Architecture LIVE 4
| Architecture LIVE 4 |
| I am prompted to enact a ritual to mark the recommencement of work on the frame. I dig out, somewhat by chance, a message from my Australian friend James Henderson who introduced me to the clay-straw technique which I intend to use to complete the walls. It says: |
| ‘With any building I usually connect with the local Deva and ask for permission to be able to build a structure that enhances the relationship between humans and the spiritual world. Then I dowse for location and material selection.’ |
| There has been a continuous line of communication with the nature spirits on the land since I first began work. So strong were the early exchanges that I felt another presence there. |
| It was Alanna who first alerted me to the fact that the spirits of the place wanted to know more about what I was doing. Once I revealed my intentions being on the land became a constant joy. The unfolding of my life from that point onwards has been much more consciously inner directed. This has carried me deeper and further into the mystery of life. |
| I dowse to ask if a recommencement ritual is appropriate and obtain a ‘yes’, then ask for a time and for details of offerings that might be acceptable. I feel a sense of relief that coincides with the feeling that Siog is where I am meant to be. |
| Preparations are carried out in glorious sunshine. I gather wildflowers and branches to decorate the frame. I feel a new level of trust that it is good for my life to be here. I see the passage of time in the growth of trees I planted. Vigour. Tenacity. Blossoms. |
| At 12 we begin. |
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| ‘ I ask to revive this sleeping frame To draw it from the realms of sleep and possibility Into the now That we might enclose it And occupy the sacred space within.’ |
| A bell rings and further words are spoken in front of the decorated workbench altar. This is followed by a clockwise round of the frame, blessing the four corners. Then we move to the centre and speak aloud the longings most precious to us. |
| Afterwards, we lazily ride our bikes to Willie & Natalia’s and sit in their yard, checking our emails. This does not seem absurd at all especially when I see Willie taking a picture of his goat looking over the halfdoor of the caravan-office! |
| The world drifts into our consciousness and we lob emails into cyberspace. This is far removed from the immediacy of life around us. Bees hum at our feet. Birds busy themselves about the place. Cats stroll by. |
| By evening work is in full swing. Grass is being mowed, compost heaps moved and the first glob of daub is being pummeled into submission. I immerse myself in clay slip that I might familiarise myself with its texture and characteristics. I throw in some straw and mix by hand. It feels good, like nestbuilding. |
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| The drawings I have made of the frame take on new meaning. I can now see the changes which have been wrought from my first conception of the design. So much in my life has changed that it is a wonder that any vestige of the original remains. I can clearly see what needs adjustment and how this kitchen-living space will adjoin the remaining spaces. |
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| The life to be sheltered within these buildings is not visible on the page but it is palpable nonetheless. Dream and possibility push forward anxious to play their roles. |
| So the job of quantifying and sourcing materials and of planning the construction sequence begins. |
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| Architecture LIVE 5 |
| Architecture LIVE 3 |