sunsets.

Open the door of your de-cluttered world to romance and fall in love with Nature.

All good will follow!

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Country Living, Earth, Ecology, Garden, Permaculture, photography, Spring, Uncategorized

The Stunningly Beautiful West of Ireland

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Colette O'Neill

Today at Bealtaine Cottage and the weather was ducking and diving in and out of early Spring! I dashed outside and snapped these pics as it appeared to be early Spring.
It’s late here at the cottage, but I’m posting them to this blog, just to share!

Can you see the low cloud moving up the valley, cutting Ballyfermoyle off from the Arigna Mountains?

How’s that for dramatic?

The stunningly beautiful West of Ireland!

The beauty of bare trees reflected in a barrel of pure rainwater.

I rinse my clothes in this to make them extra soft…

Photinia washed by the soft Atlantic rain…

The beginnings of another willow basket waits for me on the veranda…

Moss clings to the thin slates on the cottage roof. I never clean this off as I think it looks so very beautiful and anyway, the roof manages to hold up well in face of the Atlantic storms that swoop in off the ocean!

Abundance, Angels, Bealtaine Cottage, Celtic Mythology, Celts, Childhood, Country Living, Fairies, Folklore, Garden, Inspiration, Ireland, Permaculture, photography, Poetry, Spirituality, Thoughts, Uncategorized

A Life in the Country ~ The Land of Heart’s Desire

Posted on October 18, 2011October 18, 2011 by Colette O'Neill

Faeries,
come take me out of this dull world,
For I would ride with you upon the
wind,
Run on the top of the dishevelled tide,
And Faeries
like a flame.

~William Butler Yeats, “The Land of Heart’s Desire,” 1894

Living in Ireland, at Bealtaine Cottage, it is easy to believe in Fairies.

Fairies are invisible and inaudible like angels. But their magic sparkles in
nature. ~Lynn Holland

The elemental spirits of Nature are all around…

As a child I was enraptured by the possibility of Fairies and often spent time constructing little altars to Nature wherever I went…arranging stones, plants and sacred things like I have done in the picture above and all over the smallholding that is Bealtaine…

Spread your wings and let the fairy in you fly! ~

~Author Unknown

Princess Edane… heard a voice singing
on a May Eve like this, and followed half awake and half asleep, until she came
into the Land of Faery, where nobody gets old and godly and grave, where nobody
gets old and crafty and wise, where nobody gets old and bitter of tongue.

~William Butler Yeats, “The Land of Heart’s Desire,” 1894

And the land at Bealtaine has been softly planted to embrace the possibility of Fairies…always keeping the inner child in mind and mindful of the great force that is Nature!

When the winds of March are wakening the crocuses and crickets,
Did you ever find a fairy near some budding little thickets,…
And when she sees you
creeping up to get a closer peek
She tumbles through the daffodils, a playing
hide and seek.

~Marjorie Barrows

We call them faerie. We don’t believe in them. Our loss.

~Charles de Lint

The Celts…Enya…enchanting http://youtu.be/rGwUpsyDJTk

Fairies… http://youtu.be/Vu_GyfW_AhI

Animals, Art, Autumn, Cats, Cottage, Country Living, Ireland, photography, Trees, Uncategorized

A Life in the Country ~ Today at Bealtaine Cottage

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Colette O'Neill

Missy. Staring wisely through her beautiful cat’s eyes. Such wisdom in that little head…

Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause most
inconvenience. ~Pam Brown (Indeed…sitting in my seat, I do believe)!

A catless writer is almost inconceivable. It’s a perverse taste, really, since
it would be easier to write with a herd of buffalo in the room than even one
cat; they make nests in the notes and bite the end of the pen and walk on the
typewriter keys. ~Barbara Holland

I bought this painting recently, having been drawn towards it and virtually hypnotised into the purchase…it is old and evokes a sense of 1950’s rural Ireland…and one of my favourite authors wrote expansively about this time…Edna O’Brien.

Every
artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his
pictures. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Jack looks over at Missy the cat…yes, Jack, keep watching…don’t take your eyes off her!

There has never been a cat
Who couldn’t calm me down
By walking
slowly
Past my chair.
~Rod McKuen

History is a cyclic poem written by Time upon the memories of man. ~Percy
Bysshe Shelley

Today I went for a lovely, long walk, down in the old park around what was an ancient house by Lough Key. This is the old stable block as seen through the portcullis…

If one could make alive again for other people some cobwebbed skein of old dead
intrigues and breathe breath and character into dead names and stiff portraits.
That is history to me! ~George Macaulay Trevelyan

This is the old family church near where the old house once stood…the roof has gone and the shell of the beautiful old building stands alone…

Abundance, Animals, Bealtaine Cottage, Country Living, Eco-Living, Frugal Living, Garden, Gardening, Permaculture, photography, Self-Sufficiency, Smallholding, Uncategorized

A Life in the Country ~ Today at Permaculture Cottage

Posted on October 13, 2011January 5, 2013 by Colette O'Neill

The hens are out foraging today.

Autumn is a good time to let the girls out to roam freely all over the smallholding…and roam they do!

