Author: Paula Cas

I write fiction, non-fiction, verbiage for all our websites, and have been publishing my fan fiction on my various sites for many years. https://paulacas.com I am a Spiritual Medium and use Tarot cards as one my primary tools in doing readings. For 30 plus years have been doing readings in settings from my living room to truck stops. I tell you what Spirit wants you know for your betterment, not what you think you need to know. I’ve worked on computers since before there was such a creature as Windows. A Mountain Maryland native, but have spent years spent living in Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona. My husband, Oro Cas, and I spent 10 years driving tractor-trailer across the 48 contiguous states. Oro Cas and I produced and hosted Internet Radio shows on BlogTalk Radio, video productions on KDCL Media and Oro Expeditions YouTube Channels.

Flowers That Heal – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Flowers That Heal – Good Witches Homestead

Garden flowers offer us more than their beautiful colors and smell; many contain healing properties that have been used for thousands of years. As we begin planning our gardens, we reflect on the relationship between the plants to which we tend and our own bodies.

— Tieraona Low Dog, M.D.

We often conceive of flowers as a dazzling aesthetic addition to our home or garden. We take the time to smell the roses, reveling in their centering scented offerings. Practiced gardeners and hobbyists alike can reap impressive health benefits by way of incorporating medicinal flowers into their gardens. In this way, your garden is both a wondrous green altar, as well as your own personal medicine cabinet.

Trembling with potential energy and encapsulated in a small seed are all the nutrients and structures necessary for the growth of the flower it contains. When provided with the right conditions, a seedling soon flourishes and attracts insects that are beneficial to other plants in a garden. This spring is the perfect time to create a healing ritual around the plants you tend. While you commit to caring for your bountiful blossoms, you can simultaneously tend to the soil that lies within you.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Growth and care: Start with real Calendula officinalis seeds (not one of the many hybrids) in flats or sow directly into the outdoor soil. Enjoying cool temperatures, calendula does well with a layer of mulch which traps moisture for use by this showy flowering annual. It is deer-resistant, non-invasive and the butterflies love it! And by the way, the flowers are edible and will remind you of saffron in both taste and color. They can be used in salads or in cooked dishes.

Medicinal uses: Boasting lasting benefits for oral health, calendula is known to reduce gum inflammation and gingivitis. Teas are soothing to the stomach and can help soothe a sore throat. Calendula flowers are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, which is why they have been treasured for centuries for soothing rashes and helping mend wounds. I keep small containers of calendula ointment around the house and up at the barn. It works as well for irritations and scrapes on the chickens and horses, as it does on us!

Harvesting: Harvest calendula as soon as flowers are fully blooming. Pick them in the morning hours on bright sunny day and harvest regularly to encourage flowering. You can use the flowers fresh, as mentioned above, or you can dry the flower heads in a warm, shaded place for use in salves, ointments or teas throughout the year.

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Growth and care: Native to California, the Golden or California Poppy can be sown directly into the rich soil. Golden poppies prefer full sun and sparse watering. They are annuals in some parts of the country, though our California poppies are perennial here at our ranch. These beautiful flowers are such a beautiful addition to the garden. The flowers are edible and look wonderful in salads.

Medicinal uses: California poppy is one of my favorite herbs for relaxation and relief of minor aches and pains. It is useful anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, and is a life saver for those nights when I have overdone it in the garden. California poppy helps me fall asleep and stay asleep. It can be used to ease muscle cramps and spasms and soothe anxiety in someone who is feeling overwrought and irritable. It combines nicely with passionflower, valerian, and other relaxants.

Harvesting: The entire plant is used as a medicine, so it is best to harvest it when there are both flowers and the long seedpods present. Take a small spade or shovel and dig straight down in a circle about 8-10 inches from the plant and lift up the root and entire plant. Rinse off any dirt from the roots, chop the root, leaves, stem and flowers into small pieces, put in a mason jar and completely cover with vodka. Steep a few weeks covered, strain, and you have your tincture. I generally use 50-80 drops at night before bed or a few times per day for minor pain.

Echinacea AKA Coneflower (Echinacea Angustifolia, E. purpurea)

Growth and care: Echinacea, also known as coneflower, appreciates well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. These perennials are plants of the open woodlands and prairie and send out deep tap roots that allow them to tolerate periods of low rainfall. They flower throughout the summer. You can scatter seed in the fall or propagate from root cuttings. Echinacea is fabulous in the garden; the butterflies and birds love them!

Medicinal uses: Echinacea is celebrated for its ability to ease colds, sore throats, and respiratory tract infections. I have used the tincture for both my family and patients for more than 35 years. As a matter of fact, many patients told me it was the first herbal medicine that they had ever used that made them really believe that “this stuff works.” Topically, Echinacea is used for cuts and minor abrasions.

Harvesting: You can prune the leaves and flower heads throughout the summer to enhance the health of your plant, as well as encourage blooming. Cut the flowering stem above the node or the place where the leaves/stem emerges from the stalk. The leaves and flower heads can be dried or made into a tincture. Wait for at least two years before harvesting the roots. Harvest in late summer. Sink your spade down about 24 inches from the stalk. Go deep and lean back on the spade to lift the root ball. Take the entire plant. You can dry or tincture the leaves and flowers. Trim some of the roots that you are going to use for medicine, leaving some roots with the crown, so that you can replant it in the garden. Washing the roots that you are going to dry with a good scrub brush. Use a sharp knife to cut the roots into small pieces. These can be set aside in a warm but shaded place for a week to dry and then stored, or you can make a tincture from the fresh roots. (Healthy at Home contains all the information you need for making fresh and dried herb tinctures).

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Growth and care: Hyssop is a popular aromatic perennial member of the mint family that displays beautiful purplish blue flowers (or sometimes pink) and boasts a large root system beneath the earth. This is a great flower to plant in your garden to attract pollinators and prefers well-drained soil and partial or full sunlight.

Medicinal uses: Hyssop possesses antiviral properties and promotes the expulsion of mucus from the respiratory system. The use of hyssop flower tea has long been used to ease colds, coughs, and congestion. The tea is quite pleasant and I have found to be a very good expectorant when taken in small doses throughout the day. When diffused, hyssop essential oil is often used to purify the air indoors. Hyssop leaves can be added to soups and salads.

