On this beautiful day in the west of Ireland…Potting on seedlings, dealing with slugs and enjoying a bit of a rant! When something is not right, then it’s just not right!
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Tag: politicians
Seedlings, Slugs and Political Shenanigans
End of Empire and Climate Chaos
The greatest concern of our times is happening on a daily basis and affecting every one of us.
Weather volatility is real and happening and the Ostriches in power appear impotent against the great forces of Nature.
The gabbling media assault our senses with celebrity highs and lows, sport and highly edited titbits of what is happening internationally…all the while keeping away from any real conversation about the chaos that is the weather all around us and those dreaded words: Climate Change.
However it is not Climate Change any more…the media have completely missed out on that conversation!
It has evolved rapidly into Climate Chaos!
I would like to offer words of comfort and reassurance, but that’s not possible, for I live in the real world and events are happening too fast for me to be able to offer predictions that will reassure!
Last night I slept with both windows open in my bedroom, bathed in warmth from the wind that blew all night from the south.
The wind chimes on the veranda played ceaselessly…something that has never happened before.
I use all my senses to try to build a picture of what the media refuses to inform me about.
The big news is that the Jet Stream is out of control!
Imagine a Spinning Top, rotating smoothly at first…well that is how the Jet Stream SHOULD be!
Now picture the same Spinning Top as it slows, rotating wildly…that is what is happening to the Jet Stream and causing the wild fluctuations in weather across the globe.
All the information about this is out there on the internet…make Google your friend and inform yourself…that’s if you can bear it!
I have gone past the need to research, for I witness the changes, log them, keep a record of temperatures and rainfall patterns…and have done so for all the time I have worked on the Bealtaine project.
So, what is the point in telling you this bad news?
I have nothing to gain.
In fact, there is a strong possibility that I will lose subscribers.
The old adage of “shoot the messenger”pertains to what I have written here…so be it!
So, let me tell you about the people I hope to reach with this news…
People who care for the future.
Those who have awakened to what it means to live a compassionate life.
Especially those who are unafraid of change and to implement change in their own lives.
If there is a Universal Consciousness…give it the name Goddess, God, Divine, Mother Earth…whatever you know it by…then that consciousness must surely want us to care as deeply for our planet as we care for ourselves.
Adapting is the way forward and should be at the top of all political agendas and policies.
Here in Ireland we are headed into a general election.
Farmers appear to be ill-informed in relation to Climate Change and as they hold much power in the outcome of elections, there will not be much informed debate on the doorstep!
Meat production is now at an all-time high in Ireland and there are few, if any, politicians who are prepared to risk the fury of farmers in regards to changing that!
The relationship between meat production, consumption and climate change is there for all to Google and Youtube.
The complacency regarding our habitat and climate change disturbs me.
I shall be quizzing each and every politician who knocks on my door…but as for intelligent, informed answers, well, I won’t be holding my breath!
Feel free to share this post…
And…I had to add this wonderful interview with Jane Goodall…
As War Looms…keeping Faith with Mother Earth!
Such news as makes me angry…so off into the gardens to get working and channel my energy as best I can!
And as if Mother Earth
heard my despair, she has worked tirelessly overnight making the compost heap look beautiful…I laugh out loud in joy!
This morning as I spread compost and seaweed on the vegetable beds, before mulching down with cardboard and straw, I ponder on putting the exposed earth to bed for the winter…this makes me feel as though I am nurturing the great Mother.
It is all I can do to help assuage the horrors of what Man does to her!
The big tidy-up is important, before the wind and rain sets in…and what a lot of tidying to be done!
Just in case you thought anything about where the compost toilet is emptied…in these neat bins, holes drilled into the bottom of each, no smell, no flies and thoroughly sustainable on site!
Cutting and chopping Willow to store for burning…as Charlie supervises!
The Lime trees have begun to shed their leaves.
The bees continue their daily forage in and around the Nasturtiums.
As the seaweed dries out, all these lovely shades of autumn emerge…
Let peace rise up as the Michelmas daisies around Buddha…my mantra for today.
Tend Mother Earth…in this time of destruction…it’s the best we can do!
Truth and Revolution
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won.
There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall.
Think of it…always.”
Actions speak louder than words…that has always been my mantra.
I look for actions in all the talkers and see the real person.
The truth can be seen in the planting of a tree, care for the Earth, care for other human beings, compassion for animals…
Each morning I walk in the gardens to see and listen, seeing and hearing the truth as it manifests all around me in birdsong, changing colours, rain, sun…
“In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
― George Orwell
We have passed “Peak Oil,” but if our governments told us this and began making preparations for dealing with the consequences, that would be considered revolutionary!
