The beginning of the end?

So….August is here already. For some reason I’ve really noticed the shortening of the days recently. Since the Summer Solstice (six weeks ago) there is now more than an hours’ less daylight each day. Some parts of the garden are looking slightly tired, jaded, faded and very dry, there is also a light sprinkling of Silver Birch leaves that have fallen on the grass. Many birds species are moulting this month so it’s just as important to keep feeding them to help grow new feathers and regain their strength during and after breeding.
Sure signs that this is the beginning of the end of Summer – only a few weeks left if you take September as the start of Autumn, which I tend to.
We’ve had a pretty good summer weather-wise so far, I don’t think anyone could complain about it but it seems to have gone so fast – so much still to do, places still to go and people still to visit.

The Decision

As a keen gardener I have a constant battle against predators. Not just the normal things such as slugs, snails, aphids, lily beetles etc etc., most of which I largely ignore these days - but those large even-toed ungulates, commonly known as deer. Living in rural Surrey this is hardly surprising and most of our neighbours have six foot high stock fencing to keep them out.
However, my husband (not a keen gardener) is firmly opposed to this, preferring an open frontage to the garden. In the past, I have tried all sorts of deer repellents such as human hair (in small net bags hung around the boundary), human urine (also around the boundary), ultra-sonic devices (emit a high pitched sound), lion dung (commercially prepared pellets impregnated with lion poo smell (allegedly)) and others that I have since forgotten about.
You won't be surprised to learn that none of these worked - my roses, pansies, fuschias, sedum, crocus and others plants were still being decimated. The only deer proofing that really works is a high fence and of course to accompany the fence - gates are needed which makes the whole project very, very expensive. I have attempted to fence (very amateurishly) a small area at the back of the house which extends into woodland, so I could grow what I wanted but recently this keeps being breached.
So....I have reached a decision. Instead of trying to battle against the enemy why not concede and live in harmony with the local wildlife. I don't really NEED to grow roses, there are plenty of other flowers, plants and shrubs that they don't eat. There is also some argument for alternative browsing i.e. planting things they do like so they leave others alone.
Actually, it's really quite exciting - I can feel a visit to the garden centre coming on.

The Buddhist Way

Years ago, when I first started learning about Reiki, I also became mildly interested in Buddhism. I bought some books - read them, bought some CDs - listened to them but that was about it, I didn't really go any further. Perhaps it was the indecision of which "tradition" to follow or maybe just a lack of direction. Every now and then my interest would be raised but then....nothing further.
There is an annual Thai Food Festival near us which we would visit and there was always a Buddhist monk there to give blessings and receive donations I would always visit him, somehow drawn and fascinated by the philosophy involved.
There are several different "types" of Buddhism which broadly follow geographical locations. For example Mahayana Buddhism (which includes Zen) is practiced mainly in China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, parts of Russia and most of Vietnam. Vajrayana school of Buddhism is found mainly in Tibet, Mongolia and Nepal (this includes Tibetan Buddhism whose leader is the 14th Dalai Lama) and finally the Theravada which is practiced today mainly in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and Cambodia. (This is a very brief, simplified overview of the different traditions).
Anyway, a little while ago, my husband mentioned that a friend of his had a Buddhist Monk staying with him and his wife (who was from Thailand). This sounded interesting, I thought and we duly visited this monk. He looked very out of place in a typical 3 bedroomed house on the border with Hampshire and Surrey but I found his presence fascinating and my interest was renewed. He spoke very little English - luckily an interpreter was on hand and we found out that he was trying to raise funds to help build a temple in Thailand and we asked various questions about Buddhism and about his life. After a short time we left a donation and after having the "string" tied around our wrist, we said goodbye. One other thing we found out was that there is a Monastery in Chithurst, West Sussex.
After a little research, I discovered that this Monastery (called Cittaviveka) was of the Theravada tradition. A lot more research and studying later I decided I would go for a visit. They are very keen that their "lay" community of followers gets involved in what goes on and one can come and go as one pleases - within reason. They are totally dependent on donations (money, requisites or services) which works in two ways. The monastery becomes capable of maintaining itself and therefore remains as a resource for people to visit and draw inspiration from - mutual support. The lay followers provide support for the body and the Monastery provides support for the mind and heart. One can meditate there, eat, listen to talks, work, borrow books, sit and read, join in the group meditation and chanting periods or just sit in the peacefulness and it really is peaceful - set deep in the West Sussex countryside the only external noise is birdsong.
So, my point is that I have now taken the plunge and I can say that I am now a follower of the Buddha and his teachings.

