Dear friend,

Thank you to all of you who responded to my question in the previous issue. It is great to know that this Newsletter is getting read and appreciated. You’ve helped me complete my harvest.

And thank you to everyone who is reading this. I hope you enjoy this Samhain issue.

Although the weather is still very mild, the nights are drawing in and the autumn colours are more intense. The Earth is getting ready for winter, gathering the Summer’s growth to herself and keeping its riches for the growing season to come.

As the famous yin-yang symbol shows so clearly: everything contains and is contained by its opposite. The dying leaves of autumn are food for the new growth of spring. And everything that is fresh and new carries within it the beginning of death and decay.

Today’s meditation will take you deep into the darkness, beyond the veil, to find what seed of light is held within.

I would also like to introduce you to one of my most constant teachers. Oriah Mountain Dreamer and I have never actually met, but her books and her Facebook updates keep drawing me back and inspiring me. I hope she will do the same for you.

And for this season of darkness mixed with astonishing colour, I would encourage you to celebrate the humorously spooky side as well. Dress up as your most evil witchy self. Carve a pumpkin. Be spooked by the children who come trick-or-treating at your door. Balance the seriousness of this time with play and laughter.

Blessings of the Ancestors to you and yours,

Hilde

## In this issue
– Deep in the darkness – a meditation
– Oriah Mountain Dreamer – a source of inspiration
– Ways to help Westacre and win a Tarot reading

## Deep in the darkness – a meditation

This is the time of year when everything invites us to look at the darker side of life. Plant life is dying. The darkness grows. Soon, frost will edge the fallen leaves, precipitating the decay of all that once was green.

As we align our life with the cycles of Nature, it is good for us to look at our own darkness, at the parts of our lives that caused tears, at the parts of ourselves that compound suffering when it comes our way, at the circumstances that hurt.

The purpose is not to hold on to these things, but to truly feel them and let them go, like an autumn leaf on the wind. But autumn leaves are not just discarded. They are transformed into rich nutrition for what will grow next year.

Go to your usual place of meditation. Even when the frost does come, I prefer to work outside, wrapping myself in layers and my warmest coat. Choose a place where you can be comfortable and undisturbed for some time.

Sit down and take a few deep breaths. Let your body relax with each breath, letting your consciousness descend towards the Earth.

Let your roots and your mind touch the nearest tree, or a tree you know well. Let yourself feel the fallen leaves all around. Allow yourself to just be aware of the tree’s process of letting go of the year’s growth.

Call on your strength to be with you. It doesn’t matter how you experience this. You could simply feel your own life force hum within you more clearly. Or you might feel the tree you are with extend its protective aura around you. Or perhaps an animal or another spirit will show itself to your mind’s eye. Just let your strength be what it is.

When you feel settled, bring to mind something that has been difficult for you this year. It could be an illness, a loss, a relationship of any kind. Just hold it lightly in your mind.

Centred with your own strength, allow yourself to feel. Allow any feelings that surround this patch of darkness in your life to arise. Don’t judge it. Don’t hold on to it. Just sit with it. Be aware of how you feel. Allow the feeling to move through you any way it likes. If things get hard, call on your strength for support.

You will notice that, as you practice, these feelings slowly dissipate. They may wash through you and into the Earth. Or they may be borne away in the wind. Just notice what happens. Stay with the process as long as it is meaningful to you.

When all the feelings have passed, you are left with just the issue you are working with. Let your mind’s eye see it, right in front of you. Don’t force anything to appear. Just let the first image or impression come and stay with that.

As you watch, the image resolves or transforms into a luminous gem. This is the essential part of the issue that can feed you and teach you. Allow all other impressions to gently fall away, like leaves in Autumn.

Reach for the luminous gem. Just hold it in your hand for a while. There is no need to try and work out exactly what it is. The forest plants have no need to know the name of the nutrients that feed them. Just allow it to be its luminous self.

What would you like to do with this gem of inspiration? Will you absorb its light? Take it away with you in your pocket? Leave it by the tree, to find again another time? It is your choice.

When you are ready, give thanks for the teaching and the protection you have received. Let the images fade and return to your place of meditation.

Make yourself a cup of tea and a snack. Write down what you have experienced. And trust that the luminous teaching of your life’s experience will feed you for years to come.

## Oriah Mountain Dreamer – an inspiration

Twenty Years ago, a woman wrote a poem that went on the inspire many people. And as the Internet expanded, Oriah’s The Invitation was shared across the world.

