August, Georgia. Engagement Party for Rob & Katy K inetic laughter A lways erupts T angling our hearts Y oung love eternally & R osey cheeks tell stories O utstretched arms welcome home B rother, you are loved! Ceremony & Celebration September 21st 2013 International Day of Peace <3 May you know yourself, before attempting to know your partner. May you accept your partner unconditionally, as a mirror of yourself. May you respect the power of the sacred feminine and the sacred masculine, that resides within each partner. May your intentions be clear to support healthy growth of body, mind, and soul. May all the grace and peace of the earth be blessed upon this divine union!
0 Comments
New Smyrna Beach, Florida's Atlantic Coast. FARM: 2nd official WWOOF farm, hosted by Kirk who grows vegetables for his own nourishment and donates the abundance to a food bank. I chose this farm because I am attracted to water. Kirk's compound is less than 5 miles from the beach, wow! I call it a compound because like Finca Mycol, there is a motley arrangement of living quarters in various conditions of comfort. Some full-time residents in solid walls, some long-term volunteers in trailers, and some just passing through (like myself) on a screen porch. I didn't have to pitch my tent so it was a type of luxury on the primitive living scale. NATURE: In contrast to the gentle water in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean is wild and untamed. In addition, the flora appears more refined and bears the windswept burden of ocean breezes. I would call this central Florida; it did not have the tropical plants that I love and vibed with in Ft Myers and Sarasota. It did have blimps for the Daytona 500, taking over all airways only a few miles north. SERVICE: The week's activity here was seed germination. We prepared tiny coils of newspaper, filled them with a mixture of peat and sand, wet them, and inserted squash seeds into the perfectly cozy nests. Daily chores were weeding the rows of peas and radishes, watering, and cooking group dinners. From what I've experienced so far, the Farming Life lends itself to Creative Expression. We work in the mornings, and late afternoon is when individuals spend time with their craft. Kirk picked banjo. I took a vine hoop and weaved an organic dreamcatcher (photo right). I played my drum and sang silly lyrics to Kirk's music. It feels good to be able to release that potent energy in a safe, healing practice. I offered everyone at the farm: Kirk, Anja a polish yoga teacher, and Ray&Molly a young couple: crystal reki energy healing, and no one accepted. I was shocked. That night, I completed the practice in my dreams :) Before I left, I asked Kirk, "What will you say about me when I'm gone?" He shared lots of stories about past wwoof'ers so I was curious what kind of impression I made. His answer made me smile, "You work hard, and you play hard." My most valuable cargo in my packed car is my mountain bike, and I took it to an off road trail near the farm as well as to the beach. I agreed with his view. My final observation of this experience is the number of teachers I meet on these adventures. A) the farm host, B) the land, C) the other people, and D) myself. Each teacher offers a mirror to my current condition. Kirk's last words to me, "I admire your balance. Your spirituality. Thank you for being who you are, and being a friend." :) Sarasota, Florida. The synchronicity of the universe placed me within an hours drive of my grandparents home so I could help my mom's parents get to their doctor's appointments and recover their strength and vitality. Sarasota is always a pleasant visit because there is so much art, flowers, and general beauty at your fingertips. No stop would be complete without a visit to the Selby Botanical Garden and Ringling Art Museum, both grounds crowned with enormous banyan tress. I learned that as much as I love to care for Mother Earth, caring for blood family is just as rewarding. New stories emerged from their childhoods and we had a lively conversation about the joys and pains of communal living. My dream is to one day live in an inter-generational community founded on principles of peace, abundance, and healing. Good news is... all my families (blood, star, crystal, spiritual) like it too! This was a really neat heart circle, because I did not introduce the concept or even suggest that we play a game; rather, the heart sharing spontaneously manifested itself. So I was sitting in a hot tub... full of bright lights, fresh off an Earthskills Gathering... and first we started making simple finger puppets for shits and giggles. Which morphed into a massive group hand sculpture of an orchid. Did I mention said group is also full of botany enthusiasts and permaculture lovers? Once the commotion of pollination ended, we settled into our seats and someone suggested a new activity-a game called Starlight. It is now my new favorite game :)
