CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
DESTINATIONS
DESTINATIONS
The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, portrays the Aboriginal beliefs in spiritual existence. According to the tribes that first settled down in the continent, the Dreaming's roots date all the way back to the very begging of the creation of the world. The meaning and ideology of the term is generally not so well-understood by non-indigenous people as it is referred to as part of the culture of one of the early nations, which differs from modern perceptions.
The Spirits were the creators of everything. They made the land and the seas, the rocks and the plants, the sky and the earth. They were the higher power and the Australian Aborigines spent their lifetimes honoring this power, which guided their path and shaped their way of thinking. Not only creators of everything, which could be seen as well as felt, the Spirits also gave the Aborigines the Dreaming.
The time when everything started existing according to the initial Australians, was called the Dreaming. This is the foundation of the continent's culture. The origin of the Dreaming goes way back - 65 000 years back in time to be exact. The Ancestors of the nation shaped the land, forming some parts of it as sacred. The Aborigines were very careful and overprotective of those places, strongly believing in their significance.
The Australian Aborigines are known to have believed that the world didn't have any shape and was therefore empty. Darkness dominated, and life was simply asleep, but this changed when the creation began happening. After the Dreaming and the influence of the Spirits, objects began taking shapes and came to be. They created the four elements: water, earth, air and fire, as well as all the planets, the Sun and the Moon. The Dreaming therefore is a continuous process, which never ended. It is a small cosmos on its own, unifying the past, present and the future into one.
The Australian Aborigines' home riches so many vivid areas of the continent, including Fraser Island, Tasmania, Palm Island, Groote Eylandt and Mornington Island. The Aborigines had very strong believes in relation to the powers of the land, claiming that they never owned it - it rather owned them. The only reason they were able to call it their home is because they were looking after it and the land was taking care of the people in return.
Equally important to the Dreaming was the tribes' understandings of the disappearance of the Spirits. There came a time, when the creators of everything vanished from sight. Some of them were thought to have started living in sacred places, which is why the Aborigines perceived their homeland to be so sacred. The ancestors of today's Australians used to believe that the creators started living in rocks, in water holes and some went up to the sky to guide the people from above and keep them safe. Others transformed completely, taking the forms of the rain, the lightnings and the thunderstorms so they could be part of peoples' life.
Among the hundred's different Aboriginal languages, there isn't a word to describe 'time', because to them this simply doesn't exist. Dreaming and Dreamtime are used to replace it and summarize the ideologies of the Aborigines about everything they knew, everything they could see, feel and experience. This is why the Dreaming has such a vivid, and overwhelming meaning and has survived the obstacles of time. For the past couple thousand years, the Dreaming has built a rich cultural heritage that can identify a whole nation.
Read more about the Land, its connection to people and the way it has been perceived from different generations in the very first print issue of ORIGIN. The Land Issue covers varied topics, most of which remain related to cultural aspects of the land and its importance.
A lot of people travel to explore places and learn about them which is the message that ORIGIN wants to spread. With traveling, however, comes certain responsibilities that we should all be aware of. Elephants riding has become a popular way to explore locations by land. People have been doing this as part of their trips, mostly to places such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and other parts of Asia. It is a common thing to see in certain places in Africa as well. We investigated the activity to explain why it is wrong and riding elephants should be banned everywhere.
Our first print issue studies culture and traveling represented through the land. We explored various location around the globe and learned what makes the land so valuable, which nations cherish it and how it helps us establish an identity. Traveling is important to us but traveling responsibly and making an impact is what we feel proud to stand behind. This is why riding elephants as a way of amusement should be reconsidered.
Let’s talk about the details. Elephants are very caring and extremely intelligent animals. It is a well-known fact that they never forget anything. When kept in captivity instead of spending their life in the wild, elephants die younger. Unlike in other species, this is common for the gentle giants and is often a result for stress.
Many African cultures respect elephants, believing they symbolize strength, loyalty and power. However, power can be a very tender concept. Elephant used as a tourism tool suffer from great pain daily. Elephants can be hurt very severely from the weight of carrying people and a trainer on their backs. The reason for this is the design of their spines. They have sharp protrusions, extending upwards from their spine instead of having round spinal disks. The protrusions and the tissue that serves to protect them can be harmed easily from weight pressure. Once a damage to their spine has been made, there is no going back and sometimes the harm can be irreversible. While this can’t be physically seen, the harm that the chairs can do to the elephants’ skin is. It is often the case that the chairs and the weight on their back can damage the animal’s skin and cause pain to their body. The chair, called Howdah, that gets attached to their backs, rubs on their skin and can cause blisters, which can sometimes get infected.
The training that elephants are required to go through when in captivity sometimes adopts a traditional Thai ‘phajaan’ or ‘crush’ technique. Explaining the technique would compare it to the animals’ spirits constantly and continuously being broken by the means of torture and social isolation. This is done in order to tame them. Elephants are wild animals, this is their nature as they are born in such conditions. Making them safe and obedient around people requires them to go through such training. As horrible as it sounds, in some places young elephants are taken away from their mothers to be abused with nails, bull hooks and bamboo sticks to make them obey rules, given by people. The animals often lack sleep and are starved to become submissive.
Actions from such nature are cruel and harmful as the technique is used to crash the animals’ spirit. Once wild and free, elephants become a source of tourism and entertainment. Nobody, who cared about sustainable tourism should ever ride an elephant.
In a sense, elephants have a human soul. They socialise and feel everything – pain, happiness, grief, sadness etc. They spend their life building families and finding friends. The largest land animals are a gift from nature and it is our responsibility to take special care of them and make sure they live according to their nature. Many animals, who are kept in captivity, are forced to live in isolation and carry heavy loads all day long, which is a wrong way to treat them. Their strength and power shouldn’t be abused but treated gently and celebrated by people. Elephants require minimal care to stay happy and healthy, which comes from giving them freedom to behave naturally and socialise. It is our responsibility to be culturally aware while traveling and make sure to spread awareness about the problem.
