Tag Archives: full moon

Christmas Eve in the West of Ireland

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There was  a full moon on the Winter Solstice, an unusual event and not occurring in my lifetime again, so, very special to me.

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As my ancestors before me, I celebrate the Solstice, marking the longest night of the year and with the promise of all that lies ahead…

The ritual of fire and feast, music and drink, gathering of family and friends are all important aspects of the Winter Solstice.

faa095f3-3444-4ff8-85d7-2ed42b2e309cThe youngest member of my little tribe was here, forming a focal point for us all as we gathered to celebrate.

8d34b1d6-9432-4e19-8499-c3160d377e92She is displaying a love for the natural world in her wish to be carried around outside and shown the many aspects of the woodland sanctuary, engaging with me as I show her the trees and birds.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the gathering disappears off to their own homes and further adventures of Yule and I am, once more, alone with Jack, birdsong and the increasing energy of the Otherworld all in and around the cottage.

kClN706URJ+1eNruuPNAmAI venture out to collect a few necessities from town and on my way home am enchanted to pull over the car and embrace the quickening evening.

NHNCj+B7T7Se8fht8X3sBQ93tItTHpRliAEKBZcXUm3gtQpjx2JDRxaCSAQzgCpXcQHMUg9TYOktiVFSwN

Dragon’s Breath as is known, moves silently over the fields.

The evening before Christmas Eve is preparing for a quiet slumber in the way in which only happens at this time of year.

A+%uXWYfRx6NgK5Y3AJXhgMist is rolling in across the lough.

t4c5%4z2Sx60AC3mj67xXgIn the rush that is corporate Christmas, most people have not the time to stop and take in this ethereal beauty…I find myself alone in the blue twilight of an Irish evening in late December.

pPzX8S4KGmhOc53T+CgnUKlVuoXR0eLf0ZPbPZayAThe days that follow a gathering are eerily silent.

The sheer contrast of it all!

mhJKVbkqToSCHLxMv9FUXgI am reminded of my solitude.

E3Od4xkFSJqXBfm6a+gdBAThis is a physical solitude, I remind myself, for I am immersed in many lives at Bealtaine Cottage.

uZAezoSuQJq%s3yu72byHALike the time of year, a reminder that days of quickening light lie ahead, when the light and sounds of Spring will make the quiet evenings something to look forward to.

HMUg9TYOktiVFSwNAnd so I make my way home, immersed in the silence of the land itself, at one with this ancient land, my home.

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There are some Bealtaine Cottage calendars for 2019 still available.

 

Calendar and Map

Special offer: Purchase the Calendar and Map together! Cost was €27.00…Special Offer €20.00! Price includes postage to anywhere in the world!

€20.00

Calendar and Midwinter Book

Special Offer! Purchase the Calendar together with the Bealtaine Cottage Guide to the Deep Midwinter for the special price of €23.00 The usual price is €30.00 Price includes postage to anywhere in the world!

€23.00

SPECIAL OFFER! Reduced to clear… Bealtaine Cottage Calendar for 2019

Price includes postage and packing worldwide! The calendar hosts a page of colour photographs from Bealtaine Cottage for each month of the year. The months of the year are written in Celtic script…ie: May is Bealtaine, August is Lughnasadh and so on…many of you are already familiar with the Celtic Calendar. The pictures on each month also feature some added wisdom from Bealtaine Cottage and information on the ancient festivals of Celtic Ireland.

€9.95

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The Walls are Alive, The Cottage Breathes…

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IMG_8667Morning at Bealtaine, infused with tasks and rituals as the hands on the clock move towards midday on this last Thursday of September.

There was a full moon last night.

IMG_8666This was the true Mabon or Equinox moon, casting light through the trees that surround the cottage, illuminating the landscape, lighting the way.

IMG_8645The air remains still and warm, much the same as when I walked through the woodland gardens at twilight last night, making a video as I went.

