The Light returns

The Winter Solstice is here and the light is returning. I struggle with the dark days we have had recently and artificial light does not help. However I am starting to feel more energetic after a very bad cough and can feel my creative juices starting to flow again. I have so many new projects to start soon but need to get organised first.

This time of the year gives me hope, for the planet, for humankind and for everything that lives on our planet. Climate change is causing devastation in many places with large fires in Australia and floods in Britain and elsewhere. Here the farmers have not been able to sow the winter grain crops so there will be shortages later next year. We as a human race, have to look at how we live and eat and how we treat the land around us. Building new houses on flood plains is not a good idea but it is still happening.

Every one of us has to take a look at how we live. I know there are some places where people do not want to do this but we must do what we can. Do we want a good life for our grandchildren? Or do we want food shortages and no place to live for them?

But most of all we need to work together, to trust each other, to help each other in as many ways as possible. We need to take care of the vulnerable people in our society. We need to respect the beliefs of others whether they be Christian, Muslim or other faiths. We are all equal in the eyes of the Divine and we all share a part of that Divine.

So as the light returns, look at what you can do in your own life and in helping others. I send you love and peace and the blessings of the Solstice.

Support

This weeks blog is linked to the one from last week about caring. Support and caring go together in many ways. I see part of my life as a druid as being of service to others, helping, caring and supporting. So what do we mean when we talk about support? It is often thought of as financial support which is good for those who need to buy something important so they can live their lives safely as it helps them to get what they need such as grab bars in a bathroom or kitchen or a walking aid or bathroom aid. I have a lot of these aids to help me live my daily life. I have gadgets to help with opening tins and jars or bottles for example. Without these gadgets I would really struggle and have to change the way I eat and cook. I also use walking aids which enable me to get out and about.

But support is not just about financial support. It is about being there for people, helping them with everyday tasks and encouraging them when they feel down. You need to be aware of what they need in their lives so that you give the right kind of support. Sometimes, just a hug helps. People who need support are often disabled in some way and quite vulnerable on their bad days. You need to be aware of when this happens so you can be there to help and support in whatever way is needed. I have one friend who visits when she has finished work. She always asks if there is anything I need from the shop as she will get it and bring it with her. Even though I might not need anything, it is the thought that counts and she is very supportive. I hope I support her in different ways. Just listening is a kind of support. Sometimes problems seem much less when they are shared even though the problem still remains.

This week I have had a back problem which is getting better slowly. It means I cannot do a lot of the things I usually do. I have managed though as I normally do but the house needs a clean that will have to wait. Hopefully any visitors will understand this. I have heard people say about houses they have visited that the house was dirty or untidy. This may be because the person living in the house is unable to do the cleaning and an offer of help would have been appreciated.

So being aware of when support or help of some kind is needed is very important. Are you aware of any one who needs some kind of support or help? And do you offer what is needed?

Caring

Caring for others, for animals and for our planet has been on my mind this week. Caring like compassion, respect and appreciation seem to be less seen than it used to be. What is happening to people that they lose these aspects of their lives? I often here the words ‘I don’t care about that, as long as I’m OK that’s fine’. But is this the right response?

OK caring for ourselves is important especially caring for our health. If we are not fit then we cannot help others, in practical ways at least. But caring for others and our planet is important. There are many vulnerable people in our world and we need to care about them. There are young children, harrassed young mothers, those who are disabled in some way and of course the elderly. At this time of the year caring about those older than us is important. As the colder weather comes along with ice and maybe snow, then it is difficult for many older people to get out. The same applies to young mothers with children. If we care enough we can offer to help in some way, do their shopping, sit and chat, babysit for an hour or take their dog for a walk. These are simple things but can make a huge difference to those on the receiving end. We hear about the elderly being lonely but young mothers can also be lonely if they have no adult company. Taking time to sit and chat over a cup of tea or coffee can be a life saver for someone.

Caring for our planet is also important. Keeping your area clean and free from litter is a good start. Trying to use less electric or electronic gadgets is also good and recycling is so important for us all. When I was young, my mother made all my clothes as well as her own. It was a skill she passed on to me and I try to make at least some of the things I wear, if not by sewing, by knitting.  These clothes last much longer than those manufactured by cheap labour in other countries. We have become a throwaway society and that is not good for people or for our planet. We need to recycle or upcycle nowadays and reuse everything we can in some way or other.

So do you care enough to do some of these things, to help others, to recycle or upcycle and reuse as much as you can? I hope you do this to show your caring for others and for our planet.

Expectations

It is said that you should treat others in the way you want to be treated. This is easier said than done at times but many things are easy to do. You can say ‘Thank you’ when someone helps or advises you or holds the door open for you. You can do the same for others especially holding the door open. I struggle with doors as I use a crutch and often have a shopping basket on wheels so someone holding the door for me is very welcome but many times I have seen or even felt the door being left to swing back into me.