You can read the rest of the article as published in the LAND issue.
BREATHE & BE INCENSE
"NATURAL INCENSE THAT NURTURES THE SOUL"
Ceri Evans, founder of the brand, shared with us how she maintains a sustainable approach to all aspects of the plastic-free business and how eco products can help leave a positive impact on the planet
Words: Emily Georgieva
Photography: Breathe & Be Incense
26 March 2021
This past year, during the global pandemic that put the world in a self-isolating mode, we learned to appreciate our homes as sacred places. Treating them accordingly has become a mantra. If you are anything like us, you have probably already read numerous articles suggesting how one can sustainably make their home cosier. From linen beddings made by eco-focused companies to getting more plants and replanting them, we have tried it all. At the end of the day homeliness is more of a feeling than anything else and what better way to make your own home more comfortable than to emphasise on beautiful scents! Breathe & Be Incense is the product you need to bring to your space that will instantly give it that sweet nostalgia home feel.
Founder of the brand, Ceri Evans, is a qualified Holistic Aromatherapist, who has always loved mixing different botanicals and exotic essential oils to create the perfect combination of scents that reflect the ingredients' connection to nature. Dedicated entirely to sustainability, the brand is focused on using vegan glues and dyes and delivering their products in biodegradable, compostable and recyclable packaging. The zero-waste company is created with a vision of transparency and a mentality to leave nothing but the good aroma behind. Their eco approach goes beyond the clichés. The brand runs an educational initiative called 'Plant Me Project', with the mission to pass down the passion for working with botanicals and teach about their benefits. Through the program inner-city schools and local growers are being introduced to how different blends can positively influence wellbeing. The business partners with Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), whose eco activists campaign to protect our oceans from plastic pollution. A percentage of Breathe & Be Incense's profits fund animal activism and support animal sanctuaries around the world - vegan for a reason.
Breathe & Be Incense is dedicated to exploring old traditions as well as the ancient art of making incense. Ceri combines centuries-old methods with modern twists to bring unique, nature-inspired scents to your home. By working together with independent businesses, the brand created the blends by hand-rolling each one of them individually. The process started in Old Delhi, Northern India and quickly expanded to a sister studio in the UK. All of the botanicals are naturally grown on family land with the help of indigenous families who put love and dedication into each incense they make.
Ceri shared with us how she maintains a sustainable approach to all aspects of the plastic-free business and what inspired her to create eco products with a forward-thinking approach that will make your home that bit cosier.
‘‘I think it’s important that we individually take accountability but more so as businesses having that responsibility to be authentic and educated on sustainability.’’
Ceri Evans, Founder of Breathe & Be Incense for NOMADSofORIGIN Magazine
NOMADSofORIGIN: What inspired you to create the brand?
Ceri: A pure love of all things incense, unlocking the plants potential/potency when burnt has always fascinated me. As a qualified complimentary therapist and currently in my third year studying herbalism I love learning and discovering new botanicals and how nature provides everything we need for one's well-being. To be able to formulate, blend, create plant based incense that resonates with an individual on a deep level and seeing them fall in love with an ancient tradition is so rewarding.
NOMADSofORIGIN: How do you achieve sustainability within the brand?
Ceri: Authenticity, transparency and personally living a sustainable life at home for many years it was a natural transition for the brand to be sustainable. From the botanicals grown, sourced, to our seeded and compostable packaging, consciously and mindfully reviewing where we can always improve and incorporate new materials and live up to our ethos as ‘a zero waste business leaving nothing but good aroma’. We even encourage our customers to reuse the ash from the spent incense on their plant as a natural fertiliser. Our studio is sustainable from our furniture right through to the bamboo cloths we reuse. And recently we launched our carbon free bicycle delivery service.
NOMADSofORIGIN: How would you summarise your brand's philosophy in a sentence?
Ceri: Well-being through plant based incense.
NOMADSofORIGIN: What drives your passion for creating eco products and do you think more business should embrace sustainability?
Ceri: It goes back again to how I’ve been brought up, to have the care, respect for our planet, its resources, the impact on animals and people. I think it’s important that we individually take accountability but more so as businesses having that responsibility to be authentic and educated on sustainability.
Personally I’ve seen a conscious shift towards sustainability within businesses especially independents, I’d say they’re paving the way and the bigger, global brands could definitely learn from their example.
NOMADSofORIGIN: What are your favourite Breathe and Be Incense products?
Ceri: This is a difficult one as I truly love them all equally and use my brand on a daily basis. It all depends on the intention/aroma I want to connect with on what range I’ll use but if I had to choose it would be our Cleansing Incense from our Home Range as it was inspired by our three pugs and it has a clean, crisp freshness to it with a real soft undertone, it brings alertness, clarity and it is very comforting. Also I’m obsessed with our new Chakra Range, it was a few years in its making and we launched it this month, each one is so special, the interest and feedback for this range has been incredible.
NOMADSofORIGIN: Thank you so much for this interview. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Ceri: I’d just like to add that we’re always busy behind the scenes formulating, working on new ranges and we are excited to announce that we have five completely new and different ranges launching in the coming months.
Plus look out for our ‘Incense Making Workshops’ being enrolled nationwide.
Shop the incense products online
NOMADSofORIGIN Magazine x Breathe & Be Incense
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NOMADSofORIGIN is an independent annual publication with a focus on sustainable travelling and global cultural values. Each issue features interviews, engaging articles and photo guides, which take our nomadic readers through different destinations and introduce them to local people's perspectives.
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