Lunar Eclipse and Summer Solstice

Well it was a lunar eclipse with a full moon on the 21st December and the summer solstice on the 22nd December- what an amazing sequence of events! Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth gets between the sun and the moon, so the moon is effectively cast in the earths shadow. Brisbane was supposed to see the full eclipse while Melbournites could expect 20mins of a partial eclipse. In the Northern Hemisphere this eclipse coincided with the Winter Solstice for the first time in 372 years!

Depending on the amount of dust in the Earth's atmosphere, the moon could have been seen in colours ranging from copper, to rose to blood red in colour. Unfortunately there was cloud in Melbourne, so I did not get to see. Here is a great pic from Canberra though! :)



Image: Tim Hughes
The lunar eclipse appears over the horizon at Macgregor in Canberra on December 21, 2010.

Some meanings in mythology:

* According to Mayan folklore, the moon is devoured by a jaguar.
* In the Chinese tradition it is a three legged toad that swallows the moon.
* In Hindu mythology, it is Rahu (in the form of a snake) that swallows the sun or the moon causing eclipses.
* In Norse mythology, Hati was a wolf that chased Mani, the moon, through the sky and a lunar eclipse was a sign that he was close to succeeding.
* According to Philippine Mythology- the Bakonawa appears as a gigantic serpent that lives in the sea. It was this Bakanawa who was believed to cause the moon or the sun to disappear during an eclipse

Well I hope you had better luck in seeing the eclipse than me and a happy summer solstice to you too. It is a time to enjoy nature, a time of spiritual renewal and a time to celebrate the sun, family and love. So may the long days and short nights be something you enjoy!

Peace and light

Bri

Synergy Gallery End of Year Exhibition Sunday 12th December

I have three artworks in this exhibition!! :) Feeling pretty happy and positive about this. Just tentatively putting my work out there at the moment. I have also recently put some work in the "Through Your Eyes" photography exhibition I organised for CERES Kingfisher Festival and the Sanctuary Music Festival (as part of the Darebin Music Feast- which was organised by a couple of good friends).

So if you are free and bored on Sunday afternoon, feel free to come on down to Synergy Gallery, 253 High Street Northcote between 4-6pm.. It is a great little community run art-space, supporting the arts and providing a good network for artists. It might be a fun little afternoon! To see their blog please visit http://synergygallery.blogspot.com/.

Two of the three pieces I submitted for this exhibition:

Wheels and Spokes (Taken at the BikeShed - CERES Community Environment Park)


Jungle Woman (Mixed media-acrylic paint and digitial media)


Peace out xo

Repelling Mosquitoes and Flies!!

Lately Melbourne weather has been steamier than normal. Warm weather and lots of rain means the mosquitoes and flies hanging out in my back garden have been absolutely crazy. The are also unwanted house guests and at the moment I cannot even leave the door open for 2 seconds without them flying in to the house.

So basically I have had it, and my plan is in the next week or so to plant up some herbs and plants around the place that repel these pesky littly things. My thought was perhaps to even have pots dedicated to this purpose and place them near my doors and windows! So a little research and look what I have found. Eureka and happy planting to me!

What to plant around your garden.

Some plants and herbs have the potential to naturally repel mosquitoes. They can be used in a variety of ways and if used properly can have an impact on the number of mosquitoes around your home. However, care should be taken when handling some of these plants as some people have a sensitivity to them.



• Plant Pennyroyal around the perimeter of the patio or in containers on the deck to help deter mosquitos and fleas. You can even crush a few of the leaves in your hand and rub them on your skin (avoid your face) to act as a natural mosquito repellent.





• Plant the variety of scented geranium called Pelargonium citrosum 'Vanieeni' also known as Mosquito Plant in containers on the deck or patio to repel mosquitos from the area. Scented geraniums are very tender perennials. Bring the plant inside as a house plant during the months when there is danger of frost.
 They offer a localised protection against mosquitoes by releasing a citronella scent.



• Pennyroyal, Marigold, Basil and Rue - These species should be planted in pots and located near doorways and windows, to deter mosquitoes from entering the house. The leaves of these plants can also be rubbed into the skin, which acts as a repellent.

• Mint and Garlic - Mint and garlic can be used as an all-purpose insecticide. Mix equal parts of mint, garlic, onion and lavender and cover with water for 24 hours. Strain the mixture and then spray around mosquito prone areas.

• Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) is one of the stronger herbs. Grow it near a doorway to repel flies, or spread the leaves around to repel ants.

Some other deterrents (A-Z):

Basil - will repel flying insects (flies & mosquitos, especially) if planted between your tomato plants. Helpful with tomato hornworms and asparagus beetles. 



Catnip - use around eggplant to drive away flea beetles. Repels flea beetle, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, ants and weevils. Even mice don’t like to be around it. Mints are invasive, be careful. Researchers at Iowa State University found that nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odour, is ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET.

