Tag: health

Posted in Bealtaine Cottage, healing, Health, Ireland, Miracles

Miraculous Recovery

Posted on by Colette O'Neill

Bealtaine Cottage blue skies

Many of you are familiar with the tragedy recently encountered by Patrick and Jessica, both subscribers to Bealtaine Cottage and Bealtaine Cottage Good Life.

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The surge of good wishes, prayers and healing energy that was manifested by all of you, through Bealtaine Cottage, has led to a nothing short of a miracle being experienced on the other side of the Irish Sea!

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Patrick rang me this morning to tell me the wonderfully uplifting news!

I asked Patrick to email a little of what he spoke of to me, so I could share this wonderful news with you all.

These are his words…read and be inspired!

Evening at Bealtaine

“I’d like to give you and your followers an update on how my partner Jessica is doing after her tragic accident on December 1st.
Medical professionals told us then, and have repeated since, that her head injury was ; ” as bad as it gets “, that they expected her to die , and if she did live , it would be with a great deal of impairment, and quite possibly in a vegetative state.

kitchen window sill at bealtaine cottage

She has confounded their expectations !

She came home on February 3rd.

Medical staff would have expected, even now for her to be in a hospital bed and several months from discharge.

She visited the hospital last week, but as the lay member of an interview panel for a senior critical care nurse vacancy.

Doctors and nurses are now using words like ” AMAZING ! ” , and indeed ” MIRACULOUS “, to describe her recovery.

wild honeysuckle on the table at bealtaine cottage

Jess has an amazing spirit.

She had so much to live for before the accident; we were planning a new life together , we were going to relocate to Ireland….. buy a smallholding … bring her horse and our dogs …. Live the GOOD LIFE !!

porch at bealtaine cottage

To get Jess back was like a lottery win, we remembered that you wrote that we should keep our dreams ‘warm’; and it was tantalising to think that maybe , just maybe ???

Well we did more than maybe.

We’ve gone ahead with the purchase of a smallholding at Hawksford Co. Roscommon!

Oak seedlings growing at Bealtaine

We came over to Hawksford on April 13th and Jess saw our new home.

For the first time since the accident Jess was ‘alive’ , animated and herself.

You could visibly see recovery taking place!!!

We had to return to the U.K. after 3 days as Jess had medical appointments, BUT she left reluctantly!

Bealtaine Cottage on Midsummer morning

We will have to use our new home as a holiday place until Jess’s recovery is complete, but then we hope to live there permanently and live OUR DREAM.

Bealtaine Cottage sign

Thank you again for your, and your followers positive energy, love and support …. it really helped !!!

We hope to visit you soon at Bealtaine ; especially as we’re almost neighbours,

Patrick and Jessica xxx .”

_____________________________

I think I can safely add that we all wish you blessings, love and continued health XXX

Colette and all well-wishers and friends of Bealtaine Cottage XXX

Posted in Earth, Earthing, good health, ley lines, mental health, stones

Earthing

Posted on by Colette O'Neill

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Earthing is a way of connecting with Mother Earth, going barefoot, without shoes whenever possible.

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There’s just something about the feel of the ground under my feet that is magical and energizing.

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The energy of the Earth was part of everyday life for our ancestors.

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They walked the Ley Lines, they felt the energy of the Mother beneath their feet.

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When was the last time you walked barefoot upon the Earth?

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Ley lines connect ancient monuments and sacred sites with Earth energies.

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To walk barefoot upon the Earth is good for mental health well-being.

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We are a civilization without connection to the very world we inhabit.

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We fear the dark.

permaculture at Bealtaine Cottage

We fear ridicule.

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We have entrapped our bodies from making progress on our spiritual journeys, for without our connection to Mother Earth we are wandering souls, alone and bereft of comfort and joy.

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Earthing is a part of Natural Healing.

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Walking barefoot invokes a calming energy and helps us to get to know who we are.

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When I feel in any way distressed, I walk to a special place in the gardens, remove my shoes and stand, stretched out on the Earth.

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It is comforting and empowering.

Stopping by the Silt-pond
Stopping by the Silt-pond

Try it…get earthed!

Posted in Abundance, Bealtaine Cottage, Frugal Living, Garden, Inspiration, Ireland, Life, Lifestyle, Permaculture, Thoughts, Thrift

A Simple Life

Posted on by Colette O'Neill

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“A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with—that’s poverty—but how efficiently we can put first things first. . . . When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar.”

― Victoria Moran

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Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things. ~Elise Boulding

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Yesterday, I found myself with two juicers.

Through fortune and kindness, my life had become too full, and so I gave one away, to a friend who needs to take good care of her health.

