Boom Festival
If you want to get a hit of what the Boom phenomenon is all about check out their website www.boomfestival.org. The main reason I found myself at the Boom festival was because of being invited to give a presentation at the Eco Centre, for which Cynthia and I got free tickets. However, I was more than a little curious about this countercultural explosion called Boom, and sure enough this was a “gathering of the tribes” that truly blew my mind!
It wasn’t the relentless, mechanistic thud of the 22 hour a day trance beats that did it though (give me Jimi Hendrix anyday!), it was the unbridled creativity and beauty of so many of the places, spaces and people that graced the undulating hills along the lake, each with its own ambience and village vibe.
All around were amazing low impact structures made of straw bale, cob, and bamboo. Geodesic domes, tipis, and awnings of all shapes and sizes emblazoned with wild, colourful designs cast their exuberance against bright blue skies. In amongst these were delightful permaculture gardens replete with corn stalks, pumpkins and cabbages, herb spirals, ponds, sculptures and chill-out spaces that all blended to create a magical atmosphere of intimacy and harmony.
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Folks of all ages and nationalities gathered in animated groups in various locales for a smorgasbord of workshops…chanting, meditation, kundalini yoga, white tantra, aura reading, fire walking etc. There was a theatre staging dramatic expression of all kinds around the clock. In a large psychedelic tent called the Liminal Village there was a packed schedule of lectures on subjects ranging from Applied Psychonautics to Biodiversity to Experiential Astrology to Global Peace Strategies…and also the Paradigms Film Festival which featured some intriguing movies I wish I had had time to catch. Inbetween their meanderings between dancefloor, workshop, movie and beach, throngs of happy Boomers chomped and supped upon delicious fresh food, juices and chai that were available in abundance everywhere.
Others slept off the previous nights partying in clumps in the shady gardens or studiously rolled their next joint. While the festival was clearly awash in a sea of drugs, the effect in this otherworldly Boom set and setting seemed to be one of opening people up into greater connectivity and shared consciousness.
While I wasn’t drawn to joining the throng amongst the mind numbing electronic thud of the various dance floors, I was intrigued by an “original” trance dance ritual, which a friend had enthused about, that was to be propelled by real instruments over in a quiet locale called the Healing Area. A group of about 30 of us gathered in a circular sawdust dance space surrounded by drummers and percussionists of very description. After some deep breathing exercises and a brief spell of silence in which we focused our attention on the intent behind our dance, we blindfolded ourselves with bandannas. This was the key element of the ritual, taking away our dominant sense to facilitate an inner journey during the dance.
For two timeless hours I and we all danced wildly to the most incredible surging percussion music I have ever heard! I was soon swept into a state of ecstatic abandon as my body danced itself spontaneously within a vast still space of overarching nothingness. The music shifted into many different rhythms and modes so that it never became one monotonous beat. Amazingly, although we were all close together on the dance floor, we did not collide. Sometimes there would be the touch of a hand or an arm, or a light brush as we gently came together, but never a harsh bump or an elbow. While all immersed in our own solitary dance in darkness, there was also a mysterious synergy that must have moved through the group as a whole. At the end we all lay belly down in shamanistic fashion, I felt profoundly relaxed and one with the great Mother!
I have no idea whether it was directly related to the dancing but at some point during the next afternoon as Cynthia and I sat by the glittering lake next to our tent, I was overwhelmed by a state of ineffable peace, emptiness and bliss. The meditation was so powerful my mind could barely function and also I couldn’t really get emotionally in touch with any desire whatsoever to give my talk! I wasn’t quite sure whether I could pull it off, but as the time came closer and we set off to walk around the lake to the Eco Centre, I was just interested to see what would happen.
