Space of Love Diary. On the quest for our Kin's Domain.

      SOL Magazine Issue # 4 July 2009.

      By Yuri and Irina

         "The new frontier challenges us to leave behind the comfortable and familiar self-image as victims of our lives – always praying for the best, hoping to avoid bad luck and hoping to be blessed by good luck – and replace it with a new and more accurate self-image of creators of our experiences."                                                                                             Gary Zukav

        Dear SOL readers! We are continuing to share our living story for you. Here, we will tell you about our quest for our Kin’s domain land.

        Originally we planned to visit the ecovillage Ljuboistok in the beginning of May, but, as they say, man proposes, God disposes! Due to certain circumstances we could not get there before the end of June. However, the popular adage is absolutely right: "Whatever happens is all for the best." We have good evidence that this was true for us, too. And here at last, two months later, we were under way for our land quest.

        The weather smiled on us: it was a fine, sunny day, the endless belt of the highway happily unfolded under the wheels of our bus for 400 kilometers of travel to Moscow – Smolensk seemed not far away to us at all. We were in high spirits, excited for what awaited us ahead - we were to "touch" the land and, after deeply listening to ourselves, to try to feel into the place.

        In Smolensk, Victor and Ljubasha, the organizers of the ecovillage Ljuboistok were already waiting for us. Meeting with them always gladdens our heart and leaves the impression that we have always known these fine people. They are very vigorous, full of creative plans and have already started to embody them.

        Here, we were joined by another couple from Moscow who were also in search for land for their Kin’s domain.

        On the way we passionately shared our latest news, discussed questions related to the organization of ecovillages with Kin’s domains, land ownership and relationship issues between eco-settlers. Irina and I consider it very important for any ecovillage to reach harmonious agreements in these questions long before the first settlers will move to live on the land full time. Such like-mindedness will help to avoid possible problems that may arise in the future. These issues are carefully discussed in a series of remarkable articles by Dmitriy Olhovoy which we are beginning to publish in this very issue (see pp. 22-25). It was clear that Victor and Ljubasha were concerned about these questions just as much as we were, and so the distance seemed to fly by in brilliant conversation.

        Sixty kilometers away from Smolensk we turned right on a gravel road surrounded by shrubwood. At the place where the land of the future ecovillage began, Victor stopped the car.

        Here he told us about a vision of the ecovillage Ljuboistok which was so radiant that the picture clearly rose before our inner eyes. There was an image of folk trade fair infront of the entrance to the ecovillage, and an extraordinarily beautiful image of the entrance itself: on the one side will be wooden carvings of a man and a woman joining hands with children, and on the other hand, a large natural rock whereupon one of Anastasia’s parables will be carved: “Whatever you seek, pilgrim, you are already carrying with you. You keep losing it with every step you take and are finding nothing new.” (Book 4 of the RCoR series; Co-Creation)

        A few more kilometers further down the land, we had to leave the car and continue by foot. Ljubasha and Victor suggested to some of us that we put on rubber boots, which they had thoughtfully brought along - footwear much more suitable for walking in Russian woods after several days of rain. Having armed ourselves with branches to keep away mosquitoes and gadflies, we began our walk.

        At present, the ecovillage area consists of about 70 hectares. After about two kilometres, we decided to take a rest in Victor and Ljubasha's domain. An old small log-house serves Victor's family as a temporally dwelling, but we were glad to get there after a long and sustained walk, all the while waving away the insects which were probably also very glad to find us there. Victor and Ljubasha's pride and joy were a pair of storks that have already hatched nestlings in their domain for several years and seem to happily return there every spring.

        How delighted we were to get into the cool embrace of a Russian log-house. Our gracious hosts treated us with birch sap drink, cowberry leaves tea and some home-made dandelion jam. Sitting down around a large table, we plunged into warm conversation filled with joy and happiness. We shared the visions of our future Kin’s domains, and Victor and Ljubasha presented their vision in songs accompanied with a guitar.

        But we still had a task before us, namely to find our own land. There we were, late in the day, with the heat finally letting up. Victor and Ljubasha led us further down the glades pointing out future streets of the ecovillage. We must admit that our hope for the bugs to go to sleep by nightfall did not materialize.

        Victor pointed out to us where the parcels of others settlers were, what they had already planted and built on the land, where there will be a community house, a school, a place to celebrate holidays and hold general meetings. Tirelessly waving away mosquitoes, we went down a long future street between domains. With amazement we learned that right on this glade Victor and Ljubasha met up with a herd of wild boars surrounded with a flock of little striped piglets which were loudly gorging themselves on some or other delicious treat. Victor told us, laughing, how he negotiated with them, apologizing for the trouble and how he politely asked permission to pass them. The huge head-boar listened carefully while looking at Victor with his beady, guarded eyes, and suddenly gave a loud grunt, something or other in boar-talk and all piglets scattered to the sides of the glade, hiding in the underbrush, allowing Victor and Ljubasha to pass. Then they returned to the same place and continued their meal. This story made us more watchful and we carefully looked around and made more noises to scare off any animals.

       And here, at a certain moment, we realized how right Anastasia really is when she talks about the importance of developing one's vision of a Kin’s domain in full detail. If one doesn’t have an accurate and detail vision of what one is searching for, it is simply impossible to find one’s homeland in endless space. Because any piece of land can ultimately feel like a bit of home and at the same time, a strange piece of land.

       Perhaps we had indeed succeeded with the creation of a vision of our own domain, because what we faced next was nothing short of a miracle. As the glade came to an end, we entered a rather open space covered with tall grasses and small groups of bushes, trees and underbrush here and there and…stopped as if riveted to the ground. It is hard to believe, but we did see our vision embodied in reality - the picture which we had created together, having carefully drawn all the details on a big piece of paper (see back cover of SOL Issue #3). The similarity was almost complete, with the exception of the living spaces and utility structures, of course.

        We felt a passionate desire to walk around the land, to explore it more closely. It felt as if the land prepared for our visit and even our delayed arrival, two months later than initially planned, also seemed to have a purpose. A high wall of trees, growing at the far end (see green hedge), and a field covered with flowers (see the pasture for the horse), accurately depicted the combination of colors and the arrangement of the details in our drawing. We also saw a small path beginning where our imagined gate was placed, along which we solemnly entered our future domain. Even a birch-tree at the pond was already waiting in its place; a ten year-old tree. Our mental imagery and reality merged together. We walked in the chest-high grasses, and, like children, looked around with wide-open eyes in pure delight and with singing hearts.

        And now, our dear readers, we can say in all earnestness and with full confidence that miracles are man-made and a miracle is always waiting close by. It depends completely upon us how quickly we will connect with it.

        It is needless to say that on the way back, tired, bitten by mosquitoes and having confirmed our contract with nature so literally and with our own souls, we were completely happy.

        We can frequently hear a phrase used among Ringing Cedars people, “land calls”, and now we are convinced of its validity - every day. Now we know that we have a home and henceforth all our powers and aspirations are directed to our speedy return home.

       In the next issue (Fall 2009) we will continue this living story about the co-creation of our rediscovered home.

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