The Man Who Planted Trees

"Conservators have documented more than 60,000 different species of trees on the planet; of these more than 10,000 are under threat of extinction."
Some time ago, I read a novel titled ‘The Man Who Planted Trees’. Many years later it was made into an award winning not-for-profit film. The story begins when the narrator visits Provence in France during the early years of the twentieth century - a journey that led him into the foothills of the Alps. There, in a lonely and desolate place, a meeting takes place with a shepherd who is planting the acorns from the single oak tree that grows in the area. After the First World War, the war-weary narrator returns to this place and discovers a remarkable oak forest. The old man is in a home for the elderly but described his satisfaction and contentment that his contribution to posterity has a beneficial one.

Lourdes - Pilgrimage

Lourdes is a tiny riverside town that lies in the foothills of the magnificent French Pyrenees. Two thousand years ago, it was a Roman military base, and a Gothic castle stands in the centre of the town affording wonderful views. It is floodlit in the evenings. But this is more than just another historic town. It was a place of refuge during the Inquisition for fleeing Cathars and also for Templar Knights, and it provided sanctuary for Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in World War II. Franz Werfel was one of these Jews and he pledged to write the life story of Bernadette Soubirous if he and his wife survived the journey over the Pyrenees mountains to safety in Spain. His book was titled the ‘Song of Bernadette’ which was written when he reached safety and this book was made into a film of the same name. This town feels like sacred ground to many who come here and it is where a fourteen year old peasant girl had an incredible experience.  

Your Gift Meditation

With thanks to Erica Longdon for the voice over and video creation

Love! A Time of Connection

Love.... 

Our lives changed significantly due to the pandemic. Many people lost jobs, homes, friendships, some lost their health, others suffered from bereavements or think their futures were radically changed. We spent long hours at home, working or caring for family members, some were caring for and educating children, many were alone and missed social occasions. 

Love is even more important now than ever before! We need to concentrate on giving love in order to receive it. This is achieved through empathy, which is being able to feel what others can feel, to laugh with them when they laugh and grieve with them when they grieve. Love gives us a wonderfully energising feeling of connection, wonder and excitement. Love boosts our confidence and it has been found to be exceptionally good for our mental and physical health. Yet, it is full of difficulties because human beings are complex and we need to listen carefully and become aware of how the other is feeling, and be understanding. 

Bernadette Soubirous

The Casterot family lived in the Boly Mill in the poor town of Lourdes which lies in the foothills of the Pyrenees. When Father Casterot died, he left his wife and daughters with their home within this working flour mill. Mother Casterot was keen to marry her eldest daughter to a man who would maintain the family wealth by taking care of the mill, home and entire family - including her - and take her husband's place as head of the household. Francois Soubirous, a local mill worker was chosen to wed the eldest Casterot daughter, Bernarde. However, he refused her in favour of her younger sister, Louise, and despite the large age gap of 18 years, Mother Casterot agreed to the marriage though Bernarde had been groomed to be the matriarch of the family was slighted to be refused by this illiterate workman which lost her inheritance and power base. Bernarde owned a tavern and lived with Francois, who had rejected her, and her youngest sister, Louise, who had been chosen over her, and her mother, who had endorsed the marriage! Within an exact year, in 1843, a little girl was born, named Marie Bernarde, known as Bernardette. Within a few months of her birth, Louise burned herself so Bernadette was sent to a wet nurse in Bartres, a considerable journey from Lourdes. 

Valentine’s Day

How do we know that we are loved and how can we best express our love to those closest to us? Because love and loving, in all its many forms, is not taught in schools while we are growing up. We imbibe from our parents and extended family many ideas about love which might not be healthy and usually we don’t have good role models. Romantic films, books and popular songs do not help our understanding either. When two complex people come together to communicate their love for each other, there is often a mismatch. In life partnerships, one might want move to the country, the other might want to stay in the city; one might want a busy social life, the other might be more solitary; one might be very ambitious, the other laid back. How are these conflicts to be resolved? Does one partner always get their own way and the other acquiesces? Does one manipulate while the other becomes angry? Does one partner have staying power while the other is prepared to leave? Many of these questions are hard to answer but talking about needs for affection, attention, caring and thoughtful consideration and co-operation are part of a good and wholesome loving relationship. Negotiation is usually the answer, where both parties receive some of what they want whilst honouring the equality of the needs of the other person. 

Wm of Hastings

William of Hastings (steward to Henry II) granted meadowland (marsh) near the river Lea on the West Ham boundary to the Knights Templar Order to build two wooden water mills. Temple Mills was established in the 11^th century to mill crops, such as beans, wheat, oats and barley. The Temple Mills were used mainly for grinding from their extensive lands in Homerton and the marsh land of the River Lea. Other water mills were developed in the areas of Hackney and West Ham, one dated approx 1185 on meadow by St. Mary Hope in Leyton. Their water mill on Leyton land was dated 1278.

Chartres Cathedral

Notre Dame de Chartres is the finest example of gothic cathedral architecture. 1194-1260 It is dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus. 