The Speed of Technology

Ten years ago we bought our first computer. We didn’t have a clue what we were buying or how to use one. Our son was six years old and we thought we should get one to help him with his school work. How naïve were we then?
We bought, or were sold, a Gateway computer (similar to that in the photo) with the infamous Millennium Edition operating system which developed a reputation as one of the most unstable operating systems ever. However, that is what I cut my teeth on – together with the dreaded dial-up. Remember that dialling noise as the modem tried to connect to the outside world?
I shudder when I think how little I knew then but everyone has to start somewhere and I can even remember boasting that I knew how to send emails! Wow!
It’s incredible to think back now though and realise that only ten years ago there was no internet in our house. Wi-fi was beyond our wildest dreams let alone being able to watch TV on our laptops. Our lives seems to revolve around it these days and sometimes we wonder what we used to do without it – it really has changed our lives and made the world a much smaller place.
Since then we have replaced our ageing Gateway desktop PC with its bulky CRT monitor with a Dell desktop with an LCD flat panel monitor and Windows XP (what an improvement) but that was five years ago so one of these days it’s going to be time for another leap forward into a new operating system – Window 7 (bypassing Vista).
I have made so many friends – cyber friends and real friends and learnt so much from the World Wide Web. I can buy practically anything I want without stepping foot outside the house and have it delivered to the front door which I love especially at Christmas time. The mind boggles at how technology has come on in leaps and bounds and one wonders what the next ten years will bring.
It’s very exciting – I just hope I can keep up with it.

Bumblebees

We have several bird nest boxes around our house. Some years they are used and some they aren't. I hadn't seen any bird activity around any of them this year so assumed they were all vacant. However, several weeks ago I happened, by chance, to notice a bee going into one of them. I waited and watched and there was another, then one came out and flew away and it was soon obvious that there was a nest of bees in this nest box. We were already members of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust so I look on the wallchart in the kitchen and discovered that they were most likely tree bumblebees (Bombus Hypnorum). This is apparently one of the less common species in the UK having first been recorded in the New Forest in 2001. It is widespread on the continent but it is not yet widely established here and has a tendency to nest in bird boxes. We already have a lot of bee and butterfly friendly plants and flowers in our garden and this year we made the effort to buy a few more.

DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPIDERS

Whilst getting ready for bed last night, I noticed a spider on the carpet and to stop it getting trodden on, I thought I would give it a little nudge with my toe so it would run off to a dark corner - as they normally do. I'm not afraid of spiders and usually let them get on with doing what they like doing best and accept their presence. However, this spider didn't run off, it turned towards my toe with an aggressive stance. I tried the same thing again from it's rear and it again turned to face my toe. I had been expecting it to run off and was taken aback by this behaviour. I then got a pencil and tried the same thing again - it attacked the pencil and bit it, well it would have done had the pencil been soft. I did this again just to check I wasn't imagining things and it again turned to attack the pencil.
By this time I was getting a little freaked out. It wasn't a large spider - no more than 1¼" including legs but it's attitude was a little scary.
A little research needed I thought so, off to trusty old Google having secured the spider under a glass. After trawling through a dozen or more spider photos and descriptions (for definite indentification) I discovered the following:

"....the 'aggressive house spider' or hobo spider (Tegenaria agrestis), is known to bite humans with little provocation. Despite its name, it is rarely seen in houses, preferring sheds, garages, and log piles.
... it is a spider to be avoided. It can and does bite and the poison can cause dizziness and headaches."

I was beginning to wish I hadn't tried to find out more and quite surprised what I was reading. Anyway, I don't like to kill things for no reason so I took "Mr. Hobo Spider" out into the garden and let him go.
I'll certainly be a little more careful in future when dealing with spiders and won't forget this little encounter in a hurry.