You can also help those who are vulnerable, maybe by helping someone to cross the road. I am sure you can think of many ways to do this. I like to think that I do these things and I try not to expect anything in return but a ‘Thank you’ would be nice to hear.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people around who do not do these things which I find really sad. I have often been told that I expect too much from my friends and others so now even though  I find it easy to help others I find it difficult to ask for help and to accept it as well. I live on my own so often I need help around the house but I tend to try to do these things myself. When I have asked for help in the past I have watched the faces of those I asked and I can see whether they really are willing to help or are going to make excuses.

But expectations can go much deeper with those for whom you care deeply and love. If they do not offer help when needed you can feel deeply hurt but can you still care for them in the same way?

So what do I expect from my friends? I expect to share times of joy and laughter. I expect to share times of sadness and to be supported during bad times. I expect offers of help even though I haven’t asked for help and most of all I expect lots of hugs. What are your expectations?

Helping others

Helping others is something I try to do. It can often be just a hug but hugs can mean a lot and do produce a response in the chemistry of the body making us feel better. I also try to be there for other when they need to talk. Sometimes talking to others about a problem can help you to see the problem more clearly and find a solution.

There are many other ways of helping others of course, most of which I am unable to do, such as offer to give someone a lift in your car to the shop or an event or you could offer to do some shopping for them.

Looking at this from the other side, as it were, I am often in need of help but being an independent type of person I am reluctant to ask for help. So if none is offered I try to manage on my own as best I can. For my trips to the art and craft club I use the volunteer car service (this is not free) and I am very grateful to those volunteer drivers.

There are times when I have to ask for help but I am always reluctant to do so. Is this because I don’t want to be refused? Or is it because I don’t want others to feel they have to help when they don’t really want to?

Asking for help and giving help can be a complicated situation but nowadays we seem to forget that help can be needed by others and are often reluctant to get involved. I have been lucky this week as I was offered a lift with the photography group to visit the bluebell woods. That gave me the opportunity to experience something I could not have done otherwise. The same friend also offered to fetch me a bag of compost for the garden. (If you read this Chris then many thanks again) This kind of help is important not just for me but for others who cannot get out to visit nature. Nature helps us so much enabling us to feel so much better.

I would love to read your thoughts on this topic.

Neighbourly actions

I’m not sure what I am going to write about this week but no doubt the words will flow. It has been a mixed week for me and for the weather. Today the sun is shining! This should make me feel better but today I just feel depressed even more. But why should this be? I have a nice home, food and clothes. So what is missing? Is it the company of like minds or is it something else?

There are so many people around who do not think about anything except the soap operas on the TV and the way their neighbours behave. What has happened to the caring society  that we should have and in some ways did have decades ago. I remember when families worked together in the community so no one ever went hungry or without help if they were ill. Nowadays, many neighbours seem to take delight in finding fault with each other and do not do what I would call neighbourly things like cutting my half of the grass when they cut the other half. Many do not even know who their neighbours are! We hear tales of people being found dead or very ill because no one visited them or called to see how they were. Do you know who your neighbours are? If you did not see them for a few days would you check out their home to see if they were OK? I try to help others when I can. I see this is a part of who I am as a druid and I would not see a neighbour go hungry or without help that others could provide. What kind of neighbour are you?

 

 

Being fair in a greedy world

What does being fair mean to you? To me it means that whatever I do I try to treat others and the world around me in a fair way, that is I honour everything and respect it. This means that I buy food and clothes that are fair traded whenever possible. This is getting easier to do as more people become aware of fair trading. I like to know that what I buy has been collected or made in a good way and that those collecting or making are paid a fair wage for their work and that the conditions that they work in are also fair and there is respect for what they do.

Someone asked on a forum a while back if spirituality made me more politically aware or was it politics that made me more spiritual. For me, the two are very much intertwined. If we want people to have a decent way of living with food, clothes and a roof over their heads then we have to help them to acquire those things. Being greedy and wanting cheap clothes and more money to spend or waste on things we don’t need, does not go with a spiritual path.

We have seen the result of greed this week when safety regulations were ignored and many lost their lives working in slave like conditions. Is this what we want to see in our world?  You can help to change these kind of things by voting with your feet. Do not buy goods that are not fair traded. I have some trousers bought at least 10 years ago that were made by a fair trade system in India where the women work in light airy conditions and in small groups. These trousers cost me more money that cheap jeans from you-know-who but they are still in good condition and have worn well even after repeated washings and should last me for a few more years. To me it was money well spent and someone else got a fair wage for making them. We live in a throw-away world where items only last for a couple of years before they wear out or break down. What happened to the little shop where repairs were done? And what happens to the items we throw away? How can you help? How can we make factory owners become less greedy and more aware of fairness and good working conditions?

What does this have to do with druidry? Part of my druidry is seeing the interconnection between all things so think on this and how things are connected and that what we do has an impact on others and on our planet. Be the change you want to see in the world and act now!