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Lo que el pueblo de Priddy en el sur de Inglaterra tiene que ver con María Magdalena y José de Arimatea

El pequeño pueblo de Priddy, en las colinas de Mendip, cerca de Glastonbury, tiene algunas casas, una iglesia, una escuela y un estanque. Nadie podría pensar –nisiquiera los propios habitantes– que el pueblo tiene una conexión indirecta con María Magdalena.

En el 49 D.C., José de Arimatea viajó a Inglaterra con su sobrino Jesús II (también conocido como Jesús Justo). Según la Iglesia oficial, ese Jesús II nunca existió, ya que hablamos ni más ni menos que de uno de los dos hijos de Jesús y María Magdalena.

No obstante, los que estáis abiertos a nueva información que ha sido ocultada al público durante mucho tiempo, no debéis ignorar la existencia de ese hijo.

En las antiguas tradiciones del sur de Inglaterra, y en la conocida canción de William Baker Jerusalem podemos ver que José de Arimatea vivió y trabajó con el ‘‘joven Jesús’’ en la zona alrededor de la actual Glastonbury.

Durante mucho tiempo, la gente asumió que este joven Jesús, del que se hablaba en leyendas y manuscritos, era el propio Jesús en su juventud. Pero investigaciones recientes han revelado que José de Arimatea era el hermano de Jesús, no su tío. En otras palabras, el joven Jesús era su sobrino, Jesús II, uno de los hijos de María Magdalena y Jesús, y no el propio Jesús.

Jesús II o: no puede ser lo que puede no ser

Soy consciente de que muchos lectores no pueden y no quieren aceptar esta interpretación. Por ello, por supuesto, pueden aceptar o rechazar esta explicación o, simplemente, mantener la mente abierta. Eso depende de ellos.

José de Arimatea y Jesús II caminaban bordeando la costa de Exmoor hasta que alcanzaron las colinas de Mendip, donde se asentaron. Ya en época romana había minas dedicadas a la extracción de diferentes metales. Este popular paisaje de colinas es hoy en día un lugar para hacer senderismo, escaladas o visitar cuevas.

Según antiguas tradiciones que datan de Gildas el sabio, José de Arimatea era un decurión. Esto describe a figuras líderes en una comunidad que a menudo también gestionaban una mina de extracción de metales. Se decía de él que era un comerciante de estaño con mucho conocimiento de minería y procesado de metales que partió del sur de Inglaterra a Jerusalén.

Piedra en memoria de María Magdalena y Jesús en Glastonbury

En el muro sur de la Lady Chapel en Glastonbury hay una ‘‘piedra de María y Jesús’’. Muchas interpretaciones relacionan la piedra con la Madre María y Jesús, pero hay otro significado que se ha revelado más claro en las últimas décadas.

Esta piedra, que data del primer siglo, podría ser una piedra homenaje erigida por Jesús II en memoria de sus padres Jesús y María (Magdalena) y grabada con sus nombres. Él y su tío José de Arimatea comenzaron a construir la primera capilla/iglesia en Glastonbury en el 63 D.C., inmediatamente después del fallecimiento de María Magdalena en el sur de Francia.

Registros históricos (1) apuntan a que el joven Jesús dedicó esta capilla/iglesia a la memoria de sus padres. Si esto es cierto, entonces dedicó este monumento a su madre María Magdalena y no a la Madre María, como erróneamente se cree. Así, la Lady Chapel sería otra iglesia de Santa María que fue originalmente dedicada a María Magdalena y no a la Madre María, igual que muchas otras iglesias Notre-Dame en Francia y otros países europeos.

El momento presente revela más y más información sobre María Magdalena previamente ocultada al público o deliberadamente manipulada. Tengo confianza en que en el futuro nuevos hallazgos e investigaciones sigan cambiando la visión tradicional de María Magdalena por una justa. Al menos para aquellos que somos sensibles y tenemos una mente abierta. Como dice el refrán: ‘‘a buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan’’.

P.D.: en esta galería de imágenes pueden ver fotos de Priddy y de las colinas de Mendip; debajo fotos de Lady Chapel con la ‘‘piedra de María y Jesús’’ en Glastonbury.

