India - Karuna

What is Karuna? 

This is an Indian Sanskrit concept and is based on 'compassion in action'. It is a concept in Hinduism and Buddhism. Compassion for others is used to reduce pain and suffering in the world. Karuna is experienced when a person becomes enlightened. This enlightenment is the feeling od empathy for those who are in need. It is used in a type of Reiki healing. 

Introducing Kathy Jones

"One of the benefits of becoming a Crone Priestess and Goddess Temple Elder is being able look back over an extraordinary life to gain perspective, to understand how things happened through time. Now I can see the Motherline threads which have woven through my life, connecting me forward to my daughter and grandchildren, and back to the mothers and ancient grandmothers. I see how in the 1970s a wave of renewed Goddess spirituality and teachings began to unfurl across the world and how we in Glastonbury Avalon have been and are part of that amazing wave. I see how Goddess awareness began to expand and grow, connecting the hearts and minds of many people. This was especially so from Avalon where, inspired by the Lady of Avalon, Goddess in the Sacred Land here, we began to learn about Her, to love Her, to speak Her name again. All our work in Glastonbury Goddess Temple plays a major part of that magnificent flow.

Havening Therapy

 

John Stuart Mill

Who was John Stuart Mill? 

He was the son of a great philosopher, James Mill. John Stuart was a British Humanist who lived from 1806-1873 and he developed the 'greatest happiness theory'. He believed that we should work towards the greatest good for all people and that we should cultivate self discipline, courage, conscience, unselfishnes, duty and cleanliness. He believed that there is a struggle between good and evil and believed we should treat others as we wish to be treated. He was a founder of the Unitarianism Church. He was an economist and philosopher of science and reputed to ‘everything’. 

Tarot cards

Chosen at random from decks by Lo Scarabeo :-D 

Eurythmy

What is Eurythmy? 
This is a sacred dance or rhythmic and meditative movement where legends and myths are re-enacted. It was created by Rudolf Steiner, who formed the Anthroposophical Society when he broke away from Theosophy where he was a General Secretary of the German branch. Steiner was born in 1861, son of a railway worker and was mainly self taught and by his secondary school, he was teaching other pupils and he gained entry to University of Vienna where he studied sciences. His meditation practice was established by the time he moved to Berlin where he edited a literary magazine. 

Druidry

The Greeks learnt much from the Celts, including philosophy - Aristotle considered the Druids to be the inventors of philosophy and were the world's greatest scholars with mathematical skills greater than those of Pythagoras who learnt his skills from them. Druids studied for twenty years, learning geography, history, astronomy, physics and theology and spoke Latin, Greek and Hebrew. It is also thought the made human sacrifice to placate the gods. Druids had an oral teaching and wrote nothing down so we have no first hand knowledge of them. They were bards, prophets and priests. Druid is a word that orginates, it is thought, from the Gaulish or Greek words for 'oak' and 'knowledge'. 

The Female Cycle

The power of self-love and our cycles by Gabriella Guglielminotti Trivel

On a nice winter day ...

It was a wonderful winter day and the sun was shining so I decided to go out and give myself the pleasure to commune with nature for an hour or so.

I decided to go and see my giant friends in the wood. They are some century old beeches that form a part of the wood where I normally go walking and relaxing during my week days.

I hadn't been there to see them for a while, therefore I thought to go on my pilgrimage of love to visit my old friends.

Some of them are so big and old that they have fallen on the ground and broken in various parts. They lie on the ground with their roots exposed and show their magnificence, they are awe inspiring!

My old friends

I remember the first time that I saw a very big and old one on the ground and could not remember having seen it lying there before, therefore I realized that it must have fallen recently.

Eco-shamanism

 We are learning from the ancient tribal peoples - age old wisdom - that we must care for what we have or we will lose it. Shamanism is the original form of contact with nature spirits for the health and wellbeing of individuals and the tribe. All who heard the voice of God, prophets, sybils, seers and others, such as Moses, Jesus, Muhammed, were the equivalent of shamans. Eco shamanism is about listening to the nature spirits and caring for and protecting nature. Our unique and finite planet is in danger due to humankind's use of resources, and lack of awareness with regards to how we dispose of toxic substances. Protecting the seas, the soil and the air is now a priority as is conserving the biodiversity of our planet where every species relies on each other. 

Aerobic Exercise

Choose Aerobic Exercise!
This is any type of exercise which takes in oxygen and pumps oxygenated blood round the body. It is usually long, sustained exercise which helps you get put of breath, such as strenuous cycling, running, lifting weights, etc. This exercise strengthens the heart and lungs, Exercises, such as these, help release endorphins which help with feel good feelings, they help reduce weight and aid overall bodily health. Make sure you warm up before embarking on any strenuous exercise. A visit to your GP is useful if you are over 40 years old, have a sedentary life-style or have been in poor health.

Autogenic Training

What is Autogenic Training? 

I found this a good video on this topic. It explains the advantages of the technique. If you are listening to the recording, please ensure you are not interrupted for 20 minutes while you perform the meditation. Never operate machinery or drive while performing meditation. Autogenic Training is a powerful relaxation method which should ne conducted each day for best results. Let me tell you a story: A Russian envoy, Count Kayserling had insomnia. He asked Johann Sebastian Bach to compose music for him to help him sleep. The Count called upon Johann Goldberg to play on the harpsicord a new Bach composition. Immediately the Count fell asleep. This piece of music is known as the Goldberg Variations. In the 1970s, a Bulgarian scientist, Georgi Lozanov, studied this piece of music and found that it slowed down the bodily processes. Vivaldi, Telemann, Corelli and Handel also had a similar effect. 60 beats per minite is the desired tempo. 

Holotropic Breathwork

 

This is an intense breathing endurance, perhaps for hours while listening to music. It is possible to enter an altered state of consciousness. The levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the bloodstream change. After the experience is discussed, sometimes drawings take place, such as mandalas. 

It can be very demanding on the body and heart and other organs might be very stressed. It is worth getting a full medical check up before the first session. 

Global Sale of Fur at an All Time High!

Top fashion models, such as Naomi Campbell, who do not get out of bed for less than a £10,000 daily fee at one time pledged they would never wear fur and would rather go naked. But 400 of the world's up-market designers are using animal pelts for fashion on the cat-walks of London, Paris, Milan and New York, dressing high paid models in furs costing five figure sums. The UK fur market has more than doubled with Britain's leading fur retailer, Hockley, increasing sales by 44% in its London store over the past ten years. Mulberry, Gucci, Fendi and others are stocking winter collections. London is now the fastest growing market in Europe and sales in Asia are booming at £3.7 billion per year. World sales in fur reached £10.3 billion last year. Goods made in China using cat fur, raccoon dog fur, rabbit fur and mink are on sale labelled as 'synthetic fabric'. We are being conned into animal cruelty. Many of these animals are skinned alive in China.