In October Earthaven’s international community researcher and advocate Diana Leafe Christian gave workshops and consultations to several intentional communities in England, and co-led a workshop on Sociocracy at Findhorn Community in Scotland with her teacher and mentor, John Buck, the man who brought Sociocracy to the English-speaking world.

Sociocracy, which means “governance by peers,” is a governance and decision-making method. Earthaven uses Sociocracy’s “Selecting People for Roles” process to elect annual officers.

“Teaching at Findhorn was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,”

Diana says. “It was an honor to co-lead a workshop with my own teacher and mentor. And do it at Findhorn — one of the oldest and most famous intentional communities in the world. I loved it!”

Findhorn was famous in the 1960s for growing unusually large vegetables on poor sandy soil with apparently channeled gardening advice, and soon became an international spiritual educational center, attracting thousands.

Diana and John led their two-day workshop at Newbold House, a Findhorn-affiliated conference center in the nearby town of Forres, and gave many small introductory workshops to groups of trustees, managers, council members, staff, and others affiliated with the Findhorn Foundation in the wider local community.

The Sociocracy workshop was so popular John and Diana will return to Findhorn to lead it again in May, 2014.

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An exciting development on Another Way this year has been the slow but steady progress on the Village Arts Building (VAB). Located right before the entrance to Useful Plants Nursery and the Third Creek Crossing, the VAB is the brainchild of Earthaven co-founder Paul Caron, known around Asheville as The Furniture Magician. Expanding his fully equipped woodshop to incorporate a working wood-products cooperative and an art and craft studio co-op on his leasehold has been Paul’s dream since before Earthaven was established.

Projects involving natural building become the hub of learning opportunities for amateurs and professionals alike. The Village Arts Building is now providing long-term interns and short-term students with a variety of opportunities to build naturally and take those lessons on with them. This year’s Natural Building School internship program, which includes folks from California, Alabama, New York and jolly old England, has to date included directional tree-felling, round peeled pole timber framing, basic rubble foundation work and dry-stack stone wall building.

Natural Building School Interns, Paul Caron (right), and friends.

Next up as the stone wall sets is a Natural Building Camp, a 6-day adventure in building with cob and compressed earth blocks that adds to the progress at the VAB. Combining the pre-made blocks with cob will allow more progress than cob alone, and will give participants an opportunity to seriously consider the pros and cons for privately and professionally building masonry walls.

Additional opportunities in natural building this year include workshops in other earth-and-straw wall techniques, cordwood and earthen plasters. Visit www.naturalbuildingschool.com for updated information and registration assistance.

The Natural Building Camp begins on Tuesday, August 24^th. Registrations are being accepted for the entire 6-day camp and for the weekend only. Cost is $100 per day or $425 for all six. You can also check in with Arjuna by phone for more information at 828 669-0114.

Arjuna da Silva is an Earthaven founder, Culture’s Edge president, and former Airspinner. She is coordinating the Natural Building School  workshops at Earthaven this summer.

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“American feet are atrophied; they don’t develop, they are inarticulate,” says Warren Grossman, energy healer and author of the book, To Be Healed By The Earth, pointing out that in cultures where people don’t wear shoes, the toes spread and the feet move quite differently while walking. “In our culture, we pretend we don’t live on the Earth.” So, the first thing he had us do in the 2-day workshop I recently experienced with him at Earthaven, was to take off our shoes. After massaging one foot, we marveled at the different sense of contact with the floor in that foot compared to the other one.

Besides massaging and stretching out our feet and toes, we learned to open the chakras in the soles and send our energy and attention down into the Earth, grounding ourselves. As our attention went into the ground, we became aware of the subtle sensation of energy rising up from the Earth into our bodies. “All anxiety comes from ungroundedness,” Grossman said. The cure? Connecting to Mother Earth.

“Love without energy is merely sentiment,” he said, “and all healing requires love.” The healer is a mediator, a conduit of Earth energy. So, despite the sleety weather, we went outdoors and experienced connecting with trees. We practiced grounding ourselves and then feeling the depth and width of the heart. To heal others, we ground ourselves, open our hearts, love ourselves first, then send loving energy to the other person through the hands; it is not necessary to actually touch the person. “The more highly organized energy field will dominate the less organized energy field,” noted Grossman.

–from Cathy’s online newsletter, EARTH & US

Editor’s note: Twenty-some participants in Warren’s workshop, mostly Earthaven residents and some friends from town, spent two days in mindful relationship with their own bodies, Earth, and each other. It was awesome! For days afterward, the increased energy in the community was palpable. Many are continuing to use and remind others about the simple, adaptable techniques gathered over the weekend. A third day focused on individual healings and some work as a group was generously given to a smaller group of community members free of charge. Stay tuned for news of Warren’s return.

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Another sign of Spring at Earthaven is the expansion of Chuck Marsh’s Useful Plants Nursery from his homesite in Benchmark neighborhood. The nursery grows permaculture and edible landscaping plants that are well adapted to our mountains and the surrounding bioregions, with a specialty in phyto-nutritionals.

Kicking off the season at the annual Organic Growers’ School, March 11, Chuck offered workshops in growing useful plants and displayed his exclusive variety of potted herbs, berries, nuts, fruits and medicinals for sale. He’ll present day-long versions of the workshop at Earthaven on April 29 and July 8. You’re invited to stop by and see what he’s got in the nursery to share, including both plant science and folklore.

Chuck’s plan for the Spring and following seasons is to expand the nursery downhill onto a leased agriculture site occupying the bottom flats of the current main campground. The upper camping sites will probably remain in place for at least another year, while the permanent campground at Hidden Valley Road is gradually developed.

Wolfberries, Jaogulan (Chinese herb), Jujube, and Goumi are some of the more exotic plants Chuck features, alongside Elderberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, thornless Blackberries, Fig trees, Apple trees, Pecans and Walnuts, and various kinds of Cherries. If you give him a holler, you can set up a time to come pick out your own pots. He’ll give you the lowdown on the health values of delicious foods you never suspected would be so conducive to your well-being! You’ll also meet Chuck at his Useful Plants stall at the Greenlife tailgate market on Wednesday and Friday afternoons in Asheville and at most local herb and gardening festivals all year long.

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