The time has finally arrived for me and my merry men to take to the high seas, or more accurately calm canals, and start injecting some good time vibes into the English waterways! With a fleet of three barges, a flock of lovely gentlemen from some of my favourite London bands, and a whole array of instruments in tow, we shall be cruising down the Thames, playing free gigs each night and dispensing a healthy dose of musical medicine for the soul.
I thought it would be a good idea to break up my journey home by stopping off somwehere for a night, and looking at the map I was instantly drawn to Yorkshire and it's wild Dales. After many a wet night I decided to go on a mission to find a dry spot to sleep in and lo and behold I found an old barn nestled between sprawling hills and without any sight of civilasation nearby. It instantly became home and I found myself making a mini-workshop to create keepsakes from all the feathers, wood, shells and stones I'd collected on my journey. I got so lost in the process that I was up til sunrise working at my table with a headtorch to guide me, and by the following day I was certain I wasn't ready to leave so spent another dreamy night sampling whiskeys I'd brought in Scotland and continuing to beaver away in my workshop.
It was during my final mediation of the trip that I awakened to another important truth about our misinterpretation of reality, which was perhaps the most valuable lesson of my journey. When contemplating happiness and suffering I kept coming back to this idea of opposites - be it beauty and ugliness, dark and light, joy and pain - and tried to reconcile this accepted view of negative and positive with the feeling of oneness I had experienced. It was Parmenides, whom in the sixth century BC classified the world into positives and negatives, that begun the greatest delusion that continues to blind us from seeing Reality as it it really is. By separating thoughts into good and bad, distinguishing ourselves from others and understanding the world through the notion of duality, we have prevented our mental development and have thus become ignorant to the unity of life in all its forms. By taking time to contemplate this notion of non-duality and experiencing it for yourself, the barriers to enlightenment will gradually fall away and there is hope that we will begin to treat others, animals and nature as we wish to be treated ourselves. And then we might start to witness real progress in this world.
From Northumberland I made my way to the Scottish coast for some long beach walks and woodland explorations. In the magical Doach Wood I ended up taking 5 hours over a one mile route, verging off into the dense forest searching for fungi and other edible delights, until I made it to the viewpoint where I lay in the heather and watched the amber sun spray its golden light over the valleys and treetops beneath me. That night I did some extensive mushroom study, managed to communicate with a herd of bulls, and prepared a meal of all the things I'd foraged, making nettle soup, blackberry compote and rose hip tea. It must have taken three hours to prepare and although not the most tasty of meals it was one the most satisfying.
After a slightly troubling experience the night I left Northumberland I found myself having the only negative thoughts of my trip on this part of the journey and this made me ponder long and hard about the nature of happiness and suffering. Our lives are ultimately driven towards finding happiness, but due to the impermanence of all conditioned things we always find ourselves striving to maintain that happy feeling in vein.
If we step outside our complex matrix of thoughts, feelings and emotions and observe them we start to realise that they are simply our interpretation of events and are ultimately impermanent, unsatisfactory and non-self. What we have come to believe is our brain reacting to external stimuli is in fact just hundreds of years of conditioning and indoctrination that has clouded the still and peaceful mind that lies within. By practicing mindfulness and observing our thoughts, BUT NOT REACTING TO THEM, we can begin to see the Original Mind in all its beautiful tranquility. Beginning to understand this somewhat overwhelming truth has made me realise that craving happiness or trying to rid ourselves of suffering is fruitless, when what we need to do is search within ourselves to find lasting contentment. Thoughts will come and go, but if we focus our energies on maintaining a balanced mind through constant awareness and acceptance of all that is, then we can begin to find peace.
Listening to: 'Fire, Fire, Fire' - Ebenezer Calendar and His Maringer Band
After a wonderful few days spent in the Lakes I decided to continue my journey to pastures new and so I cruised some country roads to the mighty Hadrian's Wall before venturing to Hexham and beyond, to some beautiful villages nestled between streams and woodlands.