Harvesting: Cut the flowering tops of hyssop. Harvest and dry the herb at the peak of maturity to assure the highest possible potency of active ingredients.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Growth and care: Lavender enjoys full sun and well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. This gorgeous and fragrant perennial does not like to be overwatered and will not tolerate excessive moisture. While there are many different types of lavender, I admit that I am very partial to English lavender or L. Angustifolia. You can grow from seeds but cuttings are quicker. Lavender makes a beautiful border in the garden but also does great in pots.

Medicinal uses: Lavender flowers are often put in small cotton bags and put in linen and clothing drawers for their wondrous aroma. You can make an infusion and add it to a bath to soothe itchy skin or help relax before bed. Lavender essential oil touts many impressive benefits and can be used as aromatherapy to ease insomnia, headaches, and anxiety. Topically, diluted lavender essential oil can help ease sunburn, bug bites and mend wounds. I put ¼ cup of dried lavender flowers in 1 cup of honey and let it steep for 2-3 weeks. This lavender honey can be used on minor wounds to help them heal. And it serves double duty when drizzled over Manchego cheese and served with some grapes on a warm summer evening. Delicious!

Harvesting: To harvest, cut the stems just above the first set of leaves, as soon as some of the flowers just begin to open. Bundle your stems together (no thicker than the opening on a soda pop bottle), tie with a string and hang upside down in a cool, dry place for 3-4 weeks.

BLM’s Wild Horse & Burro Program in a Death Spiral | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Open Letter by Author Terry Farley

“BLM’s wild horse and burro math is statistically bizarre…”

As a journalist, I first interviewed BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program staffers in 1976, shortly after I moved to Nevada. Since then, I’ve followed the program’s death spiral.

Those who say wild horses and burros ruin the range claim there are too many of them, and yet there’s little agreement about how many wild equines remain on America’s public lands.

BLM’s wild horse and burro math is statistically bizarre. Even the National Academy of Sciences, charged by BLM to analyze the program (2013) concluded: “The Wild Horse and Burro Program has not used scientifically rigorous methods to estimate the population sizes of horses and burros …”

NAS warned “continuation of business-as-usual practices will be expensive and unproductive for BLM and the public it serves.” Worse, NAS pointed out that BLM’s lack of science has actually backfired on its stated goal of protecting the range.

BLM’s reaction? Keep paying independent contractors to chase, trap and corral the West’s remaining wild horses and offer $10 million to anyone who found a new means of mustang birth control.

BLM asked for a new method because PZP “didn’t work,” ignoring recent science and BLM personnel who admitted that — counter to instructions – contraceptives are not always kept frozen or even cold in the field.

Can contraception change wild horse band dynamics, cause swelling or abscess at the injection site? Yes, but these impacts must, sadly, be compared to BLM round-ups.

Band dynamics: During round-ups, family bands are shattered, routinely divided into stallions, mares and contractor-determined weanlings. Horses are prey animals. They know safety is with the band and the resulting cacophony and blood of these separations is haunting. Fewer than 2 percent are ever reunited.

Injury: Compare injection site abscess to BLM documentation of a single round-up in which 113 mustangs died. Death from shattered pelvises, broken necks, skulls and spine were sometime attributed to natural causes or pre-existing conditions. Those diagnoses would strain my credulity even if I hadn’t been there.

If you still oppose contraception, please consider this: Proponents of selling wild horses without limitation have made in-roads at BLM and those who’d destroy mustang captives as they stand in government pens have visited the White House.

The extermination of a Western icon is near, and your choice can hasten or slow its approach.

PZP is reversible. Death is final.

Terri Farley

Source: BLM’s Wild Horse & Burro Program in a Death Spiral | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Euthanasia drug found in dog food « Jon Rappoport’s Blog

By Jon Rappoport

From WebMD (4/28/17): “Party Animal is recalling dog food that tested positive for a pet euthanasia drug…The voluntary recall affects the company’s Cocolicious dog food brand…The affected products include 13-ounce cans of Cocolicious Beef & Turkey dog food (Lot #0136E15204 04, best by July 2019) and 13-ounce cans of Cocolicious Chicken & Beef dog food (Lot #0134E15 237 13, best by August 2019)… Party Animal is working with distributors and retailers to find out if any other beef-flavored foods are still being sold, and if so, to recall them immediately, the company said.”

KDVR (FOX) reports: “Party Animal is recalling two lots of its Cocolicious dog food because it might contain pentobarbital.”

CNN: “Party Animals, a California-based pet food maker, is recalling two lots from its line of Cocolicious dog foods after some cans in Texas tested positive for pentobarbital — a chemical that’s used to euthanize animals. In a statement on its website, Party Animal said a customer in Texas had given Cocolicious samples to a lab and the dog food tested positive for pentobarbital. Party Animal is asking for those test results, and ‘out of an abundance of caution’ is recalling the two lots of dog food sold nationwide. The company is also sending cans of its dog foods to an independent lab for testing.”

How would this drug, used to euthanize animals, find its way into pet food? The suggestion is: the pet food contains meat from previously euthanized animals (not cows).

Concerning a previous recall by another company, Evanger’s, the Detroit Free Press stated: “In researching the supply chain, Evanger’s learned that ‘pentobarbital is very highly controlled, and that, if an animal is euthanized, it is done so by a veterinarian. Once this process has been done, there is absolutely no regulation that requires the certified vet to place any kind of marker on the animal indicating that it has been euthanized and guaranteeing that product from euthanized animals cannot enter the food chain’.”

If this is true, we would be talking about euthanized dogs and cats somehow entering the pet-food manufacturing process—and pet dogs would end up eating dog and cat meat.

Veterinarians are selling euthanized animals to middle men, who in turn supply meat to pet-food manufacturers?

There is another possibility. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) states, on its website: “Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year… Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats).” Are shelters selling the euthanized animals? Do a few (or more than a few) animals end up in pet food?

Knoji.com states: “Cremation allows for the shelter to burn the bodies of pets. However, not all animal shelters can afford this so many send the bagged bodies of animals to a special part of the city landfill (garbage dump). The third option is not as common as it use[d] to be, and generally not done in the charity run shelters, but more common in city run ‘pounds’ – this is when the bodies are sold to research labs, dissection supply companies, or rendering facilities where they may actually be rendered down and put into pet food.”

“It might surprise some dog owners to know that dog meat has been used in dog food. This practice was relatively common until the late 1990’s. Even today there are no laws preventing man’s best friend from ending up in dog food.”

