BE THE CHANGE...

 I've been thinking a lot lately about our place in the world, how we live our lives and the impact we have on our planet, and its left me feeling frustrated and determined that things have to change!

WE have to be that change!

This may sound harsh, but it seems to me we are like a cancer to this planet, using all resources until they are gone with no care of the consequences of our actions.

We are told we are free, and we believe it but how can it be true when we are forced to pay taxes, forced into sending our kids to school, and fooled into thinking we live in a democracy, when its clearly a farce!
Our governments trick us into thinking we have choices about the way we live in this world but really it is a very rich minority that control it all, they are the ones that want to continue using fossil fuel even though we know its running out,and they start wars under false pretences for this to continue. Does anyone else think/know that oil is in the earth for a reason?!!
If you REALLY had a say would you continue to use it? or would you use cars that run by the power of water? would you power your homes by the constant natural resources of the sun, wind and water? I know what I'd do! These things are possible, but the corporate giants that control us, buy up the patents to these things so we keep buying their energy and they remain rich and in power. Ask yourselves where would those corporate energy giants be if we ALL harnessed the natural energies that surround us? They'd be very poor that's for sure!

Ultimately society today leaves me feeling cold, there's no community any more just consumerism,
Its not our fault .we've been programmed into it. turning a blind eye once we're are awakened however is our responsibility!
 The world, the way it is run and how we are living in it has become completely out of balance. most people have become so controlled by the media (which is ruled by the government who are ruled by the banks!) we go along with anything we're told, personally I don't watch or read any news as a rule, because its all so negative and spreads only fear.
Think about the programming we've all experienced from the day we are born to enable an elite few to live in luxury whilst the billions of other humans on the planet pay for their luxury. Take national Insurance in the UK for instance, when a we are born we are given a number, then when we are older and go to work we are charged for having this number! I just can't believe the government gets away with it!!!
 How many times do you hear or have had impressed upon you that 'time is money', 'money is status', 'money is power', 'money makes the world go round'? it's everywhere and we cant get away from it, we are constantly bombarded with it to the the point its become normal to us now. Whether its through TV, radio, magazines or newspapers we are programmed to think we need it in every part of our lives.

Money has no REAL value, we are just TOLD that it does, its the biggest trick ever and they got us ALL! One day the conniving bankers decided to print loads of bits of paper and then told us that these bits of paper had a value, the value of which they change when it suits them! and we need it for everything.. I find it scary that we've become a society that relies totally on food bought from shops and supermarkets.

 Everything has gone up in price, most people are struggling to stay afloat, we work as hard as we can but still its not enough to make ends meet.. and STILL we continue in this system, its sad.

 It's not people that leave me cold but this system in which we all live. Who benefits from it the most? What will it take for everyone to stop being ruled by money?

WHAT REALLY HAS VALUE TO YOU IN THIS WORLD?
ask yourself this and be honest. What does your heart say? My heart says I value freedom to bring my children up in a world where people live in harmony with each other and the earth, for us all to have the right to breathe clean air and drink pure water and eat natural food, (not genetically modified food full of aspartame, and fluoride filled water), for everyone to live comfortably and happily without struggle through exchange of energy not money, and to have the right to heal ourselves naturally. 

Every single living being has something in common- we all live on this beautiful planet and each of us needs water, air, food, and warmth to survive Surely this should be every persons basic right? 

 I don't know how you feel but I've had enough of this system!  it has no meaning and doesn't make sense to me any more.