 

 

 

(1) las crónicas más importantes sobre Glastonbury son: William de Malmesbury (1090-1143), De Antiquitate Glastoniensis Eclesiae, y John de Glastonbury, Cronica sive Antiquitates Glastoniensis Ecclesie (sobre el 1400), Woodbridge 1985.

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What the village Priddy in southern England has to do with Mary Magdalene and Joseph of Arimathaea

The small village of Priddy in the Mendip Hills, close to Glastonbury, consists of a few houses, a church, a village school and a pond. Nobody would ever think – not even the villagers themselves – that the village has an indirect connection to Mary Magdalene.

In 49 A.D. Joseph of Arimathaea travelled with his nephew Jesus II (also known as Jesus Justus) to England. According to the established church this Jesus II never existed, because we are talking about none other than one of the two sons of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. However, all those of you who are open to new information that has been hidden away from the public for so long, the existence of this son is not to be ignored.

In the ancient traditions of southern England, and in William Baker’s renowned song Jerusalemwe can see that Joseph of Arimathaea lived and worked with ‘young Jesus’ in the area around today’s Glastonbury.

For a long time, people assumed this young Jesus, who was talked about in legends and manuscripts, was Jesus himself in his younger years. But recent historical research has revealed that Joseph of Arimathaea was Jesus’ brother, not his uncle.In other words, this young Jesus was his nephew, Jesus II, one of the sons of Mary Magdalene and Jesus – and not Jesus himself.

Jesus II or: it cannot be what may not be…

I am aware that many readers cannot and do not want to accept this interpretation. Therefore, of course, you can choose to accept or reject this explanation, or simply keep an open mind – it’s up to you.

Joseph of Arimathaea and Jesus II were walking along the coast of Exmoor until they reached Mendip Hills, where they settled down. Already in Roman times different metals were mined in this area. Today this hilly landscape is a popular place for hiking, climbing and visiting caves.

According to ancient traditions dating back to Gildas the Wise, Joseph of Arimathaea was a Decurio.This describes leading figures in a community who often ran a metal mine as well. He was said to be tin trader with a wide knowledge of mining and processing of metals which he shipped from the south of England to Jerusalem.

Memorial stone for Mary Magdalene and Jesus at Glastonbury

In the southern wall of the Lady Chapel in Glastonbury there is a ‘Mary-Jesus-stone’. Most interpretations relate the stone to Mother Mary and Jesus, but there is another meaning which has become clearer in the last decades.

This stone, which dates back to the first century, could be a memorial stone laid by Jesus II, in memory of his parents Jesus and Mary (Magdalene) and engraved with their names. He and his uncle Joseph of Arimathaea started to build the first chapel/church in Glastonbury in 63 A.D., immediately after Mary Magdalene’s death in the south of France.

Historical records (1) hint at the idea that young Jesus dedicated this chapel/church to the memory of his parents. If this is true, he therefore dedicated it to his mother Mary Magdalene and not Mother Mary, as mistakenly assumed. Thus this Lady Chapel would be another St. Mary’s Church which was originally dedicated to Mary Magdalene and not Mother Mary, such as many Notre-Dame-churches in France and other countries in Europe.

The present time reveals more and more information about Mary Magdalene, previously kept from the public, or deliberately manipulated. I am confident that, in the future new findings and research will continue to alter the traditional unbiased view of Mary Magdalene. At least for those of us who are sensitive, and possessed of an open mind. As the saying goes, “Who has an ear, let him hear!”

P.S.: In the picture gallery you can see photos of Priddy and the Mendip Hills, below photos of the Lady Chapel with the Mary-Jesus-Stone in Glastonbury.

 

 

(1) the most important chronicles concerning Glastonbury are: William of Malmesbury (1090-1143), De Antiquitate Glastoniensis Eclesiae, and John of Glastonbury, Cronica sive Antiquitates Glastoniensis Ecclesie (about 1400), Woodbridge 1985

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IF PATIENCE IS NOT ONE OF YOUR STRENGTHS

Quick solutions are not always the best. Many of us have realized that. However, we still rush through life as if there was no tomorrow.