“Please note the below information on dead dogs being used in dog food is true to the United States but may also occur in Canada and possibly other countries.”

“At some time or another pet food companies realized there was a cheap source of meat available… Dog Meat, and it could be purchased cheaply from animal shelters and the dog pound. These were places where dogs were euthanized weekly and there was always a need to dispose of the bodies. Nobody said anything and there were no laws preventing such from happening.”

“However what started to tip the scales was that the veterinarians who performed the euthanasias at the animal shelters started noticing it was taking more and more drugs to put these animals to sleep. They realized that somehow pets in animal shelters were building up an immunity to the medications used to end their lives. Typically veterinarians are called to shelters every week to euthanize between 10 and 200 animals (or more in larger centers) so this was where they saw the problems develop quite easily.”

“As such several investigations were launched to see how pets were building up immunities to the drugs. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) launched an investigation. They found that sodium pentobarbital (the drug often used to euthanize pets) passed through the rendering process and ended up in pet food. They admitted finding the drug in some pet foods and stated ‘several retail feeds were confirmed for the presence of phentobarbital which could only have come from euthanized animals.’ Most of these investigations were exposed by television news groups such as Seattle’s King 5, and KMOV in St. Louis, Missouri.”

“What they exposed was something that many people already knew – dead dogs were being used to make dog food. Many animal shelters are government run. These poorly funded shelters found a way of generating extra income and disposing of the animal bodies all at once—Sell them cheaply to a [pet food] rendering plant. You will note your local SPCA probably does not do this.”

This account suggests that the FDA already knows dog meat in dog food is an ongoing problem, and the FDA also knows that euthanized dogs, whose bodies contain the euthanasia drug, are used for dog food. This is not a new discovery or a puzzling problem.

If the FDA is scratching its collective head and trying to solve a mystery, that would be a pose.

It would be like saying, on a human level, “Well, we know several companies have been polluting the water and soil of a town for years, and the chemicals are exceedingly toxic and dangerous, but we’re not sure where the cancer clusters are coming from. Much more investigation is needed.”

It appears we’re looking at a situation where all the parties—government animal shelters, veterinarians, pet food rendering plants, pet food companies, and the FDA—know exactly what’s going on…and say nothing, or pretend surprise when a new case of dogs eating drug-poisoned dog meat shows up.

The FDA is famous for ignoring their own responsibility, when a medical drug they’ve approved, as safe and effective, starts killing people.

Apparently, this same know-nothing attitude applies to pets and the euthanasia drug they’re ingesting.

I wonder how many humans, living on the extreme margins, eating pet food, have succumbed…

Source: Euthanasia drug found in dog food « Jon Rappoport’s Blog

Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Burdock – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Author: MMH 0 Comments

Burdock – Arctium lappa, A. minus, A. tomentosum

Parts used: root, leaf

Traditional uses: Root used in washes for boils and skin complaints. Leaf infusion used to tone stomach. Leaf poultice used for tumors and swellings and to reduce inflammation. Blood purifier, alterative, diuretic, and diaphoretic.

“Alterative, diuretic and diaphoretic. One of the best blood purifiers. In all skin diseases, it is a certain remedy and has effected a cure in many cases of eczema, either taken alone or combined with other remedies, such as Yellow Dock and Sarsaparilla.” ~Grieve MH

Used in formula for chills – “A gentleman in Cyclone, Missouri, tells me that his family made a ‘chill remedy’ that was in great demand; the exact formula was kept secret, he says, but the main ingredient was crushed burdock seeds.” ~Randolph OMF 107

“Burdock roots…boiled were given for chills.” ~Parler FBA II 1747

Beads worn as protection from witchcraft – “A basket maker at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, told me that children are best protected against witches by wearing a neck-lace of dried burdock roots, cut into small pieces and strung like beads.” ~Randolph OMF 291

Boiled in compound drank for colds – “There used to be a plant called burdock. They’d dig that up and get the root and soak it in whiskey. Then they’d take that and put other ingredients such as nutmeg and butter and ginger in it. You’d drink that hot and go to bed of a night it’d suck that cold out.” ~Carter and Krause HRIO

Medicine for the blood of young folks – “From the weed Burdock (Arctium minus) you make a medicine for the blood of young folks. You boil the weed down and give the youngin’ a dose of 1 tablespoon before meals.” ~Parler FBA II 1357

Burdock, Witch Hazel, and Dogwood as a spring tonic – “Mix burdock roots, witch hazel bark, dogwood bark and take 1 teaspoonful before breakfast in the spring. This is called a spring tonic.” ~Parler FBA II 1369

Root chewed to purify blood – “To purify the blood chew the roots of the burdock plant.” ~Parler FBA II 1516

Root water used for boils – “To cure boils and sores that children have use Burdock roots…that have been soaked in water and drink the water.” ~Parler FBA II 1564

Roots worn against nosebleed – “A necklace of burdock roots…used to be worn to prevent nosebleeding.” ~Parler FBA III 2786

Wild cherry and burdock used for rheumatism – “Wild Cherry bark and Burdock root…boiled and mixed with whiskey is good for rheumatism.” ~Parler FBA III 2974

Carter, Kay & Bonnie Krause Home Remedies of the Illinois Ozarks (HRIO)

Grieve, Margaret A Modern Herbal (MH)

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany (NAE)

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Burdock – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Feel Good Sunday: Home Sweet Home for Donkey Survivors of the Skin Trade | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

By the National Council of SPCAs

The National Council of SPCAs in South Africa is delighted to report a positive, uplifting and heart-warming outcome relating to donkeys rescued from the horrific trade in their skins.

We report that five donkeys have arrived at a beautiful property in Bethlehem in the Free State where they will live out the rest of their lives. The donkeys were adopted according to the standard procedure, which involves a formal application to adopt an animal, including demonstrating that one is able to afford private veterinary fees and committing to looking after the animal for the rest of its natural life.

A further 14 donkeys will travel shortly to a new home. Their adoptions have been approved as all the required administrative procedures have been undertaken.

These donkeys were rescued in the Sani area in early 2017. They were initially cared for at the Sani SPCA, but since their operation is not far from the Lesotho border post, it was feared that the donkeys might be stolen. Their welfare and safety were top priorities, so a decision was taken to move the donkeys to other SPCAs.

The journey to their temporary homes started early on the morning of 24 February 2017, when they were safely loaded into trucks and their journey to the Benoni SPCA and the Kloof and Highway SPCA began. No issues were encountered. Several stops were made en route to Johannesburg to provide water and facilitate checks by our inspectors and veterinarian.