Most times the truth is not palatable in the short term and much of our living is lived in “short termism!”
The generations to come are not considered…there is no seventh generation, at least not in the mindset of those we trust to govern us, or should I say, entrust to govern us!
I live in the mindset of “Edge of Empire.”
My truth is very different from ‘short term truth that suits!’
I have no savings in any bank, but have long term investments in Mother Earth.
When was the last time you heard any government representative refer to “Mother Earth”?
What are we being told about Peak Oil?
Is anyone in government talking about what kind of world we are building, or planting, for our grandchildren?
If the answer is in the negative, then what manner of “truth,” are we being peddled?
Time to find our own truth and deal with it as best we can.
How to Change the World, Starting Today…
Many people are feeling dis-empowered and frustrated at the way the world around them seems to be disintegrating.
It is the role of mainstream media to keep you locked in that paradigm, for it is much easier to control and influence those who feel helpless and dis-empowered…ask any victim of domestic violence or bullying!
You would be truly shocked to realise how much power you really have!
You can reclaim your power, along with your humanity, in just a few short steps…steps that will lead you on to bigger and better things!
Change the world, starting today, with just a few, very small changes…
Buy local.
If we are merely consumers, then exercise your power daily and often.
Count how much you refused to give to the corporations…for they are definitely counting!
Be frugal.
Our grandparents were actively encouraged by government to be frugal during the war years of WW2 and how many times have you heard them say that those times were happier and more fulfilling…
Consume less.
Processed, TV dinners and junk food is killing us…return to the art of cooking and eating at a dining table.
Clean out wardrobes and closets.
Give away or sell what is surplus to your quality of life.
Walk more.
Don’t just drive into town where parking meters are waiting to gobble up your precious pennies…park on the outskirts and walk in.
You will meet other people, enjoy your surroundings and get some good exercise, as well as save money and avoid the stress of parking wardens!
Grow food.
The social life on Allotments and Community Gardens is fantastic!
Turn off TV.
Enough said!
Speak out.
Find out the email addresses of local and national newspapers and fire off the regular broadside at them, about issues you feel concerned about.
You have a voice, use it!
Harass politicians!
Your local and national politicians are happy to engage with you at election time and expect you to be quiet and timid for the duration of their office…time to change that, don’t you think?
Replacing Fear and Hopelessness with Fearlessness and Joy.
The washing is on the line, as there’s a great breeze between the light showers and sunshine.
There is no washing machine or tumble drier here at Bealtaine Cottage, so a little barter or exchange takes place when the washing basket is full…which happens when I’m too busy to wash laundry daily.
A good friend did 3 loads of washing in exchange for a few kilos of blackcurrants from the freezer.
Jam making is under way at her house!
Frozen blackcurrants make a better tasting jam, as the enzymes have already begun to break down the sugars in the fruit.
The same friend brought me a stack of polystyrene fish boxes, that were to be thrown away at the market.
These make excellent seed boxes as you can see in the tunnel today, I have been busy sowing seeds and potting on.
I lay the boxes on the soil as the warm earth will keep an ambient temperature over-night.
Plants and pots are packed into every available space in the tunnel today.
People are angry with the governments who refuse to listen!
A petition was presented to the UK government recently, highlighting the concerns we all have for the health of bees.
It was ignored.
Governments are there to serve us.
The politicians are our servants.
They need to be reminded!Bees are the workforce of Mother Nature!
Aquilegia, Valerian and pot lilies surround Buddha in the potager beds today.
I will leave you with these wise words from Dr Vandana Shiva, my inspiration…
“[How do I do it?] Well, it’s always a mystery, because you don’t know why you get depleted or recharged. But this much I know. I do not allow myself to be overcome by hopelessness, no matter how tough the situation. I believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that itself creates new potential. And I’ve learned from the Bhagavad-Gita and other teachings of our culture to detach myself from the results of what I do, because those are not in my hands. The context is not in your control, but your commitment is yours to make, and you can make the deepest commitment with a total detachment about where it will take you. You want it to lead to a better world, and you shape your actions and take full responsibility for them, but then you have detachment. And that combination of deep passion and deep detachment allows me to take on the next challenge, because I don’t cripple myself, I don’t tie myself in knots. I function like a free being. I think getting that freedom is a social duty because I think we owe it to each not to burden each other with prescription and demands. I think what we owe each other is a celebration of life and to replace fear and hopelessness with fearlessness and joy.” ― Vandana Shiva
Under Occupation…Mother Earth needs a Lawyer!
