Last
night we welcomed in the solstice at our now familiar spot on the
Salt Way, an ancient trading track which travels from the coast at
Whitstable to Canterbury. As usual it was pretty chilly up there on
the hill, we could see our breath but the little fire warmed us. The
wind blew through the leaves in the poplar trees sounding like
running water and seagulls quietly flew overhead towards their
evening roosts.
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| Half a moon peeps out between the rustling poplar leaves. |
In
my last blog I wrote about experiencing awe and cultivating wonder.
In creating a midsummer ritual of processing, with others, up to that
same location year after year we are choosing to mark time and make
our own magic. Being there in nature, sitting high up between two
busy roads we are able to just be, becoming
human beings once again.
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| Placing the pot into the fire in the circle. |
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| The glowing objects from within the kiln. |
This
time I took up, amongst many other treasures a clay pot that I had
made as part of the Whitstable Biennale.
The pot had been fired among many other hand made objects in a
spectacular outdoor firing event held on the beach a couple of
weekends ago. Run by Josephine Callaghan and
supported
by Tom Barnett and Sarah
Cameron,
the kiln was made and fired in situ, creating a wonderful display in
itself with a backdrop of the sun setting into the sea.
 |
Josephine about to unveil the glowing objects
|
 |
Summercamp Whitstable Biennale 2018
|
So,
a lovely connection was
made last night from this past fiery passionate event to
a
much
quieter, reflective event on the hill. I took
my fired pot up with me to the same spot we have sat and celebrated
for
the last 5 years and placed
it onto
the fire and filled it with some
seawater
I had gathered the previous evening after a wonderful
swim
in the sea. As the fire burned the water evaporated and it is only
now when I look at the photo that I can see salt forming on the top
edge and
inside
the pot!
 |
| The pot with evaporated sea salt within it. |
What
a discovery! We had inadvertently made salt in a ritual fire on the
Summer Solstice on the ancient Salt Way. That certainly has made me
realise that I need to be more observant and keep enjoying and
creating 'awe-some' events for myself and others to connect
'People-to-place.'
 |
| Happy Solstice! |
I
will leave this blog with a couple of quotes from two of my favourite
writers and practitioners. Sandra Ingermann and David Abram.
'We
once again welcome in the solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere we
greet summer as well as the return of the dark...Often in life we
lose sight of what is important. And we can really get pulled outside
of ourselves and lost in the trance of the collective....We have to
make a decision to open the prison doors and use our invisible senses
to connect with the beauty of the universe we are part of. Earth is
one single living organism. We are part of the organism we call
Earth.' SI
'...along
with the other animals, the stones, the trees and the clouds, we
ourselves are characters within a whole story that is visibly
unfolding all around us, participants within the vast imagination, or
Dreaming of the world.' DA
 |
| warming hands... |
I
love to teach others and facilitate space for them to create, so I
run art and design workshops in
my own strawbale studio throughout
the year. These can be either 1:1 or for a small group and I charge
from £15 per hour.
The
next ones for the exciting and accessible art of Gelli-printing are
on most Wednesdays and Fridays throughout June and July. They run
11-2pm and cost £40 pp including all materials and refreshments.
Call
or text 07432679164 if you would like to be booked in or email me at
clare@people-to-place.co.uk
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