(Photo: Golden Eagle)

We (The Lothlorien Nemeton) live amongst some beautiful mountains and are surrounded by some pretty cool wildlife. I recently did some looking on the internet to see what I could find about the Prades, anything. Historically, ecologically, geographically and found there’s quite a lot in English. One in particular led me to write this blog, as it mentioned birds of prey that can be found here.

Above our place in the valley are beautiful cliffs and often we hear and sometimes see eagles around there because they have a nest up there. We sometimes even have some suprising views of them by the side of the road, whether sitting on a branch or flying off.

Now being an Englishman from the South East, seeing a bird of prey is quite something. I’ve seen Buzzards flying high and obviously who hasn’t seen a Kestrel hovering at the side of a motorway. I’ve even seen Red Kites when I was doing work up near oxfordshire, but never a wild eagle! Apparently there’s only one pair of Golden Eagles in England, in the Lake District and all the rest live in Scotland or Wales.

Mika has been telling me that there are a few of eagle here in the Prades mountains. First is the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) , which is quite well know in most of the Northern Hemisphere. Then there’s the Imperial Eagle (Aquila Heliaca Adalberti) , though which Imperial Eagle I’d guess must be the local Iberian type. And apparently, I found on a website, that there are, or were, some Bonelli’s Eagles. This is quite a wealth of eagles to have around, especially for me but even then, their may well be plenty more types around aswell.

Also, there’s plenty of other birds of prey. There’s kestrels, though those I don’t usually see them in the mountains, often we see hawks and/or peregrine falcons (not that I can tell the difference) sitting on powerlines beside roads and at nights there are owls about, looking after things when all other birds have gone to bed.

I think I’ve whet my appetite a bit, I’m definately going to be scouting around on the ‘net for more things that inhabit these beautiful mountain, and with a bit of extra insight, who knows, I might spot things that I may never have noticed before!

-Adam-

(Little mallow plant in Mika's hands)

(These are a couple of extracts from an article about Ecopsychology written by Adam)
Psyche meets Gaia

We can do all we want about the effects of our “collective neuroses,” by saving whales, ethical consumerism, ethical industry, sustainable living etc but if these aren't reinforced by a deeper psychological healing then our actions won't be quite so effective. As Karen Armstrong said, “Neuroses are much more difficult to get rid of than beliefs. We can all change our opinions more easily than we can eliminate destructive patterns in our lives, however hard we try. It is the same with religion and, surely, the same with a culture. Our religious beliefs may have changed but our emotional compulsions have remained.” If we only change the effects of things, then we can easily slip back into our old habits and compulsions. If we do not add a psychological depth to ecology, then no matter how many trees we try to save, humanity may find itself slipping back into old patterns.

This ecological unconscious has been denied because of beliefs that we are somehow distinct from nature, or that we are the pinnacle of its evolution. But our evolution does not proceed from nature in an independent way, it proceeds within nature, in an interdependent evolution. So to heal ourselves, we need not only look at our personal and interpersonal relations, but also by placing psychology within a broader arena, that of Gaia, can our health be greatly enhanced, as this is the very place that we grow within and depend upon for our existence. Our reconnection isn't just a physical one but also a psychological one. Our relationship with nature isn't just one outside of us but also within us. The journey of the soul is a part of nature, not apart from it.

(Picture: Blue Tit of The Earth Sanctuary, taken by Mika)

Becoming the Child

In a starry night

when the sky is filled with lights,

I am the brightest one,

I am thoughts of hope

and every good wish.

I am inspiration and expression,

reflexion and manifestation.

I am the inexhaustible creative spirit,

the joy you see in flowers,

the strength you feel from the trees.

I am opportunity.

I am the seed and the fruit,

the fire in the roots and the solar god,

I am imagination,

every dream that becomes reality.

I am passion,

the pleasure and the harmony,

the grass under your feet,

the perfection of a snowflake.

I am a god of rythm,

the performer of sound,

I am delight.

Because I am darkness too,

I am not afraid of the lightless,

I am silence and meditation,

I am the serenity in the newborn ,

the twilight and the midnight,

a relentless potential,

the promise of a sunrise,

I am the timeless and eternal,

a limitless dancer of creation,

I am becoming the Child.

I am realisation.

-Mika-

The Druid´s Room

...Out of the Druid´s room come all kinds of strange noises.

Frogs croaking, leaves rustling, boar grunting, stag calling, birds chirping, and in the background, the sound of dancing waters...

Yes I have moved again! Gods, it must the twentiest time in...well, five years.

The "castle" is so big, we move around as our personal processes progress, and Blondie-Lightstar - my youngest daughter - needed a more private space, so I left her Merlin´s Tower, which has an autonomous entrance, and have moved down to the central flat again. I´ll be quite far away from her late night arrivals, I won´t expect her earlier (New Year´s Resolution Number One!) - I won´t hear her and so I will just go on sleeping the sleep of the just...Now that is what I call a pleasant change!

Just so you won´t think I am an overbearing mother, I´ll remind you that during those nights during which Blondie was dancing her heart away in her furry red ball slippers, I always ended up sleeping with her dog, Kayla - a wonderful boxer bitch, but nevertheless I´m past the age of baby-sitting...Besides, Kayla always ended up plunked in the middle of the bed, deeply asleep and heavy as a stone, and I ended up like a doughnut around her! Seriously, I may need hip replacement surgery...(naaah just joking)

Ah independence (independent-dance), what a wonderful feeling (Both ways, for daughter AND for mother)...

My new room is like a matchbox.

But.

I have now a glorious art room (which was the original bedroom, but I switched).

And a room just for ironing!

*sigh*

It´s the first of January 2008, and things couldn´t be better!

...Or could they ?

Mmmm...My birthday is two weeks away, so I might be expecting interesting stuff.

Anyways, a Happy New Year to all of you who are reading this,

Prosperity, Health, and Happiness (not necessarily in that order!)

Shakti.

:-)