Morning

Posted July 3, 2017

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

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.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

“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

If you would like to support the work of Bealtaine Cottage, completely dependent on people who value what I do, here’s how…
The Book… https://bealtainecottage.com/a-cottage-and-three-acres-the-bealtaine-story/

or…

The book: “In Search of The Goddess Rising,” by Colette O’Neill…to be published in early September. You can secure your copy here…

Price 13.00 Euros plus 6.00 Euros P&P (worldwide)

Total 19.00 Euros

Once through to Paypal, currency conversion is worked out for you.

I will then acknowledge your order ASAP.

To reserve your inscribed copy, use this button…

You can also pay by cheque, made out to Colette O’Neill and posted to:

Bealtaine Cottage

Ballyfermoyle

Keadue

Boyle

County Roscommon

Ireland

Midsummer Rising

Posted May 31, 2014

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

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.”

For magical crystals…

https://bealtainecottage.com/charged-crystals-for-sale/

For seeds…

https://bealtainecottage.com/seeds-for-sale/

For Bealtaine Cottage Good Life…

https://bealtainecottage.com/bealtaine-cottage-good-life/

Gardens in Early May

Posted May 6, 2014

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

Growth in the gardens has really taken off!

Kanzan Cherry and Purple Beech

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

Euphorbia and Purple Beech

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

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!

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

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

By the east gable wall this morning.

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

Aqilegia under Fuchsia

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?

Warm,Naked Earth

Posted April 14, 2014

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

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

Stepping into a magical woodland can be one of the most healing and re-energizing acts of care for oneself.

This morning I ventured into the woods around Kilronan Castle and the mystical Lough Meelagh, a short distance from Bealtaine Cottage.

I’m glad to have brought my little camera, as am now able to share this enchantment with you.

This sacred place nestles into the valley that sweeps off towards Sligo and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Lough is dotted with Crannogs…ancient dwelling places constructed by ancestral forces on the Lough itself. You can just see this Crannog in the distance.

These were places of safety in times of a forested land where wild animals posed a threat and tribal invasions were part of life.

The Lough has risen high along the gentle shoreline, where moss and lichen hold sway.

Tree roots have loosened in the storm ridden rain and some have given way into the dark, watery depths.

Birds sing out merry above me as I walk and trees groan in the windy heights… the wind has washed the sky a summer blue.

It is here that I remember my mother and her gentle passing…her energy has joined the forces sweeping in Spring.

If it were just possible for a moment in time to lift the veil and peer inside, for it seems that this woodland hides many secrets.

And so the path bears me forward on this fine day…

As the blue sky deepens and colours…

Little wonder our ancestors regarded these places as sacred…

For they are!

The path diverges as in the Robert Frost poem, though choice is not difficult, for the path loops round and brings one back.

By this time my spirit has been lifted high into the trees, my mind calm and serene and energy charged.

All is well.

The magic flows within.

Bealtaine Cottage https://bealtainecottage.com/
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Bealtaine Cottage Magical Gardens Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GoddessGardens/

Bealtaine Cottage now offers a subscription website and seeds for sale at minimal cost to supporters, (this keeps me solvent, pays the mortgage and sometimes a little more)…keeping the main website free for all, along with a NO ADS Youtube channel, Podcast and FaceBook sites, all listed above.

If you wish to make a donation in support of the work at Bealtaine Cottage…

“…the care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.”
― Wendell Berry

It’s wonderful to be appreciated…so please take a moment to like, share or even comment on Bealtaine Cottage website…blessings X

A Day in Early Spring

Posted February 3, 2014

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

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!

The Enchantment of Belcoo

Posted January 8, 2014

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

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…

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

Blessings

Midwinter Cottage

Posted December 6, 2013

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

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…

The Girdle of Green

Posted October 2, 2013

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

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.

***********************

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.

Bealtaine Cottage Calendar 2020 NOW REDUCED!

This calendar celebrates the magic of Bealtaine and the evolution to a Sanctuary for Life. The Hare was viewed by the ancient Celts as being the link between this world and the Otherworld-a supernatural world which is directly linked to nature. The Hare is known for being able to run between our world and the 'Otherworld'. Shapeshifters are widely known in Ireland to take on the form of the Hare. This is told in the famous story of the Celtic warrior Oisín. The Hare guards both the entrance to and exit from, the Fairy Wood at Bealtaine. The Calendar, which features over 50 photographs and all the Celtic festivals, includes Postage and packing WORLDWIDE and can be posted on your behalf as a gift, from Bealtaine Cottage, Ireland. (Pre-orders now accepted) WAS: 16.50€ INCL P&P NOW: 13.50€ INCL P&P

€13.50

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Oct
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

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.

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

It has a colour and fragrance all of its own.

“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

Share this:

Like this:

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.”

For magical crystals…

For seeds…

For Bealtaine Cottage Good Life…

Share this:

Like this:

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.

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

Share this:

Like this:

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

Share this:

Like this:

Bealtaine Cottage now offers a subscription website and seeds for sale at minimal cost to supporters, (this keeps me solvent, pays the mortgage and sometimes a little more)…keeping the main website free for all, along with a NO ADS Youtube channel, Podcast and FaceBook sites, all listed above.

If you wish to make a donation in support of the work at Bealtaine Cottage…

“…the care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.” ― Wendell Berry

It’s wonderful to be appreciated…so please take a moment to like, share or even comment on Bealtaine Cottage website…blessings X

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

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

Blessings

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

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.

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.

Share this:

Like this:

“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

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

“…the care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy and, after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it, and to foster its renewal, is our only legitimate hope.”
― Wendell Berry