Westacre Newsletter issue #1

Posted on July 22, 2013 by hilde

Thank you so much for signing up for The Magic of Connection and the
Westacre Newsletter. We’re really grateful for your support.

These letters will bring you features, interviews and practices that
don’t appear anywhere else. In this issue, we start off with a simple
healing ritual that will help you find your centre in an chaotic world.

You have also received the first part of The Magic of Connection by
now. This 9 part course builds into a meditative ritual practice Twitter
connecting you deeply to the land and to yourself. I have been doing
this meditation daily in her garden for years, and it has been a great
source of healing and comfort in difficult times. Give it a go!

Please also let us know what you think of this e-mail. If you have any
ideas for articles or features, they are also very welcome. You can
contact us at newsletter@westacre.org.uk

Enjoy your first issue,

Hilde

## Coming Home – a ritual

Our busy daily lives often throw us off centre and leave us feeling
frazzled. Just travelling to and from work can be an ordeal. This very
simple ritual will bring you back to the heart of yourself with the help
of the Four Elements.

You need a representation of each element: Earth, Air, Fire and Water
(e.g. stone, feather, flower, shell)

Put the symbols around your circular working space, in the appropriate
direction. Cast a circle if you want to.

Sit in the centre of the circle. Take some breaths and centre yourself.
Stretch your awareness to the edge of your circle.

Walk around the edge of the circle. Sense which element draws you first.
Sit down with the one that speaks to you most loudly.

Become aware of that element in the place where you are working. The
solid Earth beneath you. The Air, always moving, touching your skin. The
Fire of Sun or Moon, of things living and growing. The Water of the
nearest stream, of rain, and of life ebbing and flowing.

Let each element heal you. Let the tensions in your body flow into the
solid Earth. Let your thoughts dissipate in the wind. Allow yourself to
shine with the light that surrounds you. Let your emotions flow freely,
away to the river, to the sea.

When you feel ready, move the symbol of the element from the edge of
your circle to the centre. Pause for a moment and just feel the element
in your body: the solidity of your flesh and bones; the air flowing in
and out with your breath; the fire of your life force warming you; the
waters of your body ebbing and flowing with each heart beat.

When you are strongly centred in that element, let your awareness of it
subside and return to the edge of the circle. Start walking around your
circle again, and go to the next element that speaks to you.

Work your way through the four elements, until all your symbols are at
the centre.

Sit and enjoy this for a while: this is your home, your centre, fully
balanced by the elements.

When you feel ready, gently draw your awareness from the edge of your
circle inward, to a distance that feels comfortable. Close your circle
if you cast one.

How does this ritual make you feel? What has changed? Write about it in
your journal and carry this centred energy out into your world.

## Featured blog posts and links

– EarthLines:

A few months ago, I came across EarthLines Magazine. It is dedicated to
nature writing, publishing articles that speak beautifully of our
connection with the land and its inhabitants. It is published quarterly.

I have subscribed to the electronic version of the magazine, and am
impressed by the beauty of its writing and its images. If you would like
a taster, go and have a look at the EarthLines Review, a web site that
publishes shorter articles in between issues of the magazine. Nature can
become our culture as we learn how to live in harmony with the Earth.

http://earthlinesreview.org

– Four Pathways to Connected Living:

As people who are concerned for the Earth and her inhabitants, we all
need support. We need to know that we are not alone, and that we are
strong enough to face up to the many challenges we face.

There are many things that we can do to conserve our soul as we do the
work to protect the Earth and each other. I have grouped them into four
Pathways that help us deepen our connection and our resilience:

The Pathway of Love helps us draw on the love we feel for our beautiful
home planet for motivation and sustenance. The Pathway of Sorrow allows
us to express difficult feelings that come up as we face many
challenges. The Pathway of Transformation helps us look at ourselves
from a different perspective, finding our true identity as part of the
natural world. And the Pathway of Service guides us to practical action
that is aligned with our soul’s purpose.