The end of the story is a very uplifting one not only for the donkeys, but for all the dedicated staff involved who worked tirelessly to ensure their safety and to secure their future.

Donkey hide contains a gelatine which is claimed to carry medicinal properties. The gelatine is a key ingredient in China’s ejiao industry, which produces tablets, tonics and a sweet syrup. Donkeys from all over the world are slaughtered, often illegally after being stolen, and their hides exported to China to fuel demand for ejiao.

The “donkey skin trade” continues, but so do our efforts to monitor situations, respond to information received and to take whatever steps may be appropriate when necessary. Criminal charges have been laid in several instances, cases brought before the Courts and convictions obtained. The National Council of SPCAs commits to combating the scourge of the donkey skin trade tirelessly and steadfastly.

http://animalpeopleforum.org/2017/04/22/home-sweet-home-for-donkey-survivors-of-the-skin-trade/

Source: Feel Good Sunday: Home Sweet Home for Donkey Survivors of the Skin Trade | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Vinca – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Vinca – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: vinca
GENUS: Vinca
SPECIES: V. major, V. minor; both perennial
FAMILY: Apocynaceae
BLOOMS: spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Perennial vinca is a fast-spreading vine with blue flowers. V. major is a more vigorous grower and has larger leaves and flowers. The annual bedding plant vinca {actually Catharanthus roseus} has attractive five-petaled white and pink-to-red flowers and dark green, glossy leaves. The plants reach a height of 10 to 15 inches and spread almost 2 feet across.
CULTIVATION: Annual vinca {C. roseus} is extremely heat and drought tolerant and thrives in full, hot sun. It blooms prolifically from early summer until frost. Perennial vinca is particularly useful as a ground cover because it grows equally as well in sun or shade. Blooming, which occurs in late spring, is much better in the sun, however.

Twelve species of this genus are native to Europe. V. major, also known as greater periwinkle, blue buttons, and band plant, and V. minor, known as common periwinkle, lesser periwinkle, and running myrtle, are the two species most widely grown.
Rosy periwinkle, a tropical species, contains an alkaloid necessary to make the drug vincristine, which is used to treat many forms of cancer.
The popular pink and white vinca used as a bedding plant is officially C. roseus, though it was known for many years as V. rosea. It is native from Madagascar to India and is known as rose periwinkle and old maid.
Vinca has been cultivated for centuries. The number of common names alludes to the variety of purposes for which this plant has been used and particularly to the magical powers it was thought to possess. Known as devil’s eye or sorcerer’s violet, vinca blossoms were sometimes worn in the buttonhole as protection against witches. If placed over the doorway, vinca was thought to keep away witches.
During the Middle Ages criminals on the way to the gallows traditionally wore garlands made from vinca blossoms. The Italian name for the plant is the flower of death, and it was often planted on the graves of children.
Belgians believed that the flower was a symbol of virginity and would spread vinca petals in front of bridal couples as they left the church.
It is from the pink and red vinca that the phrase “pink of perfection” originated. An old English book, The Vertues of Herbs, Stones, and Certain Beasts, suggests that “Perwynke when it {the leaf} is beate unto powder with worms of ye earth wrapped about it and with an hearbe called houselyck it induceth love between man and wife it it be used in their meales.”
Red vinca, also called joy of the ground, planted outside the garden gate symbolized an invitation to the passer-by to come in and look at the garden.
The medicinal uses of vinca are varied. Vinca tea made from the blossoms was used, according to an ancient herbal, if the “mother’s milk was running too full.” A tonic made from dried, full-grown leaves was used for intestinal problems. The leaves, mixed with other herbs, were thought to help diabetes. An ointment made from the leaves was used to treat skin disorders, particularly on the scalp, and the raw leaves were chewed to stop a nosebleed. The young shoots were boiled and eaten to prevent nightmares and to soothe nervous disorders and hysteria. Long strands of the creeping vine were wrapped tightly around the legs to ease muscular cramps. Perhaps the favorite reason for indulging in a daily dose of vinca was the superstition that it would help one be happy and comfortable and have grace.
Because it is evergreen, vinca has been chosen as the symbol of fidelity and friendship. The blue blossoms represent the pleasures of memory, red blossoms mean early friendship and white blossoms are symbolic of pleasant recollections.

Vinca has been chosen by the city of Geneva as its floral emblem.

On Keeping a Spiritual Journal | The Druid’s Garden

Recently, I took some time to go back through the many spiritual journals I have kept on my journey deeper into the mysteries of the druid tradition and my relationship with nature. These journals spanned over a decade. They included a bit of everything: garden interactions, meditations, nature observations, events in my life of deep spiritual significance, recipes, notes from gatherings and visits, stories, experiences with rituals, and much more. I am so grateful to have kept these journals and re-reading them allowed me to rediscover so many pieces about that journey. They allowed me to see not only my own growth over time, but reminded me of important events and encouraged me further on my path.

Journaling and writing down one’s journey doesn’t come easy for many, and I, too, have to work at it! Further, in working with those new to the druid path through my work as an Archdruid with the AODA, I’ve come to realize that many folks don’t know how to keep a spiritual journal nor what it can be used for or why they should do it. In my professional work as a writing professor, I know how difficult it is for some people to write anything because they lack the tools, motivation, or inspiration to do so. So, given this, I thought I’d take the time today to write about spiritual journals, why we keep them, and tips and strategies for keeping them (and keeping them well).

Why keep a spiritual journal?

When you are engaging in a spiritual practice of any kind, it is really helpful to document that practice. So let’s start by exploring the reasons why you would want to keep a spiritual journal.

The difference between sacred spaces and mundane spaces. One of the aspects of spiritual practices is that we are in a different head space for the duration of those practices than we are in the regular world. This is true not only of meditation and rituals but also of visits to natural places. We may gain deep insights or have moments of clarity and awakening and retaining those insights are critical for our development. If we don’t write them down, we are very apt to lose them.

I have found that in order to “not lose anything,” I have to write down my experiences in ritual or meditation immediately after they happen (often, I will write in my journal before I even close a sacred grove in ritual or before I leave the forest). This allows me to write about these experiences while they are fresh and in the forefront of my head. If I put off writing down my experiences, the longer that time goes by, the less I will remember and remember accurately–especially because visits to wild places and rituals alter our consciousness.