IMG_8643The cottage is immersed in quiet contemplation as I write…yes, these walls are alive and incubate the vibrations of life within, so reflecting my mood.

No radio, no music, just the occasional brush of wings from birds flitting to and fro as they feed on the wing or in the trees that surround these thick stone walls.

There is a consciousness in all life, something my ancestors held to be true.

IMG_8577In recent years we have rediscovered that truth as Quantum Physics has advanced in understanding our relationship with our world and universe.

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(Home-grown Micro-greens)

Noise interferes with our vibrations, often to the point of our feeling nauseous, confused, even panic-stricken.

Be still and know thyself…a saying so true!

IMG_8507Many of us seek endlessly for a meaning in life, a spiritual awakening.

A ‘Vibrational Shift’ occurs when our consciousness raises from lower to a higher vibration.

This usually happens during a spiritual awakening.

During these next few days as I close my Juice Fast, I feel the need to immerse myself in stillness.

Peace, solitude, quietness, stillness…all sadly lacking in our lives.

Making time to indulge in these is more important now than ever.

Blessings to you all

Colette

coletteoneill2010@hotmail.com

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Thank you Fireheart Tavern.

Thank you  Sumathy…did you receive what you asked for?

Thank you Simon.

 

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Lunar Eclipse in Pisces Full Moon

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full moon 21 oct 10 007I walked out tonight into the bright light of the full moon.

Harvest Moon in the West of Ireland, tonight!We have, over the past few days, experienced a wonderful full moon and lunar eclipse.

During this time we have been getting connected with our intuitive energies.

Bealtaine Cottage standing stone in permaculture gardensOur ability to connect the head with the heart.

Pisces is a very emotional and intuitive sign.

We need to get ready for some big shifts in our lives.

Bealtaine Cottage moon rising over the permaculture gardensProcessing painful memories can be very fruitful now.

This is a positive time for people in general.

It’s a good time to deal with issues and have an emotional clear out.

The Fairy Wood at Bealtaine CottageThe Lunar Eclipse was on the 16th of September and the vibrations from that continue to be felt.

This is a cycle of completion and closure…an opportunity to move on!

Celtic Triad BroochThis full moon is also about release.

Eclipses are often linked to accelerated development.

Angel at Bealtaine CottageFull moons illuminate, so you have experienced memories from the past that have emotional resonances.

This has certainly been true for me.

The experience can be intense indeed.

Amethyst horn at Bealtaine CottageHowever, the space is now cleared and has opened up new space to rebuild.

bealtainecottage.com 007Time to move forward!

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Under A Full Moon in the Magical Gardens

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I made this video this evening so you can enjoy a walk through the gardens and see what’s growing and coming to blossom.

 

Happy to be appreciated!

Scorpio Moon

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Approaching the full moon in Scorpio feels quite tense...

Approaching the full moon in Scorpio feels quite tense…

This month marks the tenth anniversary of Bealtaine Cottage.

Today, the 14th of May 2014, is the full moon of Bealtaine.

This marks the actual Bealtaine celebration, as many of you know.

The full moon is in Scorpio, my star sign.

DSCF1265All I can say is that I am exhausted and feeling like I have reached rock bottom.

According to what I have read on many of the Astrology sites, this is to be expected!

www.bealtainecottage.comApparently, all the ups and downs I have been experiencing are almost at an end.

Even as I write this, my photographs are refusing to upload!

This Full Moon in Scorpio illuminates the last of negative issues, though tonight feels very intense indeed!

DSCF1029I have been advised to gather my courage and take action that will enable me to  move forward.

Yes, that just about sums up how I see it!

It is rare that I feel exhausted, but I have to conclude that tomorrow I shall stay in bed…well, as much as I can, between walking Jack, feeding the pets, lighting the stove, seeing to the hens…

Approaching Equinox

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March 2014

Mist and frost in the early mornings are a feature of March and the approaching Equinox.

