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REBUILDING CULTURE
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We are not profit making – it’s
the nature of the task. We have conquered
through these many years by the unflinching
commitment of our small, stubborn, crazed
band of warriors, heroes and visionaries.
And through support from
people who love what we do.
To continue far into the future, we are trying a new approach to help steer the
work deeper in and further out, beyond the lives of Shivam, Erika and Paloma.
A few words from Erika:
"My heart longed for a home and I found it amongst you in our
village. When Spirit Horse came into being it was a small tentative
gathering run like a family. Over the years it organically grew into more
than we ever imagined. The old ways of organizing ourselves are not
enough any more. Shivam's suggestions are significant both in terms of
survival and breathing new life into this village. This is a heroic attempt
to catch up with the times. Open your ears and hearts and be counted!"
Rumi says: "If you have not lived as a lover,
Do not count your life as lived."
Shivam says:
"Since the seed of what was to become Spirit Horse first took
hold in the valley there have been many changes. We, in the
early days, as Erika often says, did not foresee the blossoming village to
come. It has come and beckons us as individuals to take our authentic
place in the hoped-for true community.
To me it seems as if a golden yet arduous time which involved
tremendous struggle and pioneering is over. The heroic age of Spirit
Horse was, as they always are, short and much talked about. Now we
have a settlement. A settled place where something reminiscent of ancient
village life can be glimpsed from time to time. And a growing wildwood
all around it of which we can be proud.
It is time for it to get a little easier!! A place where we can stroll
leisurely."
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Community Sponsorship
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To help us continue with our vision, we are requesting those of you who believe in what we do to make a monthly donation of at least £9 (or £2 a week) or an annual donation if that is easier. The workshop fees are not enough to cover our important work in youth initiation, and rebuilding sacred community. If we want to continue as a community, far into the future beyond our lifespans, then we need to establish a solid foundation for the future.
We are also seeking sponsors, to make a monthly contribution of at least £12 a month, who may not wish to attend anything but simply hold in their hearts a desire for the continuity of our vision.
This vision, if it has to be described in a nutshell, is the
remembering of a culture of sensitivity, awareness, holiness and beauty,
with all the music and silence, that senses divine play in the relationships
of individuals, communities, nature and the unnameable vast awareness
of which all are part.
If that sounds too big or vague it is an evolving new form of
community attempting to unearth the keys of true culture where
happiness is found in sacred relationship to each other, the natural world
and the generations that will inherit the consequences of our actions.
If you just wish to attend our retreats and meetings, then that is good too! You may decide that you want to become more involved with us in the future!
Please note: All financial incomings and outgoings will be accounted by Robin, the holder of the community purse strings and Community Accountant. All requests for money from the community account to aid in Spirit Horse Community projects, will need to go through Robin.
Please contact Ian (info@spirithorse.co.uk) for the bank account details if you wish to set up a standing order or make an annual payment.
You will be invited to a community camp and may qualify for further discounts on some events.
If you have not been involved with us before we do ask that you come along to one of our events first, or know about our work.
One thousand 'thank-you's to those of you who have made a donation or are inspired to start donating. We greatly appreciate your generosity.
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Shared Responsibility
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We are also asking those of you who are involved in the Spirit Horse community, and can dedicate your time and skills to take on additional responsibilities which were once shouldered by a small few. Going forward, we need to share the responsibility and pass down the knowledge and skills.
We do ask that you attend a few Spirit Horse events before volunteering. We need to know you before we can shoulder you with such responsibility!
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One Year Youth Apprenticeship
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During this year's community camp it became clear:
That if we are to maintain the Spirit Horse Village in the future, we would need three months of summer involving skilled people and unskilled learners.
That those learners could be any or all of us but should definitely include the youth.
That we should attempt a Spirit Horse apprenticeship, to pass on the much needed skills.
That we need to support those who have hands on skills - carpenters, cooks, tentmakers, and so forth. Both in getting the necessary done but also in teaching and creating a year or so of training for young people.
The emerging idea, which came from the youth of the community, is that we need to provide a year of apprenticeship of teaching, challenge and application. To offer young people and anyone who wants to learn. The nature of the time should be that at the end of it, those that have stuck it out, WOULD know the basics of carpentry, carving, tent making, stove making, clothes making, fire making, cooking for 100 people, and other valuable skills. In short all the skills necessary to run , repair and make beautiful the Spirit Horse Village. And by extension become useful people wherever they are in the world, capable of contributing in many ways to the emerging creativity and challenge of our times. On top of the practical skills we would add essential stories, ways of speech, style and poetic maturity.
Parents especially, and the community at large would need to financially support this and skilled people would be enlisted to be the elders of the project.
To try it out we propose a short Skills Intensive this August for all young-ish people who want to give it a go. Those interested should be prepared to do as they are told, work long hours and learn so much as to be someone else at the end!
Shivam is delighted to announce that this idea came from the young people themselves - in particular Silas and Jo Moss.
If you want to be part of the apprenticeship idea please email shivam.spirithorse@gmail.com.
All young people interested in the One Year Apprenticeship to apply personally to Shivam. Also, please contact Shivam if you are interested in the Skills Intensive (see calendar for dates.)