Inaccuracy of memory. Our memories are imperfect instruments and we can forget many things. If we write our experiences and understandings down (or use one of the other methods I share here), we offer our future selves a record of those experiences, which is a powerful spiritual tool. Trying to keep everything in our heads is a sure way to lose some of the critically important details or insights we gain as part of our spiritual practices.

To illustrate this, I’ll share a story here. I was out foraging for the day by myself, and I ended up in a really brushy area that required me to slog my way through about a two-acre bramble and brush patch. During this experience, I was in a deep meditative space. I had a critical number of keen insights about nature–all in a row (it must have been the stars aligning). The problem is, I had too many at once! (One of those keen insights about nature became my earlier discussion of weedtending, weedwalking, and weedcrafting while a second became my discussion of first-aid responder plants). I had recently lost my small journal I usually carried in my crane bag (to a river–it carried it away!), so I didn’t have anything to write down my insights on that particular day. And so, lacking any other means, I tried to commit as many as I could to memory. When I finally got back later that evening, all had escaped except the insights on the two posts I included above. Try and meditate as I might, I could not find the other insights anywhere in my brain–they were left in the bramble patch!

Keeping a Record. Documenting your practices and experiences through journals offers your future self a record about what you are feeling, experiencing, and the things you are engaging with at that particular point in time. This is a wonderful tool for tracking and understanding your own spiritual development. I love going back and reading my old journals and seeing just how far I have come! It’s also helpful to look at the journals and get a sense of what I was struggling with then, what I’m still struggling with, and what new things have come up.

Focusing, Expanding, and Reflection on Your Thoughts. Journaling is not just a process of writing down exactly what happened or what the insights were, but it’s also a powerful tool and opportunity to ponder or sit with those experiences further. And so, we gain a double benefit from this work. Reflecting on experiences that just happened allows you another way, which I see as another form of meditation, into those experiences. First, I have found often that after I finish a physical journey, spiritual journey, meditation, ritual, or whatever, writing down what has happened and my thoughts and insights about what has happened allows me to further shape and expand those thoughts (and actually, this is why I got into blogging!) Part of it is that you are not just getting the initial insight, but taking the time to think about it deeper and focus on it through the journaling experience. This helps the insights and experiences come into sharper focus. Second, reflection also allows us to slow down and think about what we experienced, synth sizing our experiences and our own understandings. We can pick things apart, turn them around, wonder about them, and really gain the ability to see them from multiple angles there in our journal. It might be that this kind of work needs to happen over a longer period of time than one entry, and that is perfectly acceptable as well. I’ll also mention here that research in writing studies strongly supports both of the above–we learn through writing and we gain much from reflection!

Content of the Journals: What to Write

The question of what should go into a journal is obviously a very personal one. Here are some possibilities for you to consider:

Documenting regular practices. In many of the esoteric traditions, keeping a “magical journal” is a required practice. It’s very helpful to document regular practices and their effects, especially over time. For example, each day I do the AODA’s Sphere of Protection ritual. In the years I was really learning it, I wrote down daily what happened. Now that my practice has stabilized, I no longer find it necessary to write down each day’s sphere unless something out of the ordinary happens during the sphere; but I still find myself writing about it regularly. I do write about my regular meditations, and that’s part of my habitual journal practice.

Salient, important things. I once spoke with a woman who told me she was spending more time writing in her journals than in her spiritual practices and was frustrated with the length of time it took to journal. I inquired further and discovered that she was writing down literally everything she was doing. While this certainly is an approach that you can take to spiritual journaling, I’m not sure its one I’d advocate. You’d spend more time, as she did, writing than actually engaging in your spiritual practices! Instead, what I advocate is writing down things of meaning, of salience, and of significance. In other words, I don’t write down every little thing (“I drove to the park”) but I do generally document what I did, what happened, and what I thought about it (“in my walk in the woods, this struck me because of…”).

Ideas, Plans, and Goals. I have found it useful to write about goals, ideas, and plans. If you write goals, check in on them regularly and see how you are progressing with them (a simple goal might be to develop a regular daily protective practice, or to spend more time in nature, or to observe the full and new moons in some way).

Nature observations. I have found it particularly helpful to document my observations and interactions with nature, given that I’m on a path of nature-based spirituality. For this reason, I almost always take a journal when I’m going out and about (even a small one I can carry with me, although I have a propensity for small journals getting eaten by bodies of water!)

Reflections over time. At the end of the journal, when I have only 10-20 or so pages left, I find it really useful to go back through the journal and record any patterns in my thinking, any changes, anything that sticks out of significance to me. It may take me a year or more to fill a journal, but is a very good practice and then helps me “launch” the next journal with a vision and goals in mind.

Photos, drawings, plant matter, and memorabilia. You don’t have to be limited to words alone–consider adding drawings, photos, plant matter, and other memorabilia.

The Look and Feel of Your Journal

Especially when you are starting out, the finding or making the right journal is really important. There’s something about opening up a fine journal, one that you are attracted to, and writing in it. It’s nice to see it sitting on our shelf, nice to hold and cherish. Your journal might be something you make or something you buy. (I can write a post on bookbinding and spiritual journal making if there is interest. Let me know!) You may also find that you may develop certain preferences (thickness of paper, lined or unlined, etc).

I think that there is something special about keeping a physical journal and I would strongly recommend you keep your journal physically. For one, if you are taking it into nature and into sacred spaces with you, the last thing you want is an electronic device in those spaces. The screens have a way of pulling you away and into them rather into the space. If the purpose of the journal is to record words, I would suggest using old-fashioned methods.

On the outside: If you are going to go with a purchased journal, You want a journal that lays flat, that is enjoyable to write in, and that is well constructed. One place to look is on Etsy and similar places and seeing if you can purchase a nice journal that was handmade with care and love. You’ll support an artist and also have a wonderful journal. Some journal makers (especially those working in leather) can make a journal cover that you can then replace the insides. This means that you could buy one journal + cover, and then when you are done, put the cover on a new journal and keep going, placing the old journal on your shelf. This is a nice option and represents a limited investment.

On the Inside: One of my very early spiritual journals was a simple affair, but homemade. I began by purchasing some hot press, low quality watercolor paper and folding them in half, making signatures. I bound the journal using a Coptic stitch technique with two boards. Then, in each of the pages, I did a simple watercolor wash. The watercolor pages dried and then, when I opened the journal, I had a variety of colorful surfaces on which to write.