I intend to put together a collection of resources for each of these
Pathways. Eventually, there will be links, books and courses; meditative
practices, rituals, and practical suggestions. Read more here:

http://www.westacre.org.uk/spiritual-centre/four-pathways-to-connected-living/

## What you can do to help

Quick and easy:

– Tell your friends about the free Magic of Connection course.

– Share our blog posts on social media. Liking them is good, but
actually sharing things that you find interesting really helps us find
our audience.

– Comment on our blog posts, on the actual web site. Tell us about your
own adventures in connected living. This will get conversations started
that add value for all of us.

Get your hands dirty:

– Come and visit us at Westacre. Join in with what we are doing. It is
an opportunity to learn new skills and to hang out with us in our
beautiful garden.

## Stay in touch

*Our contact details* are here:
http://www.westacre.org.uk/contact

Westacre Newsletter – issue 1

Posted on July 22, 2013 by hilde

Hot off the press

Introducing the Westacre Newsletter

Thank you so much for subscribing to The Magic of Connection and the Westacre Newsletter. We’re really grateful for your support.

This newsletter will bring you interesting articles and exclusive offers. You may get
– a meditation from the Westacre Spiritual Centre,
– a ritual to sustain your soul and your land,
– an interview or guest article from another adventurer in connected living,
– an exclusive offer or competition from an affiliated businesses,
– savings on courses and events,
– or any other goodie we think you might like.

The features in this newsletter will come to you, our subscribers, first. They will only appear in the newsletter archive after any offers or competitions have finished.

You have also received the first part of The Magic of Connection by now. This 9 part course builds into a meditative ritual practice connecting you deeply to the land and to yourself. I have been doing this meditation daily in her garden for years, and it has been a great source of healing and comfort in difficult times. Give it a go!

If you have NOT received any installments of The Magic of Connection, have a look in your junk folder. If the course has ended up in your junk, PLEASE LET US KNOW. We’ll try to prevent that.

We hope you enjoy your first issue. Please let us know what you think of it. If you have any ideas for articles or features, they are also very welcome. You can contact us at newsletter@westacre.org.uk

Enjoy your first issue,

Hilde

Latest blog posts & links

From the Spiritual centre:

- Four pathways to connected living: an introduction
As people concerned for our planet and its inhabitants, we can get disheartened by the challenges facing us. Here are four Pathways to keeping our souls well fed and strong.

- Weaving my soul back into the web
What the Magic of Connection can do for you in difficult times.

From the Westacre Project:

- External wall insulation vs ground source heat pump
What combination of insulation and heating would work for you?

From the Web:

- The unexpected antidote to procrastination
What we are afraid of and how to get over it.

- Holding a door open for the ancestors
Why they should be the ones driving the car.

Coming home – a ritual

You need a representation of each element: Earth, Air, Fire and Water (e.g. stone, feather, bright colour, shell)

Put the symbols around your circular working space, in the appropriate direction. Cast a circle if you want to.

Sit in the centre of the circle. Take some breaths and centre yourself. Stretch your awareness to the edge of your circle.

Walk around the edge of the circle. Sense which element draws you first. Sit down with the one that speaks to you most loudly.

Become aware of that element in the place where you are working. The solid Earth beneath you. The Air, always moving, touching your skin. The Fire of Sun or Moon, of things living and growing. The Water of the nearest stream, of rain and of life ebbing and flowing.

Let each element heal you. Let the tensions in your body flow into the solid Earth. Let your thoughts dissipate in the wind. Allow yourself to shine with the light that surrounds you. Let your emotions flow freely, away to the river, to the sea.

When you feel ready, move the symbol of the element from the edge of your circle to the centre. Pause for a moment and just feel the element in your body: the solidity of your flesh and bones; the air flowing in and out with your breath; the fire of your life force warming you; the waters of your body ebbing and flowing with each heart beat.

