A Tale of Two Little Owls

Above: One of the siblings

At midsummer, two Little Owl fledglings sat together on a crooked oak branch which extended high above a quiet lane at White House Farm. On this particular morning, I left the farmhouse and made my way along the road just after a lorry had roared by. This sort of towering vehicle is a rare sight here and I soon realised my timing was fortunate! The roof of the lorry had just caught the oak branch and knocked off the little owls, sweeping them beneath the rear end of the vehicle and over one of its wheel arches. The driver stopped and freed one owl, but there was no sign of the second.

After I found Ross at the farm, he hurriedly took the rescued owl to the vets and to our astonishment it was unharmed by the incident. On returning to White House Farm with the little owl, we noticed its sibling sitting by the farmhouse. It was clearly in shock, resting motionless but otherwise appearing fine. Ross returned both owls to a hollow, high up in an old ash pollard where we had often seen them perching. This ash stands opposite the great family tree; a hearty, veteran oak where the owl nest lies in a deep hollow. The owls soon returned to their parents at the family nest. We hear them most nights which brings us great delight......a host of sharp "keew kewws" and an occassional "woop" hoot travel through the leafy woods.

Above: Ross returning a Little Owl to the ash tree

In totem terms owls are linked with sensitivity, insight and maturity. Through its silent flight at night, an owl perceives truths which are usually veiled and it knows when to speak and when to hold peace. An owl spirit guide detects untruths and as owls are skilled hunters, the totem has an in depth knowledge of the inner realms. A very helpful power creature to have!

Above painting: Owl Wisdom, Willow Arlenea www.designsbywillow.com

The ancient Greeks regarded the owl as a symbol of Athena, the goddess of logic, wisdom and heroic endeavour. In Hinduism, the owl is connected to Lakshmi, the goddess of wisdom, courage and wealth. For many Native American tribes, the owl appears in legends which describe the bird’s knowledge and courage. The owl also has the ability to assist with inner sight and astral travel in Shamanic rituals and journeys.

Above: Statue of Athena with owl; Ancient Greek coin, dating to the 5th century BCE, depicts an owl with an olive sprig. The inscription translates to "of the Athenians". The other side of this coin shows the head of Athena.

Heritage unburied

Earlier this year, my imagination was fuelled by some wonderful books, including the one below.....

Manda Scott - Boudica - This series evokes a deep sense of ancestral wisdom and recognises the value of an intrinsic connection to Nature at all levels. I found the Boudica series so refreshing in its portrayal of the native people of this island and their empowering heritage - in contrast to the conventional history teachings which tend to favour the Roman 'civilisation'.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boudica-Dreaming-Eagle-1/dp/0593048784

Restoring Magical Meadows

Ross has been managing a meadow restoration project since February. Young ash and alder have been encroaching on three of the meadows here, so much so that only earth and moss is visible between the abundance of ash and alder 'whips'. It only takes a few years for scrub and trees to develop and for grassland flora to disappear without the intervention of suitable animal grazing or human management. The neglected meadows at the farm have not been long without flora, including orchids, so we hopefully we will see some orchids returning this summer. Some beautiful mature trees have been exposed since this work began and these established trees will remain.

Most meadows in the UK developed through traditional farming practices which led to an amazing diversity of associated species and a habitat upon which many birds and small mammals depend. Species-rich grassland has declined by over 97% since the 1950s, so it is especially important that we restore neglected meadows at the farm, and maintain the established species-rich meadows surrounded by hedgerow corridors.

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.

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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!

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Making Elderflower Cordial

I managed to find some late flowering elderflowers last week and collected 20 flowerheads (after asking permission from the Elder Mother)

I also collected two handfuls of wild roses

Other ingredients: 1.8 kg organic caster sugar, 1.2 litres water, 2 organic unwaxed lemons, 75g citric acid.

Method: Shake the elderflowers to expel insects ( I did this several times and it helped to place the elderflowers in a white lined mixing bowl so that I could rescue any lingering "wee beasties", as Ross calls thems.).

Place the sugar into a large saucepan with the water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil.

Cut zest from lemons in wide strips and add to bowl with elderflowers. Slice lemons, and add all slices but the ends to the bowl. Pour boiling syrup over the elderflowers and lemons and stir in citric acid.



Rest the mixture for 24 hours, covered with a cloth. Drain it into a large bowl through muslin and filter it into dark glass bottles. Clear glass is fine also but keep in a cool, dark place.

Mithril's contribution....

The Tree Circle at White House Farm

The trees were planted on 21st February 2008 by Sinfield Trust volunteers. The moon cycle and sidereal rhythms were researched to select a good planting day. There also happened to be a lunar eclipse on that day and the rain nourished the trees soon after we finished planting - it felt like a very auspicious time.

The impressive tree circle has a diameter of 42 metres and consists of 12 small-leaved limes, 4 english oaks, 24 white hawthorns and 8 red hawthorns.

