MUSING ON THE CIRCLE

The circle is a sacred symbol of life,

individual parts within the circle connect with every other ;

and what happens to one ;

or what one part does affects all within the circle

The circle is used by many traditions the world over from time immemorial is referred to by such names as the Medicine Wheel, Sacred Hoop, and the Wheel of Life .
It has also been used in the sacred art of many religious traditions as an image of wholeness.
Ceremony and religious rites were practised in circles, life was lived in circles and moved with the changing seasons.

The circle symbolizes the sacred unity of existence and is used in the designing of sacred spaces all over the world.
Today's lifestyle has removed us from this natural experience, cushioning our senses with central heating, piped water, flush toilets and supermarkets.

The seasons pass us by year after year and we become more anaesthetized.
To step into the circle is to say yes to becoming - becoming more aware of who we are as individuals and more aware of our interactions with others and the environment we find ourselves in.
It brings a fuller sense of being and knowing, that the journey we walk in this life has a rhythm, and that rhythm can become revealed to us.

Stepping into the Circle, Stepping onto the Wheel

Stepping into the circle is about aligning ourselves to a rhythm.

Nature offers a constant reminder of movement through the changing of season, from the Sunrise and Sunset points to the Moon's ebb and flow.
To bring ourselves into alignment with these changing seasons brings us onto the wheel of life and our own energies into alignment. http://livingintheround.blogspot.com/2007/06/eight-fold-yesrt_1821.html

How often have we felt frustrated in the middle of Winter wondering what to do with ourselves instead of taking the time to be still and allow ourselves to rest? The CIRCLE is a reminder of wholeness and the round-and-round nature of life-cycles. We can take a lot of comfort in the way seasons and the very hours of the day repeat endlessly.
In becoming aware of what our changing energies do at these seasonal times gives us a picture of who we are, how effective we are in our actions, how our energy comes and goes....
Stepping onto the wheel means becoming conscious of where we stand at any one moment on the cycle or rhythm of life.
To become aware of our own personal circle of energy also brings us in touch with a greater sense of awareness around other peoples' energy fields - knowing when to offer healing and when to stand back; knowing that perhaps what is being said is not quite what the person is feeling.

Working with Mandala

The word Mandala arises from the Sanskrit and means sacred circle, they are used as objects to aid contemplation.

The circle symbolizes the womb of creation; and mandalas are geometric designs that are made through uniform divisions of the circle. The shapes that are formed from these divisions are symbols that embody the mathematical principles found throughout creation. They reveal the inner workings of nature and the inherent order of the universe.
Mandalas act as a bridge between the higher and lower realms. They are interdimensional gateways linking human consciousness to the realms of archetypes and the infinite. The relationship of form, movement, space and time is evoked by the mandala. Mandalas offer a way to engage with the inherent harmony and balance of nature. They bring the principles of nature into our field of awareness. For thousands of years, mandala imagery has served as a means to an expanded way of thinking. The images transcend language and the rational mind. They bring about a certain wisdom of universal knowledge and a deeper understanding of human consciousness.

The circle is perhaps the purest, most profound and the most common symbol in existence. It has many interesting associations and appears in or lives in a number of forms.

With the probably infinite billions of stars, planets, moons and galaxies full of the same, the circle is well represented in the physical universe in the form of spheres.

A circle, having no beginning or end, represents infinity, eternity, wholeness and femininity. Other meaningfully significant symbols or objects are circular: Stonehenge, Ouroboros, the Wheel of Life, a halo around the head of a saint, etc. In a very practical way, it can be said that circles rule the world.The circle is a sacred symbol of life, individual parts within the circle connect with every other ; and what happens to one ; or what one part does affects all within the circle

Think of all the things that are circular. From the symbol for nothing to the symbol for the powerful life-giving sun, circles cover a lot of territory. Circles are egalitarian and inclusive; it was for very good reason that King Arthur placed his knights at a Round Table.

As the Tibetan woman spins an endless prayer written on a strip of paper coiled inside the cylinder..........

Give some thought to all of the interconnecting circles in your life.

How can we invite a more inclusive way of being into our lives?

LUGHNASADH

Lughnasadh - the Harvest festival in honour of Lugh/Llew, the Sun God.