At school we were already trained to be fast. Top results in the shortest possible time were expected. I remember very well, the whole class sweating during a test because the amount of work had to be done in an extremely limited time.

Pace seems to have become a mistaken quality feature in our time. We want to handle too many things at the same time, and therefore our diaries are full up. Believe me, I know what I am talking about…

But where does this madness take us? How can we stop it? Or: can we actually make an end to it?

HOW YOU CAN RESCUE YOURSELF FROM THE IMPATIENCE-TRAP?

REMAIN REALISTIC

Before your impatience tears you to pieces, you should admit that it is mostly very difficult to change yourself, or things in your life. A good thing takes time – and changes take time. Therefore, it does not make sense to put yourself under pressure to lose weight, to improve your tennis, or to learn a foreign language. It seems more sensible to take time to make positive progress. And don’t forget to celebrate intermediate success!

DO NOT TAKE ON TOO MUCH AT A TIME

Women especially are used to a daily routine full of duties: children, family, partnership, job, household, friends and free time are squeezed into a 24-hour-day. Then we wonder why we cannot feel ourselves any more. And if there is a queue at the cash desk, or we get stuck in a traffic jam, our nerves are exposed. We would only have to check our time management every now and then, and let go of some of our appointments, then we would suffer less from the energy thief impatience.

LEAVING COMPETITIVE THINKING

Let’s be honest! Our friend manages more at the same time, our neighbour creates a magical 5-course-menu in no time, our sister runs 15 kilometres at a fabulous speed. And we would like to keep up! We want to prove to ourselves and others how good and how fast we are. Maybe we should ask ourselves whether we really need this competition. Or has the impatience with ourselves got something to do with our self esteem? Only if we honestly recognize it, and work on it, can we free ourselves from this trap.

ACCEPTING STAGNATION AND DEAD-END-ROADS

Do you always assume that life has to keep moving? Do you freak out when changes or other situations drag on unexpectedly?  Welcome to the club! However, we should be aware that also a river cannot flow at the same pace all the time: sometimes it has to fight against rocks in the water, then it is so flat and shallow that it almost comes to a standstill. If we accept the fact that our stream of life and success sometimes slows down, or that we are allowed to end up in dead ends, because they bear learning tasks for us, then we won’t lose nerves in stagnating situations.

ALLOWING OTHERS THE TIME THEY NEED

I could sometimes jump up and down if others can’t keep my pace. (And I am not talking about jogging which I am not so keen on.) No, I mean quick decisions, quick reactions, change of direction, or fast perception. But, am I really entitled to judge others by their pace? Wouldn’t it be fairer to accept everyone’s own pace? Apart from this, who says that my pace is the right one? As soon as we accept that others live their lives at their pace, as soon as we work on our flexibility and tolerance, we can make the experience that our counter-productive impatience turns into patience.

The more you become aware of the daily impatience-traps, the better you can avoid blundering to them. It acts like every other habit we want to get rid of:

  • First we have to recognize it
  • Then we have to develop the desire to change it
  • And finally we have to work in small or bigger steps to put our knowledge into practice.

Of course, this does not only apply to you, but also to me and many other women. If patience is not one of your strengths… you know that you are not alone. And, therefore, it is on you and us all, how we handle the topic in the future.

 

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WHY ENVYING OTHER WOMEN WILL GET YOU NOWHERE

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the best, the fairest, the most successful, the most desirable or the cleverest of them all?” How often does this unspoken question appear on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and on other social media platforms! Essentially, comparing oneself with others is a positive thing. After all, it can help us improve our understanding of ourselves or assess the behaviour we display in different situations even better.

Comparing ourselves with others can also strengthen us in times of crisis, especially when we realise that we are not alone with our problems, but that others make similar experiences or have to deal with similar challenges.

