Today Pete’s energies were focused on building the compost loo with Rob, Jaro, Yanze and Kevin. I cleaned the toilets with Maria, a short term volunteer from Spain, so had the chance to practice lots of Spanish – I was surprised how much was coming back to me – this place feels more and more … Continue reading Embercombe day 7
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Embercombe Mac interview day
An early start, as nervously we prepare for our first formal interview. We are speaking to Mac at 9am – this is the moment we have been waiting for – we are so desperate to get it right, but still so wet behind the ears! Macinvites us down to his house – a modest old … Continue reading Embercombe Mac interview day
Embercombe day 6
The morning circle huddles together, like penguins against the icy cold wind. People are cold and tired – the winter is tough when you live and work outside. Someone asks in circle why we are still meeting outside, when people are unwell, and the weather is hostile. Surely this is an example of when a … Continue reading Embercombe day 6
Embercombe day 5
We join morning circle a couple of minutes late, but quickly slot into place around the symbolic Children’s fire. There is a sense of magic in the air, as though the earth is holding us… “the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would … Continue reading Embercombe day 5
Embercombe Day 4
With Friend’s weekend over, breakfast is a slightly less ceremonious affair. Now is the time we fall in with the REAL working life ofEmbercombe. From snippets of conversation here and there, we start to get a feel for the place, the individuals here, and their place in this community. A slightly smaller morning circle, which … Continue reading Embercombe Day 4
Kanyini
Before he shows Kanyini, Mac plays the footage from his most recent TedX talk. This was actually organised by some incredible friends of ours – check out their work here. I appreciated Mac’s candour, as he described his previous experience of panic attacks before public speaking, which started shortly after he acquired Embercombe. He also … Continue reading Kanyini
Embercombe Day 3
Again, the alarm bell awakens us to an awareness of birdsong, the call of a solitary pheasant, the woodpecker… but where is the shroud of mist that slowly revealed the land early yesterday morning, the sea that awaited the wooden Galleon as we set sail on our adventure? Is it in our nature to always … Continue reading Embercombe Day 3
Council – the children's fire
First on the Agenda throws the Children’s fire into question. “Has the children’s fire just become and emblem for Embercombe, or is it really a part of the vision, and hence the vision?” This is a big, and challenging question, yet despite this it is given due respect and contemplation by the council, including Mac, … Continue reading Council – the children's fire
Embercombe Council
This weekend is also a special weekend at Embercombe, because it is the quarterly meeting of the Embercombe council. The Council runs over 2 days. It is a non-decision-making space, which emphasises the importance simply of talking, generating ideas and holding space to work through and resolve issues relating to the Embercombe community. Read more … Continue reading Embercombe Council
Embercombe day 2
We awaken to peace and birdsong. Stillness surrounds us. Space. “We need to live in the woods”, I say to Pete. When we emerge from the van, and start our ascent to the communal yurt for breakfast. A thick blanket of cloud sits across the valley, the tree-line like huge mountains reaching up from a … Continue reading Embercombe day 2
