I shall begin with Bealtaine Cottage… The plan in the beginning was to create a garden with hundreds of trees interspersed with paths that would become a symbol of regeneration and hope in a landscape that represented one of the poorest and therefore cheapest places to create. North-facing, thin, poor soil- my first book, ‘A Cottage and Three Acres,’ details the story well.
(And, by the way, the tunnel is fifteen years old with the original plastic covering…nothing special, 6mm and middle price range in case you are interested!)
The plan evolved into a full Permaculture design in the first year, with swales and ponds, drainage and raised beds, fruit and vegetable gardens and so on. Then, as the years progressed and trees began to grow, the energy changed. It became evident to me and those who were following my journey, (online since around 2010), that Bealtaine Cottage and the Project was heading in a different direction, fuelled by a potent and powerful energy!
Permaculture alone seemed complete and static as the trees began to develop and dominate the landscape. I had to give in to the force that was awakening in the Earth below my feet and so, Goddess Permaculture was birthed!
I explain this by way of the word, “innovate.” The tremendous force of energy that was growing around me innovated Goddess Permaculture.
Innovate: To give new form of that which exists.
This force of Nature was a Divine Feminine force of such tremendous power, that it was impossible to resist. Those who have visited Bealtaine Cottage will bear witness to this energy!
I felt drawn towards the story of the Goddess and began to explore the relationship my ancestors had with this powerful Creatrix. Academics like Maria Gimbutas, opened doors into the world of the Goddess and slowly, slowly, the dire situation developing in the outside world began to make sense! We had abandoned our relationship with the Great Goddess, Mother Earth, fuelled by a belief system that was inherently patriarchal and dominating of Mother Earth.
We had developed a totally extractive way of living with Earth…out for all we could extract from Her…greed has overwhelmed everything!
The overwhelming sense of loss began to be replaced with a powerful sense of regeneration and re-birth. My second book, “In Search of the Goddess Rising,” heralded the beginning of my understanding of the Great Awakening!
Yesterday I felt compelled to write a note on social media, expressing something of the dilemma many people feel and are unable or even fearful to articulate…
As we enter the #SixthMassExtinction,
remember this…
We sacrificed our divinity to sky gods, religions, a promised afterlife,
ignoring the sacredness of #MotherEarth
the abundance She creates in joy for us all!
We were taught dominion over Her.
We became #abusers
And so it is.
In order to move forward and embrace great change, it is imperative we accept what we have done. We are all included here…
Arrogance, hubris and ego will be our downfall if we fail to make the radical changes needed to live in peace with Mother Earth!
There is so much more to say, but I am both mentally and physically exhausted at present and am embracing a regeneration for my own health, in the form of a Juice Fast for the next few weeks.
Blessings to you all XXX Colette and Jack
PS: I noticed that my address on the website had been changed…and have no idea why or how this happened! The past two weeks have been rather strange in that I have not received any mail, which led me to check the address!…please check the website as I have corrected the address. please understand that I don’t have the time to respond to personal emails or letters, though read all.
The virtual world of social media appears to be taking over much of what people refer to as “life!”
I challenge this assertion, for having spent the past few years on the most virulent form of social media, FaceBook, I have concluded that much of what passes for interaction is little more than soapbox spouting, increasingly dictatorial shouting at others and re-posting stuff!
That is not to say that there are many friends there, but I have made the decision to walk away from it.
To this end I’m no longer posting on the FB platform.
To elaborate on the above statement I must add that time management for me is a big concern these days, as I am continually trying to catch up with work in the gardens, writing, working around the cottage and somewhere, somewhere, trying desperately hard to have a life of my own in social terms…aspiring to that!
I hope you understand my choices…caught between a rock and a hard place really!
So, it’s back to basics, where it all began…the website here, Twitter (I keep this as a good source of up to date news!) and YouTube.
Bealtaine Cottage on YouTube…
I have, once again, over-stretched myself across social media platforms, as well as working every day in the gardens and continuing to refresh and update the interior of Bealtaine Cottage…and all my own work, unaided.
My main work should be focused on writing, as this is my income, but, more often than not, I allow my energies to flow in too many directions.
So, for the next month, I am away from social media, concentrating my efforts on this website and YouTube channel instead.
All the little finishing tasks that are outstanding in the cottage will, hopefully, get finished!
I managed to finally hand-sew the curtain for underneath the worktop in the kitchen and hang it.
This week has been spent working in the Lughnasadh Garden and tidying up around the upper woodland.
I even managed a trip into town and to the market…not often enough I think, for I do need to get out more as I am becoming too much of a recluse!
Of course it is hard to leave  Bealtaine Cottage at present as the colours of Autumn are simply divine!
Often times I feel there is a constant pull from FaceBook and Twitter, but then this is the clever way both are set up…to keep drawing one back!
This website is my first love and will remain so, above all other aspects of the internet, for it is where so many discovered Bealtaine Cottage and fell in love with this land as I have done.
It is where I found community and support. It is also a safe place to post all my photographic work, on this website which hosts thousands of images of Bealtaine Cottage and Woodland Sanctuary.
