The most important thing we can do for our world is to listen inside ourselves to hear the sound of the earth crying; healing starts here.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Continuation of the Kirby Misperton Protection camp (fracking) story and a revisit to songs and interview with KM resident James Mason/ Thich Nhat Hanh inspired ecology deep relaxation/  Extinction Rebellion and Remembering ancestors for All Souls (Halloween) with a live recording of my song about my Grandmother So Around

 

Back in April I traveled with some friends to the Kirby Misperton Protection camp in Yorkshire. The village was a planned fracking site before the company Third Energy removed the operation siting loss of money due to the peaceful protests there. In a site nearby, PNR (Preston New Road) a similar story was, and still is, unfolding with local people showing their objections to a site there.

In the UK news this week, 3 protestors from the site were released after being imprisoned for their part in the demonstrations. As life goes, we had one of the 3 (pictured above) at our Community in London for a meal shortly after the arrest. It touched me then, and continues to, what they went through to give voice to a wish for more ecological understanding and relationship to the Earth based on reverence and respect.

One of the 3 Simon Roscoe Blevins wrote this piece for the Guardian I found moving, reflecting on their minor victory in the bigger picture of inequality in the UK today touching on fracking, the prison system and vulnerable and oppressed groups; ‘We don’t need more people behind bars, we need stronger support structures for people in need’.

 

Resident at Kirby, friend of the 3, and singer/songwriter James Mason visited me a few months after my visit and we recorded these songs and conversation together.

James’ has a new single out featuring members of Nahko Bear’s band have a listen here https://aboutabear.bandcamp.com/

 

With this is in the news we ran an environmentally themed Wake Up London including this deep relaxation inspired by a reading from Thich Nhat Hanh’s The World We Have.

Appreciation to all that came and shared. As well as the relaxation and reading, we shared personal moments of nature connection together and had a guided meditation on regeneration; holding the pain of situations like this together felt a way forward, a way to healing.

 

Continuing on a similar theme, this last week saw the declaration of Extinction Rebellion,  

a campaign of peaceful direct action protest to bring concerns to the government over climate change. Supported by many academics, artists, faith leaders, politicians and environmentalist Extinction Rebellion will run from November the 10th to a main day of action on the 17th. Both my Quaker and Plum Village groups are involved in direct and supportive actions – if you are in London and would like to know more just send me a note.

Pictured above include Greta (left) 15 year old from Sweden on a no-school protest about the Swedish response to the climate.

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All Souls/Halloween

 

Felt to close with a song for my grandmother at this time of year the tradition of bringing ancestors to our hearts. Here is my song about Nana Swan So Around from one of our fire side sharings at Grove Park community house share in London. We continue to build the community sanctuary garden – all interested please do get in touch.

 

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Alongside the recordings in my journal pages I have recently released an ep of songs ahead of an album. You can visit here to stream and download.

Please don’t let money be a concern. Feel free to pass through the donation screen with my blessing if you would like to download any songs and have no means to donate.

Any donations will go to my recording and traveling fund – thank you.