“Imbolc Imbolc, The Season of Rebirth. Feel the infant stirring in the waters of the Earth. Imbolc, Imbolc, The Light will soon return, Born to Earth this winter night, Let the candles burn”
The above words come from a song called “Imbolc” by Aeolian Songspell.
Those who follow the rhythym of nature known as “The Wheel Of The Year” are paying heed to the cycle of light and dark. It gradually begins to get darker earlier after the longest day at Midsummer and gradually the daylight is extended after the shortest day at Midwinter. Then we have two midpoints during the year when the daylight and nightly absence of light are balanced, just for a short time. These are the Spring and Autumn Equinox. Alongside being aware of the physical interplay between light and darkness, magickal practitioners. When the days are longer people tend to be more outgoing and focus on the outer world whereas when the days get shorter peoples’ thoughts are more focussed on getting home and snug, they spend more time alone, feel like sleeping more and focus more on their private inner world.
What does Imbolc, which arrives on approximately 1st February signify on the cycle? It is a fire festival. It marks St Brigid’s Day and the end of winter .Candles that are burned in processions represent the light from the Sun which is gradually becoming more present and increasing in power. Some areas put on parades and let characters enact roles in dramas to represent aspects of nature that we all know about and see around us. The suitable one at this time would be Jack Frost and the Green Man battling for supremacy in a mummers play. This would of course represent in dramatic form how Spring wins against Winter. Prts of your personality that became frozen during the winter months will start to defrost and come to consciousness again so your conscious mind will start to think about travelling, playing, having fun, new projects etc.
The word “Imbolc” or Ol-melc” means “ewe’s milk”. Around this time, around February 1st and 2nd, sheep would start to lactate as they were preparing for birthing the lovely lambs that we see in Springtime. The Imbolc rituals would be performed at least in part to ensure a new crop of healthy lambs.
Another name for Imbolc is Candlemas and the tradition is to light a procession of candles to welcome back the waxing/growing Sun. As Above So Below. As Within So Without. The Sun links to the heart and the heart waxes with love during this month too on St Valentine’s Day. The days spent indoors by the hearth are almost over and it is time to be more awake and go outside in the world and instead of focussing within yourself (the unconscious/dark) you start to look outwards and think about being out and about again in the coming months (the Conscious/Light).
Farmers would start to prepare the soil too and gardeners begin to clear the top surface of the soil and plan what to plant. Start to clear your mind and house of clutter from the winter to make room for new projects. Draw up the blinds or open the curtains wider to welcome the light back into your life. Do some groundwork. What do you plan to plant and grow in your life during the coming Spring and Summer? Start being like the ewes. Prepare for the birth of your fresh new ideas and ventures. Start being like farmers and prepare your field so that new projects will have a space to grow. This is a good time to declutter and layer your life and to prepare the topsoil. Observe that the Sun is growing in strength and so is your inner fire, your heart too, and that your plans will receive all they need to grow and prosper from the passion and strength of the solar fire that is within, above and about you.
Wishing You A Blessed Imbolc Filled with Solar Light and Inspiration.
Regulars may know, previous issue#10 came out in Feb’2014, and the one for May’14 never manifested. So this latest magazine is coming out after a year-long gap. ..and all the more reason to celebrate it! 🙂
My big thanks to all the latest and regular (hard working) Writers/ Contributors.
I attended a very effective demo in London yesterday to put pressure on China to end the ivory trade. Congratulations to Maria Mossman, Denise Dresner and their team for creating the event and successfully mobilising people to attend.
There is a saying which originates from the 1st century , was used in 18th century fairytales and denotes distance. People use the phrase “living in ivory towers” to describe academics who inhabit a world of theory which is remote from the harsh reality of the real world. It tends to be used in a negative sense to describe people who display a lack of concern and cling on to maintaining pure thoughts uncontaminated by the realities of life. The allure of fairytales is very strong and continues into adulthood and people are understandably reluctant to let go of fantasies of an ideal world where everything is dreamy, wicked people are defeated and all live happily ever after in the end.
People who are protesting about environmental issues and being a voice for the voiceless have leapt down from the ivory towers and immersed themselves in the brutal reality of life as it is unfolding during the 21st century. One issue that is being addressed is ivory and the barbaric reality behind the trade.