COMPARING ONESELF WITH OTHERS CAN BE CONSTRUCTIVE OR DESTRUCTIVE

Constructive comparisons with others can spur us on to make changes or improvements when we honestly try to refine ourselves. But in many cases such comparisons elicit pure envy. Namely when we

… are discontented

… do not make the most of our talents

… feel at a disadvantage

… begrudge others their success

… see that others live our dreams

… make others believe that we feel much better than is actually the case.

Preferably, we compare ourselves with people with whom we have a lot in common or who are in similar job or life situations. And social media actively supports us in doing so.

Therefore, it would be worth consideration to analyse one’s own life first, in order to find out if it is actually “worth” it to envy others. Many things that seem enviable at a first glance, look entirely different at a second glance. After all, the price many people have to pay for being envied by others is frequently too high. Therefore, the comparison and the envy are quickly put into perspective, because one should take into account all aspects, including the compromises and sacrifices that someone has to make for their “enviable” life.

FEMALE COOPERATION INSTEAD OF FEMALE COMPETITION

Something that always cuts me to the quick is the competition that is openly or secretly going on between us women. As long as we women think of each other as rivals, we will always want to “win” or at least have the edge over each other. We want the most handsome man, the most perfect shape, the most flawless complexion, the smartest children or the most profitable job. But a lot of precious energy falls by the wayside in this pointless competition, and this does not make us happier at the end of the day.

As long as we women compete with each other and envy each other, we close our minds to our female elementary power. Because we compete with each other and envy each other, we focus our energies in a direction that neither gets us nor others anywhere. On the contrary! We display a kind of behaviour that is strongly informed by patriarchal ideology, which we actually should dismiss altogether. After all, the female power, which is inherent in every woman, is able to develop inner greatness and individuality, while at the same time not begrudging other women their otherness and happiness.

 

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Siempre centra tu atención en la luz, ¡nunca en la oscuridad!

“¡Atravesáis tiempos turbulentos! No importa en qué país o continente estéis, hay grandes cambios en todas partes, agitaciones e incluso a veces colapsos. Aunque el mundo espiritual ha estado preparándoos durante años, hay una gran diferencia entre escuchar algo y experimentarlo por uno/a mismo/a.

Al dirigirnos a vosotros, no es nuestra intención echar leña al fuego de vuestros miedos; por el contrario queremos daros ánimos. Queremos daros una imagen a medida que avanza el año y nos aproximamos al siguiente. Pensad en un campo cubierto de nieve. Poco a poco, el poder y luz del sol aumenta y la nieve empieza a derretirse. Vieja, seca y plana, aparece la hierba; que a primera vista no es hermosa para los ojos. ¡Pero observadla bien! Bajo esa vieja capa de cristal, salen nuevos brotes verdes claros. Al principio apenas pueden verse, pero su crecimiento no puede parar.

Lo mismo sucede con las energías en vuestro planeta. Aunque aún haya mucha violencia, abuso de poder, corrupción, manipulación y otros excesos negativos, hay ‘‘brotes verdes’’ que están creciendo. Hablo sobre los grupos de personas que luchan por las energías renovables, el comercio justo, los alimentos ecológicos, las especies protegidas, la medicina alternativa y espiritual, los proyectos de ayuda social y mucho más.

Quizá no te hayas percatado de su existencia o incluso te hayas reídos de ellos. Pero son estas personas las que han (lentamente y sin ser percibidas) empezado una nueva forma de alineamiento de la humanidad que lo cambiará todo.

Deberíais estar atentos a esos grupos y conectar con ellos siempre que os sintáis inquietos y saturados por las noticias negativas de los medios de comunicación. Centraos en los cambios positivos, ¡aunque sea un minuto! Centrad vuestra energía y atención totalmente en la luz, nunca en la oscuridad. Al hacerlo, fortalecéis la luz y la oscuridad retrocede.

Somos un grupo de ángeles llamado Aeszia. Acompañamos a la humanidad a través del proceso de transformación junto con otros seres elevados. ¡Estamos con vosotros! ¡Saludos!’’.

