On this beautiful day in the west of Ireland…Potting on seedlings, dealing with slugs and enjoying a bit of a rant! When something is not right, then it’s just not right!
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Category Archives: Politics
Climate Change…The Elephant in the Room
The conference in Paris is underway as I write this.
World leaders have gathered to discuss, debate, harangue and eventually come to some agreement…hopefully!
However, there are two aspects of any agreement, that the mainstream media will ignore, in their reporting of the biggest threat to face humankind ever!
The first one is evident to anyone living in the developed world: we have to consume less, much less and, in fact, change our entire perspective of how we live with this planet…not, as many say, on this planet!
This means reducing consumption of consumer goods, oil, but, more importantly, changing our diets and expectations.
We have become used to buying food from all over the world, holidaying all over the world, eating more meat than any other generation before us and living in homes where heat is supplied at the flick of a switch.
You will not hear political leaders talk such talk, as this has no place in “economic growth”…
Western society in it’s present form is unsustainable…even without the massive problem of Climate Change!
(For example…did you know that there are, today, nearly 65 billion animals worldwide, including cows, chickens and pigs, crammed into Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)…Factory Farms to you and me!)
We eat meat as a snack food…unheard of when I grew up!
However, much as the mainstream media ignore much of the above, there remains a most important part of this problem unspoken of…
War and the Military machines of increasingly feudal governments. They’re right up there in the major league of Climate destroyers!
Did Al Gore even mention the devastating impact of endless wars and military in his money-spinning presentation?
No!
Why?
It was an Inconvenient Truth.
It represents the Elephant in the Room that no-one wants to talk about!
Last year, the UK government spent $60.5Billion on Defence.
A huge amount of money that could have provided solar power and retro-fitted insulation to millions of homes…yes, millions!
Here’s an article that evaluates the US military’s impact on climate http://www.countercurrents.org/smith261115.htm
“Militarism is single greatest institutional contributor to the growing natural disasters intensified by global warming.” 
~J Lawrence
Some of the facts, should you care to research them are staggering… for example, an F-4 Phantom Fighter burns more than 1,600 gallons of jet fuel per hour!
It is interesting that the spin on war and climate change has already begun, with the media posing the question does climate change cause war and refugees.
Refugees do not cause climate change.
It is time we did a little number crunching for ourselves!
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Time of Destruction
Reflecting on the past weekend and the sad events which overtook us all…
The podcast from Bealtaine Cottage…
Is Ireland Ready For a Second Famine?
It is not what Food Harvest 2020 and Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney would be prepared for, despite the fact that the Ministry is ultimately responsible for the food security of the nation!
The people of Ireland would be forced to repeat the history of the 1840s and this time at the hands of their own elected government!
…Read the full text and blog at Bealtaine Cottage Good Life
We Have Governments
We have governments grown into monsters, so disconnected from the will of the people, that they have to control the mainstream media.
We have governments wanting us to spend away our own future and that of our children…consume, consume, consume!
We have governments leading us into wars that have nothing to do with us!
We have governments that no longer represent our hopes and dreams!
We have governments pulling us into the greatest scramble for resources ever witnessed on Planet Earth.
We have governments, elected as our trustees, who bend the will of the people into acts of barbarism and ecocide!
We have governments. We do not have representation.
We have governments. We have nothing. We are on our own…but…
Are we?
Well, anyone who regularly connects to this website knows better…we are individuals with so very much common ground, more than any political party, for we care about our Earth, our community, each other!
The people are sovereign…maybe it’s time to relay that fact to government!
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Twitter… https://twitter.com/PermaGoddess
As War Looms…keeping Faith with Mother Earth!
Such news as makes me angry…so off into the gardens to get working and channel my energy as best I can!
And as if Mother Earth
heard my despair, she has worked tirelessly overnight making the compost heap look beautiful…I laugh out loud in joy!