The current prognosis for elephants and rhinos is that they will not live happily ever after and the end of the story will really be The End. This is the likely ending of their grim fairytale unless urgent steps are taken to protect them.
China can save Africa’s elephants if it chooses to.Why would anyone not want to do this? Kerching/Money/Greed. We were oustide the Chinese Embassy yesterday asking China to close down its ivory carving factories, close down its ivory outlets because it is there that 70% of illegal ivory ends up. They must be persuaded to do this as the world is losing 100 elephants daily which is horrifying. China will try to stick to its guns and deflect this pressure as it has issues about saving face and not being told what to do. Well, we have issues about elephants and rhinos saving their faces and the tusks on them. If China did the decent thing and stopped this trade people would be grateful and have respect for them. They would also have contributed to stopping the network of trans-national poachers and ivory traffickers and stop the involvement of terrorist groups which are funded in part by blood ivory.
1.Lead:Ban the Ivory trade!
Follow:Stop the poaching!
2.Lead:Kill the ivory trade – not the Elephants!
Follow:Kill the trade! Kill the trade! El-eph-ants must be saved!
Lead:Elephants deserve to live!
Follow:China – something’s got to give!
3.Lead:Extinction is forever
Follow:Stop all poaching now.
4.Lead:One Hundred elephants will die today!
Follow:Its time to stop the ivory trade
Lead:Brutality beyond belief
Follow:Causing agony and global grief!
5.Lead:What do we want?
Follow:An end to poaching
Lead:When do we want it?
Follow:Now! Now! Now!
6.Lead:1,2,3,4!
Follow:Ivory’s what they’re dying for
Lead:5,6,7,8!
Follow:Stop the trade its not to late!
7.Lead:What do we want?
Follow:A total ban on Ivory
Lead:When do we want it?
Follow:NOW!
Lead:What do we want?
Follow:An end to poaching!
Lead:When do we want it?
Follow:Now! Now! Now!
8.Lead:2,4,6,8!
Follow:Ban the ivory it’s not too late!
Lead:Every elephant belongs to the land,
Follow:Heads up China we’re taking a stand!
9.Lead:China ban the ivory trade!
Follow:Stop the slaughter and the crave!
Lead:You can end the devastation!
Follow:Stop the elephants decimation!
Lead:Tusks to trinkets – we’re dismayed!
Follow:Burn it all and Stop the Trade!
Lead:Elephants are life!
Follow:Ivory is Death!
10.ALL:If you’ve a heart, you must know,
CARVING FACTORIES HAVE TO GO!
If you care, you must know,
THE IVORY TRADE HAS GOT TO GO!
Tusks to Trinkets, we’re dismayed,
BURN IT ALL AND STOP THE TRADE!
and one that a participant introduced on the day :
“The rhinos and ellies you see on the tellys deserve the right to live!”
There were three brilliant speakers. Dominic Dyer from Care For The Wild International https://www.facebook.com/careforthewild was passionate about getting commitment on wildlife issues from MPs if they want our votes . Here is a link for his motivational speech:
There was a lady called Jocelyn who had not planned on speaking who gave a very moving address saying how she could not stand back and do nothing. She explained that there is a problem of semantics as in one language tusk means tooth so the impression created in childrens’ minds is that acquiring a tusk is a simple tooth extraction. This creates an entirely false image at total variance with the harsh reality of elephants being hit by AK-47s and rockets. She had the inspired idea of tackling the Vatican about their use of religious ivory and produced a petition to ask Pope Francis to say No to ivory. Please visit it and sign it and pass it on http://bit.ly/1tXWSjL
After the demo had ended some of us were discussing many things including peoples’ apathy, not knowing what is really happening, our feelings of powerlessness when we hear of all of the atrocities as there are so many, every way that you turn. But we have no choice. Once you have descended from the ivory tower you can never return.We cannot sit back and do nothing or be in denial about how critical the situation is or just leave it to someone else. There isn’t anyone else. There is us. We are alive at this critical time and with that comes great responsibility. We are living in the NOW and we have to OWN the times and the problems. It would be nice if we could move from a position of NOW to OWN to WON. I cannot imagine a world without elephants, rhinos, tigers, dolphins, orcas or other animals ~ I would not want to. Would you?
