Written by Kay,

Last night at Design night we came to an agreement about how and what we will celebrate over the next year….. we were already regularly celebrating the Summer and Winter solstices, as well as the Spring and Autumn equinox’s, and we are doing that by each bringing the things from our past that we hold dear that relate to these times, along side  rituals we are creating out of life on this land… eg Koanga Institute has an Autumn equinox holiday when we all go with villagers blackberry picking, make wine and create a Harvest Festival  display and dinner. On the Spring Equinox we go over the Managaone stream to the magic hawthorne tree to have a picnic and hang prayers and or painted egg shells in the branches, and we also go on up to the source of our Spring to acknowledge the water and give thanks. Milk and eggs are key items we acknowledge and celebrate in our food at this time.

We will continue to add little bits and rituals as people join us and as we grow in confidence around ritual and celebration. Of course the children are always in the front of all the ideas and action at these times…. and with 6 children here now the numbers are climbing.
We agreed last night to add to that a fire circle on each 1/4 moon, largely to reflect on what is happening at the time of the moon for each of us and all the other living parts of our ecology…….. the fire circle is on the village green in the maple cluster, and we have been meeting there now for 5 years so it is beginning to hold a specialness about it.

We also decided to meet each Sunday from 10:00-12:00 to do stuff together, whatever feels relevant.. today was whittling whistles from elder wood  and making elderflower champagne and beetroot wine and lemon and elderflower cider.. Festive season is coming up… and we imagine our activities will largely be based around the seasons, the land and supporting each other in various ways.