We in the west live by the Gregorian calender (man made of course) which is based around Christian events, even though there are many diverse religious beliefs and still many practising Christians, but largely these days the people I come across choose to be non denominational and prefer to hold their own beliefs. The main events that are on the Gregorian system hold no value to me and I'd be willing to bet that they don't to most people anymore, especially as the main Christian celebrations have been hijacked by the big corporations to make us SPEND SPEND SPEND, (ironic really because Christianity hijacked the celebrations from the pagans!)
 Christmas for example has turned into X-mas, we are pressured into spending extortionate amounts on presents, food and alcohol. Its not about the birth of Christ or spending time with our loved ones any more its about money money money. Celebrations of old  DID involve spending time with family, friends and the whole community, and those celebrations had a purpose, (usually celebrating the change of seasons and what the earth has provided so we can survive) now we go from one money draining consumer event to the next fuelled by the corporations and mass media. Then when the shops open again on boxing day what do we have greeting us? yep you got it- flippin chocolate Easter eggs! and that's not all, think of Halloween, mothers day, fathers day etc, etc.!
There is no meaning other than the corporate companies desire for us to spend our hard earned, over taxed money in their shops, which subsequently ends up in their pockets. But still we blindly plod on spending money for their gain .

I believe we should start with changing the calender we live by and make it more universal, what is the same for all of us no matter where we're from or what we think?
  It is the sun, our star! and the Universe!
Of course the way in which we relate to it personally can differ, but not the way in which the earth is a part of this solar system and the way our solar system is part of the universe.
 After my last blog I've spent a lot of time outside in the garden and no matter the weather I'm out there. I've found I'm more in tune with nature now, like being able to tell from the feel of the air if it will rain, or being able to sense what the plants need. It got me thinking that this is what we should all be in tune with, nature. It makes sense to me to follow the solstices, equinox's and the change of the seasons.
 Where the sun is in the sky, lets nature know nature what's coming next- in spring the equal hours of day and night tell the seeds to grow, and the animals to be born. The long days of sunlight in summer bring crops into fruition. Autumn comes, day and night become equal again and we reap the harvest. Winter comes and nature slows down into hibernation waiting for spring to come once again.
It is the Earth cycles providing for us in many different and bountiful ways that we should be thankful for and be in tune with, because whether we realise it or not it connects us all - humans, animals, plants, earth, air, fire and water!

 I want things to change as I'm sure many others do. But where are we supposed to start? Where should the change begin? I know when I sit here thinking about all these massive things going on in the world around me, I feel daunted, it seems too big to deal with and if I'm completely honest it makes me want to bury my head in the sand! I know others feel the same or something would have been done by now! it's obvious this burying our heads in the sand tactic has got us no where things haven't changed they've got worse.

We need to remember that we are many and they are few. The ones in power would be outnumbered a million to one if we were to stand up them!

The wise Ghandi once said " BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD"
And it's this wonderful quote that helped me realise that the only way I can make a change is by starting at home and with the way I live my life, and by taking small steps towards the goal. This goes for all of us, if we all did this imagine the impact we could have!

It can be the smallest change, but it could mean so much.

 Do you recycle? if not why not!!  do it now, most councils have the services for it, so make that change.
Have you got a garden? grow something for your family to eat, do it in pots if you haven't got a garden!
  Do you make senseless journeys in your car when you could walk? I know I'm guilty of this from time to time- so lets stop!
 Is your council making cuts you don't agree with? then say something, don't leave it to everyone else and think your say wont have an impact!
  Is there something you could help your neighbour with but don't because its 'not the done thing' these days? then say hello, help them, become part of a community again! the list could go on... follow your heart and make a small change, then make another and another!

Society may leave me cold but I do have faith in humanity, I do believe that many of us are fed up and want things to be better.

I wish we lived in a world where everyone realised money, status, power and material possessions are all an illusion that will never bring true happiness to anyone. How amazing would it be to live in a community where all the basic human needs- water, food and shelter are provided for each person and most importantly where everyone came from a place of  LOVE! each person would truly cares for their neighbours. How amazing would it be if the whole world was like this!? Money wouldn't be the main focus as people would just simply trade their different skills and talents, each skill would be valued equally, no one would be without, everyone could be free to do what they loved to do.