This morning as I spread compost and seaweed on the vegetable beds, before mulching down with cardboard and straw, I ponder on putting the exposed earth to bed for the winter…this makes me feel as though I am nurturing the great Mother.
It is all I can do to help assuage the horrors of what Man does to her!
The big tidy-up is important, before the wind and rain sets in…and what a lot of tidying to be done!
Just in case you thought anything about where the compost toilet is emptied…in these neat bins, holes drilled into the bottom of each, no smell, no flies and thoroughly sustainable on site!
Cutting and chopping Willow to store for burning…as Charlie supervises!
The Lime trees have begun to shed their leaves.
The bees continue their daily forage in and around the Nasturtiums.
As the seaweed dries out, all these lovely shades of autumn emerge…
Let peace rise up as the Michelmas daisies around Buddha…my mantra for today.
Tend Mother Earth…in this time of destruction…it’s the best we can do!
The Month of Lughnasa
Lughnasa heralds the beginning of Autumn in the Celtic calendar.
Leaves have already begun to drop, with the gentle Birch tree being the first to shed.
There is so much fertility in this annual drop…Bealtaine now boasts reasonable soil, compared to ten years ago!
The change is equally gentle this year, as the summer gradually fades.
Sedums are developing their flower heads, slow to open, with big, flat, pink flowers coming through.
Pockets of light mist occur in the early evening, shrouding valleys and dips.
Lughnasa is my favourite month as the transition into Autumn begins.
Tonight a full moon will rise.
The air is still. Woodsmoke drifts lazily from the old stone chimney and bats begin to venture out.
I am half-sick of the daily news and the threat of war.
I have started knitting again, as a form of relaxing therapy and a choice to be constructive in the face of impending destruction!
Just handling the pure wool and staring at the colours and textures is both a comfort and a delight!
As we enter Autumn we are ready for change.
As we are driven into unstable times, so we need to prepare too.
Creating is important.
It keeps us grounded and optimistic.
The seasons continue, undisturbed by the vagaries of man.
And so shall I!
Game of Thrones
Western skies move slowly, as clouds bank up from the Atlantic Ocean.
Warm air merges with rain sodden earth and the mist rises, wisping it’s way over mountains, that sweep down to bog and lough on the western shores of Europe.
Ireland moves inexorably towards Midsummer and Solstice.
The settlements dotting the landscape are timeless, houses today, cottages not so long ago and earth forts before that.
Mountain, sky, water and earth hold the memory of past lives, all gazed upon by peoples from the past, invader and native alike.
This land has captivated the hearts of countless generations, breaking many on the way.
Revered as sacred, farmed and fought over, grown men have wept unashamedly, as they left from the American Wake, never to return.
Everything we have comes from the land; food, clothes, homes, furniture and health…especially health.
The cycle of life is bound, woven tightly, into the land.
We are woven into the land, despite the layers of seeming impermeability we weave between ourselves and the sacred earth.
In these days of threat and uncertainty, as our leaders play out the dangerous game of thrones that threatens war, our return to the land affords us time of calm and meaning.
We inhabit one very small and exquisitely beautiful planet in a universe of dying stars.
We are of stardust itself…united on this small, blue, beautiful planet.
An Act of Defiance from the Edge of Empire!
It seems as though governments all over the western world are colluding with big corporations and the energy companies to deliberately destroy our environments, and, in the face of much opposition from those who elected them into power…the people.
I have yet to meet the person who supports
war, fracking, privatisation of utilities, or GMOs.
Yet, politicians have, and are, engaged in the pursuit of all of these.
As we approach a global food crisis- and all the warning signs are there, such as rising food prices, oil and the effects of extreme weather- we are in desperate need of leadership.
Leadership is absent.
Rhetoric is everywhere.
We are being force-fed a diet of ‘GMOs are all that can save us,’ publicity, when patently this is not true!
The less choice in seed diversity, the more prone we are to potential famine.
I know that as a grower, working 3 acres of poor land…that it is diversity that builds fertility and food security!
What are we to do?