When you are strongly centred in that element, let your awareness of it subside and return to the edge of the circle. Start walking around your circle again, and go to the next element that speaks to you.

Work your way through the four elements, until all your symbols are at the centre.

Sit and enjoy this for a while: this is your home, your centre, fully balanced by the elements.

When you feel ready, gently draw your awareness from the edge of your circle inward, to a distance that feels comfortable. Close your circle if you cast one.

How does this ritual make you feel? What has changed? Write about it in your journal and carry this centred energy out into your world.

What you can do to help

Quick and easy:

- Tell your friends about the free Magic of Connection course.

- Share our blog posts on social media. Liking them is good, but actually sharing things that you find interesting really helps us find our audience.

- Comment on our blog posts, on the actual web site. Tell us about your own adventures in connected living. This will get conversations started that add value for all of us.

Get your hands dirty:

- Come and visit us at Westacre. Join in with what we are doing. It is an opportunity to learn new skills and to hang out with us in our beautiful garden.

Stay in touch

Twitter for in-the-moment updates and relevant links.

Facebook for daily news, photos and blog links.

Our web site for inspiration, project news, and online courses.

Our contact details are here.

How to remove a wasps’ nest

Posted on July 19, 2013 by hilde

We’re finally seeing some progress on the Westacre renovation project. This is what has happened in the last week or so:

– Our house has been measured for new windows.
– Alex has started some demolition in the hall and dining room area.
– Some re-wiring was done, because the original was not exactly to spec.
– A sheet of asbestos was found to make up the ceiling in the porch.
- There was a wasps’ nest in the roof space above the asbestos.

A wasps’ nest, not unlike the one that was in our porch.

Trying to take asbestos down is bad enough without a colony of wasps getting all annoyed at you for threatening their home. And while we would love for all creatures to be able to live and thrive in their own way alongside us, wasps right inside an area where Alex needs to work is just not an option.

Clearly, we had to take drastic measures.

Alex found a couple of great resources on the internet, telling him exactly what to do about the wasps:

WikiHow Get rid of a wasps’ nest: a step by step guide on how to proceed.

And a how-to video:

Some pro tips:
– Wear protective clothing to protect your hands, face and neck.
– Do the procedure in the evening, when all the wasps are in the nest.
– If you have to use a light to see what you are doing, put it somewhere away from you. You don’t want the insects to get attracted by the light from the torch in your hand.

I’m glad, and sad at the same time, to report that the procedure was a success. The porch ceiling was dismantled without any wasp-related misadventures.

Do you know of a better way to remove a wasps’ nest? Something not involving nasty chemicals, perhaps? Please do share your insights below.

Blow your mind with awe and wonder

Posted on July 16, 2013 by hilde

Step onto the Pathway of Love, part 2 Slugs are the enemy. They have eaten virtually everything I’ve tried to grow in my veg patch this year: carrots, parsnips, brassicas, beans. All gone. So I’m not particularly impressed with slugs at the moment. But I decided to do a little research. What useful niche do these creatures [...]

Making an ugly house look good

Posted on July 12, 2013 by hilde

Let’s not mince words here: Westacre’s house is ugly.

I fear it may well have been quite a smart 1930s house before Alex’s parents got their hands on it. They were the ones who replaced the rounded bay windows with a square bay. They bricked up the original front door. And they decided that the grey Tyrolean render was a good idea.

What do you think?

Westacre as it looks now.

We would like to remodel this frontage and make it look better. We are aiming to take the design about 25 years further into the past. We’re going for Edwardian smart.

Of course, you can do things to a house and you’ll only really know what the result looks like when you have spent all the money on brickwork, new windows, a modified roof and insulation. To give ourselves some sort of idea, Alex has spent a few days working on a photoshop pre-visualisation of what we’re aiming for.

As you can see, we will be putting the front door back where it used to be. The house instantly looks more comfortable with itself. We are also going for smaller windows. Not just because we like them better, but also because this is the NW side of the house, that gets all the nasty cold and wet weather. Smaller windows will help us keep it warmer.