Usually cathedrals took 25 to 50 years to build, and many had additions over the centuries. The towers of Chartress have tall taper spires. The south tower is the oldest. The north tower is slimmer, more complex and intricate. Portals of the west are elaborately decorated, have symmetry and clarity. The nave is 130 feet long, 53 feet wide, and 122 feet high. There are 175 glass panels from the Middle Ages dedicated to the Queen of Heaven. Mary is the multi foliate rose of the rose window. She sits enthroned in Majesty on the high altar. The skull of Saint Anne and the veil of Mary were given to Charlemagne by the Byzantine Empress Irene and are said to have been the greatest treasures of this cathedral. In the north tympanum, the magi are seen lying asleep under a cover. 

The Card of Love

Today, I have chosen the Ace of Hearts because we all need to experience the feeling of new love - love that is creative and inspiring! A love that is a muse, to love deities and a love that is on a new level, a deeper, richer and more vital love. And you need to give and receive unconditional love, that is love that is fully accepting, fully engaging, fully real and open, without criticism or judgment. If we want to receive love, we must be lovable; we must show we are worthy of long lasting, sincere and love that has sweetness and beauty, that is healing and motivating. A heady excitement can occur in an existing relationship providing there is a fresh response and a will to please. 

The Dream: A purple winged heart from a vase filled to the brim with the supreme magical power of love. Love takes form within the vessel and can be poured into the cupped hand of one that is open. Never a closed fist! in the centre of the winged heart is a smaller vibrant heart that is open and receptive. This heart nurtures and overflows with caring and happiness. Unconditional love is embedded within the soft velvet petals of a deliciously fragrant rose, as roses have always been a favourite of Cupid's messengers. The universal symbolism of the heart represents the human hearts role as a beating muscle that is vital to life. Like the beginning of a love affair, everything in this dream is enhanced by love's transcendant glow. 

My Soul has a Hat - A Poem

 MY SOUL HAS A HAT

I counted my years & realized that I have

Less time to live by, Than I have lived so far.

I feel like a child who won a pack of candies: at first he ate them with pleasure,

But when he realized that there was little left, he began to taste them intensely.

I have no time for endless meetings where the statutes, rules, procedures & internal regulations are discussed,

knowing that nothing will be done.

I no longer have the patience To stand absurd people who,

despite their chronological age, have not grown up.

My time is too short: I want the essence, my spirit is in a hurry. 

An Indonesian Island - A Story

 

Nyall Watson's book 'Gifts of Unknown Things' is a favourite of mine, since it was published in 1977 to great acclaim. 

The book ends with a remarkable story from the island of Nus Tarian, which, at the time he visited, received very few travellers. The story describes his meeting with Tia, a young girl who had special powers, as many young girls have been known to have before their menarche. She was a loner, as many feared and misunderstood her. She saved a man from certain death, and when an elder of the village died in a fishing expedition, she brought him back to life. She was a remarkable dancer, lithe and subtle. She had clashed on several occasions with the Imam who was a friend of her father, but even her father could not control her gifts. The Imam wanted to send the girl from the village but her powerful father was too insistent she stay, however, after one particular confrontation, she fled and as she did so, the mosque caught fire. As harvest time arrived, there was a traditional celebration of the rice where nine aspects of a harvest rite were to take place. 

Mystics, Scholars and Poets! Ireland - A Visit

I bet you didn’t know that King Dagobert spent time in Ireland! Ireland was once known as “the land of mystics, scholars and poets” and County Mayo, on Ireland’s West coast, is highly charged with spiritual energies. It’s a wild, rugged and desolate landscape has attractions for the holiday visitor with coastal and countryside walking, mountain climbing, golfing and bird watching. The Atlantic coast is atmospheric, there is also sea, lake and river fishing for those who enjoy the great outdoors. It is an area rich in wonderful, historical sites, such as stone circles and cairns, round towers and monastic ruins. Throughout the summer there are many festivals of food, music, art and song. 

This area is steeped in Ireland’s famous connections to the spiritual world. For instance, this is a well documented event. On the evening of August 21, 1879, Margaret Beirne was

February Card Reading

From The Star Tarot - The Hierophant. The Inner Teacher/Spiritual Advisor. There are times in your life when you may feel lost, and disconnected, uncertain how to get back to your true self. This is the time to seek the wisdom of the Hierophant. He is the revealer of sacred information and he helps you to reconnect to your soul self. The Hierophant instructs you to listen. He symbolises the mediator between the spiritual world and the material world. He shows you the path how to live a spiritual life on Earth. The number is five – the number of spiritual self which struggles to learn how to express itself. The Hierophant is the Enlightened One who gives spiritual guidance. This is the bridge between the spirit and human form. He shines spiritual knowledge and divine love into your heart, awakening your soul purpose. The Hierophant  is your inner voice that inspires you to practice spiritual values in your everyday life. If you listen, you can learn the lessons. This card indicates a need or desire to discover the Divine being within. The Hierophant inspires you to walk your talk and practice your brand of spirituality with integrity and authenticity. You are encouraged to trust your intuition and to see the Divine in all things. You will channel cosmic knowledge, and blend and balance your inner self with your outer world, understanding how all things are connected. He gives you the courage and desire to look at your beliefs and values to see if they align with the Divine Plan. This will rebalance your life. Does drawing this card show you that you are ready to take on this role or that you still need further training?  Is your spirituality a true commitment? Use this time to re-evaluate where you have come and where you are going! You true destine path awaits - choices are required. By Cathy McClelland.