I’m waking at sunrise this week, which happens sometimes. I’m a seven-hours-a-night-or-I-lose-the-plot-kinda-gal (this isn’t limited thinking, I’ve experimented and weird things happen when I don't get enough shut-eye) so I'm feeling a bit tired. I was tidying the house like a mad woman (the family are visiting and there’s nothing as marvellously motivating as the … Continue reading Blank Spaces and Communal Living
A Place to Start
Control is not the cure when fear is the plagueA self-perpetuating cycle designed to keep us vagueLike a plaster for an artery gushing blood in scarlet streamsThe masks we hide behind won’t mute the mounting screamsDividing into factions won’t make the world a safer placeCommunity is key to live and grow in graceEnemies to friends … Continue reading A Place to Start
Trash or Treasure
Martin knew the saying; ‘once man’s trash is another’s treasure’, but it always amazed him the items people discarded at the charity shop. Dropping it there made them feel better about it, but make no mistake, if the charity shops closed tomorrow it would all be on the rubbish heap. That’s how much stuff people … Continue reading Trash or Treasure
Thoughts from Retreat
It’s been a couple of weeks since my shamanic retreat and I’m feeling good. This particular retreat was a foundation course, teaching how to journey and how to connect with our dreams. Support The retreat took place in an amazingly supportive atmosphere. Despite not knowing anyone before the course started, it felt like we’d all … Continue reading Thoughts from Retreat
The Rabbit Trap
Jack rabbit reached his peakAt the grand old age of threeLeaping past the other young bucksAscending the summit of hierarchyYet these heights weren’t high enough for young JackA propitious visionaryJack had a knack for selling dreamsTo the rest of the colonyHe imagined a life for his fluffleWith machines that would do all the workFrom the … Continue reading The Rabbit Trap
Back from retreat: re-retreated?
I've retreated from my shamanic retreat. What a lovely few days it was. Lovely is a bit of an understatement, but I'm at a loss for words to describe it. It goes something like this: People: 'So how was it?' Me: 'Good, yeah, really good.' [Change subject] The problem is, it's quite hard to describe … Continue reading Back from retreat: re-retreated?
Ladybird
The ladybird emerged from her pupaA day she’d awaited so longThe day she would finally take her placeIn the family to which she belongedFour stages of transformationpaved the way for this day:Egg into larva, larva to pupaNow her spots were on their wayShe came from an eight-spotted familyHer mum and her grandma and all those … Continue reading Ladybird
Lightbulb Moment: claim your voice
Dr Gladys McGarey is a 102 year old medical doctor and pioneer of holistic medicine. I listened to her chatting with Elizabeth Day on the How to Fail podcast while I was walking the hell hound (our new affectionate term for the dog, inspired by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens) and there was … Continue reading Lightbulb Moment: claim your voice
S’mother’s Day
I’m a Mum on Mother’s DayWondering why I feel this wayWhy does a day that’s all for meConstrict me so uncomfortably?There’s cards and pressies, hugs and kissingWhy do I feel there’s something missing?Shouldn’t I just accept the praiseheaped on me and demand a raiseFor taking care of these kids of mine?Yet here’s the problem, clear … Continue reading S’mother’s Day
Savour the flavour of your life
My daughter's excited because we have a few gigs lined up this year. She was telling me how lucky her friends think she is because she's been going to gigs since she was eight years old, whereas some of them have never been to a concert, which led us to talk about what her friends … Continue reading Savour the flavour of your life