Thresholds of Awareness

One of my greatest gifts is to see the highest  potential in people and places.

When I walk through a space the first five minutes gives me a vision of what the place dreams to become.

Same thing has happened with our home. In despite of the sad appearance I saw a loving and beautiful space, embraced by the Nature surrounding .

Before

In Progress

 

We moved in and contrary to our plans we had to start with the roof . It gave me an opportunity to adjust the energy using the geometry of the arch by creating an oversized eyebrow over a tiny dormer.

I built the wall in three parts like a puzzle, laminating 3/4”plywood and using the framing of the old dormer.

Why an arch?

Well, for two reasons.

One is  Nature has no sharp turns. Rivers meander,valleys and mountains and free form Honey Bee combs are almost parabolic .

Second is  an arch elevates the energy and brings in spiritual qualities to harmonize and balance. The eyebrow generated vaulted ceilings inside giving a new height and frequency to a space meant for rest and dreaming. More about it perhaps in another post.

Clay plaster on vaulted ceilings

Interestingly enough on one of my garden walks, few years later after we moved in , I did an automatic drawing inquiring about the patterns of the existing energies.

I think the picture speaks for itself.

The land holds an energetic pattern which in its pure form is like a map to wholeness. Often times these patterns are disturbed or distorted by Electro Magnetic Fields, corrupted Lay Lines , our actions and our emotions.

Hence our adventure in renovating our home  became a journey through thresholds of awareness :

1   Remembrance

We are called to places where lessons unfold so we can grow and heal.

We think we arrived to heal the place to humbly realize the place heals us. Only then we can hear its voice and bring its creative energy in manifestation.

We start remembering who we are as we peel  the layers of the place and ours towards the One and Only Light.

2. Forgiveness

Healing of the land comes two fold.

Ancestral Karma is being released off the land and also in our personal story. We learn from a point of observance to read the fine print of the story by releasing judgement.

“it brought the best of us “ my husband said. And it is so indeed because we forgave.

3. Unity

We fall apart and we come together in oneness. We are one with ALL.

4. Grounding

Living in a home during construction work is challenging .We survive the chaos through contemplation and connecting to the Earth.  Our example is the mountain behind our property.It taught us patience, being present, strength, perseverance.

5. Gratitude

Finding delight and appreciation in every little thing or circumstance opened our hearts and minds to infinite possibilities.

6. Co creating with the Divine

Learning how to step aside from our ego and draw the creative impulses while holding space for “This or something Greater” with the future in our hearts.

7. Transcending old patterns

This is our seventh year into creating Sanctuary.

It has been a summer of less doing and more reflecting on our achievements  integration and releasing.

We are transcending the old patterns of irritation and the land mirrors us showing is ready to embrace the new Light geometries.

.All is well .

My inspiration came from an incredible burning desire to create a sustainable living off the grid.  So I started to search different ways to integrate natural building into an existing  1932 ’s structure.

In parallel the pear trees we found as remnants of an old fungus contaminated orchard prompted us to look into Biodynamic farming and Permaculture.

Healing started to unfold . My drawing board was not limited to the structure anymore.It simply bloomed into the garden, naturally .

When the Bees arrived was an exuberant moment and a true demonstration of the word “COEXIST”.

Since that day what others consider weeds (Thistles, Burdock, and Motherwort just as few examples) became an oasis of feeding frenzy not just for the Honey Bees but all the other pollinators.

Bee on Motherwort

I measure the health of the land by the number of insects and creatures finding shelter and food on it.

Praying Mantis on My Garden Door

As I am writing this I reflect back into the last seven years and all the lessons . Today we honor the old Pear trees making  room for a healthier small orchard in the future.  Letting go of the old brings in opportunity for renewal.

Also we are almost half way with the renovations.

It felt as if our home wanted to secure the future (upper level)  first, consolidated its core (we lined the chimney and created the space for an wood stove which pushed us to consolidate few beams in the basement and rebuild the stairs.

We closed the porch and build a new foundation underneath it.The arch theme reverberates into the present opening harmoniously our Career Gua  (in Feng Shui the dwelling divides in nine zones called Gua) and symbolically the work we Love to do.

A beautiful  new door (by Adirondack Naturals http://www.adknaturals.com) adorns and guards our home blessing equally inhabitants, visitors and passers by.

It is a  tiny home and the idea was from the very beginning not to extend its footing but improve the space within . We are living in times when we must ponder what we should take from Nature for our dwellings considering how fragile life is.

Our footprint here is about partnership with the land, beautification as an act of reverence and pouring love in a place we call home hoping it will reverberate out into the world.

What is your footprint?

If there is light in the soul,
there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.

– Chinese Proverb