“Western civilization is a loaded gun pointed at the head of this planet.”
― Terence McKenna
I was shocked when I first read this quote!
However, it is not a statement I can debate, because, from where I am at this moment in time, I have to agree.
It is short and succinct!
It is true.
Returning recently from a shopping trip to Sligo, my head aching from the slow trawl around shops, keeping apace with other shoppers, most of whom seemed in a trance-like state, almost zombified; it struck me that many were there as a source of passive entertainment.
Shopping has become a pastime for many.
What does this say about our society?
Is it merely that we are nothing more than consumers?
Let’s face it, our governments have long since created the global economic model upon that premise, that we are consumers of a vast global shopping mall.
I live in the EU, where the government in Brussels are continually at odds with people, like myself, who demand a more democratic representation of our views.
Many of these disagreements focus around the EU contamination by big business and corporations which run inherently different policies to the representation of the people.
Those I speak with, especially on the Bealtaine Cottage website, are sickened and angry with such things as the TTIP, Monsanto, agricultural policies and suchlike!
For my part, I loathe guns and any analogies to them.
I do not want to be part of a loaded gun pointed at Mother Earth!
Yet, we are governed in a way which is opposite to what we believe to be right!
I was happy to get home from shopping.
My head was sore!
All the over-wrapped, cheaply produced goods made me feel sick.
Plastic and chemicals that I knew my beautiful Mother Earth would have to deal with!
As the car turned into the entrance to Bealtaine, I heaved a sigh of relief.
I imagine that feeling to be an integral part of what the land releases on a daily basis…
I can’t change the system of corruption within government, but I am aware of its inexorable collapse…for this madness is not sustainable.
We all know, like the Titanic, it’s going down.
And, like the Titanic, those on the bridge can neither see the disaster in front of them, nor believe their vessel to be so easily destroyed.
There is so much happening in the world at present that many of you are struggling to keep abreast of all the doom and gloom, with the war machine ramping up into full steam ahead and governments failing to really listen to the will of the people.
Of course it is as much about money, power and control, as all the previous slaughter on this struggling little planet. Make no mistake, there are forces of evil at work…and they are ALL man made…there is NOTHING supernatural about them!
The bigger picture is, as it always was, about life on this small, perfectly designed and formed Sacred Earth.
This is what is important…the sacredness of Mother Earth.
How much longer can the Great Mother tolerate the slash and burn tactics used by the criminal elite?
When governments and government funded (through tax breaks) corporations, are not slashing and burning the Earth, they are usurping the natural world away from the people they are supposed to serve and represent, by privatizing and corporatizing OUR natural resources.
This is not about protecting Sacred Earth, but creating fiefdoms to harness all the resources of Mother Earth into a vast monster, that is regarded as unassailable and protected by the very laws meant to protect us from such iniquities.
So when I refer to this madness as “Forces of Evil,” I am not exaggerating…for evil is not a part of the natural world, but a dark, malevolent force of great destruction created by Man!
Evil must be resisted…always.
For my part, I am never afraid of evil, but simply contemptuous of it…it is not to be tolerated!
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!
If you would like to support the work of Bealtaine Cottage, completely dependent on people who value what I do, here’s how…
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.
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!
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!
The 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.
The 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.
I 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.
So 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.
For 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.
My advice, for what it’s worth…Don’t Wait For The Cavalry!
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 new sign at Bealtaine Cottage, alongside a more important one…”No Fracking!”
Time to advertise what it is we stand for!
The power of advertising is immense.
Corporations and governments allocate massive amounts of money each year to get their messages of suppression and control across to the public.
However, we have the access to advertising ourselves, if we decide to use our windows, cars, front doors, entrances to propagate our messages…what a load of free advertising space!
On Saturday 25th May, there is a worldwide March Against Monsanto, taking place in all major cities.
If Monsanto is allowed to pimp it’s wares, as it does so successfully to central governments, then pictures such as this, the bee on Lunaria in the permaculture gardens of Bealtaine Cottage, will be rare indeed!
Here in Ireland, marches are taking place in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Clare…with more being added.
