https://theroseofmercia.co.uk/mourning-the-past-present-and-future
This was very hard to put into words. 2023 has been a difficult year.
Hold your loved ones a little tighter this Yuletide and always.
This was very hard to put into words. 2023 has been a difficult year.
Hold your loved ones a little tighter this Yuletide and always.
The Rose of Mercia
Mourning the past, present and future.
You may have noticed that I have been AWOL from creating any sort of long format content such as blog posts and videos throughout the majority of 2023. I had so many plans this year in regards to c…
Forwarded from Survive the Jive: All-feed
In advance of Yule I shall just remind people that although in the past I pointed out that Odin's epithet JÓLFAÐR "yule father" sounds like Father Christmas, that is in fact just a coincidence. Odin was indeed the principle god of the Yule festival, but he is not related to Santa Claus.
Father Christmas and Santa Claus are two separate figures who got merged together recently. The latter was mainly in West Germanic speaking continental Europe and was based on Saint Nicolas, while the former was in France and the British Isles and is literally a personification of Christmas itself. Neither existed in Scandinavia or Iceland until recently. The Nordic equivalent was a goat and it is perhaps of relevance that early English depictions of Father Christmas depict him riding on a goat so there may be a connection between the Julbok and Father Christmas but maybe not.
The reindeer and North pole stuff is all modern invention from USA so any resemblance to Odin is coincidence.
Also, as a heathen father, I don't consider it pious to tell my children that the fat purveyor of plastic toys is our god. It isn't. I also refrain from referring to the small pointy hatted servants as "elves" since in our religion this term is reserved for honoured ancestral spirits. I prefer to say gnome so as to avoid confusion. The Nordic countries call them nisse but this may derive from a term meaning "ancestor" which raises similar concerns.
Father Christmas and Santa Claus are two separate figures who got merged together recently. The latter was mainly in West Germanic speaking continental Europe and was based on Saint Nicolas, while the former was in France and the British Isles and is literally a personification of Christmas itself. Neither existed in Scandinavia or Iceland until recently. The Nordic equivalent was a goat and it is perhaps of relevance that early English depictions of Father Christmas depict him riding on a goat so there may be a connection between the Julbok and Father Christmas but maybe not.
The reindeer and North pole stuff is all modern invention from USA so any resemblance to Odin is coincidence.
Also, as a heathen father, I don't consider it pious to tell my children that the fat purveyor of plastic toys is our god. It isn't. I also refrain from referring to the small pointy hatted servants as "elves" since in our religion this term is reserved for honoured ancestral spirits. I prefer to say gnome so as to avoid confusion. The Nordic countries call them nisse but this may derive from a term meaning "ancestor" which raises similar concerns.
The Rose of Mercia 🌹 pinned «https://theroseofmercia.co.uk/mourning-the-past-present-and-future This was very hard to put into words. 2023 has been a difficult year. Hold your loved ones a little tighter this Yuletide and always.»
Forwarded from Pirate's Off Grid Homestead
....inspired by something I saw a couple of days ago....
The Humble Honesty Box.
In my opinion this countryside staple signals the peak of a civilised society, where any passing stranger can be trusted to take what they need and leave the appropriate monies behind in a fair and honest trade....there are no CCTV cameras to monitor these boxes, no need to register online to get a verification code to open the box....nothing but trust between strangers....
This is only possible in a high trust society, and sadly, we seem to be losing the trust in large parts of the country (towns and cities), but fortunately, where I live these little tests of honesty are prolific and it makes me very happy to live in such a high trust environment....this is life today in rural England.
Long live the humble Honesty Box. 💚
The Humble Honesty Box.
In my opinion this countryside staple signals the peak of a civilised society, where any passing stranger can be trusted to take what they need and leave the appropriate monies behind in a fair and honest trade....there are no CCTV cameras to monitor these boxes, no need to register online to get a verification code to open the box....nothing but trust between strangers....
This is only possible in a high trust society, and sadly, we seem to be losing the trust in large parts of the country (towns and cities), but fortunately, where I live these little tests of honesty are prolific and it makes me very happy to live in such a high trust environment....this is life today in rural England.
Long live the humble Honesty Box. 💚
I am very glad to see the back of 2023. I don't usually reveal much about myself on a personal level, but 2023 was incredibly difficult. I explain in a little more detail on my blog.
The only good thing to come out of 2023 was that my business has gone from strength to strength, which I am incredibly grateful for. I focused the energy I had left into it.
