joy without god

Today was a good day.

It was windy in the woods, the sunlight cut and confused by thrashing branches, reaching leaves. I stood for a long time, watching the play of light, allowing myself to feel the energy in the air. I began to sense the trees communing, root through root, twig to twig. Something incredible was beginning to happen, an excitement growing within me that I had to allow and at the same time hold a little in check. It was like watching a wild animal, almost not wanting to breathe in case I scared it away. The excitement became a rush of love and joy because suddenly I could see with my whole being the beautiful oneness of things, from vast planet shining blue spinning dancing to molecules forming in cells creating pulsing pumping life. The indescribable beauty and symmetry of plants pumping out oxygen animals breathing it in; plants making sugars animals energised by them. Everything through everything.

I was flying in a way I would never have thought possible, free from my body, free from concerns, connected with the wood, and through the wood, the world.

There is no need for a god of any kind. We need to connect with the truth before it is too late (for us, for thousands of species, but not for the world, which will recover if it sheds itself of us).

We are not children any more, that we need a parental god to tell us what to do, to punish if we don't, to reward if we do. All we have to do is tap into what is here, it's beautiful, it has infinite capacity to heal itself, to heal us.

Stand under a tree in the wind.

Listen to the blackbird sing.

Watch the swift swoop.

Tap into the wild.

first fruit

Up early, sun shining, eat fruit. Get out quick to the woods, through and above to the meadow. Climb high to get that commanding view of the valley falling away in folds for miles. This is a good way to start the day.

Gentle bound back down. Move goats. Both pregnant, so no milk just now. Feed chickens. Collect five eggs. Do a bit of clearing work on irrigation system (I've diverted the little stream here and there to water animals and veg. garden).

Swim, shower. Mint tea at desk. Check email, reply to a few. Write for two and a half hours. Absorbed today, should have had a ten minute break.

Make quinoa salad for lunch, enough for a few days. Snip fresh lettuce into today's with scissors. Eat and study science course book. Always like to read when I eat.

Check goats, check chickens. Mint tea at desk (the mint's so good at the moment). Write for two hours.

Escape to veg. garden. Weeding, watering, tying up and mulching. Pick perpetual spinach, baby carrots, courgette. Water in greenhouse. Pick chillies, tomatoes.

Cook veg. Thai style curry with coconut. Yum.

Check chickens, check goats.

Feel satisfyingly tired. Read a little more science.

Turn in with relaxing tea.