The Secret Garden
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A Wild Spirituality
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Traditions & Culture + Wortcunning + Celtic Dieties + Green Living
Traditions & Culture
Our ‘Traditions & Culture’ are in our blood, and in our bones, They come from our ancestors and the land beneath our feet.
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- Mountain Sunrise
Mountain Sunrise – Experience a sunrise, high in the mountains above a sea of cloud. Connect with the energy that unfolds each and every morning. https://youtu.be/9pd5KHh1J2Y - Hide or Rise?
Do we hide or do we rise? I’m talking about our reaction to what is happening to the things that we care about; or at least things that we should care about. I’m talking about all the things that are being eroded and whipped out from under our feet. Things like our rights and our … - Oak – Ancient, Magical & Sacred Trees 2
Oak Trees are living legends, they have been common in Britain for the last 12,000 years, since the last ice-age. Living to be up to a 1,000 years old it is no wonder that they have so much folklore and so many beliefs attached to them. Oak Trees are living legends, they have been common … - Weird & Wonderful World of Ancient British Folk Customs – Still Extant
British Folk Customs are a legend in their own right. British traditions can be downright WEIRD. Reindeer antlers and dead horse skulls – customs that have been practiced for thousands of years, and they are STILL GOING. - In the SecretGardenOK – so we changed the name of the blog from EarthBlog to SecretGarden – Why? In the SecretGarden explains. There was nothing wrong with the name EarthBlog per se. It had seemed a natural name to pick; being the blog section of Celtic Earth Spirit whose aim is to be a resource of all …
- It’s Only Words
It’s only words!! As far as ‘bromides’ go in the English language, that has to be one of the worst ones. - The Great Undoing
Masses are searching; for answers, for meaning, for purpose, for an alternative to the shambles of a capitalist, consumer, materialistic society that is empty and hollow. - Light-bulb Moments
When you have Light-bulb Moments they hit you with the force and speed of an express train. You feel it in every cell of your body. - Moss Piglets Inherit Mother Earth
What the hell is a ‘Moss Piglet’? Why would it inherit Mother Earth? What has its inheritance got to do with the price of a loaf of bread? - If You Go Down To The Woods Today…..
If You Go Down To The Woods Today. What is it about woods or forests that petrifies some people? We are talking about proper woodland here… - Killing Them Softly
We all love a good celebration, don’t we? A chance to get out the glad-rags, have a good knees-up and thoroughly enjoy ourselves surrounded by people that we actually like? None more so than Pagans (I won’t say that I secretely think that this is one of the aspects that attracts many to paganism). Sacred … - Howling, Dancing and Beating Our Drums
Earth Camp is about connection, it is ALWAYS about connection, the ground on which we are stood is ancient. Ancient sacred ground where the veil between the worlds is thin. - Human DOINGS? Human SEEKINGS? Human BEINGS!
We are human beings; I know that you wouldn’t have guessed if I hadn’t told you but I do have a very valid reason why I raise this point. Why BEINGS? What are we BEING? - Pagan Is as Pagan Does
Sitting on your rump hiding behind a keyboard/screen to insult and try to belittle others does not constitute Pagan. - Poetic Truth for Interesting Times
We live in ‘interesting’ times; there is the first usage of poetic truth (thank you to Nimue Brown for coining the phrase). - We Were Made for These Times
Guest Blog by – Clarissa Pinkola Estés | Do not lose heart, We were made for these timesin Essays, memoirs - RIP Democracy
RIP Democracy – The entities they have created have become quasi-governmental bodies co-operating across national frontiers. - Water Water Everywhere and Not a Drop To Drink
Water Water Everywhere – The RSPB has warned that almost 300 of England’s most important wildlife sites are at risk from fracking. - Everything Happens in Threes
Everything Happens in Threes. Why Threes? Google is your friend, I thought – so I did. Google didn’t have a scooby.
Wortcunning
Wortcunning:- The knowledge of the wise-women and cunning-men. Inherited from our ancient hunter-gatherer ancestors. Accumulated ove millennia.
This built up into a vast array of knowledge of the plants and trees surrounding them. It is the art of wortcunning. Knowing how to find what you need to heal and nourish from that which flourishes just outside your doorstep.