We arrived early enough to see the presentation before mine by an enthusiastic Spanish woman on “Spiritual Activism”. As it turned out it was the perfect lead in to my presentation on “Evolutionary Spirituality”. With trance music streaming through the open door of the straw bale dome like building, and numerous people milling around, some of whom were intently rolling joints, I thought getting anybody’s attention was going to be a challenge! Luckily I had the idea to begin by showing a 15 minute DVD called “the Awakening Universe”. This captivating film that powerfully brings the threads of cosmology, ecology and spirituality together in a vast evolutionary context, soon had everybody riveted. As soon as it ended I jumped upon a straw bale and began speaking (or rather almost shouting to be heard above the trance) about the sequence of Big Bangs from Energy, to Matter, to Life, to Mind, that were part of our emergence as consciousness becoming conscious of itself. My passion flowed, and I have little memory of what I spoke about for the next hour. I don’t know how we did it but we even fell into a 5 minute spell of deep meditation together despite the cacophony of sounds that surrounded us.
At some point it spontaneously morphed into dialogue as some people could no longer contain their excitement and a thrilling collective inquiry was in full swing by the time I had to end. So about 7 of us decamped to another area of the dome and continued to share our deepest experience of what it meant to be alive in these tipping point times.
By the time Cynthia and I emerged from this whirlwind of crackling consciousness; to our amazement many hours had passed it was gone 1am. What struck me most as we munched on a delicious falafel beneath the blazing August full moon was that the thing that these few people appreciated the most was the opportunity, the opening, to speak about the questions, experiences and longings closest to their heart with others that really wanted to listen. Here we are, I reflected, in the midst of one of the hippest harmonic convergences on the planet, and yet how rare it was for people to discover a context together in which they could deeply explore the profound experience they may already be having, and in so doing merge in a living field of unity beyond the habitual modes of relationship and drug induced highs.
So as I left Boom, mind blown in wonder, it felt good to have given something and I also felt grateful for now much I had learned from being here for a few days amidst the wild elegance and artistry of the gardens and buildings. And also it was inspiring to feel the care of everybody and the organizers in making it such a showcase for coming together in a harmonious and ecologically sound way. For sure Life was surging forth in all manner of new creative directions here and I hope to be a part of it again next time.
Pete
The Yurt is Up!
The first structure is completed at Quinta da Mizarela!
We ordered a beautiful Mongolian yurt from Sophie and Andy at Pure Portugal. It was built in Mongolia, shipped to the UK and then on to Portugal, eventually arriving at the top our track about a month and a half ago.
So you are probably wondering why did it take us a month and a half to set up a yurt! Ahhhhh because setting it up is only part of the picture!
First we had to get all the bits down the track. There were 9 different bundles and some of them weighed a ton!
Then we had to build a huge deck for the yurt to sit on. We hired Reg, the yurt deck specialist in this area that came recommended to us by Sophie and Andy. He told us what wood to order and we did. To make a long story short the wood took a very long time to arrive. In the end we aren´t quite sure how it all happened but somehow someone showed up with a truckload of planks and poles.
Over the next 10 days the deck continued to materialize. I remember one day looking down on it and I thought, ´what were we thinking building a deck this high, we must be crazy´ Thank goodness it was too late to turn back so I just hoped for the best.
Our volunteer Andrea spent hours painting the wood so the insects wouldn’t eat it before we had a chance to use it. She had some help from me, Pete, her boyfriend Al, and another friend Ana but Andrea was the driving force in getting this completed. Thank you Andrea!
Painting the wood was one thing but then we had to move it all down the terraces to the deck below. This is no small task and again we were lucky to have friends help us.
Reg worked tirelessly, sometimes in extreme heat to get the deck completed. The wood came in all different widths and lengths. It was quite a job for him to make this all fit which he did. I think he used about 10,000 nails and screws!
Once Reg finished the deck we moved in with a highly specialized team of 7 yurt assemblers. 6 of the 7 had actually never done this before but we were full of enthusiasm and optimism so in our eyes we were highly specialized. Our friends Danny and Anna from Greenheart Ibiza from just happened to call a few days ago and tell us they were in the area and asked if they could come and see us. Danny had put up the exact same yurt in Ibiza so the timing of their visit couldn’t have been better. Danny was elected the yurt assembly leader and it made it a lot easier to have his experience at the helm.