The poem is a wonderful invocation of a life lived with intense awareness of ourselves and each other. Oriah went on to write three small books that are full of personal stories of her own faltering attempts at living that very Invitation.

You will find a lot of parallels between Oriah’s writing and my own. She has been a constant inspiration to me ever since I first read her books. We will both speak of acceptance and letting go of efforts to improve ourselves. And both of us speak of the beauty of life in its everyday extraordinariness. Only, of course, she says it so much more beautifully than I ever could.

You can find The Invitation poem, a link to Oriah’s blog, and an explanation of her rather New-Agey sounding name on http://www.oriah.org/

## Help Westacre spread its story

The Westacre Facebook page has been languishing at about 96 ‘likes’ for a very long time. It gives you daily updates on the Westacre Project, blog posts from the Project Blog and my own weekly writings, and since recently a cute animal of the day – my attempt to make up for a lack of cats in her life.

I will give away a free Tarot reading to the 100th person to ‘like’ the page. Depending on your location and preference, this can come to you in person, over Skype, or via e-mail.

http://www.facebook.com/Westacreproject

If you want to find out more, our contact details and our presence on social media can be found here:

http://www.westacre.org.uk/contact

Dear friend,

As we gather damsons and apples at Westacre, I am truly grateful for my harvest. I have had a wonderful year.

It hasn’t been what I expected. We never really started our renovation project, for various reasons, including unhelpful professionals. But personally, I feel I have grown so much. My spirituality has taken root and flight at the same time. And the Magic of Connection has reached 80 or so people.

And then there are the potatoes, damsons, apples, and nasturtium flowers. And the sweet scent of Autumn descending on the Westacre garden.

One thing is making me wonder, though. I would like to ask you a straight question:

* Are you reading this Newsletter? *

I have put out six issues of the Westacre Newsletter before this one. There have been two interviews with interesting Pagans (is there another kind?), meditations and a ritual, and an article about lunar rhythms. There have also been reviews of web sites and events that are working on solutions for the troubles of our world. All offered completely free to people who registered for the Magic of Connection.

Did you read them? What did you think of them? Did you try a meditation or a ritual? Did you order anything from Carolyn Mee Bendy Dolls? Her discount offer is still valid until the end of October, exclusively for you!

So far, I have had no feedback at all from these Newsletters. You could add so much to my year’s harvest by sending me your thoughts. How was The Magic of Connection course for you? What do you think of the content of this Newsletter? Which bits have you liked? What other content would be interesting to you? And if it hasn’t appealed, why not?

Just reply to this e-mail and give me your thoughts.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to respond.

Blessings of autumn sunshine,

Hilde

## In this issue
– A ritual of thanksgiving for the harvest
– Tree Sisters – a young but ambitious charity
– Ways to help Westacre produce content that is useful for you.

## A ritual of thanksgiving for the harvest

The closest many of us come to the physical harvest of the Land is in the vegetable isle in the supermarket. And there, the harvest seems to go on without fail, all year long.

What really happens out in the fields is of course different. The very clearly defined seasons of Western Europe see the world rise into life, flourish, and fruit each year, before everything dies back again in to the Earth for the cold sleep of Winter.

Celebrating the actual and metaphorical harvests of our own lives at this time of year gives us an opportunity to connect ourselves to the rhythms of Nature. Doing so gives our lives shape and meaning. Try this simple ritual and get in tune with the year’s rich harvest.

To prepare for your ritual, you will need to gather a few things. For each element around the ritual Circle, gather at least one thing that you have harvested this year. Give it some thought. What are you proud of? What are you grateful for?

For Air, you may pick a poem you wrote, or the notes from a course you took, or a song you composed. Anything to do with the mind, with language, with sounds carried in the wind.

For Fire, choose a painting, or your best crochet project. Or choose something you achieved through sheer force of will. Anything to do with visual arts, passion and purpose is appropriate here.

For Water, select a token of progress you made with a health issue, photos of yourself with good friends, or something you cooked. Anything that speaks of love or healing, or appeals to taste and smell, is great for this element.

For Earth, you may want to bring actual fruit and veg from your own garden, or something that required strength and patience to make. You may want to bring your bank account, if your business has been successful. Anything to do with the physical, the practical, and with monetary wealth fits here.

Arrange your harvests around your working space in the appropriate directions. If you have limited time or space, you could just put a stone or other object in each direction. Just be very clear about what each one represents.