The Christian church recycled Lughnasadh as the feast of Lamas, a word meaning "loaf mass" from the Anglo-Saxon "hl af-masse". Traditionally on this day a new loaf of bread was offered at mass as the first-fruit of the harvest. In the old days bread was truly your harvest fruit - you tilled the land, planted the grain and watered to soil to make it grow - the making of the Lamas/Lughnasadh loaf was packed with mystical symbolism.
The bread-maker and those who ate it were acutely aware of their relationship with Mother Earth - a relationship not of words but of conscious interaction. Just like the Sun God whose heat has nourished its growth, the grain that goes into bread must be cut down in its prime to be useful. Death is necessary for life to flourish, otherwise life dies. In the past humankind the world over acknowledged this relationship between death and life - harvesting grain for bread and seeds for next year's crop - through ceremonies and rituals. One of the famous ones in Britain is told in the song John Barleycorn.

There were three men came out of the West Their fortunes for to try And these three men made a solemn vow John Barleycorn must die.

The crops are ripening and will soon be cut,the fruit is swelling upon the trees and the land is about to slip into the richness of fall. The growing crop, must die each year in order for the seed to ripen and so yield the harvest.

At this time the sun God is nearing the end of his reign.
The name of the festival (pronounced loo-nus-uh) comes from the druidic festival of Lugh, the Celtic sun God. In some ancient traditions, this is the festival in which the sun God dies, usually in a ritual of sacrifice of some sort. To commemorate him, the ancient peoples of Britain and Ireland held processions, feasts, and athletic games in his honour. It makes more sense if we see this as the beginning of the hunt for Lugh - the chase that will end in the fatal cut that marks his death at Mabon (Fall Equinox), the end of the harvest. With the first cutting of the grain, this was traditionally a feast of bread.

It is tempting to see echoes of ancient human sacrifice, but that is not really what this time is all about. The god does not really die, he continues in the form of next year's growth, he continues in the form of the food and drink he provides for people's sustenance against the coming winter. So who (or what) is it, that is being killed?
What is being killed is the child, to make room for the man.

The period of growth is ended and it is time for the completion of a purpose.

This must happen in all our lives. At one level, we must always remain children, for we never stop learning, we never stop growing. But at another level, we reach a plateau in our development, we step over into a new phase of existence.

In our late teens or early twenties we reach a stage of development of our physical bodies that we call adult. With our new status we acquire certain responsibilities: there are certain aspects, freedoms and liberties, of our childhood that we must lay aside forever so that we may properly fulfil our new role.

So in later life, we reach a state of mental and spiritual growth where we may stop growing for a while and start to make more use of our more developed faculties, for the benefit of others. This is not merely a right, but it is a duty, aresponsibility.

What is all your knowledge and spiritual insight for, if it is not to be used?

Thus, for example, one of us teach. Another may heal. Someone else may be a writer, or an artist, and so on. Some of you may still be looking for your path, not yet quite certain of the way to go on your spiritual journey. This particular time of year, Lammastide, is a good time to be looking for those answers. If you already have the answers, then it is time to put them fully into action.

It is the time of maturity,

of completion of growth,

of the final step towards attainment of purpose

It is an ideal time for completion of projects. Also, like the other major festivals of the old pagan calendar, it is considered to be a time when the veil between our world and the other worlds, the worlds of the spirit, is particularly thin, it especially benefits those projects that are spiritual in nature.

visualisation exercise with the object of bringing about a certain state of events, perhaps to help someone in difficulties or maybe to sort something out in your own lives. This kind of visualisation is usually concerned with the early stages of a project, with getting something off the ground, to a point where you can consciously take over and continue the good work by your own efforts, without the help of outside forces. Then, eventually, your project reaches a state of maturity and you can, indeed must, take on full responsibility for it, just as you take on responsibility for your life when you reach adulthood. But sometimes bringing a project to its intended conclusion can be as difficult as initiating it in the first place. It is not unreasonable for us to request help from higher forces. If the project is worthy, help will be granted. But, you have to ASK.
So, do you have a project that is about to come to fruition, which maybe needs a little final push to get it there? Or, if you are still seeking a direction, is it time that the direction became clear to you? These things are what we will seek to put in hand today, by means of our visualisation.
Lughnasadh: Prepare yourself for meditation in the usual way. Sit comfortably and relaxed. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths to cleanse your body and mind of everyday cares and concerns.

Visualise yourself in the countryside, on a warm summer afternoon, surveying a field of ripe, golden wheat. Think about how it will shortly be harvested and baked into delicious fresh bread. Enjoy the beauty of the moment.
Now turn your thoughts to your project, or your question. Form it clearly in your mind, with every detail of where you stand at the moment, and of how you came to be where you are.
Make sure you have every detail of your situation clear in your mind.
Now visualise a successful outcome. What is necessary to complete your project, or to give a satisfactory answer to your question? Let this, too, form clearly in your mind.
Now, quickly dismiss the pictures you have formed in your mind into the ether, and return to normal consciousness. Your petition will be dealt with. Do not think any further about your project or your question for a little while, perhaps a few days, and then the answer or the resolution will come to you.