One person starts and offers Starlight to another person in the circle. Starlight is one being's admiration of another being's expression-complimenting your brother and sister's natural flow. For example, Sarasaurous started the game and she picked me first to offer starlight. She told a story about when we first met and she felt so comfortable with me and healed by my touch. Being on the receiving end of such flattery is fabulous and I truly felt loved. The second part to the game is asking for thunder... dun dun duuunn. If desired, the starlight receiver can ask the starlight giver for thunder. Thunder is constructive criticism, ideally in the form of a question so the receiver can do her own personal work. This part can be scary for some people, especially if you just recently met, so I like to leave it optional. Then you can continue rotating; giving starlight to the same receiver for a deep roast, or the receiver can popcorn some new starlight to another member of the circle for a faster game. Either way, everyone leaves feeling good about themselves and may even learn something. Road Observation: Heart circles seem to naturally appear in primitive/rural settings more spontaneously than in cities. In urban Atlanta, it required meeting times and locations. In Florida farm life, it's an aperitif. (which ironically will not be understood on farms because only 1% of the people I served dinner to during the height of festival knew what crudites are!) J'amie le Francais. North Fort Meyers, Florida. Alex Howe, a new friend I met at the Earth Skills Gathering, invited the Earthskills Family to stay on his land in southwest Florida until the Florida Herbalism Conference starts on 2/15/13. At Finca Mycol, I really enjoyed being part of the intergenerational knowledge sharing community that forms around primitive living. A group was caravaning South, so I decided to continue my journey and check out a more tropical climate while Winter wails her wrath through February. Once here, we continued sharing our skills and I'm passing on what I learned with my heart Family on this blog: Medicinal Tincture and Recreational Mead :) First, we walked the property with some botany experts and identified the local plants. There was a bounty of Gotu Kola growing wild. I am familiar with this plant from Indian Ayurveda; we harvested bunches. Then we visited the neighbor who collects Saw Palmetto and Black Mangrove honey, which we acquired by the quart. This particular neighborhood was also fortunate to be home of ECHO, a global food project to end hunger, and also an amazingly lush edible jungle that fueled my passion for tropical living. This demonstration farm is a must-see if you find yourself in south west Florida. http://www.echonet.org/ Here's me as I am, after one-week of sleeping outside and living at Finca Mycol during the Florida Earth Skills Gathering. My skin is tanning nicely, more freckles appearing, new necklaces from trade circle, and braids that have been in my hair for days. This week of primitive living and skill sharing has radically transformed my being. I am awake to my skill of healing touch. My passion is the evolution of human consciousness. I have found my tribe. Everyone I met at the gathering is acutely focused on healing themselves and the land by living in community with all of our plant and animal families in the forest. I can't go back to the city. There is more love and abundance in the forest. In the woods, my goddess energy shines. Humble yourself, lay down in the wild. My Earth Skills Gathering Each morning began with the bell ringing calls to communal hot breakfast. Huge kettles of coffee and tea are warmed over the fire. Once everyone's bowls are filled, we circle for morning announcements. Teachers introduce themselves for the day's workshops. I learned about Herbalism in Florida, wool felting, finding drinking water, zone 1 Permaculture, Thai Massage, Palm Thatch Cordage, Hoop Drum Making, and random bits as I wove among the camp. The blow of a conch closes sessions and new bells announce lunch and dinner. Evening entertainment was storytelling, folk music, drum circles and dancing! One night we even made natural costumes and body paint as we honored our ancestors in rhythm and spirit. The best part was warm smiles everywhere in recognition that we are all of the same Earth Family. There was a strong emphasis on community and non-violent communication. These annual festivals happen all over. Check out these in the southeast: Florida: http://floridaearthskills.blogspot.com/ Georgia: http://www.primitiveskills.org/ North Carolina: http://www.fireflygathering.org/ Maryland: http://www.ancestralknowledge.org/maps-meet/ Finca Mycol is a Permaculture homestead just north of Gainesville (home of the Gators) where the roads turn to dirt and the night sounds are frogs and crickets. I chose this farm as my first WWOOF location because it focuses on wild edibles and habitat restoration. The property is full of huge live oaks coated in glowing Spanish moss. A dainty creek trickles past cypress knees and palmetto palms. Below is a brief photo introduction from sunrise on the farm. Top left: bob's camper (a living unit)-Bob is the resident 'old guy' and ecology expert, he identifies all the plants. Top center: the kitchen-covered, but open air, stocked with dry goods. Top right: example of a solar oven with morning fog in the background over the swimming hole. The kitchen also employs rocket stoves/cob ovens, dutch ovens, and good old fashion cast iron over a fire. Center left: an outdoor shower (covered with palm fronds) with solar hot water heater (the box on the right). Center-Center: my tent set-up under a huge live oak. She gives me good dreams every night :) Center Right: wide angle of the 'living room' of the farm, platform on right is the 'throne' a humanure composting toilet with a view over the property. Bottom row: the 'Yome' a yurt (home) supported with wood sides, which is the full time residence of the proprietor, Michael.
Read more about Finca Mycol at: http://www.growfood.org/farm/997 Learn more about WWOOF at: http://www.wwoofusa.org |
Categories
All
Archives
June 2016
|