Put a candle or an object of natural beauty at the centre of the Circle.

Cast your Circle formally, or just slowly walk around your working space, marking its edge. Sit at the centre of the Circle for a while, feeling your personal energy expand slowly into its area.

When you are ready, move to one of the directions. It doesn’t really matter what order you do them in. Choose what feels right in the moment.

Sit down with your harvest in that direction. Take your time to give thanks. Who was involved in bringing you this harvest? What inspired you to create this thing? What materials did you use? What spirits supported you? Let your thanks go deep and wide. Now move your object from the edge to the centre of the Circle.

Move to each of the directions, speaking your thanks out loud if possible. Let your voice touch the Web of Life, carrying your thanks to the spirits who brought you your harvest.

When you have finished, sit at the centre of your Circle and feel the abundance you have been given. Consider what you may give in return. Perhaps you can sing your gratitude right now. Or perhaps you feel you need to give a physical offering at some other time. Celebrate in whatever way seems appropriate.

When you are ready, close your ritual in the way you have started. And may the gratitude continue within your being, within your life.

## TreeSisters – a global network of women to help reforest the tropics

I’m not a joiner. It took me years to join my Druid Order. I’m not a member of anything. So when I tell you that last week I joined TreeSisters, you know it’s significant.

The founders of TreeSisters were concerned about the challenges our planet faces, especially about climate change and deforestation of the rain forests. So they decided to do something about it.

Their strategy is twofold. First of all, they intend to collect money for existing organisations who plant trees, aiming to reforest the tropics in the next ten years. Secondly, they are growing their charity through the leadership of women.

The reasons for wanting to reforest the world are clear: trees produce the oxygen we breathe and capture the CO2 that is damaging our atmosphere. Tropical trees grow faster than our moderate climate ones, so they can be of benefit faster.

At the same time, TreeSisters aims to encourage women to find their unique power and to use it actively for the good of our world. In recent centuries, economies and countries have been run by men, and where women have succeeded in making a contribution, they have had to adapt to the male ways of working.

But what if that has done more harm than good? Perhaps it is time now for women to step forward from their own strengths and lead us in a new direction.

Right now, TreeSisters are only a seed, just sprouting. They are building their early supporter base and are working on a structure for volunteers. It is a very young organisation that encourages women come together and shape the organisation. Men, also, are invited to consider what they may contribute.

Clare Dakin, co-founder of TreeSisters, speaks passionately of her vision and her ambition for this organisation. Watch her on YouTube and decide if you would like to support her work.

http://www.treesisters.org/

## Help Westacre produce content that is useful to you

Please reply to this e-mail and let me know what you think of the Westacre Newsletter.

If you want to find out more, our contact details and our presence on social media can be found here:

http://www.westacre.org.uk/contact

Dear friend,

As you have noticed, Westacre’s Newsletter is a bit of a moveable feast. Most of the time (but not always) it will get to you on a Monday. Most of the time (but not always) it will come every other week. It’s just a matter of juggling it along with all the other balls in the air at Westacre.

In the last week, we have had some friends to stay who were waiting for their rented accommodation to become available. They have been very helpful, weeding a patio area and mowing the lawn. They also gave me some healing when my famous stomach ache took a serious turn for the worse. It was great to have them around. We love playing hosts here at Westacre.

We have finally broached our damson harvest. We picked 12kg of fruit, and turned it into 45 jars of damson jam. And that represents only a tiny proportion of the damsons still on the trees. We are thinking of putting out a ‘pick-your-own’ sign. If you would like some, come and help yourself. Bring a bag.

I have hooked up with my OBOD community in another way as well. Last Sunday, I took part in Cornovii Grove’s ceremony for the Autumn Equinox. Druids work together in Groves, and this is an old and established one. It was lovely to see some old friends and meet some new ones. I’m looking forward to the Samhain version already.

On Saturday, 28th September, a remarkable event in the history of British Paganism took place at Glastonbury. Alex and I both got involved. This Newsletter contains an impression of the day.

Blessings of the colouring leaves,

Hilde

## In this issue
– Interview with Carolyn, from Carolyn Mee Bendy Dolls
– Exclusive offer from Carolyn Mee Bendy Dolls
– An impression of the Warrior’s Call, a ritual to protect Albion against fracking.
– Ways to help Westacre spread its story.

## Carolyn Mee, pagan, craft maker and home educator: an interview

- What gave you the idea for the bendy dolls?

