Women of the World! Do you really need animal skins to make yourselves look more beautiful than you already are? Does wearing dead cats, dogs, mink, ferrets and foxes enhance your feeling of well-being, beauty and self worth? Will this year’s frippery be next years throw outs? Will all those animals have given their lives for you in vain?

The emotional vibrations of fear and misery from the animals will be held in the pelt just as it is in meat. I wonder how healthy this is for the wearer. The animal kingdoms which live alongside us are our teachers. Through them we learn about compassion, love and beauty. They patiently teach us care and devotion. The animals often sacrifice themselves in order that we experience these things and so learn to know the ‘more’ of who we are. You don’t know who you are until you know what you are not.

I ask all of you, as the supposedly most advanced race on the planet’ do we not have a ‘duty of care’? Are we not responsible as guardians for the animals in our care? Yet, look at what we do to them! We hunt for sport, kill for fun and monetary gain. We breed animals for reasons like their fleet feet or looks, often producing genetic heritages which cause pain and discomfort during their lives. What monsters we have become! We are still so near the gladiatorial ring- what next in our excesses? Shall we return to watching people kill each other for our amusement and pleasure?

Beauty and ‘looking good’ what are these things really about? Could it be about feelings that we are unlovable, unworthy, not good enough and lacking in self-worth? There is nothing wrong in wanting to look good and no judgement attached to this, however when we take it to extremes are we not fooling ourselves about the reasons for it- aren’t we just trying to cover up our perceived inadequacies?

It is an old adage, but true - Beauty comes from within. Looking good and being beautiful is a front you present to the world, so that the world will judge you positively. It has been said that it is none of your business what other people think about you, it is what you think about yourself that really counts.

A truly beautiful person is perhaps someone who is kind, compassionate and caring. Someone whose very being is a gift to others, serving selflessly. Giving a smile to a stranger, chatting to a cashier, aiding without thought for gain. These things produce your own radiant inner light, this is your beauty which shines forth and dazzles. Everyone has an inner beauty, but we have all become so clever at concealing it from ourselves and others (kindness and compassion being seen by some as weakness in today’s world). I suggest that our perception of the reality of who we are, needs adjusting. The focus needs to be changed so that we can be seen for who we are: beauteous wondrous creative beings.

That fur coat- does it enhance you or diminish you by the very nature of what it is and what and what it represents?

Robina Hearle