Act as defiantly in the face of bullish nonsense and stupid politicians as one can.
How?
Plant!
Living near the western seaboard of the Atlantic Ocean, I live on the edge of empire.
I refuse to allow the insanity of empire to bellow it’s anarchic way into my home…I have no television.
I plant.
I grow.
I live frugally.
If I lived in the middle of a city I would keep the same philosophy.
Be defiant: buy less; plant more; save seeds and share! It’s your future…don’t let the politicians mess it up!
This is a video I watched earlier and a fantastic template for those without gardens or allotments…or even with!
The Green Backyard
This is the story of a once neglected urban wasteland in Peterborough, recently transformed into a much-loved community resource by a crew of eager volunteer…
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Be The Change!
I was listening to a radio show host, Roy of Hollywood on PRNfm radio from New York, tell a caller that change begins with government policy and one person on their own can do little to make a difference…paraphrased, but the essence is true to form.
This philosophy is way off mark, for the reality is very, very different.
Every action we take, everything we buy, consume or share, is part of the reality WE make, every minute, every hour, every day…
I oppose fracking and therefore refuse to use gas…
I also refuse to call it ‘natural!’
There is nothing natural about fracking!
I support organic growing methods, so use what little money I have to buy organic, and, for the rest, I ensure that I grow organic.
I could make of list of the actions I take, as one person, to ensure the outcome that I consider to be best for the environment in which I live and the planet we all inhabit, but the real point I want to make is that real power rests with each one of us!
This is the single, most important truth, we are denied access to, by media, government, corporations and those who we allow to tell us what to do and how to live!
The philosophy is simple and determined.
Be the change you want to see.
Be the Change.
From here on in…
How to Change the World, Starting Today…
Many people are feeling dis-empowered and frustrated at the way the world around them seems to be disintegrating.
It is the role of mainstream media to keep you locked in that paradigm, for it is much easier to control and influence those who feel helpless and dis-empowered…ask any victim of domestic violence or bullying!
You would be truly shocked to realise how much power you really have!
You can reclaim your power, along with your humanity, in just a few short steps…steps that will lead you on to bigger and better things!
Change the world, starting today, with just a few, very small changes…
Buy local.
If we are merely consumers, then exercise your power daily and often.
Count how much you refused to give to the corporations…for they are definitely counting!
Be frugal.
Our grandparents were actively encouraged by government to be frugal during the war years of WW2 and how many times have you heard them say that those times were happier and more fulfilling…
Consume less.
Processed, TV dinners and junk food is killing us…return to the art of cooking and eating at a dining table.
Clean out wardrobes and closets.
Give away or sell what is surplus to your quality of life.
Walk more.
Don’t just drive into town where parking meters are waiting to gobble up your precious pennies…park on the outskirts and walk in.
You will meet other people, enjoy your surroundings and get some good exercise, as well as save money and avoid the stress of parking wardens!
Grow food.
The social life on Allotments and Community Gardens is fantastic!
Turn off TV.
Enough said!
Speak out.
Find out the email addresses of local and national newspapers and fire off the regular broadside at them, about issues you feel concerned about.
You have a voice, use it!
Harass politicians!
Your local and national politicians are happy to engage with you at election time and expect you to be quiet and timid for the duration of their office…time to change that, don’t you think?
G8 Summit of Charlatans
What is happening in our societies is not about austerity.
It is not about the economy either.
It is about the blatant, criminal misuse and misappropriation of our taxes.
Was any government you ever voted for, mandated to give our tax money to banks?
Was that the platform that the trustees we elected, in trust, to hold in trust, our state, voted into office?
The media keeps talking about our “Economy”, as though it were our lack of work or effort that caused any of these problems.
We are told continually that the past is the past, what’s done is done and to move on!
We are told that we need to get the economy moving by spending!
I do not want to buy stuff.
I want an equitable society where all are cared for.
Recently, here in Ireland, our government at the behest of the EU, inflicted a “carbon tax” upon us in the form of 75 cents rise on a bag of coal.
