Post Archives from the ‘News & Updates’ Category



Frogspawn

Posted on: April 14th, 2013 by
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Floating cluster of frogspawn

On the 2nd of April, we discovered that frogs had laid three clusters of frogspawn in the ‘moat’ that surrounds the island. Everything has been so held back by the weather (We recorded a grass minimum of -9.1 C at Cae Non in March.), that I was really worried for the health of the spawn – Reptiles and amphibians need heat to develop and live – but today, we noticed that the spawn has hatched and the ‘moat’ is full of tiny tadpoles. Hopefully we will build up a good population of frogs and toads thanks to giving them a place to reproduce and prospor!

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Tiny tadpoles on the bottom of the moat

Midsummer Herbal Magic

Posted on: February 28th, 2013 by
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Midsummer Herbal Magic

Experiential Herbal Activities Week

With Dafydd and Gillian Monks

A unique opportunity to explore and experience the soil-sodden, muddy roots of the many uses of herbs, their history and why they are relevant today.

15th – 22nd June, 2013

It is important to re-connect to the natural world in a hands on and very practical way.

Midsummer is a time of coming together to instigate and initiate the foundations of harvests gathered later in the year. To that end, this is an ideal time to come together in celebration and co-operation to lay the foundations of something very special here at Cae Non – a medicinal garden that will form the basis of much learning, health, laughter and light that will continue for many years.

The primary aim of this week is to build a garden together. What’s in it for you? Well, the days will be split: half the day for building the garden, and half for other enjoyable activities/learning:

Activities to include:

Raised bed construction
Herb planting
Path making
Herb Garden Layout + Construction

Learning to Include:

Herb Identification Walks
What herbs are good for
How herbs are processed into usable medicine
The home medicine chest
Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
From The Cauldron to the Laboratory:The history of Herbalism and Botany in North Wales

Relaxation to include:

 Storytelling – sharing favourite tales, myths, ghost stories or figments of your imagination…
Sweat Lodge
Pub evening
Music and Camp Fire Evening – bring your own instruments, poetry, jokes, etc.
Trip to the beach – bring swim wear and sun block… we can but live in hope
Opportunities to practice tai chi, yoga, martial arts etc. – bring your mats/equipment
Aromatic massage

Midsummer Solstice: On Friday, 21st June we will be celebrating the height of summer, the long daylight hours and the potency of the Sun in joyful but spiritually meaningful ritual, and everyone is welcome to join in!/

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You are cordially invited – We can make magic together – it’s called community.

RSVP by dropping a comment at the bottom of the page or emailing dafydd ‘at’ caenon.co.uk. You If you can’t come for a whole week, you are welcome to come for one or more of the days.

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Living Arrangements:

Accommodation: camping (we have several sites for smaller tents) Facilities are basic but clean and functional (compost toilets, outdoor shower, etc).

Food:
Breakfast: Porridge or muesli, fruit, yoghurt, home-made breads and preserves.
Lunch: substantial soup, cheese, home-made bread and cakes.
Dinner: Hearty, hot, two course meal.

Please Note: All food vegetarian unless otherwise stated

Cost: A smalll donation (whatever you can manage) towards food costs would be helpful!

Planting the heart of Cae Non

Posted on: February 21st, 2013 by
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Today, just three days after Valentine’s Day, I planted the heart of Cae Non…. literally. Some of the red willow which I helped to cut a couple of weeks ago has gone into the planting of the heart-shaped centre of the Labyrinth in the middle of the land. As I worked, pushing the 6′ lengths of wood diagonally into the ground and weaving them together to form a 4′ barrier (or “fedge”), I felt myself connecting deeply with the spirit of the land and the joyful energies there. I planted not one, but two hearts… the one made of willow and my own. It was a profound experience of coming together with all the diverse energies I have been touching upon in relation to this whole project this last two years, but more importantly – and very distinctly – I felt my own roots sink deeper and connect with something vital, sacred and precious. In golden February sunshine, under a firmament of pale blue, with a half moon sailing high in the sky above me, I sensed the heart beats synchronise, mine with that of the land…. the Earth…. the Goddess in her early springtime youngest Maiden form… and I was literally enchanted!

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Later, after dinner, as I walked across the field in the moonlit darkness, the land seemed to swirl and flow about me, responding to and “dancing” with me. The sky was utterly clear and ablaze with stars; the breeze sharp with the scent of promised frost before dawn, the path behind me shining in the moonlight like a silver ribbon…. but I could feel the stirring of spring and our duel energies pulsing as one, and I rejoiced.

I feel that today I have planted very much more than a few dozen willow whips… an ancient and priceless alliance has been re- formed, one which will grow year by year and reach out into many hearts, and hopefully bring healing, understanding, fulfilment and joy to all who come into contact with this place, no matter how tenuously or briefly that might be. If you stop and quietly listen, feel your own heart beating within your chest, you may hear another, second heartbeat… the same rhythm I sensed today; the pulse of the eternal cosmos… that which joins us all together… just listen….

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