 

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DEJA DE OBSTACULIZAR TU PROPIO CAMINO Y NO ENVIDIES A LOS OTROS

10 pasos para mujeres que desean desarrollar su potencial en algún momento

 Wilhelm Busch dijo que la envidia es la forma más honesta de reconocimiento

Mientras que tener celos significa ‘‘quiero tener lo que tú tienes’’, ser envidioso/a significa ‘‘quiero tener lo que tú tienes, y ¡no quiero que tú lo tengas!’’. Si los celos añaden un poco de sabor al plato, como la sal y la pimienta, la envidia supone vaciar el pimentero entero encima de la comida.

Es más, la envidia indica falta de autoestima, y apunta a la autocompasión, algo que resulta del compararse con los otros y sentirse en desventaja.

Y también a la inversa: si nos sentimos envidiados, hay una confesión oculta de que nos sentimos mejores, más exitosos/as e incluso más afortunados/as. Al menos en un primer y superficial vistazo. No obstante, si observas con más detenimiento las leyes espirituales, descubrirás que todo lo que nos sucede es el resultado de la ley de causa y efecto.

La envidia no es buena porque…

  • es más positivo centrarse en la propia vida, necesidades y éxitos
  • eres más feliz cuando estás satisfecho/a con lo que tienes
  • es mejor concentrarse en tus habilidades y talentos en vez de observar a los otros
  • es mejor definir baremos y prioridades personales
  • la envidia puede destruir relaciones, algo que seguramente no quieres
  • la envidia debilita la autoestima, la valía personal y la confianza en uno/a mismo/a; que es lo último que quieres

      REFLEXIONES SOBRE EL TEMA DE LA ENVIDIA

  • Nadie sabe lo que sucede en la privacidad de otras personas. Quizá paguen un alto precio por su éxito.
  • La envidia es veneno. Tiene un efecto directo en tu cuerpo y lo debilita. Nelson Mandela dijo una vez que la envidia es como beber veneno esperando que mate a tus enemigos. ¡La envidia siempre trabaja en tu contra!
  • Si eres envidiado/a, no te sientas ofendido/a o enfadado/a. El exitoso presentador alemán de televisión Robert Lembke solía decir ‘‘La compasión se obtiene gratis, la envidia hay que ganársela.’’.
  • Obsérvate y reconoce en qué situaciones sientes envidia y por qué. Solo cuando veas a través de tus patrones de conducta, podrás trabajar conscientemente en ellos.
  • Admite tu inseguridad, frustración y autocompasión en relación con la envidia. ¡No te avergüences! Cuanto más reprimas estas emociones, más te hundes en la espiral de la envidia.
  • Cambia tu punto de vista en la vida y deja el papel de víctima. Mientras creas que fuiste un/una niño/a desaventajado/a y que aún lo eres como adulto/a, siempre envidiarás a otras personas. Comprende que las vidas de otras personas, que probablemente envidias, no son perfectas ni carecen de problemas.
  • Deja de pensar en lo que es justo o no. No conoces el plan superior que hay detrás de las vidas de las personas. No tienes ni idea sobre sus tareas de aprendizaje y pasos hacia su desarrollo y qué retos tienen que afrontar. Quizá las tareas de aprendizaje más duras para ellas, resultan fáciles para ti.
  • Ten el valor de cambiar tus condiciones de vida si no eres feliz. Quejarse, envidiar y lamentarse solo te restan energía, y no sirven para nada. Así que bueno, como dice el refrán: ¡cámbialo, ámalo o déjalo!

 

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NO LONGER GET IN YOUR OWN WAY AND DO NOT ENVY OTHERS (10/10)

10 steps for women who eventually want to fulfil their potential (10/10)

Wilhelm Busch once said that envy is the most honest form of recognition

Whereas jealousy means ‘I want to have what you have’, being envious means ‘I want to have what you have, and I do not want you to have it!’. While a little bit of jealousy adds a certain amount of flavour to a dish, like salt and pepper, envy means emptying the whole pepper mill on it.

Furthermore, envy indicates a lack of self-worth, and hints at self-pity, which results in comparing oneself with others, and feeling disadvantaged.

And the other way round: if we feel envied, it is the unspoken confession that we are better or more successful, or simply luckier. At least, at the first, more superficial glance. However, if you take a closer look at the spiritual laws, you will discover that everything that happens to us is the result of cause and effect.

