Magical Wild Herbs and Other Things

Hawthorn is one of the sacred Ogham trees of Ireland. It goes by the name Huath in Irish, being the tree that symbolises Bealtaine, the merry month of May! This is also a wonderful, magical herb of abundant medicine. Hawthorn, or whitethorn, is easily identifiable during this time as her creamy blossoms brighten hedgerows, stone walls, fields and sacred sites. Hawthorn is also known as the fairy tree for it is believed, especially a solo tree in a field, that it is a place that fairies would stop to rest (or party!) as they traversed across the land. There was…

Mother

March 23, 2017March 23, 2017 Categories: Bealtaine Cottage · Earth · Garden · GardeningTags: Bealtaine cottage · Colette O'Neill · connection · garden · Goddess-Permaculture · gowing food · herbs · Ireland · Mother's Day · Permaculture · planting · polytunnel · woodland26 Comments

“I was elected by the women of Ireland, who instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system.” ~ Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland Walking through the upper gardens this morning and snapping photographs as I went… As I walked I thought about my Mother, my Grandmother and some of the women who have influenced my life, as Mother’s Day approaches… Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland was certainly one of those women! “The Irish presidential election of 1990 was the tenth held in Ireland and the first to include a female candidate. Independent politician Mary Robinson would go on…

Magic in the Fairy Wood

March 16, 2016March 16, 2016 Categories: ancient · Fairies · Garden · Permaculture · Trees · Uncategorized · Woodland · woodland walk · woodsTags: Bealtaine cottage · fairies · fairy · fairy thorn tree · garden · herbs · Ireland · nature · new growth · sapling · spirits · walk · woodland · woodland floor · woods7 Comments

On such a morning as this, there can only be one place to gently go…come with me as I venture down into the Fairy Wood at Bealtaine Cottage. Nature spirits are in evidence in the lush new growth. Magic abounds… Please consider supporting Bealtaine Cottage Bealtaine Cottage https://bealtainecottage.com/ Bealtaine Cottage YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/BealtaineCottage Bealtaine Cottage Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/bealtaine-cottage Bealtaine Cottage Twitter https://twitter.com/PermaGoddess Bealtaine Cottage Magical Gardens Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GoddessGardens/

Bottling Summer

June 27, 2014June 27, 2014 Categories: Abundance · Bealtaine Cottage · Bloom · Cottage · Country Living · Earth · Edible Gardens · Fairies · Frugal Living · Garden · Home Made Wine · Inspiration · Life · Lifestyle · Nature · Permaculture · Self-Sufficiency · Summer · Uncategorized · WineTags: blackcurrant wine · bottling · cottage borders · depths · feast for the senses · Feverfew · galic oil · herbs · making garlic and herb oil · Midwinter · Oregano · polygonum · smiles · summer · the Summer · valerian · visitor · wine · wine bottles25 Comments

The old tin bath has been taken down from the wall of the barn. Used wine bottles are left to steep for a few hours in rainwater. Washed and clean, ready to be filled with home-made Blackcurrant wine. There is always at least one day during the Summer, when one feels enthusiastic enough to overcome the reluctance to get stuck into bottling wine…today, all the right chords were struck and the work began! Cork stoppers were duly washed and left to soak and soften, till, finally… the wine was securely bottled! All that remains to be done is labelling…Chateau Bealtaine!…

Beyond Civilization

January 15, 2014January 15, 2014 Categories: Culture · Current Affairs · Earth · Eco-Living · Food · Growing Food · Inspiration · Permaculture · Self-SufficiencyTags: better world · civilization · climate change · Collapse · conflict resolution · craft skills · extreme weather · Extreme weather events · first-aid · food growing · healthcare · herbs · Permaculture12 Comments

The light is changing. As it does, a new growing season begins to unfold. This is the year of change, as more and more people realize, that civilization, as we have come to know it in these past decades, holds little hope of holding together. I do not say this lightly and the reasons I see for it are manifold, but the main contributors to the calamitous and increasing loss of habitat and stable environment on the planet, is civilization itself! Our civilization has created the perfect conditions for collapse of the very systems that sustain us. We have watched…

