EarthSea is still in transition from EcoVillage to non-profit Shamanic Society. The sale of the ecovillage site provides seed-funds towards the purchase of another site for stewardship, ceremony, ritual, gatherings, practice, etc., with the possibility of residential community once again in the future.
Two supporters of EarthSea (one a member of the former Ecovillage), purchased land at Chester Grant on Highway #12 . The property backs onto Middle River giving access to beautiful swimming and scenery with some old-growth trees and rapidly recovering forest land. The owners have generously offered to donate a parcel of this river frontage to EarthSea Shamanic Society for its use. The stewards of this land, Carla and David, have already prepared a new traditional sweat-lodge (originally a lodge for Carla's private use which she has graciously extended to the EarthSea community during this transitional phase), and the frame of a totally new structure which will soon be inaugerated as an Alchemical Lodge. Yes, EarthSea Shamanic Ecovillage has formally disbanded as the land was sold in July 2007. Hundreds of people were touched by and learned from the bold experiment in environmentaly friendly community, and the founders made the decision to move and shift the focus of EarthSea with some sadness. However, out of this will come a new EarthSea entity, a registered non-profit Society devoted to Sustainable Spiritual Community. This Society is in the visioning and planning stages now. You are invited to join the fray to help shape the Society and usher in the New EarthSea! You are invited to help us shape the New Expanded EarthSea. Just send us an email request to be put on our EarthSea Society list to receive notice of meeting dates and minutes of meetings.
EarthSea was officially founded as a community in 1997 on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. The past nine years were amazing years of learning and growth for those involved. Literally hundreds of people spent time in the community greatly enriching the experience of community members and supporters and finding enrichment in turn.
The experiment was a stunning success in the shamanic aspect. Our maillist of active supporters/users contains over 200 names. Group support allowed EarthSea members to attend and participate in Sundance Ceremonies over a number of years. A core group of supporters is working hard to make sure the services and essential activities of EarthSea will be continued in a sustainable manner.
In the ecovillage aspect the results were mixed. We shrank our ecological footprint mostly by sharing spaces, utilities, appliances, vehicles, food purchases and our lives. We lived "low on the hog" and went a long way in learning what is "enough". And what is NOT "enough", too!
We did some organic gardening including the planting of food perrenials, some grafting and lots of wildcrafting. Alternative construction included the main straw-bale, hybrid house: various privies; a solar greenhouse utilizing a gray-water system; a "tree-house" using mostly recycled materials; teepees, traditional sweat lodges and a Celtic sweat lodge. We have done a lot with very little.
A big piece of the ecovillage work involved learning to live amicably and supportively together. We studied non-violent communication and A Course In Miracles-based "clearing" method. We met twice a week for process work and logistics planning.
Our monthly full-moon celebrations, sweats, seasonal celebrations and birthday celebrations have kept us group oriented. Our outreach activities have resulted in a public profile-"those EarthSea people sure know how to have fun!"- and identity that has also created group solidarity among significantly more that just residential members.
Members helped one another create and operate businesses that enriched way beyond the bottom line. A Shamanic Dance Troupe, a spirit-oriented travel business, a studio for shamanic, psychotherapy and herbal counselling, a cross-cultural interactive education busines, a crafts retail business, a drum-making concern and a retreat business are some of the ventures we have been involved in with one another.
So, you may ask, why did we wind up the ecovillage experiment?
The underlying flaw was the land-base ownership. The founders owned the core property and counted on the use of adjacent family property for day-to-day village activities, member shelter and village expansion. Shortly into the experiment, extended family needs for the short and long-term land use changed, rendering long-term village sustainability and even immediate expansion impossible. This discouraged potential members since opportunities to create adequate shelter were diminished and no long-term assurances of village viability could be given. People were naturally reluctant to invest significant resources, effort and time in an enterprise without a solid future.
In part because of the ownership "problems", EarthSea attracted many people with relatively few resources and short-term ideas of committment. We learned a great deal from one another and had terrific good times together and shared a lot of love. However the short-term nature of many of these relationships often undermined an already weak resource base.
Many life-lessons, business lessons and intentional community lessons were learned at EarthSea Shamanic EcoVillage. Many of those lessons will hopefully help in the creation of a strong new Shamanic Society that can carry on core activities and continue to serve, educate and inspire others.
902 766-4129
Box 95 ¥ Riverport ¥ Nova Scotia ¥ Canada ¥ BOJ 2WO
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