Citriodora - repels mosquitos. 



Citronella Grass - plant in pots to repel mosquitos.

Garlic - seems to fit in anywhere - repels ants, aphids, flea beetles, mosquitoes, ticks, onion flies, weevils, borers, and spider mites. Roses benefit from garlic since it repels aphids. Repels Japanese beetles and other insects, good for planting near raspberries. Crushed garlic is a good addition to any homemade insecticide spray. Garlic cloves, placed in the ground around plants will deter slugs. Garlic is a natural pesticide against mosquito larvae. Plant under peach trees to control leaf curl and near roses to enhance scent.

Lavender - repels ants, aphids, moths and fleas. Use lavender sachet bags to protect clothes against moths. Also flies and mosquitoes dislike the fragrance, use the oil in insect sprays, or add the cut flowers to flower vases.

Lemongrass (citronella es) - add 1 to 2 drops (depending on your pets size), of lemongrass or citronella essential oil to your pets shampoo. It added a fresh clean scent and discourages fleas. Also a good mosquito repellent. 


Lemon Thyme - plant in pots to repel mosquitos.

Nasturtium - repels aphids, ants, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, white flies, and borers near fruit trees. Mainly cucumber and squash will benefit. Acts as trap crop for aphids. Repels borers near fruit trees.

Pennyroyal - deter ants, aphids, fleas, mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, flies, chiggers and cabbage maggots. Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage will benefit from pennyroyal. Rub the leaves on your skin. Strew in cupboards and beds to deter ants and fleas. Disturb leaves occasionally.



Peppermint (& other Mentha sp.) - repels controls ants, aphids, cabbage loopers, cabbage grubs, flies, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, squash bugs, whiteflies, mites. Ants dislike peppermint, you can prevent them from entering by scenting cotton balls with Peppermint Oil, spraying along shelves, and entryways. Grow near roses to deter aphids. Scatter fresh or dried leaves around food to deter mice.


Rosemary - repels cabbage moths, beetles, mosquitoes, and slugs. Plant near beans, carrots, and cabbage.

Thai Lemon Grass (Cymbopogon citratus) - is an effective mosquito repellent

Personal Mosquito Repellent- A Jackie French Recipe!

4 tablespoons almond oil
1 tablespoon beeswax or paraffin (candle) wax
1 teaspoon eucalyptus oil (lemon gum oil if possible)
1 teaspoon lavender oil
1 teaspoon lemon grass oil

Place the oil and wax ina suacepan and heat until melted. Take off the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Allow to cool. Store in small jars.

To use, wipe very lightly on to 'hot points'- places like your wrists and ankles. Reapply every two to four hours.


Peace and light

Briony xo

Fascinating Fungi

Stumbled across an article some months ago which details just how weird fungi can be. Researchers have discovered a type of fungi that is existing in the deathly bowels of Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor Ukraine (remember that horrific disaster in the 1980's?). Not only is this fungi existing in this death zone but is actually thriving....harnessing the energy from radiation and transforming it into another type of energy that is allowing it to grow!!

This magnificent fungi is jet black and jam packed with melanin. Using the process of photosynthesis as a model, the researchers investigating this fungi came up with a hypothesis that the melanin pigment was converting radiation into energy, just like chlorophyll (green pigment in leaves) does with the suns energy. They coined it funnily enough "radiosynthesis".

Fungi is fascinating and obviously pretty weird and clever. So please take the time to read this amazing article "Silent Spring" : http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/features/print/2095/silent-spring?page=0,0

And just to show you how clever fungi really is, feast your eyes on another interesting article outlining how fungi can clean up depleted uranium in the wake of modern warfare :http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/1987/cleaning-depleted-uranium-with-fungi

Amazing stuff!

Peace and Light

Briony xo

To eat meat or to not eat meat? Thats the question.

Sorry, haven't posted for a while and this is going to be a short one-although you could write pages on this particular topic and have many, many debates with people who sit on opposite sides of the fence!! In 2008, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the world consumed approx. 280 million tonnes of meat, 700 million tones of milk and 1.2 billion eggs. Obviously this comes at an enormous cost!

The question on whether to be a meat eater, a vegetarian or a vegan is a complicated one when considering the environmental impacts that it has on mother earth. Here is an article with perhaps some controversial arguments- particularly about intensive livestock farming, but is certainly full of some eye opening facts and possible scenarios. This article is with thanks to Cinnamon (CERES). After reading this article, my immediate preference would probably be to eat a lot less meat and ensure that it is free range....... Respect what you eat and consider where it has come from!