Irish Cottage Life

October 21, 2013October 22, 2013 Categories: Abundance · Animals · Autumn · Bealtaine Cottage · Blessing · Cats · Cottage · Country Living · Dogs · Eco-Living · Edible Gardens · Food · Garden · Inspiration · Ireland · Permaculture · Smallholding · Sustainable Living · TreesTags: abundance · book · Boyle · card · Christmas Book · christmas gift · County Roscommon · flowers · herbs · Irish cottage life · Jack · kindling · outdoors · Permaculture gardens · shabby chic · small logs · Suzy the vet · vegetables and flowers · Yuletide12 Comments

The permaculture gardens are very wet today…the rain has been quite relentless! Never mind! Lots to do indoors and sorting through boxes of “things,” I was happy to find these lovely Yuletide cards. Doesn’t she look gorgeous in the snow? As I am receiving orders for the Bealtaine Cottage Christmas Book, I thought that I would add these lovely cards, as a way for me to send the book to someone you love, with a card inscribed with your message. Anyway, you can have a peek, using the link at the top of the page! Missy continues to make a…

Autumn in the Permaculture Gardens of Bealtaine Cottage

September 9, 2013September 9, 2013 Categories: Abundance · Animals · Bees · Birds · Cats · celebrations · Celts · Edible Gardens · Garden · Growing Food · Ireland · Lifestyle · Permaculture · Self-Sufficiency · Uncategorized · VeganTags: apple harvest in Ireland · herbs · juicing · permaculture apple harvest · Samhain · stone circle · summer · vegan raw food diet. · Vernal Equinox7 Comments

Stepping out in search of breakfast…the potager beds are full and the apple trees drip with fruit…lots of good, fresh food to juice this morning! Much of my Vegan diet is raw food…I love it! It makes me feel alive and well! The morning is mild and very still…I can hear the birds move through the bushes, as they dip and swoop along the paths in the gardens. Rustling sounds entice me along the paths towards the stone circle…the cats are at play in this magically wild field to the north of the cottage. Sammy-Bear sits atop the stone seat,…

The Magical Garden

June 5, 2013June 5, 2013 Categories: Abundance · Bees · biodiversity · Celts · Garden · Gardens · Herbs · Inspiration · Ireland · Life · Permaculture · photography · Seeds · Summer · Thoughts · Uncategorized · Wild FlowersTags: ancient stones · bees · bluebells · Cow Parsley · ferns · garden · herbs · June morning in Ireland · lushness · magic · meadow · midsummer · poppies · roses · scented · stone circle5 Comments

The morning is hot and sultry. The sky is clear blue. Ireland basks in heat. Roses on the veranda are making a spectacular show and the delicate scent fills the morning air As we ascend towards Midsummer plants have suddenly taken off and appear to have grown overnight. Poppies have opened all over the gardens, even in the tunnel. These self seed and come up more intensely year on year. Herbs are filling the beds as bees buzz busily overhead. The grass within and around the stone circle has turned to meadow. Cow Parsley vies with Ferns for space around…

An Angel in the Snow

February 5, 2013 Categories: Angels · Animals · Bealtaine Cottage · Cats · Cottage · Crafts · Garden · Growing Food · Herbs · Organic Garden · Permaculture · Spirituality · UncategorizedTags: Atlantic Ocean · herbs · menu · pumpkins · seeds for sale · smudge sticks · snow · Spring · tunnel · vegetable soup · veranda6 Comments

The wind howled all night as it carried snow in from the Atlantic Ocean. The moon drifted downwards as the sun rose. Somewhere in-between I got up and lit the stove, walked the dogs and returned to settle into a hunker-down day in the cottage. As I write, the dogs are in their baskets and the cats are lounging on the sofas. Animals know when it’s cold and really appreciate being indoors! Che-Mousy-Bear is purring loudly on the sofa nearby my desk. Sam sits opposite. Stereo purring! This kind of weather often makes an appearance after Spring has been called….