Yeah 'idealistic' I hear you say, but I'm cool with that. No matter what happens I will always remain positive, I will always hope for a better future, and I will keep plodding on one small step at a time..mostly though I hope you're there plodding along with me.
Rant over! Peace out.

nb I would just like to say that I actually wrote this blog last May, but serious lack of self-confidence stopped me publishing it. I was worried what people would think about my views which now I realise is totally ridiculous and wish I'd just got over it! well I have at last (almost a year later) and what I've written still rings true. Thank you for taking the time to read this <3 much love.

Reclaiming the land - clearing, digging and sowing.

Over the past couple of weeks with the seasons changing from winter to spring, and the hours of daylight growing increasingly longer I've felt inspired to get out in the garden again. I started doing all the usual things like mowing the lawn, clearing leaves out of the pots, planting bulbs all the usual stuff, but my eyes kept getting drawn to the very back of the garden which was fenced off and completely over grown with brambles. It got me thinking about clearing it out and growing some fruit and vegetables. It looked like a lot of hard work but with the motivation of wanting to eat more organic foods, the reality of fast rising food prices and the resolution that we weren't going to be moving house, I knew it would be worth the effort.
So armed with some secateurs, sheers and some (rubbish) gardening gloves I went to work attacking the brambles (though I've got to say they did their fair share of attacking me!). With the offer of an opportunity to grow some fresh vegetables for their table, I also roped in the kids and a couple of friends to help.

Half way through

 
As I was working away, my mind wandering pleasantly, I thought of writing this blog with the idea of showing that anyone can start from scratch in their garden to become more self sufficient and in tune with nature and the changing seasons. I don't know about you but this year I really seem to be feeling the importance of being in harmony with nature and becoming less reliant on the mass production of superstores and the corporate machine.

In perfect synchronicity Saturday 19th march was the equinox full moon, and happened to be a super moon (in its closest elliptical orbit to earth) appearing larger as it rises and sets. Perfect night for a bonfire and a spot of moon gazing!

Plum trees emerge!

As the super moon rose over the horizon glowing orange and extremely bright, my friends and I grabbed a few beers and some toasted marshmallows to help along the way and we had the ground clear by the morning.
Next day was the spring equinox the official start of spring, it's an important time of year as it means the hours of daylight and night are equal, literally over night all the trees and plants burst into life! So we planted all sorts of seeds like lettuce, beetroot, cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli and leeks, my children chose to plant a sunflower seed each, then we all made a wish that they grow into a healthy bountiful harvest (best to stay positive!).

Lots of space to grow in

I started taking pictures half way through to record the changes along the way and hope to keep you updated as I go.. as a complete novice.. kind of have a feeling there's going to be a lot of trial and error here! So far the beds have been dug, the potatoes, onions and garlic have gone in the ground, and some of the seeds in my make-shift propagator are starting to shoot. When I haven't been digging in the garden, naturally I've had my head in all sorts of gardening books figuring out when each seed needs to be sown, what plant should go where and when. I've got a lot to learn but am definitely getting there, I've found out interesting information that I never knew such as not to grow root vegetables in recently manured soil and about companion planting to keep pests under control, for instance you would plant garlic with carrots to keep carrot fly at bay, basil with aubergines to keep off aphids and nasturtiums with cabbages to attract beneficial insects. so armed with some newly acquired knowledge and a spade I've got some more digging to do... watch this space ... It's a great project for us all as a family and we're having lots of fun and fresh air in the process... So what are you waiting for? If we can do it.. you can too!!!

Ban on natural foods herbs and supplements.

This is a letter I have sent to David Cameron and also my local MP,  the letter is about the proposed regulation and ban on natural health products and herbs. Please sign the petition at www.joininghandsinhealth.com and spread the word, the law is meant to be passed in April 2011. Which isn't far away now. Please do your bit, it DOES make a difference, maybe even write, fax or email the prime minister yourselves and help to show how strong the nation feels on this issue. (for details on contacting the prime minster go to www.number10.gov.uk )

 I am hoping that by sending this letter in the post I will get a reply, which I will post in a future blog. Be interesting to see their response as I had always planned to do a degree in herbal medicine in the future, when my children are older. If the ban is approved will this degree even be available? I really hope and pray for everyone's sake that this legislation does not get passed. 