Our other team members included Pete, Andrea (volunteer and master painter mentioned above), Paul and Nathan (friends who organize and lead meditation retreats and are trying to buy a quinta close to us and will soon be putting up their own yurt!) and me.
To start things off we formed a human circle about where we thought the yurt would sit. We decided this probably wasn’t exact enough so we followed it up with a tape measure and pencil markings.
In 3 short hours we had the base completed.
We probably could have gotten it done a bit quicker but we had to stop for the Mongolian Blues Band to play a few tunes. We had Pete on guitar, Paul on bass, Danny on drums, Nathan as the roadie, Andrea and Ana were the groupies and I was the official band photographer.
We took a short break and with only an hour left to work we sprung into action and the roof emerged!
Just when we hit our stride we had to stop as we were all headed off to Pete’s Friday night meditation/conversation group. Danny and Ana had to leave the next morning but the remainder of the team was ready to go bright and early (OK maybe not so early, more like around noon) the next day.
Just as Danny, our fearless leader had said, the hardest part (the lattice framework) was already done. The Yurt has 4 layers of sides and top. The inside layer is white cotton, the next is a very thick felt for insulation, then on top of that is a really think canvas and then a beautiful white and blue top cover.
We had a great time figuring out how all the bits fit on and then getting them to cover the whole yurt. In a couple of hours we had a beautiful yurt fully assembled, sitting majestically on its base overlooking the gorgeous mountains that surround the quinta. It looks amazing!
With our work completed we were off for a dip in the waterfall below the quinta.
This project was so much fun and working with everyone was a complete joy. If Pete and I had to put this together by ourselves I know it would have taken us at least 10 times longer. Thank you everyone!
Today is Saturday, on Tuesday Pete and I will be moving into the yurt. It will be the first time in over 60 years that someone will be living at Quinta da Mizarela! We are hoping our house will be finished soon.
Stay tuned for the a post on the progress of our house and also of Jacqueline´s house and yoga/meditation/meeting room By the end of the year we should have 3 finished buildings sitting above the yurt!
Cheers,
Cynthia
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Grupo Vida Desperta: Meditação Semanal e Conversa Consciente
Qualquer pessoa sinceramente interessada no crescimento espiritual, evolução e meditação é bem-vindo.
Encontrar-nos-emos todas as sextas-feiras às 19h30 na Eco-Casa da Quinta Cabeça do Mato. Terminaremos por volta das 22h15.
Chegue em silêncio, por favor, e sente-se. Quando toda a gente estiver já reunida, meditaremos juntos durante cerca de 45 minutos.
Após a meditação, haverá um pequeno intervalo, também em silêncio. Juntos vamos, em seguida, ligar-nos numa forma específica de conversa direccionada para uma prática/exploração espiritual.
Inicio este grupo com o objectivo de realizar uma experiência no âmbito da evolução da consciência. Tudo será novo em cada encontro. Não sabemos o que é possível. Tudo dependerá do grau de interesse, confiança e compromisso para irmos além dos enquadramentos de referência habituais.
Não vamos tentar resolver nenhum problema. Não vamos tentar curar os nossos traumas. Tudo isso tem o seu lugar, mas esta é uma experiência diferente.
Vou arriscar imenso nestes encontros e vou pedir a todos que arrisquem comigo…
Esse risco passa por deixar lá fora o pessoal, o familiar e tudo o que pensa saber sobre quem você é, como você funciona, o que precisa para se sentir seguro ou participar num grupo, o que são os grupos e como estes funcionam.
Convido-o a abandonar tudo isso em benefício desta curta janela no tempo. Vou pedir-lhe que se junte a mim no desconhecido. E o que é o desconhecido? Acredito que vamos descobrir, quando nos encontrarmos!
O propósito deste grupo é experimentar e fortalecer quem REALMENTE somos, o Eu Verdadeiro, normalmente escondido atrás do véu das nossas ideias rígidas, identidades, medos e desejos. É a parte de nós que nunca foi ferida nem traumatizada e, por isso, não precisa de ser ouvida, curada ou educada. Esse Eu é livre. É a parte de si já unicamente interessada no Bem, na Verdade e na Beleza. Esse Eu não toma as coisas pessoalmente, porque não se identifica com a personalidade.
