The
Hermitage Cottage 14 Drumnaconnell Rd
Saintfield,
County Down, BT24 7NB 44 2897 510232
Sally.taylor803@btopenworld.com
www.thehermitagecottage.com
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And DONT FORGET :: Hermitage
Cottage YURT is available to rent
perfect for groups and individual
use, the walking Labyrinth and a 2 acre Garden. Come spend some time
in Scenic County Down! Contact Sally for information. 02897 510232
A Natural Health for You!

"Once you have adopted such
an attitude of infinite interconnectedness, you naturally want to liberate
not just yourself but all beings from suffering. The Buddha calls this
'the conception of the spirit of enlightenment.' It is the soul of the
Bodhisattva, the person who dedicates him-or herself to helping all
beings achieve total happiness. When you open to the inevitability of
your infinite interconnectedness with other sensitive beings, you develop
compassion. You learn to feel empathy for them, to love them, to want
their happiness. You want to keep them from suffering, and you do so
just as if they were a part of you. You don't think your behavior makes
you special. You don't congratulate yourself for helping others, just
as you won't congratulate yourself for healing your own leg when you
hurt it. It is natural for you to love your leg because it is one with
you, and so it is natural for you to love others. Robert Thurman, in
Infinite Life
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Regular Meditation
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Meditation
At The Hermitage
Cottage, County Down
Meditation is a unique
tool for self reflection and understanding, perhaps better stated as
training the heart & mind.
It is also can lessen
personal stress and better enable us to benefit others.
We begin simply,
germinating a calm centre & greater clarity about reality.
Meditation suitable for Beginners and Experienced Meditators
Suitable for Everyone!
Meditation cultivates living with an open heart.
NO MEDITATION SESSIONS at The HERMITAGE COTTAGE in SEPTEMBER from 10
Sept ~ 24 September 2012)
Regular Meditation
Begins again on 1 October Monday Evenings (7-8:30) and 2 October Tuesday
Mornings (11-1:30pm). A soup lunch is provided on Tuesdays.
We conclude our time with a meditative visualisation of love and compassion
in our world. Why not join us for this supportive practice in your own
life? No charge. Donations help with Mongolian poverty.
Monday Evenings 7~
8:30pm
Tuesday Mornings!
11- 12:30
Private Direction
also available upon request 02897 510232
Payment for the Meditation Course is a free will offering of generosity
(giving) on your part, and will be split between a donation to Jampa
Ling Northern Ireland Trust to assist Mongolians living in great
need and to help cover the costs of the facility.
Contact Sally at
02897 510232
The Mediations are
held in the Hermitage Cottage Yurt.

Seasonal Fire Circles
At The Hermitage Cottage
Really,
we are befriending the Universe we live within.
We're embracing the Story of the
Universe as our own 'story'.
Certain moments annually mark significant shifts in the life of the
planet. They provide the points of connection for our human lives.
At The Hermitage Cottage we mark
these occasions with Ceremonial Fire Circles:
acknowledging the shifts in the year's cycle as they are reflected personally
in our lives, honouring the earth and it's changes through the year
in nature,
rediscovering our own 'home' in the universe.
Seasonal changes are acknowledged
within most religious traditions. It is a universal impulse as human
beings: from Islamic Ramadan ~ time of fasting & purification before
entering the inner darkness of winter; Hanukkah (Judaism), Christmas(Christian),
Divali (Hindu) ~Festivals of Light in the midst of that darkness;
re-emergence of life in spring festivals
(Easter and New Year celebrations in China, Tibet) through
seasons of full expression into the world ~ Pentacost (Christian), Saga
Dawa (Buddhism), Ridvan (Bahai).
Dates Celebrated in the Cycles of
the Year at The Hermitage Cottage:
31 October Samhain (All Hallow's
Eve); The start of winter when traditionally the harvests were complete
and preparations begun for the winter ahead. It is time to turn inward,
kindle the home fires, and tell stories round the hearth as a way of
remembering who we are in this universe.
21 December* Winter Solstice ~ the
shortest day of the year asks us each year to live out from the womb
of life in the fertile darkness of winter
1 February Imbolc, (St Brigids
Day) ~ marks the beginning of spring in the ancient Celtic Earth Calendar;
marks the return of the first spring bulbs snowdrops and crocus;
So too does the potential in all life lie begin emerging at this time.
Its time now to complete preparation for possibilities in our
own lives.
21 March Spring Equinox * The Dynamic
Equilibrum on its way into the lighter longer days of summer; Honour
this moment in the seasonal cycles by pausing in your daily routines
to consider right now this moment you are inhabiting.
1 May Beltane ~ May Day ~ marks
the beginning of summer, and the season with most sunlight and plant
life in its fullest expression
21 June* Summer Solstice Celebration
~ The summer solstice is the moment of longest daylight hours in the
year. It honours the fullness of life, the apex of growth reached in
nature ~ flowers abound! Life IS renewed! It is a time of honouring
the light of the Sun which all life
1 August* Lammas Celebrating the
fruits of the Earth, and beginning the Autumn season
21 September* Autumn Equinox ~ equal
time, day and night, heading into the darkness; Pause to enjoy a moment
of dynamic balance amidst the dance of change that is life on Earth.
31 October Samhain (All Hallow's
Eve) ~ The start of winter when traditionally the harvests were complete
and preparations begun for the winter ahead. It is time to turn inward,
kindle the home fires, and tell stories round the hearth as a way of
remembering who we are in this universe.
21 December Winter Solstice ~ the
shortest day of the year asks us each year to live out from the womb
of life in the fertile darkness of winter
*Date varies between
21st and 23rd of the month.
Mark this one on your calendar!!