Link to article: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727691.200-veggieworld-why-eating-greens-wont-save-the-planet.html

A couple of places that I know of selling more earth friendly meat.
The Fruit Pedallers (High Street Westgarth sell some biodynamic and free range meat)
CERES Shoppe (Corner Roberts and Stewart Streets Brunswick East) sells organic and biodynamic meat. Needs to be ordered by Wednesday for Saturday morning pick up.
Various butchers and Preston Markets


Peace and Light

Briony x

Transition Towns- Striving for a Better World

"If we wait for the government it will be too late. If we act as individuals, too little. If we act as communities, it might just be enough just in time" (Transition Towns)

Transition Towns, what an interesting movement! I guess you could consider it as a social experiment on a global scale. Started in Totnes in the UK, it is really about unleashing the collective genius of a community to better plan for a future that requires the use of less energy (in it current form- being the use of fossil fuels). It is a movement that is rapidly taking shape in many western countries, adapted in each town, village, or city suburb to suit each communities and their perceived future needs and wants.

It starts with an initiating group who raise community awareness and start putting forth some ideas of what they think their local community might be in need of. Working groups start to manifest.... people are interested in particular areas- such as localising food production, so they start coming together and working towards achievable goals within the community. Obviously this can result in significant change. It is a particularly fluid type movement that allows for it to work in varying context, flowing basically in the direction of where a communities interests, needs and energies lie.

Well, last weekend I was lucky enough to undertake a 2 day workshop on this fairly new movement (in a formalised global sense anyway and acknowledging the pre-existence of permaculture and other local sustainability initiatives). It was a fascinating workshop for me. Not in so much of information being imparted, but rather the facilitation process itself and in it's inspiration for seeing what is possible. It was really about getting a group of people together, and inspiring them to come up with ideas, visions, actions, processes etc.... on how we could change the way we want to live in positive ways. This certainly strikes me as a clever way forward- including all (as the collective) in re-visioning and creating a better future.
This workshop included many interesting activities such as visioning (meditation), song, open space discussions, world cafe (check out: www.worldcafe.com) , dramatic miming etc.... I believe some of this workshop also derived inspiration from Joanna Macy (check out: www.joannamacy.net)- which involves group work that demonstrates "our interconnectedness in the web of life and our authority to take action on its behalf". We also looked at our inner world and what beliefs underlie our outer world and the fact that many of us exist in our "comfort zone" without ever really reaching our full potential.

There can be little question that government is being particularly slow on adopting renewable energy technologies and seemingly unwilling to change many of the ways society currently functions regardless of the fact some of these functions are grossly negligent (indeed extremely damaging) to our mother earth. No doubt they are economically driven, as much of how our society is. There can also be little doubt, that existing in the way we do in Melbourne is an extraordinarily privileged position to be in. We constitute around 2% of the worlds population in our privilege- financially and educationally. To me , this means we automatically yield extraordinary power in altering the way consumerist driven companies work and can influence government to consider alternatives in energy production.
This workshop worked on the premise that a future world could be a positive and completely sustainable place on both a social and environmental level. It was up to us, as communities to create this world. Evidently, the Transition Towns movement is just as much about social inclusion and the power of collective ideas as it is about environmental outcomes.

For those who live and breath in inner north Melbourne there is a Darebin Transition Town group who is apparently pretty active, and a newly established Moreland Transition Town group.

On a personal note- as much as I would love to be a part of this movement, I think for the moment I need to actually get my ass off my warm winter chair and start slow- plant those winter veggies (that I have neglected to plant & will now be spring ones?), drive my car that one day less that I promised myself, and reacquaint myself with "The Sharehood" -a local sustainability initiative that I am already a part of- though have managed to be pitifully inactive in! So go local community, we have the power!! :)

A few websites to check out:

http://www.transitionnetwork.org/
http://www.transitiontown.com.au/
http://www.joannamacy.net/
http;//www.worldcafe.com/
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
http://www.aspo-australia.org.au/
http;//thesharehood.org/


Peace and light

Briony x

Winter Solstice- Collingwood Children's Farm

If you have never been to Collingwood Children's Farm, I suggest you go! It is an amazing oasis of greenery and old time feel right in the middle of inner suburban Melbourne. Check out their website:http://farm.org.au/. They have Farmers Markets, Family Days, animals, a little cafe, a barn, ducks, goats, sheep, peacocks, friendly (and not so friendly) farm cats, cows and horses. Obviously a wonderful place for kids to run around in a lovely open space!!


To celebrate Winter Solstice, Collingwood Children's Farm annually holds a Winter Solstice Bonfire. This is an old pagan type tradition which is so lovely to still see alive and well in our modern world which often detaches itself from recognising the cycles of the seasons . This celebration was full of lots of people, children, food, performers, fire sculptures (lanterns), fire-twirlers and a lantern parade for the kids which was a beautiful site to behold. I went with some friends and we had a lovely night... my only complaint would be that this event has become extremely popular and as such watching the bonfire being lit with thousands of people is a little overwhelming.

I thought I would share some fire photo's of this bonfire, to give you a feel of just how amazing it was! It was huge and the heat it released extraordinary!










Peace and light

Briony x