Yesterday I spent much of the day in a workshop group learning all about needle felting. It was a day well spent, for I was with others and being creative.
I made this…
We often forget how it feels to simply be.
To be oneself.
To be with others.
To be happy.
To be quiet and still.
To simply be!
We have forgotten…be kind, be kinder.
We are oft times unkind to ourselves.
We can never fully know or understand what others are struggling with, yet we all know the value of a kind word, a caring call or a shared coffee.
Being kind opens the door to personal happiness.
Body wellness is centred around being kind to oneself…something many of us never really think about…especially if we have others to care for.
In the past I have often posed the question, “who cares for the carers?”
Kindness changes everything.
This was the abiding message in the famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” and yes, Rime is the correct spelling!
Being kind and casting a blessing on ‘slimy’ creatures, allowed the mariner to be freed from the corpse of the Albatross.
It is an epic poem and one worth reading, for it is a marvellous story and lesson.
Channelling is a skill that takes practice, eventually becoming an intuitive director of energy, good or bad. 
Yesterday, angry energy was channelled into this creation. 
As we channel energy from one place to another, so we work as alchemists in this world.
Alchemy is a subject I have talked about in previously at Bealtaine Cottage…this little piece of Sacred Earth being itself changed in the most alchemical way by the Goddess of eternal change, Gaia. 
…and I have cut part of a leaf to help heal Sammy-Bear’s right eye that has become rather sore following a fight with another cat…not Beauty! 
I was going to sit down, for I’ve been out most of the day at the pond, finishing clearing the pond-weed! Oh…at last…job done! 
I stood and watched his restful sleep and decided to sit elsewhere! 
He’s a lovely boy who deserves his comfort! 
The signs of season change and early autumn are now quite visible from the windows of the cottage, with lots of yellow appearing on the young Ash trees. By the way, there are lots of Ash seeds for sale and these trees are very, very easy to grow…even as Bonsai! Here’s the link to the seed site…
You can see from the following pics the amount of clearing I’ve done.
It was a mammoth task and I’m jolly glad it’s over! 
The next task involves continuing to clear around the banks and the woodland around the pond.
Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it. Buddha
Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. 
I have a mind to just get on with things…head down into the wind, not looking to right nor left and working until I’m exhausted.
This is probably why I have refused the help of others and never allowed woofers to stay here…I’ve always been stubborn! 
Rebellion against your handicaps gets you nowhere. Self-pity gets you nowhere. One must have the adventurous daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the most interesting game in the world–making the most of one’s best. 
Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from.
I’ve been spending much of this week catching up with a great many tasks that were backing up around me…cork-tiling the bathroom floor and part of the Lodge floor, clearing the tunnel for the winter crops and all the usual stuff such as clearing and mowing the paths in the gardens! 
I have got a lot done because I made the decision last week to come off Facebook…and have shared my thoughts with you on this… 
I posted a number of pics on FB this morning, as so many people delight in seeing Bealtaine Cottage! 
It is, however, almost impossible to respond to comments left on FB as I simply do not have the time and am resolved not to negate my commitment to this blog and the second website at bealtainecottage.org 
Those of you who have followed this blog for any amount of time will be aware of the enormous workload I carry and will, therefore, totally understand this. 
Recently I came across this quote by Joseph Campbell and was deeply moved to meditate upon it for a while. 
It has inspired me to “go with the flow” much more and to simply get on and do whatever tasks need doing, rather than planning and then becoming despondent at what I have not achieved…I can be my own hardest and most severe taskmaster! 
I am determined to come away from this driven approach and relax into life more! 
I could do with taking lessons from Sammy-bear, seen here by the Catnip in the tunnel, out of his mind! 
Cats remind us all how we should relax…frequently and often! 
This is a dark time, filled with suffering and uncertainty. Like living cells in a larger body, it is natural that we feel the trauma of our world. So don’t be afraid of the anguish you feel, or the anger or fear, because these responses arise from the depth of your caring and the truth of your interconnectedness with all beings.
I have found this to be comforting as I attempt to make sense of the chaos! 
This is a bank holiday weekend here in Ireland, and also the great festival of Lughnasadh!
I will stride forth on Lughnasadh Eve to a high point on a nearby mountain to welcome in the new season and pay tribute to Mother Earth and in particular, Mother Ireland. 
To celebrate the season is to turn one’s back on the machinations, arrogance and hubris of Man, seeking instead, the warmth and generosity of the Great Mother…Earth, in all her beauty! 
Before I go, just to let you know, I am writing a blog on the Bealtaine Cottage Good Life website, all about using sheep wool in the tunnel as I prepare it for the Autumn/Winter sowing and planting.