“Handmade by Mee” is the result of years of making things with the boys as part of our Home Education journey. I have always been a creator and crafter. As a child I loved to make things. I would make books to write in and draw in from scrap paper, I learnt to sew and knit with my mother, I made origami from Rupert annuals. I even tried quilling and fondant decorations for cakes!

I am very interested in the Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) style of education and although we have never followed its methods exactly, our autonomous style of education has allowed us to bring in many of its ideas. I was most interested in the nature appreciation and the simplicity of the toys, in line with my Pagan views.

We started a season table and along with the things we collected on our many dog walks, I made a Mother Nature, a Father Winter and some simple Flower girls. The patterns/ ideas came from some Waldorf books that I bought, along with some more complicated play dolls.

I love the colours and the quality of the 100% wool felt. I then found some bendy wooden figures and made clothes for them, but we didn’t like them as much as the dolls in ‘Felt Wee Folk’ by Sally Mavor. I used her book and my own ideas to make some Forest Folk, including Forest Elders which the boys loved.

I made them a forest setting with pine needles, fir cones and branches that we collected, and some simple wooden chairs for an exhibition that Rob was doing in our local library. I also made Faeries, witches, wizards and flower girls and packaged them up for sale.

From there I was invited to a local craft fayre and then Facebook brought requests for Mini Me’s, Harry Potter, Pink and Stuart costumed dolls with the Wedding Dolls in frames following soon after. I have also made flower girls and faeries in frames which can be personalised with names and dates of births for christenings.

- All this is part of a bigger business you run. Tell us a bit more about that.

My husband and I run ‘The Nook’, a small picture framing shop in the canalside village of Cropredy. Rob displays his artwork and framing skills on the walls, my dolls, fairy doors and felt creations on sale there along with some carefully selected crafters’ work….pottery, small leather goods, organic soaps , prints and cards.

My working life is threefold:

I have the day to day housework and mum hat,

I have the education facilitator hat,

And I have the creator/crafter/business woman hat.

But it doesn’t really get broken down in that way. It is more holistic than that. Our days are usually a combination of all three. If I tried to separate it, I don’t think myself or the boys would be happy. I’m not very good at compartmentalising things.

– Do you have a daily spiritual practice?

I guess it’s the same with my spirituality. I don’t see it as a separate thing. It is not an act of worship, as such, more a way that I live my life. My love of nature and the outdoors being the biggest part, with the people I see and communicate and surround myself by, being another. Like minded individuals and families are very important on our journey. Support from and for others is what it is all about.

– How did you come to live on a canal boat?

We have always spent a lot of time in the woods or along the canal, and always talked about living on a boat. We have come very close on several occasions, but this time we just had to seize the opportunity with both hands and see where it takes us!!

‘Warspite’ is a 60ft narrowboat that was commissioned by the Royal Navy in the 70’s I believe. It has been dressed up as a submarine and used as a training boat for the Sea Cadets when it had a total of 12 bunks! The present owner bought it about 8 years ago and converted it to a very basic live-aboard for himself and his partner.

Following a change of circumstances, we are now renting it with a view to buying it as soon as our house sells. It has given us the opportunity to try boat life before committing ourselves financially! As I said it is all very basic, and needs some TLC, but I love it.

- What does the Magic of Connection mean to you?

We are so close to nature on here. I hear woodpeckers drumming against the tree trunk early in the morning (I even managed to see him once!), ducks dabbling along the side of the boat, eating the algae, I guess. We see the bats and house martins swooping along the water at dusk, hear the owls at night, and the swans stick their heads in the side hatch for their bread crusts!

This is my daily practice. Listening to the sounds of nature; observing the seasonal changes; watching the moon phases; seeing the sun set and watching the mist creep across the water in the morning.

This is the Magic of Connection.

– You can find Carolyn’s work on her Facebook pages:

http://www.facebook.com/BendyDolls

http://www.facebook.com/HandmadebyMee

## Bendy Dolls exclusive offer

Carolyn’s little felt bendy dolls are delightful. She makes woodland people, fairies, brides and grooms and fairy tale creatures. She takes orders for ‘mini me’ dolls of yourself or your favourite film star or sports personality.

Especially for you, Carolyn is offering a reduced price of £15 for a Matching Door and Doll set, as well as a 10% reduction on individual dolls and doors. This does not include postage and packaging.

This offer is valid for the whole of October. Get your Christmas orders in early!

You can contact Carolyn via her Facebook pages. Please include the code WN6-B3ndy with your order.

