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Instagram post 2227989345259083960_1603408178 Day of Service reward – pizza from the cob oven! At our last volunteer day, TOF Land Stewards Mike Wyatt and Ben Reader, fired up the cob oven for the first time since the Thomas Fire. A festive party and welcome reward for the day’s volunteers, it seems pizza-making may be seen again at future volunteer days. Stay tuned for Days of Service opportunities in 2020.
Instagram post 2222864079390052078_1603408178 As we can now see our opening date on the horizon, we have begun the process of ceremonially reawakening the shrines and other spaces on the land. Ceremony in Honor of Tonantzin, Our Mother Earth On December 13, members of the Ojai community Elena Rios, Julie Tumamait-Stenslie and Hiroji Segikuchi held an intimate ceremony at the Mother Shrine in honor of Tonantzin (Mother Earth) and the Virgin of Guadalupe. The ceremony was opened with prayers, song and a water blessing by Chumash elder Julie Tumamait-Stenslie. Hiroji Segikuchi offered a Japanese Shinto ritual honoring the mountain, the mist and the people stewarding the land. In honor of Tonantzin, Elena Rios and others offered song and traditional Aztec dances. Participants were bathed in smoke from copal, and invited to offer roses to the shrine and set intentions for the coming year. The ceremony refreshed the Mother Shrine, built by Iranian architect and earth-building pioneer Nadir Khalili, and helped build the momentum for our year to come. We offer deep gratitude to the ceremonial guides who offered their traditions, stories and ceremonies so beautifully. We offer our deep gratitude to all of you for your offerings and your participation as well. Thank you for helping us close the year with strength, with love, and with generosity guiding us into 2020. To contribute to our reopening, visit the link in our bio.
Instagram post 2217760870461459256_1603408178 As we can now see our opening date on the horizon, we have begun the process of ceremonially reawakening the shrines and other spaces on the land. LIGHTING THE HARVEST FIRE: WELCOMING AGAIN THE SPIRIT OF FIRE ON THE LAND. In November, a small group of staff, board, elders, allies and council carriers gathered to light a fire—to honor the changes we have been through and to renew the Deep Kiva, considered by some the “navel” of the dragon that animates the land. The fire burned for 24 hours, from sunrise to sunrise, with the community tending the fire in shifts throughout the night. When the fire was finally out, stories were spontaneously shared, some from the land, some about the fires burning around the world, and all with a strong prayer for a healthy future for The Ojai Foundation and for all beings everywhere. Bits of the ash were collected and added to the grey tip of the Condor Feather. Through the FIRE Fellowship, and other futures, we look forward to continuing to learn from and with fire, as well as the many elements that make up our community. Contribute to our reopening by clicking the link in our bio.
Instagram post 2213464972934422980_1603408178 As we can now see our opening date on the horizon, we have begun the process of ceremonially reawakening the shrines and other spaces on the land. RENEWAL & RE-UNION AT THE CONDOR FEATHER In 1989, Gigi Coyle led a month long journey at The Ojai Foundation for “Relationship with Ancestors, Self, ‘Others’ and the Earth.” Throughout this retreat was the co-creation with earth artist Daniel Dancer (Art for the Sky) of a prayer stick, mainly visible to the sky beings high above the ground, asking for the return of the endangered California Condor. Initially, at the east end of the feather stood a tall pole adorned with prayer flags inspired by the tradition of the Tibetans. When a neighbor complained—during this week of Aikido practice, learning to be with conflict—we replaced this pole with a living tree gifted by TOF friends. For almost thirty years, this pine grew tall and strong until the heat of the Thomas Fire compromised its health, eventually killing it. Since its death, we have been waiting, asking what to do. In November, during a gathering of extended community and staff—a pre-opening and renewal for The Ojai Foundation—Gigi returned to share the story of the feather, the return of the California Condor, guiding the community in revitalizing a prayer for our times. This prayer is part of a prophecy that the eagle and the condor will fly together again as relations between North and South America are further awakened in protection and love of this Earth, all endangered beings, and our shared future. TOF staff member and professional arborist Ben Reader climbed the dead pine, removing all the limbs and cutting the trunk to an appropriate height. Our community gathered to sew prayer flags in silence, imbuing each with dreams and wishes for TOF and the world. The colorful cloths, a gift from the people who attended, were attached to long cords and now adorn the new “pole.” The Condor Feather became once again a prayer stick for our world, bringing with it renewal and celebration, on the land and in the sky, as part of the re-emergence of TOF. Contribute to our reopening by visiting the link in our bio.
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