Elders 7 – Samhain

Samhain, when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest, and our conscious thoughts turn to our ancestors, those who have gone before us, those in our family or friends or animals we have lived amongst and are no longer with us.

Thanks to the Pear Tree (Michelle Cheesbrough) who collaborated with Kinda Education for this event.

We gathered in our circle to call directions:

Starting at the East, from where the sun arises, as our earth turns. The place of our becoming, the opening
Turning to the winds of the south, the place of heat and fire, the place of long summer days, and fire in our bellies, gives us the passion to follow our dreams
Turning to the West to the winds of water, of which our bodies are 70%, we are mostly water, and water surrounds us, as we surrender to the flow of our emotions, loves dreams. Water in the tears of our eyes, water that waters our plants
Turning to the winds of the North, the earth the soil beneath our feet and all that lives therein, that emerges from it, the fruiting bodies of the mycelleium, the boundary layer of moss, the place to which we will return as our ancestors did, the place of our ancestors.

We are but star dust.

Collecting the objects of our ancestors we had bought along we walked to the cabin, which was resplendent in golden leaves of hornbeam illuminated in stunning October sun. Here where we made an alter for them and wrote up our memory of them on a heart to hang on the weeping Hornbeam.

After lunch we introduced our ancestors to the gathering: the Ey Ey guardian who took care in the absence of parents; the finding of the story and the orchard planted by the war time Kinda transport; the husband of 20 years ago; the fishwife grandmorther; the friend who died; the grandmother who had huge pockets out of which she would find all sorts; the family ancestor dating back to 1250. They all came and sat, ate lunch, meandered with us.

These people who shaped us, taught us, prodded us, reminded us of kindness, had time for us, gave us a belly laugh, challenged and activated us. It felt a gift today to bring them out into our minds, and out into the wood, among our friends and strangers.

There was still a slice of time for compassionate conversations with with Guy in the cabin, and to weave with Kally and her loom and drink a bit of chai.

With us this day, by chance came Hugh, one of Kinda’s ancestors. Hugh enabled us to begin. From Hugh we received seed money and our name Kinda, based both on kindness and on ‘kindalike this’.

Thank you Guy for returning after a long time, and being with us for the day. Thank you Pear Tree Michelle for working with us, and Seva and Dinah for coming along to support.

Virginia – we will look out for that excellent fire blower.