Life at White House Farm: September 2009

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Update at the Equinox, September 2009

At the start of September, the farm hosted its first wedding blessing and celebration. About 70 guests gathered at the ancient oak in Herne Wood for the blessing and beautiful folk music drifted through the rustling leaves of the surrounding oaks. The blessing was followed by the wedding dinner in an impressive 30 ft yurt in Ley Meadow, a concert in the main barn and a dance in the large yurt in the evening.

We are making good progress with the activity days at White House Farm and will be offering bushcraft and nature awareness as well as natural building workshops over the winter. The main season will start again in March/April 2010 for the activity days and we will be using the main barn and our own 30 ft yurt for these events.

Alex Moore leading a bushcraft and nature awareness activity at White House Farm, September 2009

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The trees in the orchard have been hanging heavy with fruits this season, especially plums and apples. Last year's harvest was much less abundant. On the land the sloes and wild plums are bountiful. Andrea collected sloes already last week (early September) and picked some for me too so I will soon be preparing sloe gin for the winter. Sloe gin is especially welcome after working out on the land in the chill wind and rain!

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

DEEP ECOLOGY

Deep ecology encourages intimate contact with Nature leading to direct, intuitive experience as well as analytical understanding. Deep ecology calls for a recognition of the sacredness of Nature and direct, personal action to preserve and improve the environment. Voluntary simplicity is directed towards living in greater harmony and balance with the natural environment. Gaia Theory is naturally linked with deep ecology and expresses reverence for the animate earth. At White House Farm we aim to encourage a compassionate motivation for environmental stewardship.

HOLISTIC AWARENESS

Holistic awareness stems from principles found in nature such as transformation, balance, sustainability, interdependency, relationship. Holistic awareness is dynamic and expansive in nature and supports an integrated view of the world.

Deep ecology approaches Nature with a vision of depth and wholeness. Holistic health relates to the whole person including mental, emotional, physical, social, environmental and spiritual. Holistic education similarly regards the whole needs of a student with reference to the individual and the relationship with community.

The Hermetic tradition summarises an essential principle of holistic awareness "That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above, corresponds to that which is Below”

HOLISTIC EDUCATION

Holistic education “finds identity, meaning and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace”. It is intended that through the nature of activities and the learning environment, visitors to White House Farm will be encouraged to have an intrinsic reverence for nature and life and a love of learning.

Holistic education emphasises the connectedness of all living things including the connection between inner life and outer life. At White House Farm, the term holistic education is used broadly to convey a range of subjects relating to Sinfield Nature Trust’s objectives. Themes that characterise the trust’s objectives, such as sustainability, creativity and spirituality will be involved in the educational programme of activities at White House Farm. Activities available at White House Farm will connect with the trust’s values, whether it is promoting a traditional craft such as willow weaving which helps to revitalise the craft and support a sustainable system for native wood production or dowsing where intuitive perception is developed while interacting with the natural environment. Some activities will engage participants directly and holistically such as the Perceiving Plants workshop, which focuses on experiential methods of intellectually and intuitively perceiving plants.

HOLISTIC HEALING/THERAPY

Holistic health relates to mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. By pertaining to the whole person the body is recognised as an interconnected whole system. Holistic therapy recognises the interconnection between mind, body and spirit. Examples of treatments include Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Reflexology, Shiatsu and hands-on healing such as Reiki.

SPIRITUALITY

When we refer to spirituality we do not refer to any particular belief system. We encourage reverence for the earth and for all life and a communion with Nature by people of all faiths and none. Our practice of spirituality focuses on an active connection to divinity/the source of life while advancing wholesome living.
Meditation forms part of our guiding practice and our spiritual practice has a sense of openness and inspiration. In recognising forces as complementary rather than opposing, spirituality can be balanced by healthy intellectual and analytical skills.