TAROT - Myths & Misconceptions

A Tarot deck is a pack of 78 picture cards - yes, that simple. However, the pictures on these cards are worth more than a thousand words - they paint a picture of life. A Tarot deck can also be thought of as a Book of Life but every time you read this book, the pages are rearranged and it tells a different story. Over the years, some strange myths have grown up around Tarot and Tarot reading. However weird and outdated these ideas may seem today, there is often some truth in their origins.
* One of the first Tarot myths encountered is that it is bad luck to buy your own deck - it should be bought for you by someone else. You could wait for ever for this to happen and then it may be one you don't like. Choose and buy your own first deck, examine the images carefully and make sure you can relate to them i.e. don't buy a dragon deck if you are frightened of dragons.
* You have to be psychic to be able to read the Tarot. Many who read the Tarot are psychic and this will lead to a different type of reading but not necessarily a better one. Anyone can learn to read the tarot although, as with anything, some will have more of an aptitude for it than others.
* The Tarot cards must be wrapped in black silk to protect them from "negative forces?" That is entirely up to you although personally I feel that dust and children's fingers may be a greater danger. By all means take the necessary precautions to keep the cards clean and in good condition. They are, after all, your tools.
* Never let anyone else touch your cards. This is another personal choice. In a face to face reading situation it can be beneficial to let the querent (questioner) shuffle the cards in order to impart some of their energies into the deck.
* You should not read your own cards. Some say this is unlucky, I say it can be difficult to read ones own cards objectively. By this I mean it is easy to see what you want to see in your own cards.
* The "Death" card means that someone around you is going to die. Theoretically, this is possible as we are all going to die but it is highly unlikely that this card on its own will prophesise someone's death.
* What the Tarot cards say is always right. Nothing is set in stone - more like written in sand. We all have our free will and the Tarot gives us guidance along with choices that we can make in our lives. It is up to us to choose our paths. If we see something in a reading that we do not like then we have the choice to do something about changing that thing.
* Tarot is evil. Also described as the "Devil's Picture Book". It is human nature to be afraid of something that is not fully understood or what is viewed as threatening. True, some of the images may be a bit scary in some decks but so are some great works of art - they aren't thought of as evil.
At the end of the day, they are your cards for you to do what you wish with them. If performing a ritual before a reading makes you feel better - then do it. Just use your common sense. As long as it harms no one else - do what you wish.

Poinsettia - The Christmas Flower

This picture is of a Poinsettia that I have had for about four or five years. Not many people keep them for very long after Christmas but with very little care and attention they can be kept for years - just like any other houseplant.
Poinsettias (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) grow wild in Mexico and Central America so the conditions they are kept in need to be similar to their native climatic conditions. Having said that they are quite forgiving and adaptable as are most houseplants which is precisely why they can be grown as houseplants. In the wild they grow as a shrub up to ten feet in height.
The red "flowers" aren't flowers at all but bracts or modified leaves. The small, insignificant flowers can be seen in the centre of the red bracts. They are now bred in various colours including pink, white even yellow.
A sunny windowsill is an ideal position, avoiding draughts and direct heat from radiators etc. The compost needs to be kept moist but not wet and certainly not standing in water or allowed to dry out completely. The night time temperature should not be allowed to drop below 10 deg.C. In late Spring when the red leaves start to fade or drop off the plant can be pruned back and fed, watered and treated as any other houseplant. One other thing worth mentioning for those with sensitive skin is that the white sap can be irritating so best to avoid getting this on one's skin.
The trick to encouraging it to turn red again for the next Christmas lies in the hours of light and darkness it receives. Mine is kept in a room that is rarely used in the evenings and so receives no artificial light from inside or outside in the form of street lighting and this is the key. As the Autumn nights naturally lengthen from September onwards, this extra darkness is what makes the Poinsettia's red bracts form. If it is kept in a living room or any room that gets artificially lit in the evenings then it is very unlikely to turn red. A way around this is to place it in a dark bag or box every night for at least 12 hours but this would take a good memory and lots of dedication to achieve this.

The Christmas Tarot

It may seem a little late to be talking about The Christmas Tarot - but I'm going to anyway.
This is a twenty-two card Major Arcana only deck inspired by the magic of a Victorian Christmas and the images were selected from Victorian Christmas cards. There are several changes of card names. The Fool is The Child, The Death card has been renamed Nativity, The Devil card is The Angel and The Tower is called The House of God. This is an electronic deck that can be easily downloaded in less than a minute. It can either be printed yourself or, as I did, sent to an on-line photo processor which gave excellent results - much better than I could have done at home. Included is a printable 45 page guidebook which includes descriptions of each card, several new spreads and tips and suggestions for your Christmas Tarot readings.
Visit the website and see the images on-line before buying and downloading. I can't actually see myself reading with this deck but I do love looking at the images - it's beautiful.

Quadrantid Meteor Shower

This shower of medium speed meteors can be seen radiating from a point in the north-east, assuming a cloudless sky. The bright, waning, gibbous moon may hinder viewing slightly this year but it's worth looking out this evening after 19.00 GMT as the hourly rate has been as much as 120 meteors per hour in recent times although this is more likely to be 40-60 per hour.

Lower numbers should be visible between the 1st and 5th January but the peak numbers are expected on the night of 3rd and the morning of 4th January.