The apathy of people really frustrates me. I met up with some schoolfriends after 30 + years a couple of years ago and one said that animal rights people and environmental activists are mad. No. I think it is the people who carry on their small little lives without feeling the need to do something about the wildlife and the environment that are mad and extremely shortsighted. It would take more than a visit to Specsavers to open their eyes and propel them to action.
Everything in this ecosystem is interconnected. Everything has a place and a purpose.If you do not start to peek out of your ivory tower and look at the what is happening and at least take some action to fight for the survival of the planet and wildlife then you are part of the problem.
It is now Monday 26th January. Aimal Defenders International on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AnimalDefenders/photos/a.169945149357.155327.75101244357/10153605752889358/?type=1 provided an email address so that people can directly contact the Embassy and politely ask them to stop the ivory trade: political_uk@mfa.gov.cn
Also someone posted in a comment on this blog post that the chants should have been positive ones. If you have gone to the page about me you will see that I am Reiki Master and I acknowledge that we are all viibrational entities and I have thought about the use of the Law Of Attraction and positive thinking and affirmations very deeply to do with animal, environmental and human concerns and I feel that it is not enough, for me anyway as these matters are complex and there are a lot of diverse parties wanting different outcomes and that raising public awareness and using pressure and political channels is crucial in this day and age.
I worked closely with a visualisation group on the Taiji Drive Hunting Cause and the aim was to send heaing and positive thoughts and to visualise the dolphins getting away or not being seen by the hunters to maintain a blue cove. This is helpful too but I feel that the protests and demonstrations are highly effective in educating and getting more people on board and to get a message accross. You cannot mince words when doing this as the cause is too important. Elephants and other species need help urgently so raising awareness and tackling the demand for ivory etc is the right way.
I attended the Carnival Demo March Against Taiji Dolphin Slaughter and Captivity Trade//Blackfish Awareness/Boycott SeaWorld/Empty The Tanks//Free Lolita.
The march started in Cavendish Square in Central London and ended at a demo in Trafalgar Square. There was a brilliant turnout. People raised awareness through chants and banners and leafleting. It is always very moving and very motivating to link with like minded people. It was so good to be in Trafalgar Square at a protest for the dolphins and whales. It feels good to live in a country where there are no longer any dolphinariums but it does not feel good to be a member of a species that inflicts so much suffering on animals and the environment.
I loved this “Je suis dolphin” banner and it was nice to see other banners with “Je suis Tilikum” and “Je suis Corky”and “Je suis Morgan”. There may have been others that I did not see as there were a lot of attendees. There are so many other names that could have been displayed.
All of the captive orca and dolphin stories are distressing. I posted about Corky a while back as it broke my heart to hear her story. She proved that whales are intelligent social creatures with strong family bonds.
Maisie Williams who plays Arya Stark in “Game Of Thrones” was there for the dolphins and these three animal campaigners gave excellent speeches to educate and motivate the crowd.
Sharon Bull read a poem which she had written from Angel which was very moving. This is a good way of educating children about the plight of Angel and her species as they will be able to identify with Angel. It is not madness to attribute human emotions to dolphins as it is acknowledged by scientists that they and whales live in families, use language and form strong emotional attachments. It is so crucial to reach children so that they know not to visit a dolphin show.
You can listen to Will Traver’s inspiring speech here:
You can listen to the motivational words of Dominic Dyer here
It was so poignant that this march and demo took place tday as it is one year since Angel the albino was brutally taken captive by the Taii drive hunters. I posted on here at the time about it:
So what can we do to bring this barbaric enterprise to an end? We can carry on protesting and educating people as this movement is gaining momentum. There is another protest outside the Japanese Embassy on Friday February 20th. Follow the link for the details:
If Tim on 0207 4656500 is not available keep trying or see if anyone else at the Embassy will speak to you although I cannot envisage any other staff willing to take on the role of “Je suis Tim at the Japanese Embassy Londres”
Prince William is going to be visitng to Japan shortly so you can ask him to request that Taiji stops the brutal drive hunting. I quote from today’s Telegraph
Kensington Palace said in a statement that the Prince would travel to Japan first and attend a number of events in the capital, Tokyo, and other areas on behalf of the Government.
These engagements would be “focused on UK-Japan relations, commerce and cultural exchange and in support of his own personal interest in combating the illegal wildlife trade.