## The Warrior’s Call – an impression

Glastonbury is known by some as the heart chakra of the world. It certainly is a powerful place. I think of myself as quite solid and grounded, but in Glastonbury, I float off into a state of otherworldliness.

The magic there is palpable. The Tor rises high over the town, and at its foot two springs discharge their water: the Red Spring, full of iron, in the Chalice Well Garden, and the White spring, coloured with chalk, just a few hundred yards away. To many people across the world, this place is deeply sacred.

But the very springs that make Glastonbury so special are threatened. The shale rock under Somerset, and many other parts of the UK, contains natural gas. Corporations are intent on harvesting this gas through the unconventional method of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking. The process involves many dangers, to our global climate, to the local environment, and to the wells of Glastonbury themselves.

Fracking involves forcing fresh water laced with many chemicals deep into the earth. This fractures the rock and lets the gas escape. The waste product produced by this process is very toxic and radioactive water. Methane also escapes during the process.

The chemicals pumped into the earth and the waste water can easily contaminate ground water sources, including the ones that feed Glastonbury’s wells. Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, and it will contribute to global warming before we even burn the gas extracted.

Because of the threat to this sacred site and our environment, a call went out to all pagans to gather for a ritual of protection at Glastonbury Tor at midday on 28th September. Many people answered the call. Satellite rituals sprang up across England and around the world. Pagans spoke with one voice to protect our land and our sacred sites from fracking.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Tor on Saturday, bringing drums, rattles, and their brave hearts. At the centre of the circle stood a group of friends, who through shared dreaming had prepared a ritual full of colour and sound.

After the Druid had called Peace to the quarters, the elements were honoured. For each element, a large dragon, carried by up to ten people, ran around the circle to the sound of cheering and drumming.

The God Gwyn ap Nudd, guardian of the Tor, and the Goddess Bridie, guardian of the sacred wells, were called into the circle. A Warrior spoke with passion about the sacred land. He called on Arthur, who sleeps in all of our hearts, to waken and protect the land in this time of need. He called for people to drum and focus the power of protection into the centre of the circle.

The power of the drumming rose and swelled. Representatives of the four elements directed it into a grid of protection that stretches across the land. As the work went on, a heart shaped cloud formed in the sky above the Glastonbury wells.

As the rite ended, the Warrior asked everyone to speak a pledge to keep working for the protection of the land. Individuals took their oaths, atop the Tor or as they left the field. These were the words many people used:
I swear
to work both practically and magically
for the protection of Albion against fracking.

Many wonders, some so unlikely that I hesitate to repeat them here, attended our ritual. A beautiful, heart-felt magic was worked. May it continue to spread across the land.

“A blessing on your heart. A blessing on your quest.”

## Stay in touch and help the Westacre Project

Please help us spread the word about the Westacre Project and the Spiritual Centre. The more people we find who are interested , the more we can inspire to take their own steps towards connected living.

Our contact details and our presence on social media can be found here:

http://www.westacre.org.uk/contact

The nights are drawing in. The weather has cooled significantly, and along with an abundant harvest of fruit, the first colours are appearing on the trees. Autumn Equinox is upon us.

Just yesterday, the Westacre project rounded an important corner. We paid a deposit for new windows. It has taken us a long time to work out a compromise between what we wanted and what we were prepared to spend, but we’re happy with the outcome.

Trouble is that every other aspect of Westacre’s insulation depends on the windows being installed: everything else connects to them. And Winter is coming. Hopefully, we’ll at least have better windows by the time it gets cold.

With the help of some friends, I have been working hard on the video content of the Ritual Toolkit course. It is all looking very beautiful, and I can’t wait to share it with you. The launch date very much depends on when Alex can write the software for us to get it to you.

On 22 September, the Sun slips from the sign of Virgo into Libra, marking the Autumn Equinox. It is a brief moment of suspension between the light and the dark. In this newsletter, you will find a meditation for that time.

On 28 September, a remarkable event is taking place in Glastonbury. Have you heard the Warrior’s Call? More below.

May this Autumn bless you with

Hilde

## In this issue
– Suspended: a meditation for the Autumn Equinox
– The Warrior’s Call
– Ways to stay in touch with Westacre

## Suspended: a meditation for the Autumn Equinox

The days have been slowly getting shorter since the Summer Solstice. At first, the change only took seconds off each day. Now, close to the Equinox, each day is four minutes shorter than the last. The nights draw in fast.

