The Hay Barn

I love the focused quiet rhythm of repetitive labor. It doesn’t happen all the time but its blissful when you arrive in that flow state. A timeless, well-rooted feeling floods over me and I feel very human. The rhythm of my toil and tinana (physical body) a symphony, an extension of the great pulse of lifeforce itself. These are songs of the earthly realm, for when working the material (physical) realm, one is literally moving earth with earth; matter with muscle & heat. The earth sings when we move with her heart beat.

 

The result of our sweet mahi: successfully transforming 'The Hay Barn', and hopefully altering its destiny forever! For it was only this morning one could barely walk inside; stuffed full to the brim and capped with a happy, vast pile of  mysterious odds’n’ends waiting to be forgotten.

 

Graveyards of stuff belong to a linear model of living, one where we aren't responsible for our impact on the earth. A terrible cultural mindset born of industrialism & materialism. One we are facing the consequences of now, as the environment chokes with pollution & all this stuff has no where to go once it reaches its 'used by date'.

 

Recently I was confronted with 'the state of things' as per this linear, capitalist model. I'd proudly diverted an entire ute & trailer load of 'stuff' from landfill, driving it down to the local zero waste center. On the trailer was 4 mattresses, mattresses that I believed had more life in them. Sadly, they all ended up in the landfill pile at the zero waste center, despite my heroic intentions. On my drive home I contemplated how many mattresses there are lying in houses across the country. Most of which are destined for landfill, that was a heavy 'state of things' to digest. It soured my spirit for a good few days.

 

So you can imagine, it was pretty rewarding taking the time to deep dive into the Hay Barn…. As deep as excavating a long-forgotten rat fortress built out of shredded plastic, home to its mummified architect. I sincerely thanked the spirit of the rats and welcomed their support in our quest to bring beauty, functionality and order to this old Hay Barn.

 

Meeting with the weave of wildlife inspired me to create a Nature Alter by mounding organic matter up against the front barn post. I raked rotten wood, hay and whatever else into a mini mountain. hoping insects and elementals (nature spirits) will find shelter in there. Hoping flowers will one day grow from here, and it can be a humble but functional ode to the fae kingdom.

 

It is my sincere and yet whimsical theory that by honoring the unseen ones, we are consciously opening the door to harmonic, co-creative relations with them. It is my experience that this kind of relationship is invaluable, in any creative endeavor, but most especially when it comes to land management. We have so much to learn from them. The trick is re-learning the art of listening and play.

… Gosh, stress, fear and capitalism certainly does shut down ones connection to the magic of this world.

 

Singing to quiet a different tune, I had a special hippy-commune moment, its this enchanting vibe that’s always felt like home for me. Colorful threads, dense incense, laughter and freedom.

I felt the rippling of time, as I salvaged & graded the useable timber from the barn. Excitedly we envisioned a simple, user-friendly storage system, where people could easily find what they needed. Making otherwise buried and rotting resources accessible and much more likely to be used. While simultaneously and hopefully preventing the random piles of salvaged wood that end up scattered across the property. Implementing systems is exciting; trailing proactive solutions to the chaos of communal living.

At one point I could see some future creative resident searching through this scrap-wood to find the perfect piece for their artistic project. Mahi like todays lay the foundation for a culture that relates to the material realm differently; a culture founded on responsible, functional circular models of living. That’s what permacultures all about really.

 

Its an old folk belief that we always have everything we need within a few paces, that our environment and the universe provides.  Its a different kind of abundance, if your meant to complete a certain project, its most likely that the resources are near by or will present themselves soon. If the timings not yet right, of there are pieces missing, something better will come along soon, the weave is still revealing itself, there are forces of abundance that are greater then us. Trusting and opening to this invites that magic in. Many a time I've embarked on a creative endeavor and lent into this ethos, finding just the right amount of resources waiting for me. Often times pushing my creativity and leading me to a far more interesting result.

 

Resourcefulness is a joy, it keeps your mind young & creative fire healthy. For me and Sam resourcefulness is a artform. We joke that we specialize in making things work from nothing, by that we mean what's lying around. There is a cost to convenience, our way takes hard work and an investment of time.

 

As we settle into the farm, I've taken to singing first thing in the morning, and at sunset. The sun gives us so much lifeforce and warmth. For me it’s the truest, simplest and most direct way to connect with the Source. Sunset is a special time. There's a moment in the suns decent where the light balance crosses a threshold, there;s a quiet that washes over the landscape. It is during this time of light transition, the golden hour and beyond that the veil is thin.

 

We have started the habit of sunset strolls, soaking up the quiet songs of the landscape as the days activities assimilate. I find this a magical time, where its easier for me to communicate with the unseen ones, I have insightful and humbling conversations with (mostly) nature beings. I learn lots, but in-directly. More like subtle shifts, attunements in my being. Grounding, connecting to land changes us. And as we heal, so does the land. That is part of this beautiful dance we call life. We get to weave and be woven by the magic of the living world around us, and all its subtleties.