Strength and power

I have been reading some of my old blog posts this week and wondering if what I had written still resonated with me and my world. I found one post that did but I need to say that I sometimes feel we are losing our right to speak out about our world and I sometimes feel I am in an experiment designed by someone wanting great power. So here is an edited version of what I wrote several years ago.

‘As the world that we have known crumbles around us, let us stay strong and focus on peace. It will come one day at some point, maybe not in my lifetime but in that of my children and grandchildren.’ These are the words I wrote recently. As we look around us we can see everything that we have known and felt to be safe is now crumbling down around us.
I am older than many and remember the hardships following a war. Since that time, we have changed in many ways, not just ourselves but our country and our world. Some things have got much better but others have got much worse and there are large gaps between different populations.

Many years ago I felt that we were approaching a fairer world but that was not to be. There are so many people around who are greedy for money and for power. But they don’t understand what power really is. They think it is about controlling others and that is not the case. Politicians say things they don’t mean and make promises that they have no intention of keeping. But those words and promises lead people to think that they are good which give the politician a feeling of power.

What does power mean to you? If you look up the word in a dictionary you will see that there are many different meanings but the most ‘popular’ one is about being able to do something
in a proper manner and having the ability to do something. For me maybe it means the ability to do something, to help others, the ability to search for truth, To offer thoughts of peace and healing to others is also what I see as part of my ‘power’. We often hear the words ‘people power’. What do these words mean to you? To me they mean people getting together to do something which can change the way we live in our world. But we are not ‘allowed’ to do that at the moment. I feel that there is more to our pandemic than is seen on the surface. Time will tell of course.

Hope

‘Hope springs eternal’ are well known words. But this last week has brought a lot of hope to the world. I have seen the snowdrops coming into bloom and that is showing me that spring is on the way, new life is ahead and there is hope for a better world. But what really resonated with me this last week were the word so of Amanda Gorman and the inauguration of Joe Biden as President. The poem is about and for America but the words can be relevant in any society. And those words were powerful.

The last three lines of Amanda’s poem were as follows;

For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.

I don’t really need to write any more as those few words say it all. Fill yourselves with light and shine out so you are seen. Be the lighthouse for someone who needs help. Be a beacon of Light. Shine out!

Using opportunities

A new year has begun and although there are still many restrictions on our lives, there are also plenty of opportunities for us. We are being given time to reflect on our lives, how we live them, what we eat, what we buy and so on.

There can be good things coming out of this pandemic if we look for them and take them on board. The pandemic has shown us what is really important and who the most important people are in our country. Do these important people get paid a fair wage for what they do? Do they get the protective clothing and other items they might need? Are we looking after our old ones who have so much to share about their lives and how they coped? I could go on but I will leave it there for you to think about.

We all have a vision of our future and they vary a lot but we can find the things that we all want and work towards those. We are moving towards a very different world which has been foretold by others over the centuries and we need to make sure we are ready for this new world. We cannot go back to how it was before. Change moves us forward but it can take some time. It is unlikely to happen overnight but we still need to be prepared. But think about your vision of our future. Does it change at all? Or does it stay the same whatever else changes in the world? Follow the right path for you and stay strong with your feet firmly on the ground so you are ready for what is coming.

On an end note I recently bought a book called the Corona Transmissions. It is a diverse collection of opinions and research and also contains poetry. I am not writing any more about it apart from the fact that I am half way through and have found it informative and also inspiring. You may not agree with some of it but it is worth the read as it covers nutrition, homeopathy and herbalism too.

Where do we go from here?

This is the title of a blog I wrote some time ago during the Brexit hysteria in the UK. Most of it is relevant for today so I am reposting this blog with a few edits.

Ignorance breeds hatred and hatred breeds violence as we have often seen. But why do people stay ignorant of the real facts? Mainly this is the fault of the media and various prominent persons who encourage people to hate and look down on others. Some newspapers have admitted in the past that they have distorted the truth or even told lies in order to make sensational headlines. But the number of people who believe these headlines are true is amazing. We need to encourage all people to ‘read between the lines’, to find out what is true and what is just to gain popularity for some kind of cause.

When we learn to discern the truth then we can learn to respect other genuine points of view and learn to live together in peace. At the moment this seems a long way off as so many of our politicians, not just in the UK but in other countries, change the facts to suit their cause whether what they say is true or incites hatred of others. Then they wonder why violence occurs.

We had come so far in our society, understanding that colour and creed and sexuality are not the important things but that we are all human beings living on the same planet and should all have the same opportunities in life. But this week I think that what happened in America shamed the whole world. I look at what is going on in my own country as well and wonder if we are being brainwashed in some way. Have we lost our power of perception so that we do not see the truth around us? Where do we go from here? It is time to reflect on our path forward, to connect with the natural world around us and to join together to bring peace to our world.

Deep within the still centre of my being,

may I find peace.

Silently within the quiet of the Grove,

may I share peace.

Gently and powerfully,

within the greater circle of humankind,

may I radiate peace.

A new year ahead

A new year brings new opportunities even in our current situation. As I am at home most of the time I made a few decisions about what to do and how to do it. Last year I recorded life in my garden and the nature reserves I managed to visit. I noticed how things changed, how seedlings sprouted and grew into strong plants, how the flowers bloomed and how the insects enjoyed it all. I noticed which plants certain insects preferred and made sure I would plant more of those for next year (this year). I watched the birds find their mates and build their nests and then feed their young. I fed the hedgehogs as well until they hibernated. I saw many different insects in the garden and read about them so I knew more about protecting them.

2021 is the year to get closer to nature, to see how the tiniest insect or plant is of importance to the soil, the other plants and the other insects. All of nature, including ourselves is interconnected in multiple ways. If we learn to understand this we will also learn a better way to live. We will be more conscious of where our food comes from and how it is grown. We will be more aware of how our clothes, cars and gadgets are made and whether they harm our environment.

A deeper understanding of our connection with Mother Earth will enable us to understand more about the way we live our lives and we will be able to make better decisions about all of this. If you don’t have a garden or access to a nearby green space then you can find a good photo on the internet and use that for meditation and to search for plants and insects in the photo. There are plenty to choose from.

If you have a garden then you can keep a close eye on what is going on. I have flowers in bloom now during the icy cold. I have cowslips, a purple yarrow, elephants ears and a tiny plant with white flowers that keeps close to the ground. Watching new leaves sprout is an amazing thing and seeing bulbs start to poke their shoots above the ground is very good to see. New life appears every day.

If you have access to a park or green space then use this and watch what happens or has changed each time you visit. There is a lot to see even in January and February. What birds are around? Can you see new growth? Build up that connection with all that is. Deepen it and let it change your life. Happy New Year to you all, may you find peace and love and a deeper understanding of life.