The Earth is in desperate need of protection.
Mother Earth is in desperate need of people with integrity to look after her interests…for her interests are our interests.
So, what constitutes integrity?
Do any of our leaders possess this quality?
How often do we say, “there goes a person of integrity…”?
Integrity is the “quality or state of being complete”, of being in an “unbroken condition” or state of “wholeness”… entireness, wholeness; the unimpaired state of anything: uprightness: honesty: purity.
The problem with many politicians, who make decisions on our behalf, is that they seem not to possess any of the last three qualities.
I am very concerned about our seed security.
Seed gives us our food…all of our food.
I have spoken about this before and the little I have to say about it resonates deeply with many of you.
Now, the reason that I mention politicians is that all decisions relating to our environment and food security are taken at governmental level and it is at governmental level that the big corporations employ many of their people…to lobby!
There is no integrity in lobbying politicians on behalf of a corporation…that is all about money and back-scratching.
So, back to Mother Earth and who lobbies for her…successfully?
Well, one of my all-time heroes, Tim DeChristopher is in prison for taking direct action to help her.
That is a story worth googling!
There are many organizations like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth who represent us on the front-line.
There are also many people who genuinely care and are concerned and I count myself as one.
The problem is that politicians are very adept at being sly.
Take for example the issue of GMO’s.
Recently, the government here in Ireland allowed this abomination into our country via, “GM Potato Trials!”
Now, who, I ask, would have lobbied for that?
Then there’s the case of Order 81 in Iraq.
Who was behind that?
Do people even know anything about Order 81, imposed by the US government in 2004.
Yes, imposed!
What a break for U.S. corporations, such as Monsanto!
The U.S. imposed 100 Orders on Iraq.
Order 81 was designed to have a major impact on the way farming is done in Iraq.
This order prohibits Iraqi farmers from using saving seeds from one year to the next.
Order 81 prohibits the farmers from using their own seeds, on their own farms, to grow their own crops.
So who supplies the seeds…?
Well, join the dots and look at what’s going on.
Prior to the U.S. invasion, agriculture in Iraq was flourishing.
The Fertile Crescent in Iraq, the cradle of civilization and where farming actually began, had developed a system of farming that was the envy of the world.
There was immense biodiversity and within that was food security.
GMO’s depletes biodiversity, leaving us all tied to the corporations supplying the seeds.
Alarm bells ringing?
Under Occupation, centuries of progress have been destroyed, almost overnight, due to the bombing of the Iraq Seed Bank…how convenient for Monsanto to get a foothold.
How much of this did you know?
As I suspected, the Earth needs a damn good lawyer and fast!
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The Abomination in our Midst
Harvesting Redcurrants yesterday and today.
After washing and air-drying, I pack them into 8oz bag and store them in the freezer.
Redcurrant sauce is a delicious accompaniment to Nut Roast!
Many of the seeds that are dropped by the birds from gorging on this fruit, will, in turn become true Bealtaine Cottage fruit bushes…conceived, born and bred here.
I regularly give away hundreds of plants like this to visitors, as a way of practising the Permaculture Ethics.
Much of the Buddleia is now in heavenly scented bloom.
This tree was grown from a seed harvested here at Bealtaine.
And this beautiful white Buddleia.
Still no butterflies…just the one on the day my visitors came.
I’m hoping that it is just the wet weather!
Apple crops continue to look good despite the annual, “drop,” that happened during the week.
Now anyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I abhor injustice.
I consider it unjust to patent seeds and plants.
This is wrong.
Everyone knows that this is wrong.
There is a feeling one gets in one’s gut when something is unjust and wrong.
Some prefer to train themselves away from this intuitive conscience, our remaining link to the Divine.
Well, I do not and will not.
If something is wrong, it is wrong.
Any politician who colludes in any way with the patenting of seeds and plants is not worthy to serve the people.
They, quite simply, should be cast out from office, as soon as it is possible to do so.
In the meantime, as we have to deal with this abomination in our midst, saving seed and sharing it as Nature does with us, is the most important thing anyone can do.
Now is the time to save seed.
Time is against us.
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~ If Governments Can Finance BOMBS, Then Finance This!
Bombs.
How much money is spent on bombs each year?
Cluster bombs. Hmm…they’re nasty.
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!
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