I spent the night in a secluded forest with a river flowing by, made a roaring fire and cooked up a fine mushroom risotto before embarking on a lengthy meditation. It led to one of those moments where you experience total mental clarity by fulfilling that inner purpose of awakening your mind to the present moment and seeing life for what it really is. When I opened my eyes to see the four elements of earth, wood, fire and water merging into one mirage-like vision I felt at one with existence and my mind was totally at peace. It was an enlightening and memorable experience that was only made possible by immersing myself in the nature around me, and something I intend to do as often as possible!
The following day I explored some local villages including the charming Juniper, before coming across the beautifully tranquil Garden Station in Langley where I enjoyed a fine afternoon tea and stroll around their gardens. Next stop was the Langely Sawmill where I spent some time talking wood and saws with the lovely owner who showed me around and shared his brew with me as we sat on one of his exquisite hand-carved benches.
Somewhere out of the blue (or perhaps it was always part of my blueprint...), I decided to go on a camping adventure to the Lakes. With my tent, stove and an adequate supply of whiskey, I set off to beautiful Buttermere where I pitched up next to a flowing stream. I spent my days hiking, swimming, meditating, practicing tai chi and yoga on mountain tops, and my nights feasting like a queen and reading in my nylon home.
Whilst searching for new spots to pitch my tent each day I was constantly aware of the pure beauty of my environment and the peacefulness or nature. I realised the importance of enjoying this beauty but not to desire its exclusive possession for myself. Like all things in life, it's important not to indulge in either pleasure or pain, to cling to good or bad, happiness or sorrow; because it this wanting and attachment that leads to suffering. Knowing that the only constant in life is that everything changes, we can free ourselves from desire and enjoy the present moment without craving for it to last longer.
He who binds to himself a joy Does the winger life destroy But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity's sun rise. 'Eternity' - Blake
Listening to: 'Where did you sleep last night?' - Leadbelly
'Childhood is measured out by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hour of reason grows.' John Betjeman, Summoned by Bells
When my sisters and I were wee lasses, we used to spend summer afternoons mixing up homemade perfume from rose petals in the garden. I can still remember the sweet, musty scent of our concoctions. On a beautiful sunny day at the Hanson house, spent golfing, laughing and indulging, I enjoyed some time with the cherub-like trio of sisters Erin, Ada and Amelie and decided to pass on the Macleod rose-perfume secret. We made a few adjustments in the recipe and made one batch into a love potion, with all of our kisses blown in before the fermentation process began!
I love spending time with children, because they encourage you to revert back to the clear mental state of childhood; unclouded by judgement, experience and expectation; just being present, and not worrying about the past or the future. Children are remarkable for their intelligence and ardour, for their curiosity, and for the clarity and ruthlessness of their vision. We can learn a lot from spending time with them and must recognise the valuable lessons that can be learnt by following their example.
'If children grew up according to early indications, we should have nothing but geniuses.' - Goethe Listening to: 'New Bag' - The Exciters
The lovely ladies of Greenwich were out in force last night for the Rose & Crown annual drag race. The street was filled with sequins, bouffants and 6-inch heels and I got to dress my dear friend Yanis in my finest garments before he took the trophy for the race around town.
My dear friends at Cormont Road hosted a magical party for all those characters from children's books that you'd long forgotton and filled the house with fantastical decorations from giant gingerbread men to fur-filled wardrobes leading to Narnia. Dressed as Cruella DeVille I took to the rooftops, danced like a twit and devoured the dwarf's cakes. Just because I can!
Being back in t'country to tend to my parents' chickens, I have been spending my days wandering the garden, taking time to appreciate each leaf, petal, scent, sound and it has been an absolute joy! I have been taking photos of flowers in an attempt to capture their transient beauty; but nothing compares to holding it up close, with the light shining through and inspecting each vein, component and colour. I've also taken to flower arranging - a wonderfully creative and meditative exercise!
Listening to: 'Sally Go Round the Roses' - The Jaynettes