You can do the same thing with cheap watercolors and any journal designed for multiple media or mixed media (these are readily available in arts and craft stores). These kinds of journals will be thicker and contain less pages, but will be sturdy and wonderful for colorful washes and bold printing.

[…]

Source: On Keeping a Spiritual Journal | The Druid’s Garden

SSRI antidepressants increase risk of intracranial hemorrhage « Jon Rappoport’s Blog

From healthline.com: “Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) refers to acute bleeding inside your skull or brain. It’s a life-threatening emergency. You should go to the emergency room right away or call 911 if you think you or someone you know is experiencing ICH.”

By Jon Rappoport

The public has learned about the increased risk of suicide and violent behavior (including murder) stemming from the use of SSRI antidepressants. Now there is more:

Psychiatric News reports (4/7/17): “A study published in February in JAMA Neurology has found that patients taking antidepressants that are strong inhibitors of serotonin reuptake (SSRIs) may be at an increased risk for intracranial hemorrhage, particularly during the first month of use…”

“The results showed that compared with patients taking [the older] tricyclic antidepressants, patients being treated with SSRIs had a 17 percent increased risk of experiencing an intracranial hemorrhage. The risk was highest during the first 30 days the patients were taking the medications.”

SSRIs include: Celexa; Prozac; Paxil; Zoloft; Lexapro; Luvox.

Here are quotes from other Psychiatric News articles about SSRI use and bleeding:

“Physicians prescribing selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) should make patients aware of the possibility of gastrointestinal bleeding, especially if they have pre-existing risk factors or are taking other drugs that increase risk, said a University of Pennsylvania psychiatrist.”

From a January 2014 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry—“Short-term SSRI use—even as little as 7 days—elevated the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, especially in male patients. Just as with NSAIDs and aspirin, physicians should carefully monitor for this side effect.”

Note: Suddenly withdrawing from these drugs can be very dangerous. Psychiatrist Peter Breggin publishes this warning: “Most psychiatric drugs can cause withdrawal reactions, sometimes including life-threatening emotional and physical withdrawal problems. In short, it is not only dangerous to start taking psychiatric drugs, it can also be dangerous to stop them. Withdrawal from psychiatric drugs should be done carefully under experienced clinical supervision. Methods for safely withdrawing from psychiatric drugs are discussed in Dr. Breggin’s new book, Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal: A Guide for Prescribers, Therapists, Patients and Their Families.”

rug Withdrawal: A Guide for Prescribers, Therapists, Patients and Their Families.”

Source: SSRI antidepressants increase risk of intracranial hemorrhage « Jon Rappoport’s Blog

Peony – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Peony – Good Witches Homestead

COMMON NAME: peony
GENUS: Paeonia
SPECIES, HYBRIDS, CULTIVARS:
P. lactiflora {Chinese peony}-many hybrids; single or double. P. suffruticosa {TREE PEONY}-shrub; does not die back in winter.
FAMILY: Ranunculaceae
BLOOMS: late spring
TYPE: perennial
DESCRIPTION: Peony greets spring with offerings of very large, beautiful blossoms in pinks, white, and shades of red. The foliage is neat and attractive, and the plants create an appealing, low {2 1/2 to 3 foot} shrub during the summer months. Peony flowers are full and measure 4 to 6 inches across.
CULTIVATION: Probably one of the greatest attributes of peonies is their longevity. Some peony plants are reported to be more than 100 years old. Once established, peonies should not be transplanted. The plants are tolerant of a wide range of soils but will perform best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils that are light, fertile, and rich in organic matter. Peony roots should be planted so that the eyes are exactly 1 1/2 inches below the soil level. Mix in generous amounts of humus or peat moss before planting. In northern areas, plant in full sun. In hot southern climates, provide a bit of shade.

Called the blessed herb, peonies have been used for centuries for their magical and medicinal properties. Among the powers that peony was thought to possess are the ability to protect shepherds and their flocks; to ward off storms, demons, and nightmares; and to preserve the harvest from danger. Peony is the Greek symbol of healing and the Japanese symbol for a happy marriage and virility. It is the Japanese floral emblem for the month of June.
The Chinese have grown this flower for over 2,000 years. The name for it there is Sho-yo, which means “the beautiful,” and it is considered the flower of prosperity. One Chinese emperor called peonies roses of spring, and a single specimen sold for as much as 100 ounces of gold. According to the Chinese calendar, the tree peony is the floral symbol for March.
The medicinal powers of the plant are legendary. It was named for Paeon, physician to the Greek gods, and a student of Asclepius, {god of medicine and healing}. Leto, goddess of fertility, told Paeon about a magical root growing on Mount Olympus that would soothe the pain of a woman in childbirth. When Paeon went to get this root, Asclepius became jealous and angry and threatened to kill his pupil. Leto begged help from Zeus, who saved Paeon from the wrath of his teacher by changing him into the peony flower.
Perhaps because of this legend, peony seeds have been given to pregnant women for centuries. It was also thought that the roots, held over a person’s head or around the neck, would cure insanity. Other medicinal uses included the prevention of epileptic convulsions and soothing the gums o teething infants. Pliny, a Roman statesman, said that peonies are the “oldest of plants, and are an important medicine that cures twenty ills.”
Superstition warns us, however, that the plant is protected by woodpeckers. If you try to gather peony for medicinal purposes while a woodpecker is in sight, your patient might die.
The magical powers of peonies were thought to be even stronger than the medicinal ones. Mothers in rural areas hung strings of peony seeds around an infant’s neck as a protection against the “Evil Eye.” The seeds, particularly if soaked in rain water, were worn as an amulet for protection against witchcraft and the devil. The plant’s reputation for supernatural powers was enhanced by its phosphorescent qualities-some plants actually glow in the dark. For the most potent magical powers, seeds and roots were gathered in the dead of night.
The first peonies, considered important healing herbs, were brought to England by the Roman legions in 1200. They have been cherished in England since then, first for their medicinal value, and then for their unparalleled beauty. Peonies have been in the United States since early colonial days. For the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876, peony was used to symbolize the American spirit, ambition, and determination to adapt and thrive.
The only country ever named for a flower was Paeonia, located in what is now northern Greece. It was a legitimate country complete with a government, army, and imperial ring, but it was conquered during the Persian Wars.
Peony is the state flower of Indiana.