WE NEED EVERYONES HELP
WE ARE ASKING ALL ANTI GMO, ANTI MONSANTO, PRO NATURE, PRO HEALTH, PRO ENVIRONMENT, ANTI CHEMICAL POLLUTION, PRO ORGANIC, FACEBOOK PAGES WEBSITES, BLOGS, NEWS CHANNELS, AND NEWSPAPERS TO GET BEHIND THIS MOVEMENT. WE HAVE JUST A FEW WEEKS LEFT. LETS ALL WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS A HISTORY MAKING EVENT. THIS IS OUR MARCH, ALL OF US, THE WORLD UNITED AGAINST SELFISH GREED THAT WOULD DESTROY OUR HEALTH AND THE PLANET IN ITS PATH.
MAY 25th EVERYWHERE
THIS IS EVENT IS FOR ALL OF US
THIS IS OUR EVENT
OUR VOICES HEARD
EDUCATE ALL
Butterflies are making a welcome appearance here in the permaculture gardens, with this lovely little Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) making an appearance this morning.
It settled for a little sunbathing on the Ribes hedge near the Fairy Wood.
The apple trees continue to make a big show of blossom as it all opens to attract the busy bees.
It’s sunny and bright this morning, but appears to be clouding over as the day progresses.
I will be marching against Monsanto in Sligo on Saturday 25th May.
The march begins with a rally at the corner of O’Connell and Grattan Streets at 1pm.
Bealtaine Cottage is also on YouTube…with over 110 videos about Permaculture, planting, growing and living.
Over 550 blogs from Bealtaine Cottage in the archives here.
Television News Stations do not tell you the news.
They give you the views of the elite, who own them and run them.
They feed your children dumbed down shows that make them feel inadequate.
Your doctor does not ask about how YOU are, what you ate last night for dinner, how you slept over the past week.
Doctors prescribe drugs on behalf of the multi-national drug companies who offer them lots of incentives to do so.
The US government fails to support the integrity of the consumer, or even afford integrity to the consumer, by refusing to allocate information relating to GMO’s on food products!
My Irish Government are allowing GMO potato trials and refuse to discuss WHY this is so allowed!
Governments do not remind us that THEY are TRUSTEES of the people, the nation, our country.
Reading about soil today has enlightened me…no, transported me…into another world, seriously!
The world beneath my feet.
I have always had a fascination with Fairies and the world of Nature, but was never fully cognisant of the facts about our soil…that deep, dark, rich matter that gives forth all we eat.
Facts like, a gram of soil contains about 100 million bacteria.
A square metre of fertile farmland can be inhabited by something like around 55 million worms and about 50,000 small insects and mites.
Monoculture diminishes all this, of course.
A monocultured ecosystem is very weak and may not be up to withstanding disturbance…hence the severe erosion and dust storms seen throughout places like the mid west of America.
A complex ecosystem, such as can be found here at Bealtaine Cottage, is better able to adapt to disturbance.
Permaculture has a healing effect in a very short time, allowing the soil to build up a strong ecosystem relatively fast…a few years in the case of this monocultured 3 acres!
Homo sapiens, means, Wise Man.
A Wise Man would not be sieving life out of our Eco-system, or interfering with our food chain and supply by patenting seeds.
A Wise man in Government would not allow that to happen.
After listening to the radio this morning, which I should not have done, I had to seek solace and sanity in the gardens.
I will not go into what it was that upset me, but like most of you who read this blog, you can put a fair guess that it had something to do with the establishment…government, church…that measure of hierarchy!
So, off I went into the gardens to shake it off!
Most of us know right from wrong.
Why is this so very difficult for governments and churches?
Here is today’s video…just a walk through the gardens…click on the link and enjoy…
Apparently, when it explodes, smaller bombs fly out and scatter exploding and causing mayhem…what an incredible thing for the human mind to invent!
Explosive shock waves can cause situations such as body displacement (i.e., people being thrown through the air), dismemberment, internal bleeding and ruptured eardrums.
Hmm…don’t want to think about that, do you?
What a lot of money and imagination to spend on KILLING.
What happens when a bomb is dropped?
Well, a thermal wave is created by the sudden release of heat caused by the explosion.
Military bomb tests have documented temperatures of up to 2,480 °C (4,500 °F)., capable of inflicting severe to catastrophic burns!
Military development of thermobaric weapons, employ a combination of negative shock wave effects and extreme temperature to incinerate objects within the blast radius.
So lots of incineration…sounds like HELL!
And the millions of people who have NO access to healthcare remain sick and dying… Even in the countries where these bombs are manufactured, millions of people go WITHOUT adequate access to any form of healthcare…now, that IS sick!
We can grow, or we can kill.
We can mend, or we can destroy.
We can heal, or we can pollute…THE CHOICE IS OURS.