But here’s the catch…it is the poorest people who are reduced to buying coal to keep warm…and usually the oldest and most vulnerable in our society.
Where is this tax going?
Well, Ireland has the lowest tree cover in Europe and it is not being re-invested into the planting of deciduous trees.
Most of this money will be traded for Carbon Tax credits…total madness!
We need trees here in Ireland!
I am currently sitting in a G8 Exclusion Zone.
They will be converging just up the road from me, in the next few days, to start the carve-up of what is left in societies.
The forces that be have recently been out on the roads around the G8 Summit Hotel, removing anti-fracking signs…leaders must not be subjected to any kind of opposition to their distorted world views!
I can tell you what they WILL NOT be talking about…
Planting trees!
How we expand education for all!
Ways of supporting the Carers in society!
Creating a more just and equitable society.
Putting programmes in place to encourage people to grow organic food.
Nationalising water and all major utilities to ensure front-line democracy for all citizens!
Social unrest is being driven by corporate greed and the resulting societal chaos compounded by unemployment, mental trauma, & poverty!
Will the G8 address any of these real issues?
I’m not holding my breath!
There’s some real work to be done here at Bealtaine Cottage…trees to plant, food to grow and Nature to engage with…with the occasional cup of tea brewed up on the rocket stove!
Bealtaine Cottage is also on YouTube…with over 100 videos about Permaculture, planting, growing and living.
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Resistance is Edible
The austerity that is being enforced upon us all makes me very angry indeed…for I know how manufactured it all is!
As an act of rebellion against the banks, government and rotten corporations I have turned to the land, one of the last vestiges of freedom that we, as a people, have.
Creating food, from what is supplied in abundance from Nature, is as defined an act of rebellion, in these dark days, as can be found.
Food which will last long past the fruitfulness of summer and autumn…canning is a skill worth learning!
Stewed Rhubarb for crumbles, ice cream, yoghurt, pies and cakes!
Spending a little time yesterday canning some of the Rhubarb harvest has given me the impetus to save and store as much as possible this year.
Foraging will play a role in this Resistance too, ensuring that all walks will allow a little something to be added to the store.
The store includes all that will be of benefit, including fuel, as the hedgerows are littered with dead wood ideal for kindling.
Seeds will be sown late into the season and every patch of the tunnel will be utilised!
The more food that can be produced for ourselves, the less money flows to the corporations…is this why the EU tried to ban us saving and sharing Heritage Seeds?
Resist, eat well and be healthy!
Bealtaine Cottage is also on YouTube…with over 102 videos about Permaculture, planting, growing and living.
Over 535 blogs from Bealtaine Cottage in the archives here.
Thank you for supporting this blog
Fracking the Homestead
Recycled bags and containers at Bealtaine Cottage
Home used to be a place where everything that was needed to live well was grown or made on site by family and neighbours.
Michael Kennedy Mug and Westport Potteries bowl on locally made chopping board
A place in which food was prepared several times each day and shared by all present.
Many basic necessities were stitched or nailed together by those who used them.
Perlagoniums and cats on the window sill
Home used to be a vibrant, thriving project in self-sufficiency, with what was needed to be bought in, purchased on a rare trip to town, or ordered several times each year, to be delivered and stored.
- Missy relaxing on a hot water bottle to ease her tumour…it works well!
Home included a pantry or larder, a cold-store and a well used and scrubbed kitchen table where food was prepared and eaten.
- Valerian growing in the gravel around the cottage
Today, as part of the massive disconnect from our lovely Earth, we have fitted kitchens which are made from chemicals and constantly cleaned with chemicals.
- Orange waste infusing the air with beautiful aroma on top of the stove
The emphasis is on keeping a show-house type of environment, where these expensive kitchens are not used to their full potential.
- A great cure-all…hot water bottle for Missy Cat
Our lives are chemically infused…with clothes, bedding and bodies immersed in chemical solutions on a daily basis.