Dear David Cameron,

I feel very strongly against the government (including cross-party leaders/members) secretly approving EU legislations to ban natural health products. Namely you wish to ban hundreds of natural foods, herbs and supplements.

This would be a massive infringement on human rights, democratic freedoms and personal health choice. 

I have signed a petition (THE NATION SPEAKS “NO NOT IN MY NAME” www.joininghandsinhealth.com) along with millions of other people who are also opposed to this legislation being passed.

It is my understanding that thousands of herbal remedies will have to be regulated by the same methods as synthetic medicine under this new law, rendering most remedies banned and the rest with potency levels so low they’ll be virtually ineffective.

To regulate herbal medicines in the same way will be virtually impossible, as they are made and in such different environments: synthetic in a controlled laboratory and herbal remedies, grown in people’s gardens or collected from the wild. Small distributors will struggle to meet the regulations and suffer for this. Let alone the people who will suffer from not having the choice to use natural remedies anymore.

I have read that the government feels its necessary to regulate the herbs as “some” people have suffered adverse effects, and you wish to stop this happening. I would like to know how many people suffer from adverse effects, (death even) from synthetic regulated medicine compared to that of natural remedies? I really can’t see how this reasoning is justifiable at all! I would love to hear your explanation.

Plants herbs and natural remedies have been in every day use safely and effectively for thousands of years across many cultures.

 Is it not true that most, if not all synthetic medicines are derived from plant/natural sources originally?

The decision to choose how we heal our selves when ill or as a preventative measure is a right we should ALL have. To take away this personal freedom to choose would be appalling.

We are meant to be a democratic society so why are we not getting a say in such important issues as this? (And many other very concerning issues, that affect us all across the board.) This regulating of natural plants seems to me a complete farce, it seems pharmaceutical companies will be the only ones that will benefit greatly from this. We should have the option to choose how we heal ourselves and our children. I do not like to take a pill for every ill, I’d much rather use a natural alternative, which is safer and more in tune with the individual on a holistic basis (healing the body, mind and spirit). I look forward to your reply to such regarding this urgent issue.                                                                  Regards

A very concerned  UK resident.

To blog or not to blog...

I've been thinking (possibly even procrastinating) about starting a blog for a while now... however I was put off because I always felt too nervous to say what I really think and secretly worried 'who really wants to hear what I have to say?' but after spending some time following a couple of friends that are already writing their own blogs, I felt inspired. I realised the ONE thing that worried me about blogging was actually the most wonderful thing about it! It IS your own opinion no one can argue with it ,well they can I guess, but you can just come back with 'it's my humble opinion!'

So here I go and it feels exciting, like I'm finally doing what I'm meant to be doing! for ten years now I have kept a diary, a collection of thoughts, dreams and general nonsense that goes through my brain every day. Without having my diary as an outlet for the information super-highway that is my brain, I'm pretty sure I would be completely crazy by now. I've always known I would write one day, as a little girl I used to make books complete with all my own stories and illustrations, and revelled in turning my book collection into my very own library (OK can't believe I've openly admitted that, but there it is). I spent hours with my head books in whatever fantasy land I chose, which suited me fine!
Now I've revealed to the world that I'm a total book geek, I feel liberated to write pretty much anything!

I have a few ideas on what to blog, they'll be based around about being truly awake in this world we live in and hopefully provide some food for thought about issues you may or may not have heard about.
For instance I think a lot about the corrupt governments across the world; the fact we're meant to live in a democracy when we actually have no say in anything at all.. I mean did you or I agree for our country to go to war? or agree to for the members of parliament to be paid so much money with all the little perks on top? Who decided that natural health products should be regulated in the same way as pharmaceutical medicine?   I could add to these questions endlessly (and I will do in future blogs). Basically I've got lots of ideas about all things mystical, creative and most likely down right controversial that I look forward to sharing with you all! thanks for reading if you bothered and no hard feelings if you didn't! much love peace out