E, mais importante ainda, interessa-se apenas pelo Despertar e pela Evolução. Não quer descansar para se sentir seguro. Quer mergulhar no desconhecido, no que vem a seguir, no que ainda não aconteceu.
É a fonte da Vida e do Amor. Tudo o que é necessário para expressar este Eu Verdadeiro é ser completamente honesto na profunda, verdadeira e mais elevada porção da experiência… e ignorar tudo o resto!
Quero dar as boas-vindas a qualquer pessoa que se sinta inspirada a participar no início daquilo que espero vir a ser uma grande aventura.
Pete
No commentsAwakened Life Group Fridays 7.30pm – Meditation & the Emergence of a Collective Awakened Consciousness
All kinds of things have been written and said about meditation. But TRUE meditation is so utterly simple. By true meditation I mean when it is practiced with the sincere intention to awaken to our true nature, not just for stress relief, for visualization, or to get something for ourselves. And what does the intention to awaken mean? It means we want to GIVE ourselves to the Mystery of Life.
The way we give ourselves in meditation is by doing absolutely NOTHING because we already ARE that Mystery. And that is the challenge! If we are willing to let everything be exactly as it is, regardless of the movement of mind, emotion, and everything we think we are, over and over and over again, a door begins to open, and we begin to uncoil and merge into the ocean of vast, original, infinite Being…
When that infinite Being is the consciousness in which we then come together it is like the light of the new dawn breaking into this world. It is a Consciousness from which a new world and a new humanity can be created, free from the taint of ego. All that is required is a willingness to awaken to our life as an expression of the One Life that animates all and everything.
So if you are interested in joining us for meditation and exploring this potential please come along to the Roundhouse at 7.30pm Fridays.
Love Pete
1 commentThe Secret Arts of Slate Stone
Here I am learning the secret Portuguese arts of creating beautiful walls of slate stone from the masters! Wielding brush and damp sponge I was soon delicately revealing the choicest stones from under the layer of cement that was applied to fill in all the holes.
With expert instruction from Fernando and Philippe I was learning fast. However, it was only after they insisted I stop for a brief copo de vinho/redwine break with them, that my stone polishing flair went to another level. I joked with them saying now I knew the secret of their art!
Next day they were busy laying the stone floors, which they laid with passion and precision in hardly any time at all. They gathered huge slabs of slate from the nearby ruins and carefully crafted the different shapes and size together.
The whole house is looking so amazing we can hardly believe it. Here are some views from above the house and valley…
Sustainable Living Project in Central Portugal
Here is a message and invitation from fellow eco-warriors in the area, Sophie and Andy at the Farm of the Bees…
Eco-Living Central Portugal has a new focus! We (Quinta das Abelhas) set up the eco-living project with the intention of offering courses, workshops and practical experience of sustainable living on a large riverside quinta we planned to buy. Unfortunately the purchase of this new quinta fell through and we no longer feel we have sufficient space, time and energy to devote to the project. Thus we have, after much consideration, decided that the best use of this website and the funds we have already been kindly donated is to promote and support other sustainable projects in the local area (Central Portugal).
The project’s aims remain the same, and we will now be adding to the funding by sharing the profits from our business Pure Portugal Ltd to help meet those aims:
- To support and promote local ecological and sustainable projects, courses and events;
- To encourage visitors to gain practical experience of eco-living;
- To inspire, empower, & enable people to reduce their ecological footprint;
- To bring together communities and individuals working for sustainability, self-sufficiency, and low-impact living;
- To collaborate on various projects and share ideas and experiences;
- To network with national and international projects on sustainability.
Check out the website at www.ecolivingportugal.org
Awakened Life Group: Weekly Meditation & Conscious Conversation
Anyone who is sincerely interested in spiritual awakening and the evolution of consciousness is welcome to attend.