- Washed in soap, rinsed in rain water and blowing in the wind
Washing machines pound the clothes we buy with chemicals that are washed out into our rivers and oceans, killing life on the way.
- The Bealtaine Cottage angel ponders it all…
We wonder how cancer, autism, asthma, allergies and depression are so rife within our communities?
We seek doctors and drugs to help us live and be well, without paying too much attention to our living state and what the corporations are doing to our environments.
- Recycled floor
Pharmaceutical companies are the most powerful corporate bodies on our planet.
In the US alone in 2011, the pharmaceutical industry spent nearly $29 billion on drug promotion with most of that money targeted at doctors!
Herbs drying naturally
We are taught not to question, but to accept the status quo of a controlled demolition of society…
- A government sponsored controlled demolition of our society!
We are viewed by corporation and government alike, as mere consumers. Passive receivers and worker drones.
- Awakening and refusing to comply!
The realization of this state of affairs is the beginning of our personal journey to freedom and a good life.
Wonderful July 2017 Update!
Our Irish Government has passed the bill to ban Fracking in Ireland!
This was signed into law by President Higgins in July 2017!
If you would like to support the work of Bealtaine Cottage, completely dependent on people who value what I do, here’s how…
Here is the link to my new Patreon page
https://www.patreon.com/BealtaineCottage
Here is where you can send a donation via PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/BealtaineCottage
Some links for you to use should you wish to comment on any of the videos on the Bealtaine Cottage YouTube channel…
The Website… https://bealtainecottage.com/
The Goddess Gardens…
https://www.facebook.com/GoddessGardens/
Twitter… https://twitter.com/PermaGoddess
The Book… https://bealtainecottage.com/a-cottage-and-three-acres-the-bealtaine-story/
Replacing Fear and Hopelessness with Fearlessness and Joy.
The washing is on the line, as there’s a great breeze between the light showers and sunshine.
There is no washing machine or tumble drier here at Bealtaine Cottage, so a little barter or exchange takes place when the washing basket is full…which happens when I’m too busy to wash laundry daily.
A good friend did 3 loads of washing in exchange for a few kilos of blackcurrants from the freezer.
Jam making is under way at her house!
Frozen blackcurrants make a better tasting jam, as the enzymes have already begun to break down the sugars in the fruit.
The same friend brought me a stack of polystyrene fish boxes, that were to be thrown away at the market.
These make excellent seed boxes as you can see in the tunnel today, I have been busy sowing seeds and potting on.
I lay the boxes on the soil as the warm earth will keep an ambient temperature over-night.
Plants and pots are packed into every available space in the tunnel today.
People are angry with the governments who refuse to listen!
A petition was presented to the UK government recently, highlighting the concerns we all have for the health of bees.
It was ignored.
Governments are there to serve us.
The politicians are our servants.
They need to be reminded!Bees are the workforce of Mother Nature!
Aquilegia, Valerian and pot lilies surround Buddha in the potager beds today.
I will leave you with these wise words from Dr Vandana Shiva, my inspiration…
“[How do I do it?] Well, it’s always a mystery, because you don’t know why you get depleted or recharged. But this much I know. I do not allow myself to be overcome by hopelessness, no matter how tough the situation. I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that itself creates new potential. And I’ve learned from the Bhagavad-Gita and other teachings of our culture to detach myself from the results of what I do, because those are not in my hands. The context is not in your control, but your commitment is yours to make, and you can make the deepest commitment with a total detachment about where it will take you. You want it to lead to a better world, and you shape your actions and take full responsibility for them, but then you have detachment. And that combination of deep passion and deep detachment allows me to take on the next challenge, because I don’t cripple myself, I don’t tie myself in knots. I function like a free being. I think getting that freedom is a social duty because I think we owe it to each not to burden each other with prescription and demands. I think what we owe each other is a celebration of life and to replace fear and hopelessness with fearlessness and joy.” ― Vandana Shiva