I spent the first day of 2024 mushroom spotting along the Cotswolds Way and exploring the Uley and Nympsfield long barrows. This is the beginning of another year of exploration on these beautiful isles.
I'll be writing about the Uley and Nympsfield long barrows soon, I am slowly but surely starting to write more.
Happy New Year to you all. I hope that 2024 is a prosperous year for you.
The only good thing to come out of 2023 was that my business has gone from strength to strength, which I am incredibly grateful for. I focused the energy I had left into it.
I spent the first day of 2024 mushroom spotting along the Cotswolds Way and exploring the Uley and Nympsfield long barrows. This is the beginning of another year of exploration on these beautiful isles.
I'll be writing about the Uley and Nympsfield long barrows soon, I am slowly but surely starting to write more.
Happy New Year to you all. I hope that 2024 is a prosperous year for you.
Forwarded from Sacred Albion
Help stop a piece of beautiful natural Yorkshire be turned into a quarry! Whether you’re near or not… https://chng.it/mDgtFvJW
Change.org
Stand With Us to Save Horn Crag: Your Signature Can Prevent a Quarry Threatening Our Natural Gem
2,041 signatures are needed, let’s get there by the end of the day?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-67543068
Nature has returned to their farm after reverting back to the layout from the 1800s. This just proves how modern farming has a complete disconnect from nature.
Now, I'm not dissing farmers here. We need farmers, but the agricultural sector needs a massive overhaul to bring nature to the forefront of farming.
Nature has returned to their farm after reverting back to the layout from the 1800s. This just proves how modern farming has a complete disconnect from nature.
Now, I'm not dissing farmers here. We need farmers, but the agricultural sector needs a massive overhaul to bring nature to the forefront of farming.
BBC News
How an ancient map transformed a Northumberland farm
Charlotte and Charlie Bennett used a 200-year-old map to transform their Northumberland estate.
The Rose of Mercia 🌹 pinned «https://theroseofmercia.co.uk/oh-apple-tree-we-wassail-thee Wæs þu hæl! 🍎🍏🍻 Drink and be merry.»
Forwarded from The Fyrgen • ᚫᛚᚢ:ᚢᛚᚫ
The argument that "AI is inevitable... we have no choice..." pisses me off. It's to say you have zero agency in this life; that you're mere flotsam, carried wherever the current takes you; or worse, an empty vessel to be used and directed by non-divine forces.
You're more than that. You have agency and your world won't change for the better until you start asserting it. Don't behave like the cattle they think you are.
You're more than that. You have agency and your world won't change for the better until you start asserting it. Don't behave like the cattle they think you are.
Forwarded from Keep It Cash
Remember, we need to keep our eye on the ball all the time. There is currently all manner of distractions and what do they ultimately need to distract us from? - The removal of our basic rights and the transition to a digital money system of programmable money.
Without programmable
money and a cashless society, none of the other tyrannical measures to control us can truly work.
Without programmable
money and a cashless society, none of the other tyrannical measures to control us can truly work.
Forwarded from Æhtemen
Anglo Saxon 'Tree of Life' carvings from the church at Barnack. Just like the Norse Yggdrasil, the English 'Tree of Life' had a bird perched on top. Two of the examples above include a cockerel and eagle.
Before and after.
Today was the first time in about three months that we spent an extended amount of time at the allotment.
We concentrated on our smaller plot today. The right side was turned over and we spread gypsum over it to help improve the soil. We have heavy clay soil and we have found this is the best way to improve the drainage and break down the clay. Once the frost hits, we'll break down the larger clumps and add in lots of organic matter.
The left side is now a flower patch, so we don't need to turn over this side. I decided to spread gypsum here as well, with all the rain we've had it will help break up some of the surface level clay.
We still need to cut back the raspberry canes, plant bulbs and finish weeding but it looks an awful lot better than I expected after being neglected for a little while.
I am hopeful that 2024 is going to be a fruitful year for us. 🌱
Today was the first time in about three months that we spent an extended amount of time at the allotment.
We concentrated on our smaller plot today. The right side was turned over and we spread gypsum over it to help improve the soil. We have heavy clay soil and we have found this is the best way to improve the drainage and break down the clay. Once the frost hits, we'll break down the larger clumps and add in lots of organic matter.
The left side is now a flower patch, so we don't need to turn over this side. I decided to spread gypsum here as well, with all the rain we've had it will help break up some of the surface level clay.
We still need to cut back the raspberry canes, plant bulbs and finish weeding but it looks an awful lot better than I expected after being neglected for a little while.
I am hopeful that 2024 is going to be a fruitful year for us. 🌱