We will meet at 7.30pm on Fridays at the Roundhouse at Quinta Cabeca do Mato. We will finish around 10.15pm.
Please arrive in silence and sit down. When everyone has arrived we will meditate together with a little guidance for about 45mins. After the meditation there will be a short break also in silence. Then we will gather back in a circle and engage in a specific form of conversation as a spiritual practice/exploration.
By meditating together in a circle we generate a powerful field of unified consciousness and intimacy with each other. This is not dependant on knowing each other personally beforehand. We fall into the universal dimension of pure being in which we are all one. This connection provides a new foundation for communication. We endeavour to leave our habitual thinking/reacting personality behind and only speak from this depth and wholeness. It means we are willing to open our hearts and share our deepest experience. If we are really interested and listen and respond to each other from this place, amazing, magical and beautiful things can happen as we go beyond our habitual frames of reference.
This group is not about trying to solve any problems or about healing our traumas. It is about going on a journey together in which we transcend our personal concerns and history.
For the gathering to genuinely come alive we have to be willing to take a big risk together…
The risk is to let go of the personality, let go of the familiar, let go of everything you think you know about who you are, how you operate, about what you need to feel safe or participate in a group, about what groups are and how groups work. Let us abandon it all for this brief window in time and dare to come together in real vulnerability and transparency. I’m going to ask you to join me in the unknown. And what is the unknown? I guess we will all find out when we meet there!
My purpose in initiating this group is to provide a time and a place in which people can experience the True Self, the Oneness that we all are, that ordinarily remains hidden beneath the veils of our rigid ideas, identities, fears and desires. That Self is already originally Free. That Self is the wellspring of Love. It is the part of you that is already only interested in the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. It is interested only in Awakening and Evolution. All that is required to experience and express this True Self is to be completely true to the deepest, highest part of your experience…and to ignore everything else! I look forward to welcoming all who are interested in living an awakened human life.
Love Pete
Please call 966333187 if you have any questions
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Schist House Renovation at the Quinta
The water tank is completed and the house is well on its way!
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Here is Juliano proudly introducing his handiwork!
We are at the quinta everyday now planting and clearing the land and it’s such a joy to look up and see our house appearing before our very eyes stone by stone! The original house was 2 rooms, one up and one down. The original room upstairs is now our living room (sala) and downstairs is the kitchen. We have added an extension on, the top room is our bedroom and the bottom is the bathroom with a little wood storage/dog house space next to it.
The whole house will be in slate stone. Where there are bricks (on the new section) it is being stone faced. The walls on the original part had to be raised as the bottom floor was very low. These walls are being done all in stone.
We are getting estimates on the solar hot water system, wood burner central heating system and the general solar system. Then all that’s left is getting the water pump and the pipes in place!
The pictures will tell the rest of the story! If are looking for a builder we can wholeheartedly recommend Eusebio Santos and his crew. They are efficient, the price is good, they are great guys to have on ones land and they do a great job.
Stay tuned, will post more photos as the job continues!
Cheers,
Cynthia
1 commentExploding After Rain
After plentiful and much needed rain in April the dry stream is now gushing pure mountain water across the Quinta and over our waterfall. It is a wondrous sight to behold and also wondrously bracing to take a dip in!
Down from this waterfall which borders the Project stretches the amazing gorge of Fraga da Pena. It means Gorge of Pity in Portuguese, which must have been some medieval morbid Catholic interpretation of this gorgeous gorge, so we are renaming it Fraga de Alegria or Gorge of Joy!
It was voted one of the top 10 beauty spots in Portugal recently and after the rains it is echoing with raw elemental splendour.
There is something about waterfalls I find completely captivating. If Nature is a mirror then the rushing waters and explosive fronds of incandescent spray evoke the Uncontainable Mystery of Life in all its wild glory…
Crashing clear cascades
Seething dance of the cosmos
Freefalling abandon
White light
Ever mounting crescendo
Fount of Life
Bestowing
Becoming
Shouts I AM…
Forever ungraspable
Forever flowing
Forever felt in the Soul
May you find the fount of freefall!
Love Pete
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