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Communtiy Camp
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This year we held a community camp for the regular supporters and those who are involved in the community. This community camp is an opportunity to give enough time to the enormous adventure of what a new form of community can be. We are building on over twenty years of creative attempt and exploring all the possibilities of the future, acknowledging that the whole adventure is due to land in the hands of the next generation, sometime soon.
What can be passed on? How? How to keep the magic, the spontaneity and yet create a form that could live on exalted beyond the original warrior hunting band stage.
A place where the rare and true glimpses of who we are and who we can be, thrive and dream and can be seen on the pathways between the lodges and homes of the Village that Faces up to the Sky.
We have talked much about ways to share the running of the camp between the whole community. This camp aims to set up some new structures to ensure the place can live and grow beyond the first push and into the lives of the new generation. Or at least we will try. And the attempt will have to be born amidst all the noise and music of true creativity.
Certain days are dedicated to certain areas. If you are passionate about any of them - try to be there to help make a good and beautiful road forward.
If you can't make it you can be sure there will be plenty to do next time - but we do not have the space, intimacy or leisure for these things at the Cauldron of Plenty - and that is also the end of the summer. This is new beginnings in a New May full of hope and love.
The community camp will be held in May. Limited to 50 on site at any time due to planning restrictions. Priority will be given to the regulars and supporters of the community, and those who want to work and help maintain the camp.
The last camp held in May 2011 was a great success with solid foundations laid for the future, and valuable work was undertaken.
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The Forest of Dreams
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Over 20 Years of demanding and exhilarating
work have given birth to many projects into
which have poured our longing, energy,
desire and love. One of these is : THE FOREST OF DREAMS - a
registered charity to raise funds to buy and preserve the gorgeous
valley which has been a perfect summer home
for all our ceremonies, meetings and
retreats over the years and for the valley to naturally
return to the wild, to return to its'
"original face."
The Forest of Dreams is a registered charity, which is separate to Spirit Horse and the above schemes. For those who
see the importance of The Forest of Dreams, please visit ;
The Forest of Dreams website for further details.
Please note - All donations for The Forest of Dreams must be made to The Forest of Dreams and not Spirit Horse.
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Evolution and continuity
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"Let us put our minds together and see
what we can do for our children." - Tatanka
Totanda (Sitting Bull)
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We are deeply concerned that we approach a
manifestation of traditional, ceremonial
culture, wisely, astutely and with
integrity. In particular developing
‘rites of passage’,
‘coming of age’ ceremonies
which would help us to pass on whatever we
have learnt; our growing forest, our
inheritance and our understanding to the
next generation. We are not there yet but
we are moving in that direction. Signs are
that some of our youth are prepared to go
to great lengths to be keepers of the land
and of sacred understanding and carry this
work into the distant and unknown
future.
This involves work, time, study and travel
usually coupled with the day-to-day,
year-to-year running of the Mountain Retreat,
programme of events, visits of outside
groups, and general administration. Young
people who have been with this work during
their growing years have openly, formerly
offered to carry this on. In financial terms, we hope the community sponsorship will fund this work.
We hope to leave behind something of worth
in terms of beauty of culture, spiritual
roots and preserved land to those
generations that follow us.
“I took care of things entrusted
to me” - from the dying speech of
the high hero Beowulf
“May these efforts be the cause of
great happiness and may great benefit
arise”
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Rebuilding Culture - Why Community?
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Our work begins with individuals who come
to our workshops for their own entirely
personal reasons (healing, spiritual
search, adventure, looking for fun, or
prompted by some form of crisis or unknown
inner secret guide.) People long for change
whilst also being scared of it actually
happening. For those who continue with this
work, a natural graduation occurs. From
concern to get something for oneself, to
concern for one’s part in the big
picture. From need for gratitude. Often
with us moving towards taking part in the
recreation of a sacred culture together.
That is; a culture that is fulfilling to be
part of where ones individual diversity,
idiosyncrasy, secret edge or even craziness
plays a respected, acknowledged or even
sacred role in the evolving culture of the
tribe or community.
Woven into our workshops is an attempt to
address the question of what sort of
culture we wish to be held in and
ultimately to pass on. This exploration
broadens out to challenging (and having a
lot of fun with) our various notions
surrounding speech, dress, music, poetry,
dance, storytelling, architecture, shared
work, children, and relationship to
responsibility and each other. All of this
can be brought to a thunderstorm of
creative crisis by doing something holy
together, a display to the gods of our
longing, gratitude or sense of sacred
exchange: this display is called ritual. We
have found ourselves revelling in the
humour, grief, and struggle inherit in this
evolving work.
What this work requires is human qualities
such as enthusiasm, openness, generosity,
humour, willingness, work, playfulness and
authenticity. And financial support, which we hope to get from our community sponsorship scheme.
Many people are looking for ways to feel
better, few are looking for something to
contribute towards or take responsibility
for. Though that in the end is at the heart
of much of our longing. To find our true
worth and work and to be part of something,
to contribute towards something greater
than one’s self. Something great and
beautiful. This beautiful thing could be a
community involved in sacred ways sharing
the adventure, humour and learning as they
stumble along together, magnificently.
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