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She was delighted and my cupboard was, once more, roomy and ready to receive.

To live in a state of abundance, it is necessary to practice frugality.

One cannot work without the other.

Abundance needs space to grow!

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Clinging onto what one does not need creates clutter, confusion and chaos.

Is it any wonder the world is in such a state?

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We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it. ~Donald Horban

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The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed — it is a process of elimination. ~Elbert Hubbard

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I have two websites… Bealtaine Cottage and Bealtaine Cottage Good Life.

This site, Bealtaine Cottage, is free and has over 850 blogs, as well as over 3,500 photographs.

Bealtaine Cottage Good Life costs 12 euros per year and allows me a small income, to keep doing what I love doing most…writing about Mother Earth and photographing her.

Making this small donation adds your name to the subscriber list.

You will then have access to the website and full blog as published twice each week.

This amounts to 104 publications per year, at a cost of 12 cents each!

                                                          Click on button below to join the website…

Posted in Baking, Cats, Country Living, Folklore, Food, Garden, Growing Food, Herbs, Inspiration, Life, Permaculture, Smallholding, Tea, Thoughts, Vegan

Keeping Good Health This Winter with Dracula!

Posted on by Colette O'Neill

Bealtaine Cottage PermacultureOne of the mainstays of good health…organically grown onions here at Bealtaine Cottage on the veranda, drying out before stringing.

Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture Onions, Apples and Blackcurrants, organically grown, will provide an enormous amount of protection from colds and viruses and at the same time help to keep the blood free from oxidants.

All this because prevention is better than cure!

Bealtaine Cottage PermacultureA pot of tea, comforting and refreshing as well as being a powerful anti-oxidant

organic garlic, Bealtaine CottagePermacultureGarlic…not just for keeping vampires away!

Garlic at Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture garden 015Traditionally, whole bulbs of wild garlic were placed under the thatch of Irish cottages, just above the door, to keep away evil!

Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture

It is no surprise that the writer of the book, “Dracula,” was, in fact an Irish man, Bram Stoker.

Garlic keeps the blood clean…apparently!

A slice of garlic placed on a cut will kill all infection!

rosehips Bealtaine Cottage PermacultureStudies now suggest that Rose-hip extract can reduce the pain of osteoarthritis.

Rosehips at Bealtaine Cottage PermacultureIn the past this was used to make a poultice which was then applied to painful joints in hands, knees and hips.

Bealtaine Cottage PermacultureIt has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect and will successfully treat the inflammatory condition AND is free of any side-effects.

Rose Arch at Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture GardensThis is a very easy to grow cure and has many other uses…for example, the hips are packed with Vitamin C!

Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture breadAnother case of prevention being better than cure…sunflower seeds, used in bread-making will provide a good source of Omega to the body and be powerful in the protection of good health all round.

I add the hulled seeds to bread and flapjacks.

Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture catsWe should enquire of the older generation what it is that has kept and continues to keep them in good health.

Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture home made soupHome made vegetable soup is one of the best sources of goodness to keep good health throughout the winter.

Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture pumpkinsI make this in batches, using pumpkins from the pantry and keep it in the fridge, along with home made bread.

Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture PumpkinsPumpkins will keep for the entire winter if stored in a cool pantry.

Bealtaine Cottage Permaculture TreesThe Elder tree was used as the mainstay of good health in village life long ago.

The leaves, bark, flowers, berries and roots were all used in folk medicine and herbal cures.

Bealtaine Cottage interior designThis is another easy to grow tree that keeps on giving…Elderflower Wine is absolutely scrumptious!

If you wish you can subscribe to the latest website from Bealtaine Cottage…”Bealtaine Cottage Good Life”…simply make a donation of 12 euros for a full year and access the long list of blogs now on site. Quote: “Bealtaine Cottage Good Life” with your donation.

(Please note that this small donation sustains the work on this website, Bealtaine Cottage YouTube, Bealtaine Cottage Podcast and Bealtaine Cottage Magical Gardens FaceBook.)

 

Posted in Abundance, Animals, Bealtaine Cottage, Birds, celebrations, Celtic Mythology, Celts, Country Living, cows, Current Affairs, Earth, Fairies, Folklore, Inspiration, Permaculture, Uncategorized, Wildlife

The Festival of Bealtaine

Posted on by Colette O'Neill

Aquilegia, now growing all over the permaculture gardens and driveway of Bealtaine Cottage, from its beginnings here 8 years ago, with a handful of seed, saved from a some flowers growing in a garden in North London.

The time is near…Mayday, known as Bealtaine here in Ireland. It is pronounced “Be Al Tan Ah”

Irish mythology marks the beginning of May as the  the start of the summer.

