| A core value shared by
all at Songaia is respect for the Earth and all the
beings that make their home on it.
|
View out over our meadow from
Songaia
Common House
|
Each of us has our own vision
and manner of connecting with the Earth: for some
gardening is a form of meditation; others walk
the paths, listening to the birds and noting
seasonal changes - the appearance of a living
under the eaves. pair of hawks that nest
somewhere nearby, or the swallows
|
|
| Our forested hillside offers
quiet seclusion, while the view across the meadow
toward the evening sun opens a larger
perspective. Living here helps us all stay
grounded, connected to the living world around
us, in the midst of our busy contemporary lives.
|
Looking up into the Songaia Forest
|
|
Dancing the Songaia May Pole
(Common House and Barn in background)
|
Songaia's major celebration of
the year falls in late April or very early May: a
combination of May Day and Earth Day. We invite
all our families and friends, and quite a few of
our acquaintances, to celebrate the new vitality
and warmth of spring, and to honor the Earth that
supports our life.
|
|
| Activities vary from year to
year, but have always included hands-on earth
tending (transplanting trees, clearing out
brambles, tending our garden spaces, etc.), as
well as some form of ceremonial recognition of
our relationship to the planet and the rich
ecology of which we are a part. A May Day
highlight is always a May Pole dance, performed
by all (with live music, usually), producing
wonderful energetic chaos as 40 to 60 kids and
adults wrap closer and closer to the center.
|
Dancing the Songaia May Pole
(Orchard and Meadow in Background)
|
|
| The event culminates with a potluck
feast, eaten with joy and gratitude for the gifts of sustenance from
the Earth. |