It has been some time…
“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ~ Henry James
Just as the rosebuds are swelling, early Summer makes an appearance. It has been a long cold Winter and Spring.
Euphorbia has brightened the veranda with its vivid lime green.
And finally, finally the garden stirs into full life.
“Green was the silence, wet was the light,
the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”
~ Pablo Neruda
“Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don’t they should, for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.”
~ Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine.
Garden visitors have left and the warmth of a sunny afternoon is all my own once more.
Quince is now fully open in the sun against the warm wood of the barn wall.
“it’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine … it’s summertime!” ~ Kenny Chesney
Cotoneaster and Birch grow to create shelter by the front door.
Primroses prolong their blooms in the shady banks along the driveway.
Bunting heralds a welcome to garden visitors…every day of May…
And there’s Jack, curious as always to pick up the scent of visitors…
The golden Goddess now has her sacred Owls nearby…one day Owls will move into Bealtaine…one day…
Dandelions create a food path for the bees at the top of the driveway.
Blessings of early Summer be yours XXX Colette, Jack, SammyBear and Beauty XXXX
“A Cottage and Three Acres,” by Colette O’Neill
Please email Colette if you would like a particular inscription in your book. From a desolate cottage set in 3 acres of monoculture sadness, to a vibrant, thriving food forest of life…the journey back to Eden over 13 years… Bealtaine Books and Maps are printed in Ireland and posted from Ireland to support the people of Ireland.
€25.00
In Search of The Goddess Rising
This is the second book in the Goddess Permaculture series from Colette O’Neill at Bealtaine Cottage, Ireland. In this book I explore the ancient landscape, mythology, literature and life around Bealtaine Cottage… in search of the Great Goddess. The price of the book includes all postage and packing to wherever you live in the world! Bealtaine Books and Maps are printed in Ireland and posted from Ireland to support the people of Ireland.
€19.00
Bealtaine Cottage Guide to the Deep Midwinter
A little Yuletide book filled with colour photographs, recipes, reflections, lore, poetry and mirth to guide you through the wonderful days ahead. Fifty pages of sheer delight from Bealtaine Cottage to you. The book is fully bound and can be posted direct as a gift. Price includes P&P worldwide. Bealtaine Books and Maps are printed in Ireland and posted from Ireland to support the people of Ireland.
€13.00
Special Offer
In Search of the Goddess Rising and The Bealtaine Cottage Guide to the Deep Midwinter…both books normally cost €32.00 but can be purchased together for for €28.00 which includes P&P Worldwide. Bealtaine Books and Maps are printed in Ireland and posted from Ireland to support the people of Ireland.
€28.00
Magical Mythical Map of Bealtaine Cottage and Gardens
Beautiful map created by the artist David Gascoigne, especially for Bealtaine Cottage. The picture shows one side of the map…it is printed on both sides, see the photos on this page. The price includes all Postage and Packing to wherever you live in the world! Bealtaine Books and Maps are printed in Ireland and posted from Ireland to support the people of Ireland.
€10.00
Welcome to the Cottage Podcast!
This is Saturday morning at Bealtaine Cottage, Ireland. 
After some adjustments, I’ve managed to sort the Podcast in terms of volume. 
Here it is, complete with the photos I promised to take this morning. 
Each morning I arise and embark on a series of rituals, that culminate with a hot cup of tea in one hand, my camera in the other and faithful Jack by my side. 
It is then that I step out… 
This has been my ritual, though not always with Jack, for the past twelve years. 
And so it continues… 
What has manifested here on this little piece of sacred Earth still takes my breath away! 
I touch base with it as many times a day as I can! 
I take thousands of photographs every year, for the sheer beauty of what Mother Earth can do on three acres of “poor land,” is beyond incredible! 
And this has manifested in one of the last remaining countries on Earth that continues to refer to itself as “Mother.”
“Mother Ireland”
The Great Mother, Mother Earth, Goddess, Creatrix! 
The Celts were one of the last remaining tribes of the Goddess…in that they recognised the spirit of the Earth as female. 
There lies a message in that…
I believe it to be simply this…”I am alive and filled with joy and waiting…” 
And earlier today…
This portal to the Otherworld: a place of being for the Celts, where life existed, but not as we know it!
The portal is the Old Fairy House, which was once the gateway to Kilronan castle. 
This ethereal looking gatehouse was created many years ago, when only horses and carriages travelled the roads of the west of Ireland. 
It was built in the vernacular tradition, using water worn limestone hewn from the surrounding earth. 
Many years have passed since a horse or carriage passed by… 
The entrance is no longer a part of the old estate. 
Here it stands, watching the centuries pass by, unimpressed by progress…and perhaps, if stones could talk… 
I have a notion to bring my video camera with me next time…would you like a video of this enchanting place?
Equinox is all about balance…the balance of equal day and night, of dark and light. 
I await the first light of morning with great anticipation, aware that the light grows more and more precious, to be cherished. 
We are creatures of the light!
We are poised at the turning time and the descent towards Samhain. 
The Celts only recognised two parts of the year in terms of life, and that was Summer and Winter, for Samhain, despite falling on the 31st of October, meant “Summer’s End.”
The sun is casting long shadows…we grow evermore closer to the turning. 
In the night sky, Fomalhaut – the Autumn Star – is making its way across the heavens each night. 
The equinoxes and solstices formed an important part of ancient rituals here in Ireland. 
This Autumn Equinox is also referred to as Mabon.
Mabon is a good time to look at the ancient Greek legend of Persephone and Demeter.
“The breezes taste
Departing summer hath assumed
Stone monuments were built here in Ireland and aligned to witness the light on these days.
One can still view the illumination of these chambers in ancient cairns, at sunrise, on important celestial days. 
It just remains for me to wish you all a Happy Equinox on this beautiful evening at Bealtaine Cottage.
An ancient land, old superstitions and human burial are all part of this intriguing story of love and rejection. 
Join me as I recount the story of The Fairy Tree and what lies beneath…
