Let there be peace

We do not know exactly what is going on in Ukraine as we only know what we are told or shown. There are already false or old images circulating saying they are current. However as a druid I can call for peace. I am sharing here what a druid friend has written and I hope my readers can take his words and his ritual for peace and use it in some way. It doesn’t matter what religion or creed you are we can all work together for peace. Words have energy and if we all worked for peace then peace there will be. Here are the words of my friend (he gave permission to share).

Peace Prayer and Healing:

Deep within the centre of our being, may we find peace

​Silently within the quiet of this Grove, may we share peace

​Gently within the greater circle of humankind, may we radiate peace.

Hello my Druid colleagues.

As the rhetoric and actions in the East of Europe get worse it would be all too easy to get sucked into that vortex of negativity.

We Druids are a tiny group of humanity and our contribution into the fear cauldron will make no difference.

So instead I call upon you to consider using the positive power of the Order and it’s groups using a method that has already shown remarkable outcomes.

So for this I urge you to the following:

Prepare as usual; Candle lit, and peace within. Now see our beautiful planet as the one in need of healing. Imagine an incredible crystal star above the North Pole. Set your intention that you will send your light, your love and your acceptance to this star. Know that the star will filter out any negative energy that might sneak in.

Now offer the power and light of the star to the earth mother. Ask her to use it for the best outcomes, for the planet, for humanity and for all life. Know that our combined light and blessings will become as one, and know that our little wills, our incomplete views, will not prevail nor will they add to the confusion.

Instead be true servants of the light and of our planet and all life.

Then finally have your intention that this healing will continue after you have disengaged consciously.

Try to light a fresh T-Light whenever one goes out and take a moment to reconnect to this work.

Do not give in to darkness. Know you are making the best difference you can.

If you think you cannot make a difference just reflect on the effect a single mosquito has, buzzing in your bedroom at night. Size is not everything, impact is.

Let the peace prayer be your constant companion.

May the light and love of our precious order be with you all.

/|\

Reliance

We rely on so many things nowadays, electric, gas, cars, buses, trains, planes, phones, etc. What would we do without them? It seems as if we are going to get more frequent and severe storms here in the UK which bring down power lines and make a lot of disruption to transport. We have just had two such storms back to back and another is on the way today. I am lucky where I live and there is little disruption to my daily life apart from the fact I stay in when the storm is at its worst.

Many years ago there were timed power cuts of so many hours each day. These were rotated from day to day so you had to plan in advance what you were going to do especially where cooking was concerned. Other things had to be planned in advance as well as shop tills did not work without power. I had candles in a lantern and battery powered lights then. Today you can get better battery operated lights for emergencies.

But today there are many still without power due to the storm. I hope they stay safe and warm. But are you prepared for something like this? Do you have spare lighting of some kind, food you can eat cold and blankets to keep you warm? Or will you panic and not know what to do? Can you get to work without transport of your own? Can you walk to work or to the shops?

Maybe it is time to stop being reliant on so many things. We are in the middle of great changes and we must look at how we live and what we need to stay alive. We must be prepared to live in a different way if necessary and get on with it instead of complaining about it. There is no return to normal, whatever normal was then. A new normal is here but will change rapidly. Are you too reliant on any of the items I mentioned above? If so look at alternatives for when they are needed. Be prepared and not so reliant!

Which wolf do you feed?

There is a Cherokee proverb which goes something like this, (not sure of the exact words); inside us there are two wolves who battle each other. One wolf, the bad one, is full of anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority and ego. The other wolf, the good one, is full of joy, peace, love, hope, humility, truth, kindness and empathy. If you feed one, that wolf wins.

It is a well known fact that anger and resentment can cause physical illness if we do nothing about them. Anger is one of the worst. But the others are not much better. We can look at each of these traits in turn and see that none of them do us any good. So what can we do to get rid of them. Anger and resentment can be worked on and gradually dispersed. Greed can be greed for food, material goods and anything else you over do. Lies are another matter and some people cannot stop telling lies as they live in a world of their own making not the ‘real’ one. With help from others and a determination to change, all the bad wolf traits can be changed to good wolf ones. But it does take some work and it is easy to slip back into bad ways.

If you feed the good wolf then that is very good for you and for others. We all need love and joy in our lives. Often simple things give joy, watching a bird soar in the sky, sitting by a peaceful lake or river, listening to music, watching children play. Being kind to others can be a permanent part of our lives. It costs nothing to smile at someone and say ‘Hello’. A smile can often make the difference to someone’s day.

I would love a world where we all fed the good wolf. It would be a most wonderful place to live, a place where we shared love, joy, peace and many other good things, where we cared about each other so no-one went hungry or became ill without someone knowing and then helping. I heard a story recently of someone who died and the body was not found for two years. How sad that is. We should all look out for each other and help when needed.

So what kind of wolf do you feed?

Appreciation – taking things for granted

This week has been the noisiest and dirtiest week I can remember having experienced. The housing complex where I live was due to have new cavity wall insulation installed. However before that could be done, the old insulation had to be removed. We had been warned that there could be some noise and dust but that was a definite understatement. The first day of drilling, six or more drills all going at the same time together with their associated noisy machinery, was deafening to say the least and there was dust everywhere including in the air outside. There were lots of complaints so the following day was still noisy but with less dust as more care was taken to contain it. However when the top layer of insulation was broken up it sounded like a load of bricks falling down inside the cavity wall. The whole ‘event’ took five working days but the workmen did jet wash the dust away afterwards.

On Thursday I went out with my son to a local country park for some respite. I really appreciated the quiet of the park, the only noise being the geese honking and other birdsong. There were a lot of spring flowers and catkins too. It helped to restore my state of mind a little but I shall feel better when the whole thing is over. It does make you appreciate what we have in life and how we are able to live. This intrusion into our placid daily lives was like a bombing raid and made us think about those in war zones and the constant daily dropping of bombs and noise of guns. It made us aware of the fact that we have running water and hot water which enabled us to clean up our homes as well as ourselves. This is something that thousands of people in the world do not have.

I am still cleaning up and occasionally coughing as the dust is removed but at least I can do this. Many others cannot do it. So this week has also been a lesson in appreciation for those things we take for granted.