An impression of what we’re aiming for.

If you compare the two pictures, you will also notice that everything looks a little wider. This is because of the 10 cm thick external wall insulation we will be installing. We’ll also have to extend the eaves of the roof a little, to accommodate the insulation panels.

With some nice windows and tiles making a feature out of the pointed gable, we think it looks quite smart. The porch across the front gives it some added romance and will also keep callers dry. I can just imagine myself sitting in a rocking chair out there, watching the sunset.

Come to your senses

Posted on July 9, 2013 by hilde

Step onto the Pathway of Love, part 1. The Pathway of Love For all of us world changers, it started with love. Whether we are volunteers for charity, fully paid up activists, or fighting the battle in our vegetable patch, we are all doing it for the love of the Living Earth and her children. Somewhere along the line, [...]

Weaving my soul back into the web

Posted on July 3, 2013 by hilde

Idiopathic pancreatitis. It came back and put me in hospital for a few days. The pancreas is an important organ that makes different kinds of hormones and also produces chemicals that help with digestion. Mine doesn’t behave very well. In the past two years, it has become inflamed twice, for unknown reasons (that’s what makes it [...]

External wall insulation vs ground source heat pump

Posted on June 21, 2013 by hilde

When you start thinking about shrinking the carbon footprint of your house, you come across a variety of options. The only way to make a sensible choice is to weigh them up against each other, and work out what brings the best return for investment, both in money and in carbon saved.

The benefits of a ground source heat pump depend on the amount or space you have and the kind of fuel you are replacing.

In the early phases of our planning for the Westacre Project, we looked into the benefits of installing a ground source heat pump (GSHP). GSHPs extract heat from the ground in your garden to heat your home. The technology doesn’t use any fossil fuels and requires little or no maintenance. In the end we decided not to have one. Why not?

GSHPs work most efficiently in a well insulated home. They work at much lower temperatures than your conventional central heating. The system can’t heat your house effectively if it is draughty or loses lots of heat through solid walls like ours.

Clearly, Westacre’s 1930s house wouldn’t be up to that. We would need to do something drastic to improve our insulation. We are planning external wall insulation and good quality draught-free windows, as well as insulation under the floor and in the loft.

Installing external wall insulation on your solid walls can save a lot of carbon, and of course, money.

It turns out that installing external wall insulation to a high standard is very effective indeed. If you were to insulate a standard three bed semi that is heated with gas, you could save up to £460 in heating bills and 1.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. That is a significant saving.

Our house is larger and is detached, so our savings will be even greater. We certainly noticed just how leaky it is at the moment when we discovered we were using over £6 a day to heat the whole house during the cold winter.

External wall insulation is not cheap. If you get a contractor in to install the insulation, for that typical semi, it may cost you between £9,400 and £13,000. That’s an eye-watering cost, but our whole aim is to spend the money up front so our house will be very cheap to run and virtually carbon neutral in the long run.

Of course, we could have a ground source heat pump as well. It would work effectively for a well insulated house. But the system is also very expensive: £9,000 to £17,000, and wouldn’t give us that much added benefit.

The typical gas-heated semi mentioned above would in fact lose money from operating its moderately efficient GSHP as compared with just burning gas. If the GSHP was performing at best efficiency, it could save about £110 per year and 850kg of carbon. GSHPs are most effective if you are currently heating your house solely with electricity. If you are in that situation, it could save up to £650 per year.

When Westacre is well insulated, it probably won’t need as much heating as a GSHP can generate. It would not be worth the extra investment. Just insulating the house well should keep us warm for most average weather conditions. We will have to live with our insulation for a while to work out how much extra heating we will need. For extra cold days, we intend to install backup in the form of solar hot water and a wood burning stove with a back boiler.