The language of peony is shame, for it was thought to be the hiding place of a dishonorable nymph.

From the Land Down Under: “China Wants Our Donkeys Dead or Alive!” | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

OpEd by Andrea Jenkins – Donkeys of Australia

Over the past few months I have read many articles about donkeys. There was one article I read a couple of weeks ago though that really hit a nerve.

The article included a stunning picture of a donkey, gazing out from his paddock. The barb wire that cut across in front of him indicated that he stood just behind a fence. It led me to imagine a stranger stopping road side with camera in hand, readying the exposure for the autumn sunlight and the yellow daisies. He waits, aware that the donkey has his ears pricked and stands attentive to this new energy invading his home. Curious, this gentle, wise creature meanders over to say hello. The stranger shoots and then is gone, taking a moment in time with him to use as he wishes.

I don’t know this donkey personally. Perhaps he is your donkey? Or someone you know? I imagine other photos he stands in, cuddled by the grandkids, lazing in the sun, a beloved family member that sits in frames on the mantelpiece for the world to see.

I’d love to own this donkey, yet I’m happy I don’t. I don’t think I could bare it. The stranger has not taken this particular photo to show how cherished and adored this donkey is. Mortified, I read the caption: good enough to export.

Yes, sadly, this donkey has become the latest face for donkey export to China. He is pitted next to the words of Barnaby Joyce as a creature with a price tag, an economic commodity, an edible product worthy of export. The nerve it struck was raw. It rocked me to my core. How can we be asked to look at this magnificent creature and see it as a dead product being shovelled into the mouths of those that search for a miracle elixir for eternal youth and vitality?

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Like I said, I’ve read many articles about donkeys over the past few months. In fact, I’ve read, watched, spoken on the phone and data analysed the horrors the ‘insatiable’ appetite for Ejiao brings crashing to our shores.

It’s been extremely challenging for me to witness the creature I love more than anything get decimated in such a brutal way, but I feel I must walk with them through this struggle as they have walked with us through constant struggles throughout time. I must stand with them now and help their voices be heard. It is with their characteristic traits of love, compassion and humility that I proceed to further my education and, hopefully, the education of others, with regard to the issues facing Australian donkeys.

I am sure many of you have read the horrors that are linked with the donkey skin trade. I’m sure you have read that what is, essentially, donkey poaching, has become a regular occurrence in some parts of Africa. I’m sure you have read about the exorbitant prices donkeys are now selling for and the fact that those living in rural villages can no longer afford to replace their donkeys, leaving them without a means to collect their water or send their children to school. I’m sure you’ve heard of the donkey slaughter houses, the string of animal welfare concerns and the shocking statistics that draw many to believe our beloved donkeys are vanishing from this world. I am not sure, however, that you have been able to find much information on the current Australian situation and what it means for Australian donkeys.

So here I am, writing this article for you. It is my aim in writing that I am able to summarise what I have learned, to date, on Ejiao and how this skin trade is expected to affect our Australian donkeys . I am by no means claiming to be an expert on the matter. I am simply one girl who uses Google and the telephone and has been willing to dive into the hay stack, so to speak, and try and find some answers. This brings me to the second aim in writing this article. It is also a desperate cry for help. It is my wish that we may come up with a structure for research and action together as we venture forward with, and for, our beloved donkeys. What I write now details the journey Ejiao has taken me on so far.

When I first heard whispers that China wanted our donkeys, I wrapped myself in the safety net I, and many others, naively believed we had. It seemed that we did not have the numbers of donkeys required to make the idea of donkey export viable. That teamed with the vast and unforgiving landmass the donkeys inhabited seemed to make the cost too much for a return that was far too small. It still seemed that culling was the preferred method of eradication.

Yet, as time passed, donkey populations in China—and globally—started to dwindle, demand for Ejiao skyrocketed, pressure on global markets to supply the increase in demand grew exponentially and the viability of exporting donkeys to China suddenly changed as the price tag kept rising. Pressured with ongoing enquiries the Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Resources (NTDPIR) compiled a report into the potential of donkey farming in the Northern Territory (September 2016).

Again, even though the report ultimately found that donkey farming was viable, either as a stand- alone venture or complimentary to the cattle industry, I thought we had a safety net. The safety net seemed to be that there was no Tier 2 processing facility and no operational export protocols to China. Reading that the capital outlay required for such a facility would be somewhere between the $50-$100 million mark and knowing there were no operational protocols for export to China made it sound, again, that the donkeys were to stay on Australian shores.

Yet, as I researched further and talked to more people on the phone I began to understand the saying ‘where there’s a will there’s a way’ really does apply to the situation here. Everywhere I turned looking for the next piece of the puzzle I got offered a piece that didn’t fit. I found that when I stopped allowing myself to get distracted by the technical jargon of protocols I, instead, found a big picture with most of the puzzle already in place. Like I say, I am only one girl and I am fully aware that I have more research to go, yet this is how I have come to see the big picture so far.

China wants our donkeys. The Australian agribusiness sector wants to expand export opportunities and make as much money as possible. Station owners want the feral donkeys gone. Farmers want ways to diversify their stock to get them through tough times. Multi-species abattoirs are being built with heavy Chinese investment. Chinese investment in Australian agribusiness is seen as desirable. Trial kills of donkeys are currently happening. More wild donkeys are already being rounded up. The Coalition Government has recently signed a Joint Statement with China to hugely expand market access for Australia’s red meat and live animal export industries to China. Barnaby Joyce is publicly announcing that Australia will be providing edible donkey skins to China and pushing it as a big, new market. Tariffs on hides and skins exported to China are being eliminated between 1st January 2017 and 1st of January 2022. The price of wild donkeys being rounded up and sold has already drastically increased.

So what does this all mean? Yes, China will be getting our donkeys. There may be a few little things to sort out in terms of protocols but it is happening. No one is standing in the way and stopping things from progressing forward. Most of the information I have read indicates that wild donkeys will be rounded up and breed as livestock for the Ejiao trade. Edible donkey skins will be exported to China. Some of the donkey meat will be sold within Australia as pet meat. Some of the meat will be sold internationally for human consumption. It also seems that, as the export market to China opens up under these new trade agreements, donkeys could potentially be live exported to China as well.

