True morality consists not in following the beaten track but in finding out the true path for ourselves and fearlessly following it.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

The word, “morality” comes from Latin, moralitas, meaning “manner, character, proper behaviour”

One would be forgiven for thinking that morality was invented therefore by the Romans…in my view a most immoral culture and empire!

Following on from the collapse of the Roman Empire, morality became the foremost banner of the Abrahamic religions, as they prescribed the life to be adhered to for those in Europe and later North and South America, as well as large parts of Africa.

Failing to adhere could mean being cast out from society, which was governed in strict terms by the church, in almost every instance.

And this has remained de rigeur until recently…in fact, my own lifetime.

In fact, social acceptability and indeed family acceptance was predicated upon one’s adherence to religion…or apparent adherence!

This blog was preceded and inspired by a conversation I had a few days ago with a family member, a sibling.

We both recalled how dominant religion was in our childhood, education and subsequent life outside of Ireland.

My Mother declared towards the end of her life, that she felt fortunate to have reached a time in history when she could ask questions about the institutions that governed much of her life and embrace the possibility of a much bigger picture.

We shared many interesting conversations on many aspects of life…she felt the “lid was off the box!”

I have recently declared myself to be a pagan woman, in that I do not believe in any form of killing, for any reason, nor do I believe in a “creator” as in any sky god, including Zeus and I seek the Divine in all life. Mother Earth is both my home and “church,” feeding my deepest spiritual needs.

(Paganism is not dogmatic. Pagans pursue their own vision of the Divine as a direct and personal experience. ~Pagan Federation)

As I revealed this to my brother, we both realised that this would have been impossible to declare for any of our previous family over the course of the last 1500 years .

So, here I am, the first woman in my family for 1500 years to happily and openly declare my spiritual path outside of any established, monotheistic church or religion and reconnecting with ancient family …that’s quite profound, don’t you think?

If you think that 1100 blogs and over 8,000 photographs are a good free resource…Support the work of the Bealtaine Project…

Subscribe to the second website, growing daily and now with over 90 new blogs and several thousands of unseen photographs, as well as podcasts and stories… Visit:

Bealtaine Cottage Good Life Membership~ Subscribe Today!

Latest Podcast and Blog at BCGL…

LILITH AND THE WELL

Or…simply make a donation

Thank you for supporting Bealtaine Cottage.

As the Roman Empire came apart at the seams, the safest place to be was on the very edges of that dying empire.

I have recently been reading the books, by Robert Harris, detailing the life of the great thinker, orator and statesman, Cicero.

It is uncanny how many parallels with modern day life can be drawn from the novels, ‘Imperium’ and ‘Lustrum’…(the third in the trilogy is yet to be published).

Of all the cumulative reasons why the Roman Empire came apart, endless wars, an over reliance on slave labour and corruption in government appear to be at the forefront.

As I read chapter on chapter, I couldn’t help but draw parallels with the state of our world today…and viewed with horror an emerging pattern of decline and fall.

The template of decline and fall remains the same regardless of time.

Wealthy Romans drank water transported through lead pipes into their villas.

The water contained up to 100 times more lead that that from spring wells.

Lead poisoning leads to erratic behaviour, mental decline etc., much of which could be viewed in the conduct of the ruling elite during the final days.

Much the same appears to be happening now, even to the point of corrupt and debased behaviour within the ranks of the ruling elite.

I never cease to be both amazed and appalled at the continuing scandals.

We appear to be not so much governed, as presided over by people we would otherwise be embarrassed to call our friends…integrity and compassion being somewhat lacking!

When Rome fell, the world entered the “Dark Ages”.

The Dark Ages lasted several hundred years, but birthed a new Age of Enlightenment.

The light of civilization was carried back into mainland Europe, from, of all places, Ireland.

The edge of empire for me is a mindset, a refusal to be drawn into the madness.

A resoluteness to live with integrity.

A desire to continue to cultivate and practice compassion, even when our leaders applaud war and attempt to vindicate suffering and destruction.

In these days of crumbling empire, (for this mayhem cannot last much longer!), it is not such a bad place to be…the edge of empire.

If you think that 1100 blogs and over 8,000 photographs are a good free resource…Support the work of the Bealtaine Project…

Subscribe to the second website, growing daily and now with over 90 new blogs and several thousands of unseen photographs, as well as podcasts and stories… Visit:

Bealtaine Cottage Good Life Membership~ Subscribe Today!

Latest Podcast and Blogs at BCGL…