March 2014

Buds have opened on the Ribes to reveal scented pink flowers that serve as an early breakfast for Bees making their way out of hibernation and in desperate search of a nectar shot or two!

March 2014Work has been ratcheted up a few notches, as the rain has ceased and everything, including the woodwork, has begun to dry out…time to paint fences and sheds with preservative!

March 2014This is the new blue fence, courtesy of three rather rusted looking tins of blue wood preservative I have had donated to me from a friend, who had them in her shed for quite a few years!

March 2014The colour of the sky on a clear day!

March 2014Daffodils have really come into their own this week, with splashes of yellow all over the gardens.

March 2014The flooded ponds remain delightfully brimming and filled with frogs spawn.

March 2014…a decoy duck, I have to add!

March 2014And a rarely seen view, looking past the Willow Fedge, into the undergrowth of trees.

March 2014May 2014 marks the tenth anniversary of Bealtaine Cottage, from rushy grass monoculture to this little Eden.

March 2014The gardens will be open for one day each month through Spring, Summer and Autumn this year…check out the link at the top of this page!

March 2014After painting this little bench with some of the preservative, I moved it…

March 2014…down to this newly cleared dry spot by a Great Western Cedar, planted eight years ago and now affording wonderful shelter in which to sit and enjoy the sun.

March 2014The last full moon before Equinox rises over Bealtaine.

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Bealtaine Cottage has built up a Permaculture Seed Bank.

If you want to see a list of available, Not-For-Profit seeds, this link will take you there…https://bealtainecottage.com/seeds-from-bealtaine-cottage/

Seeds from Bealtaine Cottage in Ireland are posted all over the world, the donation is the same wherever you live!

Bealtaine Cottage is also on YouTube…with over 110 videos about Permaculture, planting, growing and living.

There are over 600 blogs in the archives on this site.

As an Ark for Nature, trees and wildlife, the smallholding of Bealtaine Cottage receives no grant aid from the EU, as only farm animals, monoculture and set-aside are grant-aided!

Your donation helps remedy that…

Permaculture Gardens

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www.bealtainecottage.com

The growing season has begun, with Rhubarb sending forth strong pink stems despite the storms of recent weeks.

www.bealtainecottage.comMeanwhile, down in the Fairy Wood, ferns have kept their green in the shelter of the dell. Mosses grow bright in the sunlight and ivy twists and twirls around the Goat Willow.

www.bealtainecottage.comLots of Goat Willow has been coppiced over recent months, and although it takes a year or so to season, it makes excellent logs for the stove, giving out masses of heat for free!

www.bealtainecottage.comFurther down the gardens, Pine, laurel and Great Western Cedar all grow happily together and appear healthy in the spring sunshine.

www.bealtainecottage.comDaffodils are on their way to opening under the shelter of the Beech hedge. This is down beside the pond by the driveway.

www.bealtainecottage.comAnd as I turn around from the Daffodils, the Ivy that hangs from some of the mature Goat Willow, swings about in the wind and sunshine…this is turning into a lovely walk around the gardens!

www.bealtainecottage.comI amble around the lower pond, snapping as I go…Jack moves ahead of me, tugging on his lead for he has picked up the scent of a fox or badger!

www.bealtainecottage.comI put my camera away and let Jack pull me along, hot on the scent of other life…we finally stop as we come up to the east side of the cottage.

www.bealtainecottage.comWe move around towards the polytunnel and one of the orchards. Pyracantha and Cotoneaster are now devoid of berries. This can be a hungry time for the birds as they mate and nest…there is a big bag of Oats I can scatter around in handfuls for the hungry birds and will do this later.

www.bealtainecottage.comBack to the cottage and the shelter of the veranda…it’s very stormy, despite the sunshine!

www.bealtainecottage.comWith a full moon over Bealtaine Cottage tonight and a hard frost to come, the evening will be cold for sure.

www.bealtainecottage.comThe coppicing continues and the woodpile grows…

www.bealtainecottage.comFennel is beginning to send forth lots of new growth in the shelter of the veranda and the back of the cottage. These new shoots are delicious added to salad!

www.bealtainecottage.comAnd just across from the Fennel…

www.bealtainecottage.comAnd a reminder for anyone wanting 100% Bealtaine seeds from Bealtaine Cottage…there is a link at the top of this page where you can choose what you want.