This was  heralded in  with the Fire Festival at Bealtaine.

Great bonfires would mark a time of purification and transition.

There was the hope of a good harvest later in the year, and celebrations were accompanied with rituals to protect the people from any harm by otherworldly spirits. Cattle would be driven through the dying embers of the great bonfires, to protect them from disease.

The Ancient Races who constructed  Newgrange in Ireland aligned their monuments to the major solar events.

These were the Winter Solstice, the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox.

The solar year was further divided to mark the half way points between the major solar events giving the cross quarter days of Imbolc,  Bealtaine,  Lughnasadh and Samhain.

Click on the link below for today’s video from Bealtaine Cottage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiyT1TSbaU&list=UUHkXJ9wsrdPEpzb-KMgmt-A&index=1&feature=plcp

Posted in Cats, Food, Permaculture, Tea, Uncategorized

Tea, Toasted Bagels and Good Spirits!

Posted on by Colette O'Neill

Cutting back branches today.

This is a good way of creating more fuel for the fire and is easy to do even if there is no barn or shed to stack them in. Simply clean them back and make a wig-wam to stand them up so they can air dry. These little wig-wams can stand over the Spring and Summer and be ready to burn over the winter.

Daffodils placed in the warmth of the kitchen today.

I picked them yesterday whilst out on a walk in the forest. They were growing around the ruins of an old castle near the lough. The daffodils had multiplied over the years and were simply everywhere!

Spring daffodils have become a marker of displaced and emigrated families as they come into bloom around ancient, deserted ruins…

Jack is a happy dog these days…for Flo has come to stay!
Flo is yet another stray dog, re-homed through Bealtaine Cottage and a regular returnee…in fact she loves being here and Jack’s eyes have become heart shaped!

Flo and Jack make a strange looking couple, as Flo is tiny and Jack is, well, you can see what I mean!

Tea is my favourite tipple and I have recently discovered Redbush Tea…which is delicious! I have made a toasted cinnamon and sultana bagel…oh, the simple things in life are always the best!

I was chatting with Mum on the phone recently and she is already looking forward to the late Spring and the Bluebell blooming in the forest nearby Bealtaine.

It is amazing that Mum has happily been in good heath since her Breast Cancer Operation nearly two years ago. Mum resolutely refused any drug treatment or radiotherapy , saying that she simply wanted to live without any interference, appointments etc. Well, so far, so good! Mum is a great tea drinker…and I think that helps both her health and her spirit!

Many of my regular readers have said how they read this diary during morning or afternoon break, with a cup of tea or coffee…Cheers!

PS: Missy continues to be rather poorly and is visiting the Vet this afternoon.  We make sure she is kept in good spirits and with plenty of love and warmth.  Fingers crossed!

Posted in Earth, Garden, Life, Personal, Spring, Uncategorized

Reflections from Bealtaine Cottage

Posted on by Colette O'Neill

“Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you. ”
― Christian D. Larson

Posted in Abundance, Culture, Current Affairs, Earth, Eco-Living, Ecology, Gaia, Permaculture, Sustainable Living, Thoughts, Uncategorized

From Reproductive to Extractive Growing…What Lies Ahead…

Posted on by Colette O'Neill

The permaculture students have all left, making their way home filled with enthusiasm and plans for what lies ahead…and that is what a permaculture course does for one…giving hope for a future where the land is viewed as to be looked after and nurtured…

The word ‘ecology,’ comes from the word ‘oikos,’ which means house or habitat.

Ecology is something we have to understand fully before we can begin to implement the changes that are necessary to preserve our environment and nurse it back to health.

Our resource base is what forms our ecology, or home…energy and materials.

All primitive communities relied on renewable energy.

Industrialism reversed the pattern and way of life followed for millenia by our ancestors.

Since industrialisation, we have used non-renewable energy and have done so to our own peril!

The way in which we view the earth has moved from feudalism to capitalism and has marked the end of the collective view of our resource base and the start of a much more egotisitical and self-centred view  of the world around us.

Not for the better, I hasten to add!

So, what happens when humanity has spent over a 150 years or more living off the capital instead of the interest?

The advent of industrial capitalism has changed the way in which we regard and relate to our environment.

We speak of the earth’s resources as ‘raw material,’ with little respect for the land which produces it.

And as we hurtle down this path of eventual destruction, Gaia struggles to maintain a balance…all is fast becoming unbalance and anarchic.

Biodiversity is lost to the devastation that is ‘economic growth!’

 The very essence of our survival is biodiversity.

Permaculture is the only model that provides abundantly and increases biodiversity as it does!