Very briefly, in the rush of change, the night is equal to the day, dark balanced with light. The Equinox. A brief moment of perfect poise before we fall into growing darkness.

As an opportunity to experience that moment of stillness, I offer this meditation.

Go to your place of meditation. Take your time to settle into a comfortable position. Take a few breaths and become aware of your body. Allow it to relax into the floor or the chair you are sitting on. Let go of the tensions of the day.

Close your eyes, and find yourself standing in front of a beautiful old apple tree. Its old, bent branches reach up to the sky, and its canopy is filled with hundreds of blushing fruit. See, feel and sense that tree. Speak your greeting.

Feel the edge of the tree’s field of energy. Enter its space respectfully. Walk up to its trunk and sit down against it. Take some time to just lean against the tree, to feel its presence.

When you feel settled and relaxed, allow roots to grow down among the roots of the tree. Let it show you how to be rooted. Rest in the solid Earth.

Now let your consciousness rise up into the trunk of the tree. Become aware of its upright strength. There is no boundary between your body and that of the tree. Feel strong and solid.

With an out-breath, let your consciousness stretch into the tree’s branches. Reach up into its smallest twigs, into the sky.

Become aware of the tree’s leaves, touched by sunshine and wind.

Feel the fruit of the apple tree. This year’s harvest is plentiful. Many fruits are growing and ripening on this tree. Feel their fullness, their lush fruitiness.

Concentrate your consciousness on just one apple. Feel it. Be aware of the stalk that connects it to the tree. Sense its flesh, getting sweeter under the touch of the Sun. Notice its skin, yellow-green and blushing red. Its little crown, where a flower bloomed and died. And five pips at its heart.

Be that apple. Allow yourself to ripen. Allow yourself to sweeten and expand. Become your most fruitful self under the warmth of the Sun. Relax, suspended from the tree.

Rest and be still. Relax and surrender to this moment. Stay there as long as you like.

When you are ready to return, feel the stalk of your apple coming loose from the branch. Suddenly, you drop to the Earth. Take some time to settle there, to become grounded in the Earth.

Reach for the roots of the tree, and your own roots that you put down amongst them. Let your consciousness rise through the roots back into your body.

Feel yourself as separate from the tree. Feel your own integrity, riper and sweeter now. When you are ready, return to your place of meditation.

If you need grounding, eating an apple is a wonderful way to do that now.

## The Warrior’s Call

In the last newsletter, I spoke about my concern about fracking, the controversial practice of fossil fuel extraction that is officially called hydraulic fracturing.

In very real terms, it comes down to using poisoned water to crack open the body of the Earth so that gas or oil can escape.

It just doesn’t sound like a good idea. There is a long list of risks to the local environment. And both the process and burning the fuel obtained will contribute to climate change. We can’t afford either.

Many of us in the Pagan community share these concerns. Many of us have signed petitions and shared their concerns through social media and in conversation. A few have gone to Balcome and participated in direct action.

One Druid decided this threat is so severe that something special needed doing. He dreamt up the idea of doing a ritual on Glastonbury Tor for the protection of the Land. He put a call out on Facebook, hoping to get 50-odd people to join him. He named it the Warrior’s Call.

But word spread. Soon, dozens of people reacted. Hundreds shared the event with their friends. The whole thing expanded way beyond expectations. It got too big for the top of Glastonbury Tor. Satellite rituals will be taking place at the same time across Britain and around the world.

Right now, about 1700 people have said they will be in Glastonbury at noon on 28 September to take part in a public ritual to save Albion from fracking. I will be one of them, and so will many of my friends.

We will raise protective energy that will spread across the Land. A strong shield of power to save the Earth from more damage done by humans.

Never before has such a large group made ritual together for one common purpose. Would you like to be part of this historic event? Answer the Warrior’s Call.

Www.facebook.com/Warriorscall

## Stay in touch and help the Westacre Project

As things are finally happening on the renovation project, you can follow us step by step on Twitter.

Several times a day, Hilde tweets inspiration, news and useful links on environmental issues. Her blog posts and Facebook updates from the Westacre Page are also posted there.

You can find us at twitter.com, as @HildeWestacre

Please follow us there, and retweet anything that appeals to you. This will help us find the people who are interested in the Westacre Project and the Spiritual Centre, so we can inspire them to take their own steps towards connected living.

Our contact details and our presence on social media can be found here:

http://www.westacre.org.uk/contact

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