Don’t Wait For The Cavalry!

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www.bealtainecottage.comSammy-Bear is filthy.

From head to paw, disgusting in the extreme!

Last night, as the moon came towards its fullest, Sammy refused to come in.

As I walked Jack in the full light of a post storm moon, I could see Sammy on the hill behind the cottage darting here and there as he chased something.

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Hours later he slunk home in this disgraceful state!

He refuses to clean himself, ignoring my chastisements and sits in full state, on the executive chair, in front of the stove!

I may as well talk to the wall!

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There is a full moon tonight and the air is still.

Over recent days the storms have been intense, with rain, snow, wind and tornado!

www.bealtainecottage.comThe extremes of weather are being felt all across the world.

The British Isles have been hit quite badly with floods and high winds all over.

www.bealtainecottage.comThe effects of this extreme weather in terms of financial cost has not been talked about too much in the media.

There appears to be an Ostrich reaction to it all, as economies are talked up and realities are ignored.

www.bealtainecottage.comI don’t feel I need to write about the cost to our environments, as I do so all the time really, but the financial cost to countries will be immense and will certainly slow any hoped-for economic recovery.

www.bealtainecottage.comSo it is well worth mentioning once more the power we all have, to grow food and make plans for our own home economies as best we can!

I might add here, that our worst, can only really equal the best that our own governments appear to be doing in the face of environmental disaster.

By applying common sense and with a little foresight and planning, we will ensure some security of tenure on this battered planet.

www.bealtainecottage.com 058For my part, planting trees for coppicing and energy needs will ensure a warm home next winter.

Storing and familiarising myself with the use of dried pulses, growing and successfully storing home-grown produce, as well as becoming well-versed in the very best home-made soups and potage dishes, continues to occupy my spare time.

candle_004_reasonably_smallMy advice, for what it’s worth…Don’t Wait For The Cavalry!

An Evening with Mr D’Arcy

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www.bealtainecottage.com

Snow is falling this evening.
It has fallen in small flurries all day, only to melt and try again.
This evening the snow is sticking.
A near full moon rose in the afternoon sky.
Spring has scurried back under a blanket of white.
www.bealtainecottage.comThe oven is very hot as the stove has been kept topped up with wood, so I have slid a tray of vegetables onto the top shelf to roast…always a healthy, tasty meal.
What remains will be blended into a soup, with stock and red lentils…tomorrows lunch!
DSCF0480I visited the library in town today and borrowed  books and DVDs, always good value, as the yearly membership of less than ten euros covers all loans, unlimited throughout the year.
DSCF0478Tonight will be a cosy time watching Pride and Prejudice, (The BBC version) on DVD in the lodge, wood-burning stove hot and kettle boiling for tea atop!
www.bealtainecottage.comIt will be cosy enough to enjoy the thought of snow all around the cottage.
www.bealtainecottage.comIt is a dreadful thing to be cold.
If I relied on Electric, Gas or Oil, I would be huddled in blankets for sure, as all are prohibitively expensive.
The advantage of the wood stove is that I can even burn old pallet wood in it and be assured of heat.
The skips in cities are filled with waste wood and many people are cold…this is nonsensical!
www.bealtainecottage.comEarlier today, as the sun shone into the cottage, Jack spread himself across the floor, enjoying the day that was.
www.bealtainecottage.comIt was lovely to watch him lapping up the Spring sunshine.
www.bealtainecottage.comThere has been a small lapse back into winter, but Spring is here!