Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?
Ditch the Heater, Cuddle the Canine: Sustainable Living Hacks from a South African Home.
The winter’s blanket of cold frost covers the landscape. A few mountain peaks in the distance proudly gleam with snow-white tips. Nature remains blissfully unaware of the struggles of the power grid, stretched to its maximum by humans trying to stay warm at night. Me? I sleep warm and cozy, but there’s no electric blanket here. Instead, I cuddle with my three furry canine companions – a small, but comfortable contribution to sustainable living that I make with gratitude (and maybe a little sacrifice during the day).
These adorable doggy warmers need the freedom to roam outside throughout the day, which means my front door remains open, welcoming the winter chill like an old friend. No heaters in the house to drive out the chill. A warm jersey and a jacket are as warming and sustainable as any heater, and they don’t dry out the air or cause sudden temperature changes. This isn’t just more sustainable, it’s also more healthy – a natural immune system boost that sends shivers down the spines of those pesky winter bugs.
Water conservation is another pillar of sustainable living, and here in the arid Western Cape, it’s second nature. No warm baths wasting gallons of water. You jump in, get wet, close the tap, soap up, and rinse clean. Sustainable living means reducing your energy consumption footprint and saving scarce resources like water.
But for us living in the Western Cape, South Africa, it’s not just a choice, it’s a way of life. For all of us, though, adopting these practices, big or small, can make a big difference for our planet. Stay warm and stay healthy!
In the realm of ancient symbols and their profound meanings, the rune BAR stands as a beacon of protection and empowerment, embodying the virtues of prudence and resilience. Just as the rune’s inscription suggests safeguarding against harm, these virtues shield us from the pitfalls of impulsiveness and despair, guiding us towards a path of thoughtful action and unwavering determination.
Every rune embodies a virtue. The specific virtue associated with a rune may vary depending on the practitioner’s interpretation and their understanding of various virtues. Defining the virtues and values we strive to uphold aligns us with the destiny we set to attain for ourselves. Virtues are the key to mental health and define what will make us the best human beings we can be.
The Rune BAR says: ” the thirteenth I know is when I wetten the son with holy water, no matter his foe he will not perish, no blade can strike him.” Thee affirmation of the Rune BAR is: “With the protection of BAR I can enjoy the fruit of my wishes.” The Rune BAR have a strong affinity with the virtues of prudence and resilience.
Prudence involves making wise and thoughtful decisions, considering the potential consequences of one’s actions. It’s about acting with caution and foresight, ensuring that one’s choices are aligned with their long-term goals and well-being. Resilience is the ability to withstand challenges and setbacks, emerging stronger and more determined.
Prudence is a virtue that aligns well with the rune BAR’s emphasis on present moment action and resilience.
Resilience is a key virtue that resonates with the rune BAR’s protective and empowering qualities. Just as the rune symbolizes a shield against harm, resilience represents the ability to withstand challenges and setbacks without breaking. It’s about bouncing back from adversity, learning from it, and emerging stronger and more determined.
The rune BAR’s affirmation, “with the protection of BAR I can enjoy the fruit of my wishes,” highlights the importance of resilience in achieving one’s goals. It suggests that with resilience, one can overcome obstacles and persevere through difficulties, ultimately reaching their desired outcomes.
In a symbolic sense, the rune BAR represents the inner strength and fortitude that enable resilience. It’s a reminder that we have the capacity to weather storms and emerge on the other side, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Resilience is not about avoiding setbacks or denying pain; it’s about acknowledging these experiences and finding ways to grow through them. Just as the rune BAR suggests protection from harm, resilience provides a shield against despair and defeat. It allows us to pick ourselves up, learn from our experiences, and continue moving forward with renewed determination.
By embodying resilience, we align ourselves with the protective and empowering energy of the rune BAR. We tap into our inner strength, cultivate the ability to bounce back from adversity, and enhance our chances of achieving our goals.
In the context of resilience, prudence plays a crucial role in navigating challenges and setbacks. By making prudent decisions, one can avoid unnecessary risks and minimize the potential for harm. It allows for a more measured and thoughtful approach to overcoming obstacles, ensuring that actions are aligned with long-term resilience and success.
The rune BAR’s focus on consecrating the present moment aligns with the concept of prudence. By being fully present and mindful of one’s actions, one can make more informed and considered decisions. It allows for a deeper understanding of the current situation and the potential consequences of one’s choices.
Prudence, therefore, complements the rune BAR’s emphasis on resilience by promoting wise and thoughtful action in the face of challenges. It encourages a balanced approach, combining courage and determination with careful consideration and foresight.
In essence, prudence helps ensure that the resilience fostered by the rune BAR is not just about blindly pushing forward, but about making wise and strategic choices that contribute to long-term success and well-being.
As we navigate the intricate tapestry of life, let us embrace the rune BAR’s potent message—a call to cultivate prudence and resilience within ourselves. With these virtues as our compass, we can confidently traverse the unpredictable terrain of challenges and setbacks, emerging not merely unscathed but fortified, wiser, and ever closer to fulfilling our aspirations.
This hexagram consist of two trigrams: the earth over the lake or being receptive over joy.
Here we sit with the water element beneath or the external environment being one of satisfaction and /or all being well. The world is at peace and it is a joyful time which discourages taking action and yet it is the right time to take action…but what action? The upper trigram is one that is earth or receptivity this is one calling for stability and support. The earth nurtures and gives unconditionally. It can draw its own nurturing from the positive circumstances now in the present moment. Soon this good circumstances will dissapear and it will be too late to take advantage of the moment for the auspicious time is temporal. As a matter of fact if this opportunity is missed then there will be calamity in the furture.
This enneagram says it is now the time to act even though there will be no immediate results. Failure to act will result in difficulty later on. It is like when you have to sow now to reap a crop later and if you do not sow when the time is ripe then that the opportune time will pass. One might be tempted due to circumstances and compliance to be over eager or to want too much. It relates strongly for me with the virtue of prudence e.g. knowing when to do the right thing. Here the action has a clear scope. The right action is called for rather than the most pleasurable action.
In general this hexagram calls for us to notice when circumstances are ripe for action rather than when we are right for action. Often this “good” time is before some test of trial that is approaching. When spring comes you must sow for if you do not sow then there will be no harvest in the summer and when winter comes we will have nothing. Living in the moment means also to see the opportunity that is hidden within the moment. The hexagram “Approach” calls us to do the right thing by considering those to whom we provide stability. We need to understand that there are others dependend on us looking up at us and expecting from us to do the right thing. By doing the right thing we build a solid foundation based sustainable values.
The superior man acts at the right time using the fullness of his knowledge and the depth of his contemplation to do what is needed and to care for those who are dependent on him – That is the superior man accept it when it is his responsibility to act.
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