(Open to All, from the
wealth of our differing Backgrounds & Traditions!)
~ Invite a friend and come
along! ~
Friday 21 June 2013 Summer
Solstice~ (7~ 9pm)
The summer solstice is the moment of longest daylight hours
in the year. It honours the fullness of life, the apex of growth
reached in nature ~ flowers abound! Life IS renewed!
It is a time of honouring
the light of the Sun which sustains us all.
Time too to ask in our own
lives what might be waiting to flower ~ what have
we each to offer out to the well being of others, to the well
being of us all?
£10 charge for each
Fire Circle Session // Seasonal Refreshments Served
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The Hermitage Cottage
Long Term VOLUNTEER (1week to 3
months) ~ ROOM & BOARD provided
In exchange for room and board (
a room in my own house in the wing where I also provide self- catering
retreat space for individuals in my shared kitchen)
I invite help with the following:
General Exterior ~
Power spraying the yard
Clean ~ wipe down ~ facia board of house
Wash windows of house & outbuilding
Firewood Supply ~ autumn /winter months
Cut and brought from woodland autumn/winter
Chop where necessary autumn/winter
Stack in Garage autumn/winter
In the Garden ~
Generally ~
Winter :cutting back, mulching, firewood
Spring: Garden bed preparations (mulching, weeding)
Summer: WEEDING, planting out; lawn maintenance; hedge cutting
Autumn: Putting garden to bed; mulching; firewood; leaves
Some common tasks:
Cut Ivy off trees
Clean beds, cut back plants & weed where appropriate Spring/Summer/Autumn
Late spring mulch in April/May
Beginning in March plant potatoes in allotments
All summer ~ pest control & WEEDING
Help with Yurt~
Occasional hoovering
Assist with food delivery to groups hiring space
Assist with food prep for groups in Yurt
General Household~
My house, and the Hermitage Cottage and yurt is completely
NON SMOKING.
I have two dogs and four cats. Occasionally the volunteer would be asked
to
feed and/or clean after them.
Weekly hoovering of parts of house being used. As regularly as
necessary in the kitchen (probably more than once per week; at least
once per week)
Regular cleaning of volunteer's bedding and towels.
Any other tasks arising
'Room and Board' to me does NOT
mean I will cook meals for you. It means we will share my kitchen, and
share the food prep for one main meal a day. Food stuffs for Breakfast
and lunch will be provided.
It is negotiable to also receive room and board long term for those
who ALSO work part time elsewhere. Ask for more details
Volunteers are free to use the Yurt for their personal meditation or
Yoga practice (when not otherwise in use)
Tell me a bit about yourself, and
why you think
this a be a good fit from your side? What specific skills do you bring?
sally.taylor803@btopenworld.com
Allotments
~ winter is upon us, with only overwintering crops still in the ground...and
mental gardening in full swing! Get ahead of yourself and
begin thinking now about growing next years vegetables. Allotments
are available from March to March, but dont delay until then!
Let me know if you have interest in participating in the Hermitage Cottage
Allotments. Ring Sally at 02897 510232 or email: sally.taylor803@btopenworld.com
Your
hostess at the Hermitage Cottage, Sally Taylor, is a 15 year practitioner
of Tibetan Buddhism. She hosts meditation practice regularly through
the year. As a keen gardener, she tends 20 acres of landscape, opening
her garden to the public seasonally.
She has taught adults and primary
age children, using nature and gardening as an effective experiential
learning tool.
The Hermitage Cottage, 14 Drumnaconnell
Rd., Saintfield, Co. Down BT24 7NB
02897 510232 info@thehermitagecottage.com
www.thehermitagecottage.com

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