Dominic Dyer gave a speech, Ric O’Barry was there too and the energy was high as we pushed the message “Enough is enough”. Indeed Enough is enough on so many levels. We have depleted enough ocean life, interfered with eco systems, put animals through suffering, objectified dolphins/orcas and other animals and used them for our entertainment for long enough. Enough is enough for me too of people who are just so absorbed in their quest for the next fix of entertainment or consumer goods that they just carry on regardless as though all this animal cruelty and exploitation has nothing to do wth them.
Remember the accusations that were going around after the death of Princess Diana when we were told that anyone who had bought newspapers to look at her image were part of the cause of her death when the paparazzi were hounding her? Well it is the same with Taiji drive hunting.
If you buy a ticket to a dolphin show you are entangled with drive hunting. It is not the fishing that keeps that crew afloat but the live capture and training of “suitable” dolphins for human entertainment. It is not rocket science to work out that if there is no demand then there will be no need to supply.
Today, November 16th Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians reported
The hunters of Taiji have slaughtered yet another pod of Risso’s.
At 7:05am, the Cove Guardians spotted the hunting vessels approximately 10-12 miles off the coast and noticed that they were in drive formation, greedily pushing a pod of dolphins toward the cove.
During the drive, the pod almost outsmarted the hunters when they split apart in order to escape, however they were ultimately outmatched and overpowered by the steel death machines, banger poles, slap paddles and 22 ruthless men.
While the defenseless dolphins were netted into the cove, awaiting death, they became so desperate to escape, they began to jump the nets and throw themselves onto the rocks and beach.
Ultimately, the hunters murdered the entire pod, which consisted of approximately 18-20 dolphins, including adults, juveniles and babies.
Everyone can help by drawing attention to this barbaric trade. If someone mentions that they are thinking of going to a dolphin show tell them about Taiji.
I left the protest a little early as I was a bit under the weather and jumped onto a crowded tube train and sat next to a very smartly suited businessman who turned to me and said that he had seen the protest as he had business near the Japanese Embassy and had walked past. I was pleasantly surprsied that he was engaging with me as was sitting there with a Sea Shepherd hat on and a dolphin painted on my face. He told me that he used to work for a zoo but left when he realised that although they do some good conservation work, something is seriously wrong as they have too many animals and have to put some down. It upset him so she left. He said he knew about the brutal drive hunting methods and agreed with us protesting about it. Whe I told him it was also about the live capture for facilities like SeaWorld and about the trainers going into he water to select the most suitable for training before the rest are slaughtered his eyes widened and he said that he had not made that connection. He seemed stunned. When I mentioned orcas his eyes widened again as he had not heard of that part of the industry. I told him to watch “Blackfish”. I know he will and I know that he wil tell people about the link between Taiji and SeaWorld. Our paths crossed for a few stops on the Victoria Line but it was a key encounter. This is the sort of opportunity that will present itself to everyone. Talk about Taiji whenever you can and you are helping to end this barbaic practice.
When we arrived at his stop the man got up and shook my hand and said congratulations on being part of the protest and of giving him so much food for thought in a small space of time. I knew my decision to get on the train at that time had been the right one. This is how a shift will be created..tell one person who will tell another who will>>>>>>>
The process was just too much to bear for this one pilot whale. It continued to barely swim on its back after family was slaughtered — at Taiji Japan.
Whales and dolphins are sentient and intelligent creatures who have strong family bonds and they feel pain at loss
After two of its family had been selected for training for human entertainment and the rest had been held in the Cove during stormy weather and those that were not cast out to sea or died in nets were brutally slaughtered this photo was taken of a pilot whale. For me this picture paints a thousand words.
It is not the dolphin/whale meat that keeps the barbaric Taiji drive hunting afloat but the live capture and training for human entertainment. That is why this pilot whale lost its family.
How can you help them? Don’t Go To a Dolphin Show and Tell Your Friends/Family Why You Won’t
A family of Short Finned Pilot whales was driven into the killing cove yesterday morning. Two adolescents were taken from their family for a life in captivity. After a long night without food, the remaining pod will be viciously slaughtered in less than two hours.