Envy is of no benefit because…

  • you benefit more from concentrating on your own life, needs and successes
  • you are happier when content with what you have
  • it is better to concentrate on your abilities and talents rather than peering at others
  • it is better to define personal levels and priorities
  • envy can destroy relationships, which you definitely do not want
  • envy weakens your self-worth, your self-esteem, and your self-confidence, which is the last thing you want

THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC ‘ENVY’

  • Nobody knows what is going on behind the closed doors of other people. Maybe they pay a high price for their success.
  • Envy is like poison. It has a direct effect on your body and weakens it. Nelson Mandela once said that envy is like drinking poison, hoping that it might kill your enemies. Envy always works against you!
  • If you are envied, do not be offended or angry – the successful German TV presenter Robert Lembke used to say ‘Pity you get for free, envy you must earn’.
  • Watch yourself and recognize in which situations you feel envy and why. Only when you see through your behaviour patterns, can you consciously work on them.
  • Admit to your insecurity, your frustration or self-pity in connection with envy. You do not have to be ashamed! But the longer you suppress these emotions, the deeper you go down the spiral of envy.
  • Change your point of view of life, and abandon your role as a victim. As long as you believe you were disadvantaged as a child, and still are as an adult, you will always envy other people. Realize that other people’s lives, which you probably envy, are not perfect, or without problems.
  • Stop thinking about what is fair or not. You do not know about the higher plan behind other people’s lives. You have no idea about their learning tasks and developing steps, and what challenges they have to face. Maybe their hardest learning tasks feel easy for you.
  • Have the courage to change your living conditions if you are unhappy. Nagging, envy and moaning only cost valuable energy, but are of no use. Oh well, as the saying goes: change it, love it or leave it!

 

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¿Por qué a María Magdalena se la llamaba ‘‘prostituta’’?

Encontramos historias de lo más absurdas sobre María Magdalena. Una historia dice que fue poseída por siete demonios, otra dice que era prostituta. Este estigma la ha perseguido sin cesar durante miles de años, aunque ni siquiera la Biblia lo mencione.

¿De dónde vienen estas acusaciones?

Es obvio que 2000 años después de que María Magdalena, Jesús y los apóstoles vivieran, es imposible encontrar pruebas de por qué se la denominó prostituta. Los académicos de la religión consideran, no obstante, que el origen de este equívoco se remonta a una mala interpretación de un evangelio de Lucas.

Se trata de la historia sobre la unción de Jesús en Betania por una mujer con un jarro de alabastro. No obstante, la persona que escribió el evangelio de Lucas, solo registró esta historia 50 años después del suceso. La mujer a la que se refiere la historia no es otra que María Magdalena.

Un antiguo ritual de las sacerdotisas del templo

La unción de un hombre por una mujer es parecida a un conocido ritual reservado a las sumas sacerdotisas del Imperio Romano. Se las llamaba ‘‘hieródulas’’.

Aunque estas mujeres eran ‘‘las Mujeres Sagradas del Templo de las Diosas’’, la palabra ‘‘hieródula’’ fue traducida incorrectamente como ‘‘prostituta’’. Desempeñaban un papel muy importante en el mundo antiguo.

María Magdalena también era una de estas sacerdotisas del templo. Por ello, ella era una hieródula que fue incorrectamente denominada prostituta según una traducción incorrecta. Solo recientemente algunos científicos han hecho el esfuerzo de investigar y descubrir este malentendido. Demasiado tarde, pensarán algunos, pero bueno…

 

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Why Mary Magdalene was called a ‚prostitute‘?

We come across the wildest stories about Mary Magdalene. One story goes that she was possessed by seven demons, another one calls her a prostitute. This stigma has persistently followed her over thousands of years, although even the Bible does not mention it.

How has this allegation come about?

Of course, 2000 years after Mary Magdalene’s life with Jesus and the apostles, it is impossible to come up with any proof about why she was labelled a prostitute. Religious scholars assume, however, that it goes back to a misinterpretation of the Gospel of Luke.

