Ecosophy Community stands on the shoulders of Greatness

Torrents of rain have washed and cooled Austin today and I've chosen to be inside. Where I lived in the four corners area during the last 20 years, rain was always a welcome guest amid the constant arid extreme. It is as dry there as it is humid here. In fact, the natives consider the snow and rain to be a sacred blessing from the Gods and a sign that all is in balance.

Deep Ecology, developed originally by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naes, is the practical study of the inter-connectedness of all life which lead to the Gaea Hypothesis from biologists. It points to the incredible complexity of living systems ( can even a shovel of soil be duplicated in the lab?), and that they are impossible to understand from outside without super sensible knowledge.

Permaculture, originated with Bill Mollison an Australian, and promotes a whole systems approach to managing the cultivation of human habitats in order to take advantage of the huge creative power of the natural world to sustain life. Organic cultivation of native plants and animals is emphasized.

Anthroposophy, originated by Rudolf Steiner, Austrian enlightened Christian initiate and master teacher, provides a clear road map for humanity's spiritual awakening through an unconditionally loving use of our imaginative and inspirational super sensible intellect.

Findhorn, founded by Eileen and Peter Caddy in northern Scotland, is the co-creative collaboration of humans and the Devic and Angelic realms in growing plants and community from the spirit into the physical. It is the original modern spiritual Eco-village.

These four developed impulses are the inspirational touchstones and teachers for Ecosophy Community and its mission to "nourish and sustain the soul growth of humanity through wisdom in dwelling".

What is Ecosophy Community?

Ecosophy Community is living inspired by my soul's knowing that I am a spirit being who has chosen this earthly experience for the purpose of realizing my loving cosmic nature through conscious heart felt collaboration with all seen and unseen life. My inspired human life experiences the material aspect of the universe as a continual synchronous miracle of awakening in wonder and gratitude. This necessarily changes my common everyday thoughts/actions/meetings into a spiraling continuum of evolution in the most universal sense.

Allow me to explain that the personal pronoun, I, as it is used here is meant to be the cosmic I of oneness with the creative concsiousness of God. The cosmic I is experienced in the inspired human life. This deserves personal responsibility because of the will forces that must be continually focused to maintain the reverential attitude required for such unconditional loving warmth. This is what Christ Jesus meant by, "Love God With all your heart, and all your soul , and all your might", and "Love your neighbor as your self". Love God, Love Self, Love Neighbor. Loving God/Self/Neighbor is the inspired human life, because it is conscious collaboration with all seen and unseen life - transforming that personal pronoun into the cosmic I.

In living the inspired human life of the cosmic I, I am able to allow my reliance upon the physical body to die as the preferred answer to the questions of survival. The infinite life of the spirit nourishes my body with perfect wisdom when my will is directed by unconditioned Love of God/Self/Neighbor and mear survival becomes unfettered thriving.

Unconditional Love creates universal collaboration in my inspired human life because it allows me to awaken the fullness of human potential within me personally and in humanity at large as it bridges the perceived separation between God/Self/Neighbor.

Next? How does Deep Ecology, Permaculture, Anthroposophy, and Findhorn create Ecosophy Community?

Creating the building "grade"

Today we are beginning the process of creating a level site that composed of a material that is stable enough to support the weight of the building and allow the site to drain ground water away from and in this case under the construction. The site slopes very gradually to the east/southeast at the rate of about 6" in 20 feet. The earth is composed of a fine sandy slightly clay loam between LARGE ( 1 ton ) limestone slabs.

Rather than dig trenches and fill them with concrete, severing tree roots, disturbing the soil ecology and its natural aquifer recharge matrix ,and generating the destructive battleground of heavy machinery stink, noise, mud, and broken trees... we form a pad.

A pad with permeability from earth through to the dwelling's interior that allows the subtle planetary life forces to" breathe" the home.

The pad is first composed of large limestone rocks dug straight from an ancient bed and uncrushed. These are spread 6" to 1foot deep and bring the circular site to approximate level, stabilizing the surface for a layer of smaller "road base" rock, sand, and soil mix that will be graded smooth to a dead level surface suitable for laying the block walls on.

The large limestone slab seen in the photo has been raised a couple feet and rotated 45 degrees to become an entry threshold. Although it required about 8 hours total to accomplish this, the 1 ton stone was naturally positioned at the entrance of the dwelling suggesting the possibility of a powerful energetic anchor for the space, should we be up to the job required of our will forces to raise, rotate, and level the rock to build the structure around.

Yes, it is the limestone slab's elevation and position that will now dictate the rest of the dwelling's orientation! And now the foundation pad will be spread out accordingly.

These photos capture the undisturbed building site from five directions. On Friday, July 13, the "bull rock", 3"-5" size grade base that serves as the foundation for the building will be layed and brought to level. Then a layer of smaller gravel will be used to create a "dead level" surface on which the 6"x8"x20" white limestone blocks will be layed and stacked to create the 7' tall spiraling wall of the building.

Reciprocal Spiral Soul Nest

Ecosophy Community : (Where deep ecology, permaculture,Anthroposophy, and Findhorn meet. Nourishing the soul growth of humanity through wisdom in dwelling.) brings Dr. Karen Rayne a home for the soul.

Dr. Rayne has commissioned a 380 round foot office/guest space for a property that she and her husband own in South View Estates in South west Travis County, just outside the city near the Austin Waldorf School.

The building is a limestone block walled spiral with a burnished clay floor, and a living roof supported by reciprocal framed joists of native cedar poles decked with Southern Yellow Pine, tar paper, a layer of bentonite clay (to water proof), and one foot or so of cedar mulch for insulation. The building is heated with a small "Rocket" wood stove, naturally cooled and ventilated and has a small back up AC. It is naturally lit with a central pent angular glass cupola and many insulated windows well shaded by the generous curving eaves. There is a self contained composting toilet, and the shower, bathroom and kitchen sinks, each drain independently for absorption into different portions of the native landscape.

The living geometry embodied in the building awaken the cognition of self awareness. The combination of unobstructed natural resonance of earth and sky nourishing the soul with ancient cosmic wisdom communicated through those frequencies that our DNA has evolved to rely upon through out the history of our race.

Reciprocal Roof

This is a model of a reciprocal roof I am designing for a limestone spiral office space in Austin, Texas.

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