This morning, people started shooting badgers in Somerset and Gloucestershire. It is a 'cull', an attempt to stop the animals spreading Bovine Tuberculosis between cattle herds. Scientists gravely doubt the effectiveness of this action. Many are concerned that the cull will in fact disperse surviving badgers and make the situation worse. Still, the killing begins.

Also today, the EDL and BNP intend to march in Woolwich, the scene of an obscene murder last week. They are using this incident to whip up hatred against a group of people who are just as appalled by what happened as anyone. But this incident confirms their world view, so they will milk it for all it's worth.

And those are just two examples in a long list of terrible news.

Spirit is asking me to feel all of life. To feel the flow of emotions as they pass. To feel the texture of everything life brings. To savour every taste. On days like this, it's hard to do.

I find it hard to do anyway. From childhood, I learned to keep a safe distance from difficult feelings. I have built walls and put up barriers. And however much I would love to change this, it is a habit that has become ingrained in my body. I can feel its tension as I write.

But if we are to heal this world, we need to feel it. All of it. We need to feel the sunshine on our skin and the wind in our hair so that we come to love this life, fiercely. And we need to feel the wounds and the tears so that we know it is time to stand up and shout 'STOP'.

If I am to heal myself, I need to see the beauty of this glorious day, filled with flowers and fresh green. And I need to acknowledge the the hard feelings that come up when I try to open my heart to all of my reality.

If we are to be warriors in this time of change, we need to be awake and aware at all times. We need to be like a wild animal, always alert and conscious of its environment, its blessings and its dangers. That way, we can act consciously and naturally for the good of the Living Earth.

I have asked spirit for a way to help me open to the world and the feelings it brings. They have taught me how to use my senses to awaken my awareness. I can use taste, touch, hearing and sight, both outwardly and inwardly, to really wake up to the quality of life as it flows through me and around me.

Today's warm sunshine tastes like rich wine. The young green of ash leaves is like lemony water.

And the idea of people measuring the humaneness of the badger cull by the time it takes a wounded animal to die makes me feel sick, like drinking a large glass of salty water. (I mean, seriously? How is thinking like that even humane?)

These things need to balance each other. The fierce love and the righteous anger. Too much of one, and you get stuck or burnt out. But together, they can feed our lives and what we decide to do with it.

What does life taste like to you, today?