Lies and Promises: Elections, Politicians and Public

There is an erection going on at this very moment. Paying their erectioneering a desultory kind of attention between finishing my manuscript of "Shiatsu for Lovers," keeping up with the football and the latest episode of Home & Away and despite the distraction of Charlie's Angels, I have seen twin headlights shine through the fog of lies and promises

1. If you were to believe any politician you would believe them to lie. This is clearly beyond dispute simply because they call and prove each other liars.

2. Politicians offer a list of promises to persuade the public to erect them. Erected, they break some of the promises.

Given that they are thus reduced to commonality, with all their lies and promises effectively discounted, the only sensible basis for choosing which liars you want to see breaking promises for the next few years must surely be the basis of what they achieved when erected in the past. Not what they said they would achieve, obviously. What they did.

Who was it said "a nation gets the government it deserves?" (This is not a test. I can't remember). We shall find out who or what we deserve when we wake up in the morning. Did I vote? No. (well, yes, once, for the Greens in 1980-something). As the Mexican said, they all steal your chickens.

And could someone please tell whoever's in charge what really bad feng-shui it is to have the word London looking like its been crossed out on the Olympic bid logo.

After Beltane

That must have been one of the peak weekends ever. We set up on Thursday in one of those blows that comes straight from the Urals via the North Sea, and the tipi stayed up! Friday bode fair but a rainstorm in the dark hours of Saturday morning sent one family scurrying home. Then out came the sun for a glorious day of Yoga, Chi Kung, Tai Chi, and Fire-dancing workshops, healing exchanges and feasting.

Every meal was a creative wonder - talk about gourmet camping! Late afternoon saw the "How to create a Sweatlodge Sacred Fire" demonstration with an initiated Taoist Shaman: it was almost as if the flames sprang from his finger-tips. Then the kids launched into their real-flame fire-dances, swinging the sticks and the poi, lighting up the night with their joy and excitement. Mothers watched aghast as their little ones blew fire, ignoring the "practise with water first" pleas of the Firemaster.

The sound of angels came from the tipi: the singing workshop was in full swing before the grown-ups entered sweatlodge, 21 of us packed together to feel the steam rise from rocks glowing like eggs of fire. It was a profound experience, especially moving for first-timers. We came out cleansed, detoxified, reborn into a world where the air felt fresher, food tastier, and life sweeter. Talking went on through the night around the chai-tent fire.

Sunday saw the men decorating the May Pole; the women gathered for Jade Circle before preparing the May Hole wherethe Pole was planted and danced around to the beat of drums and the earth-sound of the dijeridu. Excitement mounted as the ribbons shortened and then we first leaped the Beltane fire, then walked the burning coals - almost everyone.

This year a new event on Sunday evening: Kids Sweatlodge!!! a boisterous time and enjoyed to the maximum. They cut and sawed the wood, made the kindling and built the fire themselves, just as they had seen the day before, and the only grown-up input was making the tinder and lighting it. And facilitating in the lodge for safety. They blessed the stones by making a wish before setting them on the fire-stack.

Somebody said of the kids' experience of the weekend: nobody moaned about missing TV, nobody had a gameboy, all the kids from 5 to 15 played with nothing but a ball and skipping-rope.

We do this festival to honour the Old Ways and bless the earth. How cool that kids learn to connect with nature, each other, and fire.

Next Year May Day - be back.