And Man created the plastic bag and the tin and aluminum can and the cellophane wrapper and the paper plate, and this was good because Man could then take his automobile and buy all his food in one place and He could save that which was good to eat in the refrigerator and throw away that which had no further use. And soon the earth was covered with plastic bags and aluminum cans and paper plates and disposable bottles and there was nowhere to sit down or walk, and Man shook his head and cried: “Look at this Godawful mess.” ~Art Buchwald, 1970

Beech planted with Bamboo.

Close planting is one of the ways to keep unwanted weeds at bay!

If you look closely you can see Cotoneaster planted to the right.

It is easier to thin plants out than wait for them to grow!

In the true style of the Economic Terrorist I grew all these trees from seed.

That’s what I love about growing and gardens and Nature…there is no consumerism and everything continues to grow.

The gap in our economy is between what we have and what we think we ought to have – and that is a moral problem, not an economic one.

The poverty of our century is unlike that of any other. It is not, as poverty was before, the result of natural scarcity, but of a set of priorities imposed upon the rest of the world by the rich. Consequently, the modern poor are not pitied… but written off as trash. The twentieth-century consumer economy has produced the first culture for which a beggar is a reminder of nothing. ~John Berger

The first week of July and there’s a feint scent of Autumn in the air this morning.

The morning brings a quiet and gentle beginning to the day, untouched by the continuing perplexities of man.

Yes it is…all the same…at most times hard to believe when one watches the circus of life on MSM.

“The earth is a mosaic, and most fail to notice the gossamer tesserae floating down from the realm of the mind that form its images of beauty and horror.” ~ Lawren Leo

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Farewell Bealtaine!

Rising on the last morning of Bealtaine and looking out the window of the lodge to be greeted by mist and sunshine.

Between the rain and the sun, the jigs and the reels, the land has grown a mantle of green.

This is encapsulated in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“The festival of the summer solstice speaks of love and light, of freedom and generosity of spirit.

For magical crystals…

For seeds…

For Bealtaine Cottage Good Life…

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Growth in the gardens has really taken off!

I was away for the weekend in Belfast and returned last night.

Making coffee and doing my early morning stroll of the gardens, coffee in one hand and camera in the other, it was a revelation…everything has grown and spread since Friday!

No wonder, as a mix of rain and warmth has created the perfect conditions for plants.

It’s always a pleasure to walk out on a May morning.

The days continue to stretch before us and the promise of Summer holds sway.

Nights are shorter and days grow longer…

Blessings XXX Colette

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Many thanks for the continuing support for the work of this Bealtaine Cottage website.

Blessings

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Brian of the Carrick, Chief 1585-92, is reported to be last head of the clan to live on the island.

During this time the park was called Moylurg and the Kings of Moylurg were the MacDermotts.

The mighty Oak has had importance and great significance to the Celts, from ancient to modern times.

The Druids made their magic wands from only three woods…Yew, Oak and Apple.

As the sap begins to drop in the trees and the leaves turn colour, Ivy, that has previously been shaded out by canopy, emerges into its own, as a permanent reminder to us all that spring will return.

If you would like to support the work of the Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture website and Youtube (ad-free) videos, donations are very appreciated 🙂

or visit the Etsy shop and purchase a hand-made or vintage product.

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With great longing for home and sadness of leaving, I made the journey back from Connemara today.

As I passed Kylemore Abbey, the clouds began a hasty descent, down over the mountains of the pass…

I longed for home, but was mesmerized by the play of light and mist that is a magical part of the landscape of the West of Ireland.

A landscape that haunts one forever…

Their cottage is surrounded by the most ethereal play of light, being near the shoreline and surrounded by mountains.

I first met Terri and Lol when they visited Bealtaine Cottage to learn more about Permaculture and quickly bonded in a deep friendship.

I meet so many wonderful people here at Bealtaine and am often invited to visit with them, though rarely take the time to do so…

I’m glad I made this journey into the hauntingly beautiful land of Connemara…the images will inspire dreams for many nights ahead in Winter.

I met some fine people and talked about wine making and permaculture.

Many Irish have emigrated from here, down through the centuries, especially so during the Great Famine.

The soil is scraped off rock and carried on the winds, to fill crevice and glen.

Even the cows have learned to forage and climb like mountain goats in search of food!

This beautiful creature stood atop the rocks watching the sun rise, as I walked in my dressing gown around the cottage gardens.

You may like to visit the Bealtaine Cottage Craft Shop…

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I watched the Swallows flying high in the clear sky above the cottage…one of many preludes to the incredible migratory flight to Africa.

I looked down, earthwards and noticed the Sedum opening clusters of pink, one of the last meals of the year for the bees.

All is change.

Tomatoes slowly ripen here on the veranda.

Thank you Tara Angell from New York, for the amazing little seeds these grew from.

I hear people say, “Where has the summer gone…is time speeding up?”

Today, I don’t need a clock or a calendar…I smell the season, I see the time…it’s morning, for the sun shines in from the east!

Flowers on the Buddleia have turned into heavy droplets of seeds for the birds to feast their way through winter.

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“The earth is a mosaic, and most fail to notice the gossamer tesserae floating down from the realm of the mind that form its images of beauty and horror.”
~ Lawren Leo