The 4 english oaks at the outer circle mark north, east, south and west.
The 8 red hawthorns at the inner circle mark the four directions and the rising and setting sun on the solstices and equinoxes.

The Labyrinth at White House Farm

The turf labyrinth at White House Farm has a classical 7-circuit design and was created in 2008 by volunteers under the guidance of Jeff Saward (Author of Labyrinths and Mazes of the World and Magical Paths).

Labyrinths are unicursal mazes found represented in art, carved onto stone or as a physical construction. Labyrinths have historically been used for group ritual or individual meditation. If used as a form of meditation, the labyrinth can help you to gain greater awareness and connect with the life-force of the land. Walking the labyrinth can become a symbolic pilgrimage.Ancient labyrinth designs have been discovered in many parts of the world including Europe, North and South America (Tohono O'odham), Australia, Nepal and India. One of the oldest discovered labyrinth designs is at Goa and is dated to circa 2500 BC. A Neolithic tomb in Sardinia has possibly the oldest labyrinth inscription that is known. Two labyrinth symbols near Tintagel in Cornwall may date to 1500 BC.

Labyrinths were popular in medieval times, particularly in England, France and Scandanavia. Some impressive ecclesiastical labyrinths remain, such as the famous paved labyrinth at Chartres cathedral in Northern France. Many medieval turf labyrinths still survive in the UK including at Hilton in Cambridgeshire and Saffron Waldon in Essex. We are now seeing a resurgence of labyrinth creation and appreciation throughout the world. Many people again seek inspiration from ancestral wisdom and the labyrinth provides a remarkable tool for sacred exploration.

It is said that in a maze you can lose yourself but in a labyrinth you can find yourself!

(Above: Woodland path to labyrinth, Sign to labyrinth)

For further information......

The Labyrinth Society: http://www.labyrinthsociety.org/

Labyrinthos: http://www.labyrinthos.net/index.html

World Wide Labyrinth Locator: http://labyrinthlocator.com/

Information to follow shortly about........the compass tree circle and the classical turf labyrinth at White House Farm and our plans for the future. I will also write about the abundant gifts from the organic vegetable garden. Meanwhile, you can visit The Sinfield Trust website at http://www.sinfieldtrust.org/

SUMMER SOLSTICE - On Friday evening I took part in a summer solstice ceremony (these particular gatherings have been taking place at the traditional eight festivals for over four years in Suffolk) The celebration takes inspiration from the symbollic holly and oak kings. The holly king brings healing and re-birth through the darker half of the year which is now returning and we give thanks to the oak king for the optimism, warmth and companionship and the freedom of self-expression that greeted us during the light half of the year.

GREEN FAIR 2009

The third annual open day and Green Fair at White House Farm took place on Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny day, which encouraged many visitors to this secluded wildlife site, to participate in nature-inspired activities, see craftspeople and therapists and be inspired by the beauty of this sacred land.

The open day included wild herb walks by Emma Eastham, a barn owl walk by Paul Jackson, a sacred fire workshop by Alex Moore of the Albion Group, and guided meditation sessions in Alice's rustic yurt. There was a wonderful variety of craftspeople including spinners and weavers from local villages, a pole-lathe turner, a tree-table maker, and Jo Hammond the willow weaver (Jo takes workshops here).

We were also honoured to have Cosmo the Crystal Merchant from Bury St Edmunds, Rima and Tui with their beautifully converted horse box and displays of artwork, as well as all the natural therapists. Folk musicians played in the morning and a classical string quartet performed in the afternoon in the open-fronted barn. Rami sat at the turf labyrinth in the mid-afternoon and blessed the land with his overtone singing. Listening to Rami's astounding range of tones and absorbing the resonance for just a short while was a deeply healing experience and I felt as if I had meditated for hours!

The Green Lady of White House Farm walked gracefully about Ley Meadow speaking to children. The Green Man was very entertaining and even helped with washing up when the refreshments volunteers were so overwhelmed with the number of visitors this year!

It was heartening to see so many happy expressions at the farm on Sunday and to receive a great amount of positive feedback from visitors. Thank you to all volunteers who helped on the day, and to those who committed time and support before and after the open day.

Our small herd of rare breed British White cattle enjoyed seeing the visitors on Sunday - they are very curious about any activity at the farm and so the open day is a highlight of the year for them too.

The nature trail signs are in place now for future events and other markers, including the great oak totem signs for the tree circle and labyrinth are standing as guardians at the gateways. Ross and I have become quite taken with pyrographing letters onto wood and making signs from off- cuts of wood or chopped logs from the farm. The lettering tones beautifully with the wood, especially once oiled.

(Below : Spider's Wood Pathway, The Arts and Crafts Summerhouse, British White Cattle in Upper Ox Eye Meadow )

( Below: Entrance from Herne Wood to Ley Meadow)

When one walks through wholesome land one is surely inspired, at some level of consciousness, to reclaim an inner relationship with Mother Earth. Nature's pathways, if unhindered, will call the innate understanding forth and reconnect us with the unlimited source of healing of the vital force.