Even as I write that last sentence, my heart breaks a new. Not only will I be living in a country that potentially has no wild donkeys left. Not only will I be living in a country with fields of donkeys tagged and fattened ready for the slaughterhouse truck. I will also be living in a country that makes the conscious choice to send sensitive, emotional, smart, alive creatures on a ship, destined for a place of unfathomable animal cruelty. Do you think you can live in the country I describe? Unfortunately, this is what we are facing.

Of course there are obvious animal welfare concerns as are always evident with creatures subjected to the tortures of live export, yet there are more subtle and insidious concerns at play too. One thing I am concerned about is that wild donkeys are to be rounded up and sold as breeding stock. Will the breeding jennies have any much needed maintenance and care? Will their hooves be trimmed? Will their health be attended to? An ongoing animal welfare issue with the Ejiao trade is the lack of donkey healthcare as it is only the skin that is deemed valuable making money spent on overall health a waste of finances.

Another concern is the distances donkeys will be transported to abattoirs. The multispecies abattoir being built in Charleville will apparently be transporting donkeys from the Northern Territory and perhaps even South Australia. Will these donkeys be given the required rests, food and water? How tightly will they be packed in? If rounded up from the wild and trucked, how are foals and pregnant jennies going to be cared for? How will they be treated as they are rounded up, trucked and, ultimately, slaughtered? As ‘pests’ donkeys are not given the same protective rights as other animals in Australia. I will admit that I don’t know how far their protective rights are striped due to their classification as pests yet it is important to ensure that their welfare is adhered to at all stages of transport and processing.

Yet another concern I have is how will this big, new market be regulated? Can anyone start farming donkeys? How is the government going to monitor who is involved in this trade and how this trade is carried out on a day-to-day basis? As the avenues for export open up, there needs to be regulation on this trade, right from the small, hobby farms to the largest stations in the country, along with any wild stock that are mustered and sent straight to slaughter. Many of the people who are going to be involved are experienced in the needs of cattle and are not educated when it comes to donkeys. It is my desire that, for those joining this industry, they are required to gain further donkey specific education.

Now I write about my biggest concern: that our wild donkeys will become extinct and we will either be left with donkeys stuck in a horrific cycle of breeding and slaughter or with no donkeys left at all. This concern comes from a couple of factors. One factor is that no one knows how many donkeys we have to start with. There has been no accurate headcount of donkeys in Australia ever. Yet those, like Barnaby Joyce, who are pushing donkey skins as the next big industry, claim on a very public platform that Australia has millions of wild donkeys. This is simply not the case. The NTDPIR has a far more realistic estimate of the number of wild donkeys, stating that they believe there are roughly 50 thousand donkeys in the Northern Territory—although this figure is thought to be about ten years old and is not considered reliable. If we don’t know how many donkeys we have in the first place, how can we know if this trade, and the way it is to be carried out, will be sustainable?

Another factor is that, with the current Ejiao demand, upwards of 4 million donkeys are already believed to be slaughtered each year and the global donkey population literally cannot keep up. This is being reported with the dwindling of numbers in different parts of the world. It is believed donkey populations in China have halved, Mexican donkeys are considered endangered and some are predicting that, if things don’t change, the African donkey could be extinct in as little as five years If indeed our donkey population is somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 our donkeys could be wiped out be Ejiao demand in a matter of weeks. Even if farming does occur in the near future, stock numbers will need to be built up and stabilised. This will take time as donkeys have a long gestation period and do not breed well in stressful situations. If export opens up as we expect it could under these new trade agreements and wild donkeys are sent straight to multi-species abattoirs for processing it might not be long before they are all gone.

In conclusion, I would like to ask that we unite in action going forward. I know it might seem too big an issue to tackle or too graphic an issue to engage with. This does not have to be the case. No action towards this cause will be wasted. Everything counts. I know signing petitions may seem pointless but they are not. One petition to help Australian donkeys, that has over 5,000 signatures, has been mentioned in a news articles that details Barnaby Joyce and his new donkey skin trade desires. It is important that we continue to make our voices heard.

Another suggestion for action is to research a small part of the situation here and report it back to the various donkey societies, or to the facebook page I have created. An area for research might be to keep an eye on how many donkeys are being rounded up, record prices of donkeys at auctions and who is buying, figuring out if the abattoirs near you are exporting donkeys, monitor the news for further information etc. If you are happy to engage with media you could look for news reporters and TV hosts that are willing to run a section on Ejiao (in a respectful manner). You could apply pressure on different organisations to get an accurate population count so that we have more reliable information on the sustainability of the skin trade. You could help change the classification of donkeys as ‘pests’ so they are granted more protective rights.

There are so many ways you can help. Even if it means simply sharing your own donkeys with the wider public more and more in an effort to alter common misconceptions associated with donkeys, perpetrated by the Australian media. It is important that more people come to realise how smart, sensitive and loving these creatures are. The more that people connect with the donkeys, the more of a movement we will be able to create to support them through this crisis.

I thank you so much for taking the time to read the article I have put together and I hope it is has been informative. Below, I have added links to information I have collected and the points that have been touched on through this article. I have also attached the ‘Under the Skin’ campaign by the Donkey Sanctuary UK. If you would like to stay updated on the Ejiao trade, please sign up. Lastly, I would like to say feel free to follow my new Facebook page ‘Donkeys of Australia’. I have set it up with the aim of creating an information hub. Thank you once again for reading and I look forward to working with you to ensure a bright and sustainable future for our donkeys.

Links:

Under the Skin https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/under-the-skin

Donkeys of Australia https://www.facebook.com/Donkeys-of-Australia-1088323071303237/

Petitions:

https://www.change.org/p/australian-donkeys-face-being-bludgeoned-to-death-with- sledgehammers-if-live-exported-to-china

https://www.change.org/p/adam-giles-please-don-t-allow-china-to-export-our-australian-wild- donkeys

Barnaby Joyce http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/other-industries/barnaby-joyce-eyes- potential-new-market-exporting-donkey-skins-to-china/news- story/0d2b690a54e020368b939192d97f5526

New Trade Agreements http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/24/donkey-meat-beef- agriculture-australia-china-trade-wider-ever

New Trade Agreements http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2017/03/24/china-talks- trade–prosperity-with-turnbull.html

Donkey Farming Report https://dpir.nt.gov.au/primary-industry/agricultural-developments/donkey- farming

Multi-Species Abattoir Charleville http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-08/charleville-processing- plant-set-to-open-2017/8004938

AACo Abatoir becomes multi-species abattoir http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-11/aaco- darwin-abattoir-buffalo-slaughter/8012144