We should not allow the criminally insane Politicians to keep making these choices for us!
If you would like to support the Bealtaine Project by becoming a member, donate 12 euros for year membership and private website access to Bealtaine Cottage Good Life
Working in the gardens today. The evening has arrived. It’s hot and still and sweat appears effortlessly. To chill out I decided to just ramble around the gardens here at Bealtaine, mug of coffee in one hand, camera in the other.
These are some of the poppies grown from seed this year…all are different shades of pink and red and white and, I hope, perennial.
The girls are happy! I deposited heaps of fresh barley straw all around their extensive runs today. They enjoy scratching around…
I have often thought that what we need more than any religion in the world today is a spiritual order that will teach a sense of belonging to Earth and communion with Nature. I say this because working on this land over the past seven years has brought a sense of spirituality into my life that was never before experienced. This spirituality is creation centred and allows me to see the Divine in so much of Nature that it sometimes takes my breath away.
Even though all our institutions and governments are in debt, it isn’t money that we lack in our lives today…it is that spiritual awakening we most need and it is that which will change our lives and our communities.
Over recent decades we have been exposed to great materialism, yet drug and alcohol abuse increases daily. Here in Ireland, a study out just today, has put Irish motorists at the very top of European drivers surveyed for drug and alcohol abuse. Even here, in this green island paradise, there is a deep disconnect!
Growth on all of the trees planted here has been amazing this year. As I walked through the land I stopped often to look at trees that I had simply forgotten I had planted…they now towered above my head and appeared to look down at me. I almost felt like an intruder!
Generations of people have lived in the west of Ireland, generations have left…and those who remain are fast fading into a sparse population…
This is the story of one abandoned dwelling in the North West of Ireland. Government policy appears to militate against people living here…
Nature begins to consume the little stone barn…
This would have been a pretty little cottage once upon a time.
The roof would have been thatched, flowers planted around the door…
Warm fires would once have welcomed the visitor to this home…now only the eerie silence befalls the traveller…
How many feet once trod a path to bed along this staircase?
Ireland needs people living in the west.
Our government needs to introduce policies to ensure that, or one day many of the present day homes will look like this!
If you would like to support the work of the Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture website, Youtube (ad-free) videos and Open Gardens project, please feel free to…
or visit the Etsy shop and purchase a hand-made or vintage product.
These photographs you are about to see were taken in the area of North West Ireland where prospecting for Gas was carried out in recent years.
The site was purchased by the company who test-drilled.
Local people remember what happened and have spoken to me about it.
In some photographs I am standing right on the site!
Look in wonder at the beauty. Download and save the pics…these may be some of the last taken of this extraordinary, breath-takingly beautiful landscape…
Ferns…some of the oldest living plants in our world.
When I began the Bealtaine Permaculture Project back in 2004 there were few of these beautiful plants anywhere on this land. I remember digging one up in a woodland not far from here and planting it in the small, wannabe woodland that was to become the Fairy Dell…and yes, it is certainly magical! From then till now the population of Ferns on this smallholding has steadily increased each year…
Since the Banking Crisis broke worldwide it has become evident to me just how embedded the corporations are with western governments and the amount of deceit and corruption that abounds within these structures. All kinds of directives come from Europe in relation to farming that, in my understanding, do nothing more than create Monoculture Monsters. To view the land as an economic farming industry is to do so at our peril…Nature WILL not tolerate what we attempt to ignore for the sake of industrialized food production and ultimately, greed. “The world has enough for every man’s need, but not enough for every man’s greed!”
Explosive shock waves can cause situations such as body displacement (i.e., people being thrown through the air), dismemberment, internal bleeding and ruptured eardrums.
What a lot of money and imagination to spend on KILLING.
Military bomb tests have documented temperatures of up to 2,480 °C (4,500 °F)., capable of inflicting severe to catastrophic burns!
Military development of thermobaric weapons, employ a combination of negative shock wave effects and extreme temperature to incinerate objects within the blast radius.
And the millions of people who have NO access to healthcare remain sick and dying… Even in the countries where these bombs are manufactured, millions of people go WITHOUT adequate access to any form of healthcare…now, that IS sick!
We can mend, or we can destroy.
We can heal, or we can pollute…THE CHOICE IS OURS.
We should not allow the criminally insane Politicians to keep making these choices for us!
If you would like to support the Bealtaine Project by becoming a member, donate 12 euros for year membership and private website access to Bealtaine Cottage Good Life