Now is an appropriate time to take a little refreshment, something to eat and drink. Take a biscuit, or a cookie, or a piece of bread, and break it. As you do so, think of those people in the past, who would celebrate with the eating of new bread, the coming of the first harvest. Feel close to them, and feel close to the time of year, the time of coming to fruition. Then eat in silence, and sip the drink.
Take a few hours, or a few days, to absorb the significance of this meditation. If you wish, you may repeat the meditation several times during the period around the Festival .

COME ON INSIDE....OUR YURT

WELCOME! come step inside.. please take off your shoes.we are still moving in ,so please excuse the mess:)

carpet has kindly been donated , which we laid down last week,moved the bed round twice.. think we've found the right place now!

splashed out on the hand carved chest.. its made of cedar wood and smells wonderful... got somewhere for our clothes to be hidden away in and it doubles up as a stunning alter.

It was beautiful on tuesday , lying on the floor cushions with the sunshine beaming through the crown wheel. Hoping for some good weather this weekend , with a clear sky so we can have the cap off at night and stare at the stars! (might just need that mozzy-net though)

really enjoying spending time in this space, love the light and the beautiful shadows that are cast on the canvas each morning.. it changes each day.

Definately prefer living/ sleeping in the round.. woke the other morning thinking i was in the yurt and being boxed in by right-angled walls felt really strange .

YURT RAISING!

Cant begin to say how beautifully crafted this yurt is.. thanks Tim.
had a huge beam on my face for a couple of weeks now...the yurt is fantastic. Was surprisingly easy to erect,pulling the roof canvas was a bit of a struggle as it was so heavy, but i did request heavy duty canvas for the roof !
It hasnt stopped raining since it arrived home with us, but its so cozy inside it doesnt matter. There's this beautiful glow inside, even when its overcast and grey outside.
The other night it was put to the test, with freak storms and floods and hail stones the size of a two pound coin! No leaking, though the sound of the hail bouncing off the roof poles was a bit hairy... sounded just like fire crackers going off inside.
Got the essentals inside now.. bed, rugs, gas camping stove. Think if this weather doesnt improve may need to get a wriggle on with connecting the woodburner.

picys of inside to come soon...

YURT COLLECTION DAY

June30th/July 1st

Drove all the way back up to Devon again this weekend to meet up with Tim Hutton ( the Yurt maker) at the wood fair to collect the Yurt. It was pouring with rain so it would have meant dismantling and packing a damp canvas so unfortunately we were unable to put the canvas on.

Tim Hutton ( Yurtworks), me and our yurt!

( minus the Oak doors and canvas.. too soggy to put it up completely)

very happy bunnies!

hoping for fine weather this weekend and the arrival of our groundsheet so that we can erect the yurt in its full splender!

COLLECTING YURT TOMORROW!!

Almost there with preparation of the site. Been away on our yearly pilgimage to Glastonbury ( place not festival!)

Had a fantastic time , a wonderful place shared with very special friends :)!!

Collecting our Yurt at the summer solstice didnt quite come to plan.

Tim was unable to complete the order in time without working crazy - crazy hours.. that was fine as it was more important to us to have our Yurt made with good positive vibes, and not too much frenetic energy or the posssibility of the final crafting being in a cloud of red air!!... as it turns out it probably would have been a bit of a squeeze in the camper complete with dog and so we have arranged to meet Tim and collect the Yurt at the Taunton wood fair TOMORROW!!!

UTOPIA

UTOPIA

we'd gather around all in a room fasten our belts engage in dialogue

we'd all slow down rest without guilt not lie without fear disagree sans judgement

we would stay and respond and expand and include and allow and forgive and enjoy

and evolve and discern and inquire and accept and admit and divulge and open and reach out and speak up

we would share and listen and support and welcome

be propelled by passion not invest in outcomes

we would breathe and be charmed and amused by differencebe gentle and make room for every emotion

we'd provide forums we'd all speak out we'd all be heard we'd all feel seen

we'd rise post-obstacle more defined more grateful we would heal be humbled and be unstoppable

we'd hold close and let go and know when to do which

we'd release and disarm and stand up and feel safe

lyrics by Alanis Morrisette