Our Cove Guardian crew will be live streaming from Taiji at http://livestream.seashepherd.org/
Follow our updates here on Facebook and Twitter.com/coveguardians
with hashtags #tweet4taiji#OpInfinitePatience#SSCS
This is the 5th pod that the hunters have driven into the Cove this season. Pods of Risso’s dolphins have been brutally massacred, babies have been taken back out to sea to lure other pods close to Taiji, pods have fought and escaped from the clutches of the killers, stormy weather has kept the boats in port. Watchers have gone through a wide spectrum of emotions including fear, sadness, joy, despair. Being aware of Taiji Terror Tales as they unfold is taking a seat on a revolting rollercoaster. This barbaric practice must cease. Dolphin defenders will not stop speaking out on the victims’ behalf until this happens.
Our hearts and thoughts are with the two captives who are doomed for a hellish life having been selected for human entertainment and with those who were “less fortunate” and deemed fit only for a brutal death and human consumption. How those trainers can go into the waters and select which dolphins/small whales will die being fully aware of how they are inhumanely killed is beyond my comprehension. Probably just as well. All we can do is look at the reports from Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians and tell the victims’ stories. I cannot say that we can publicise it to save their descendants as the entire remaining pod/family will be annihilated.
For the first two weeks of this season’s hunting no dolphins or small whales have been driven into the cove. There have been a couple of occasions where pods have fought hard and outsmarted the hunters. The dolphins are in my mind and thousands of other peoples’ each night as the boats go out. We all focus on the Cove being blue which means that no capture or killing has taken place that day.
Even though the hunt as been unsuccessful thus far there are captive dolphins being held at the Cove which are being trained for human entertainment.
Photocredit – Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians
Sea Shepherd report that
Captive dolphin holding pens located in Taiji harbor.
These dolphins are being conditioned to eat dead fish and are sold to marine parks around the world. They are untrained and usually sell for less than trained dolphins.
Included are Bottlenose, Pantropical Spotted and Pacific White Sided dolphins all taken from the killing cove from last season.
A security van is parked on the grass to monitor activity and to the left is a Japanese Coast Guard zodiac. This vessel is used to guard the killing cove during a slaughter.
There are ways that you can campaign against this brutal enterprise. I found this information on the Sea Shepherd Cove Guardian Facebook page and it is so useful that I transferred it here.
Cove Guardian Facebook Sea Shepherd USA Facebook Cove Guardian Twitter Sea Shepherd USA Twitter
Help us end the brutal Taiji dolphin slaughter by voicing your concerns to the authorities in Taiji as well as the Japanese Embassy, US Embassy to Japan, US and Japanese Ambassadors to the UN, and the US Senate members of the Committee on Foreign Relations.
PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN Prime Minister Shinzo- Abe Cabinet Office, Government of Japan 1-6-1 Nagata-cho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. 100-8914 JAPAN +81-3-5253-2111
Japanese Embassies Worldwide: Websites of Japanese Embassies, Consulates and Permanent Missions
List of Embassies and Consulates-General in Japan: List of Embassies and Consulates-General in Japan
US Embassy in Japan: Caroline Kennedy – Ambassador of the United States to Japan Telephone: 011-81-3-3224-5000 Fax: 011-81-3-3505-1862 Send E-mail to the U.S. Embassy in Japan Please thank Caroline Kennedy for her defense of the dolphins
Japanese UN Representatives: H.E. Mr Kazuyoshi Umemoto – Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary japan.mission@dn.mofa.go.jp
H.E. Mr. Jun Yamazaki – Deputy Representative of Japan to the UN japan.mission@dn.mofa.go.jp
United States UN Representative: Samantha Power – US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power’s Twitter United States Mission to the United Nations Contact Form
US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
I am a Reiki Master, Tarot Reader/Clairvoyant and Animal Welfare Activist and Sociologist and planning to combine all of this within SOW which is the SchoolOfWyrdynamics that I founded as a School Of Thought and Practice to examine how combined factors or wyrd operate within our lives. I am developing products too and plan to use some monies to help animal welfare causes.
Feel free to visit the site which is under construction as am I as are you as is all
“Imbolc Imbolc, The Season of Rebirth. Feel the infant stirring in the waters of the Earth. Imbolc, Imbolc, The Light will soon return, Born to Earth this winter night, Let the candles burn”
Photocredit Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians
Photocredit : Sea Shepherd Cove Guardians
RoseDixon.net 