It is a labour of love and devotion to Mother Earth, for sometimes I am at the computer for over an hour just uploading the images to the website…I don’t have internet, just a hotspot on my phone!
Much of social media is so fast-flowing that images get drowned in the tide of ‘stuff!’
All of the images I capture on camera add up to a tiny fraction of what I want to photograph.
These are then sifted down to what I upload onto this website.
I am on a daily quest to present the beauty of Mother Earth here at Bealtaine Cottage to the world.
So, for the next twenty eight days or so, a lunar month, I shall be posting here on my website and YouTube.
I keep myself occupied in the world as I know it…the one where I weave wreathes from Willow and Dogwood…
The one where cruelty and chaos are not allowed entry!
You’ll understand my terror, for that’s why you’re here…to touch base with reality! 
Yes, this is reality…as it was meant to be and in the world most inhabit, is not! 
I have always chosen this reality, both as a child living in poverty and as a mother creating sanctuary for her children in London. 
I have always sought out Mother Earth, wherever she was hidden from view by retail parks and shopping centres, housing estates and suburbia. 
I chose this reality. 
I planted it, brought it forward, share it and allow it’s force to move out in waves of healing and peace.
We all choose our own realities and what we allow carelessly in or strive to keep out! 
The Lughnasadh Garden is another reality being birthed at Bealtaine. 
Just as wanton destruction is being justified all over this Sacred Earth, the need for creation is more necessary than ever in the history of what we laughingly refer to as “civilisation!”
Regardless of party/gender/colour or creed, politicians take us to war and care nothing for the protection of Mother Earth…and that in my view is unforgivable! 
As I approach my birthday and my 61st year, I am becoming convinced more and more of the need to keep one’s head down and continue to nurture and care for Mother Earth. 
It’s all I care to do, for there is much destruction and violence all around that has reached a point of insanity! 
I don’t know where to go from here, except to keep doing as I do and keep this website going…where, I do not know! 
The original being Bealtaine Cottage and this website. 
The publication had been taken over and new management did not even give contributors like myself time to download and save our work. 
From that low point came the birth of this website…a place where I could share, in trust, the magic of this sacred little piece of Ireland. 
Recently I have found myself stretched beyond capacity, as I attempted to share more and more on Social Media.
This will not alter my natural capacity to want to share, but sharing will, from now on, be concentrated back where I started from…Bealtaine Cottage website.
I treasure them as the words therein inspire me to keep on this busy path of sharing Bealtaine and caring for the Earth. 
This evening I have taken more photographs to share with you, as I share the words penned by Christine, who visited Bealtaine some days ago.
“Thank you dear Colette for the wonderful time with you in Bealtaine Cottage yesterday. 
We felt so nourished and inspired, your inspirational company, wise words and delightful home so full of beauty, vitality, and a healing presence. 
Almost like a dream for me waking this morning and feeling – wow – I was actually sitting with you yesterday in your garden, stroking Jack, enjoying our conversation, my eyes feasting on the plants, flowers and trees, the sounds of the light rain, the chimes, the birds and your soothing voice…a real treat. (Of course eating your gorgeous vegan brownies too).
We all feel very grateful to you. 
It’s a total inspiration having you create and share Bealtaine Cottage and being not far from us here, a ‘wake-up’ and an eye opener! 
 We each felt so comfortable, at ease and at home…of course many questions bubble this morn inspired from our visit. 
And also some grief…some of what you shared about deep sadness for how we are living as a civilisation, how we have lived with such lack of respect for the earth, the animals and plant kingdoms and also each other. 
Such disconnection…and some of that being reflected in the challenges we have to face…
We went up to the Queen Maeve Cairn at Knocknarea after leaving you…such breathtaking views…
I felt very grateful and blessed for good souls like yourself, living from the heart, soulfully, passionately, the warrior energy to follow one’s own heart-calling and live it, a real warrior path…takes courage tuning into one’s own heart, not that of the tribe or the need to be accepted and fit-in.
So thanks again dear Colette. Much love to you, to Jack and Sammy Bear and of course your beautiful space and it’s healing spirit. 
On this night of the first new moon of Lughnasadh, I am content to be compared to a warrior. 
For, in so many ways, my journey to this point has been a battle at times…not with Mother Earth, but over the twelve past years, on my own, when I have had to motivate myself to stay with the project. 
There have been times along the way, when I have felt nurtured by others, the kindness of strangers on the internet who have supported me when I have needed it most. 
Serendipity has played a huge part in the Bealtaine Project!
This year has witnessed a beautiful maturity in all I have planted and continue to love. I, in turn, feel nurtured by Mother Earth… There is a lot still to be done as we move into uncertain times. 
There are important messages to share that empower us to act in support of Mother Earth, such as I share on my Twitter and FaceBook accounts…
Digging Mother Earth releases 
Likewise…
We are putting out double the amount of 
Carbon is a gaseous food absorbed by plants…so let’s plant more! 
Social Media is a powerful tool and can be used for great good in getting simple messages like these out there!
And, like all old warriors, I’ll just keep on keeping on!