Our intention is to make the house as carbon neutral as possible. This obviously will reduce our impact on the climate. But on top of that, it will protect us from any fluctuations in fuel prices in the long run. For now, we may be able to save up to £500 per year, but who knows what our investment will be worth when gas prices rise?

Do you have any experience with either external wall insulation or ground source heat pumps? Please share below.

Sources:
Figures and insulation image from the Energy Saving Trust. Their web site is a great source of information, starting from turning off your lights all the way to generating your own energy.
GSHP image from UGE.

Four Pathways to Connected Living: An Introduction

Posted on June 16, 2013 by hilde

Westacre’s Spiritual Centre is slowly taking shape. I have written a basic framework for its teaching and put it on the Westacre web site. If it speaks to you, please share it widely. Over time, it will become a great resource for strengthening your soul in times of uncertainty. Click here to go to the page.

Sheep’s wool vs. phenolic board: How we made the choice

Posted on June 13, 2013 by hilde

Our concern about climate change have led us to an ambitious project. We intend to move our 1930s house into the 21st century by massively reducing its need for active heating.

The main part of this project is improving the insulation. We plan to envelop the entire house in a layer of external wall insulation that keeps the heat inside. For this job, we will use 10 cm thick phenolic insulation board.

You may ask: if you are that concerned about the environment, why are you using a man made material? Why aren’t you going for something natural, like sheep’s wool or straw?

Does it make sense to use a material that ultimately derives from crude oil? Well, for us it does.

Our main restraint is that this project is a retrofit. We are adapting an old house for the future. If we had the means to start from scratch, we probably would choose different materials. As it is, we have a 1930s house that loses heat through its solid brick walls. We need to find a solution that works for us.

The speed at which heat is lost through particular materials is measured in U-values. On average, a solid wall (which is how the main part of the house is built), has a U-value of 2.1. Newly built house walls nowadays have a U-value of 0.3. We are aiming to go better than that, to about 0.23.

What would we have to do to get to that value for different materials?
- phenolic insulation board
- sheep’s wool
– straw bales

1. Sheep’s wool

Wool works best layered between structural elements. (image from www.greenfsonline.co.u

I love the idea of wrapping my house in a nice warm woollen blanket. Natural materials certainly have an appeal, and for some projects, wool would be the right choice.

For retrofit external wall insulation, however, sheep’s wool isn’t practical. This material works best when it is sandwiched between two structural walls, like the two parts of a cavity wall. We would have to somehow attach the wool to the outside of the existing wall, and then build another structural wall outside that.

The U value of 10 cm of wool is 0.42. In combination with our solid brick wall at a U value of 2.11, that brings us to a total of 0.35, which is above the value we’re aiming for. We would have to make the insulation twice as thick to come to our ideal value.*

2. Straw bales

The advantage of straw bales is that they are structural. In other words, you can build a wall with them and it will stay up. It is a great material to build new structures with, as it also has a high level of air tightness. If we were to start from scratch, this would probably be one of our materials of choice.

However, to get to our ideal U value of about 0.2, we’d need to wrap the house in straw to a thickness of 40 cm. That is rather a lot of straw and would give us very thick walls. We would have to extend the eves of our roof quite a long way to cover this.

3. Phenolic insulation board

Phenolic insulation board is light and easy to work with (image from cheerforeduct.en.ec21.com)

Phenolic board is extremely light and easy to work with. So much so, that we are intending to do this part of the installation ourselves. Covered by a mesh and a special render, it is also very durable and flexible.

We will only need 10 cm of phenolic board to come to our overall U value of 0.23. This is a better standard than modern newly built houses.

We calculate that this will be enough to cut out gas central heating all together. With luck, we’ll be able to install the insulation, and the new windows, this year. We need to live with it through the winter to find out how much heating we will actually need.

Here’s hoping that solar hot water, a wood burner, and phenolic insulation board will keep us cosy even in freezing temperatures.

Have you made similar choices? What worked for you? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

*To find out how U values are calculated, click here.