It is down to the story about Jesus’ anointment in Bethany by the woman with the alabaster jar. However, the writer of the Gospel of Luke only recorded this story 50 years after the actual event. The woman referred to is none other than Mary Magdalene.

An old ritual of the priestesses of the temple

The anointment of a man by a woman is similar to a well-known ritual which was reserved by the holy priestesses in the Roman Empire. They were called hierodules.

The term hierodule was mistakenly translated as ‘prostitute’, although these women were ‘the Holy Women of the Temple of the Goddess’. They played an important part in everyday life in the classical world.

Mary Magdalene was also one of these temple priestesses. Therefore, she was a hierodule who was mistakenly called a prostitute according to an incorrect translation. Only in the recent past have some scientists made the effort to investigate and discover this misunderstanding. Quite late, one might think, but nevertheless …

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WHY I BECAME A VEGETARIAN

For ten years my parents tried to make me eat what normal people eat. They eventually succeeded. In the first ten years of my life I refused meat and dairy products. And I still do not like onions, garlic and leeks. And there is more…

I remember very well when I slowly started to eat cheese at the age of eight. A strange thing indeed, considering my father held a leading position in a local dairy. It was no problem for me to eat bread and butter, therefore, my mother mixed mild cheese spread with loads of butter, so that I got used to the taste of cheese. The next step was bread and butter with thinly sliced cheese. Even this became normal for me, so I turned to stronger cheeses, until I ended with really stinky ones. Everybody was proud of me!

AS A CHILD I FELT DISGUSTED BY SAUSAGE

I also found sausages disgusting! But this is a different story. Today, some decades later, I am aware that I was born as a semi-vegan. Of course, this did not fit into the prevailing habits of the society I grew up in. Many children have a natural instinct, and feel exactly what is good for them and what is not. During my days as a kinesiologist I often experienced that children are allergic or intolerant to food they did not want to eat originally (but were often forced to).

For some years I have been vegetarian for ethical reasons, moving towards becoming vegan. I am not interested in facts and statistics which say it is unhealthy to eat meat. No, I just don’t like meat because I don’t want to eat dead animals. And this includes fish and seafood.

WHY WE LOVE DOGS AND EAT PIGS

I always find it amazing that loving owners of horses, dogs, cats, hamsters or guinea pigs eat a rare steak without turning a hair. The American social psychologist Melanie Joy has written an interesting book on this topic: ‘Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, And Wear Cows’.

She says you should imagine the following scenario: you are invited to a festive dinner at friends’. Together with the other guests you sit at a nicely laid table. The room is pleasantly warm, candle light is reflected in crystal glasses filled with wine. There is relaxed conversation. You can smell tempting aromas coming from the kitchen. You have not eaten anything the whole day, and your stomach is rumbling. After some time, which seems a lifetime to you, the host appears with a steaming bowl of stew.

The scent of meat, spices and vegetables is drifting through the room. You help yourself generously. After you have tried the tender meat, you ask the host for the recipe. She happily reveals the secret by telling that she first takes five pounds of golden retriever meat, well marinated, and then… Golden retriever? You are petrified! The meat in your mouth comes from a dog. And now? Would you continue? Or does the thought of Golden Retriever on your plate, which you have just eaten, repel you?

REPRESSION KEEPS SOME FROM EATING MEATLESS

What is going on here? When we think of a golden retriever, we see a dog in front of us, playing ball with children in a garden, dozing in front of the fireplace, or running alongside with a jogger. These images raise sympathy and compassion for the killed dog, and disgust at  the thought of eating this animal. If we deal with beef, however, we skip this part of the process of perception which connects the meat with the cow.

I do not count myself as a militant vegetarian who condemns others for eating meat. People have different reasons why they do not want to exclusively live on vegetables, grain or fruits.

Why do I publish this text on my women’s blog? Because in my experience, it is basically us women who influence the eating habits of our families and therefore, indirectly of our society.

However, an increasing number of children and teenagers influence us adults to do without meat. They simply refuse to eat animals for ethical reasons.

Women