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- De Materia Medica
De Materia Medica (Of Medical Subsances) by Dioscorides was written almost two thousand years ago. The original manuscript has never been found. But the oldest known copy (which was specially ordered as a royal gift) has been described by UNESCO as “the most important pharmaceutical source of the Ancient World”. - Meddygon Myddfai
Meddygon Myddfai – The Physicians of Myddfai were pioneers of modern medicine through herbalism in the twelfth century. Contrary to the prevalent view that medieval times were ‘The Dark Ages’, they were in fact when the first universities were being founded and monastic schools established. - Hawthorn – Ancient, Magical & Sacred Trees 1
The Hawthorn has more connections with ancient beliefs & traditions than almost any other tree. - Myrrh – A Magi’s Cure
Myrrh – A Magi’s Cure – Three wise men, a baby and a history of thousands of years boasting antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, read more… - Wildcrafting (Foraging) for the C21st
Whilst wildcrafted ingredients can’t be “certified organic” under current guidelines, the process basically ensures that ingredients are inherently organic. “Wildcrafted plants are indigenous, and organic in the sense of being pure and untouched by toxins or pollutants,” said Brandy Monique. - Frankincense – The Feel-Good Healer
Frankincense – an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia in the family Burseraceae, is also known as olibanum. Although not all Frankincenses are born equal - Vervain – The Herb of Enchantment
Common Vervain – The Herb of Enchantment, has been long been associated with divine and other supernatural forces. - The Humble & Persistent Little Weed – Plantain
Plantain is generally considered to be a weed; one description even read ‘a short, fat, ugly weed!! But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. - Wise Woman’s Power Plant – Mugwort
The Wise Woman’s Power Plant – Mugwort; or to give it it’s proper name Artemisia vulgaris LINN, is rightly justified in being called that. Said to be named after the Hellenic goddess of the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, the moon, virginity and protector of young girls; Artemis.
Celtic Deities
Celtic Deities, of which there are hundreds. Were not worshipped universally across the Celtic Diaspora: Brythonic/Brittonic (once inhabited most of the island of Great Britain and spoke Common Brythonic/Brittonic, now mainly located in Wales), Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, Brittany and the Isle of Man. They represented everything from rivers to warfare. They were very often limited to only several regions or a specific area.
The local deities from nature worship were the spirits of a particular feature of the landscape, such as mountains, trees, or rivers, and thus were generally only known by the locals in the surrounding areas.
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- Gwynn ap Nudd
The Wild Hunt; a belief that occurs in all regions of the Boreal Forest. A belief that may be as old as mankind itself. In Welsh mythology Gwynn ap Nudd is the leader of the wild hunt. - Elen of the Ways
Elen of the Ways – A female antlered deity. The oldest Goddess of the British Isles dating back to Paleolithic times. Are we descendants of the Deer People? - The Land on Which We Stand
The Land on Which We Stand………This is the energy of Mother-Earth, the Earth Goddess, the Anima Loci, and it can be experienced by anyone. - Meet Anima Loci, the Spirit of Place
Well I have typed the title and now I have some words on the page; which is a good start. It seemed like a good idea, I really do want folk to meet Anima Loci, The Spirit of Place, but can I do it? I mean can I do it in words; black type on a white page.
Green Living
Any Earth-Based Spirituality should include living in harmony with the land. This is the section to find articles that relate.
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- ‘But how do you do it?’
I was recently asked this very question; exactly how do you do it. How do I do my research. How did I know where to start and what to look for. It occurred to me, after being asked this question, that whilst it was obvious to me where to start and what to do, that … - Getting Sorted
I think I’m getting sorted. To me logic would stipulate that non diet drinks would not contain artificial sweeteners but alas this is not the case. Everything from ‘full fat’ Dr. Pepper to Fanta contains artificial sweeteners. The only exceptions to this with fizzy drinks are Coca cola and Pepsi. There are some lesser known … - A Swift Kick up the Rump
After receiving a swift kick up the rump from Chris about still consuming artificial sweeteners when I already know the dangers it got me to thinking about things. I am passionate about the environment, recycling, reusing and trying to make sure my impact is as low as possible. I treat nature with a high degree …