Week five turned out to be our longest week yet. The mornings slowed and the afternoons lingered. This was not to anyone's dismay, of course; for farm life is a delicate balance between constant motion and far off goals. Unfortunately, the hoeing of the melons did not come to completion, but we sent off the majority with words of good luck and lyrical phrases clipped from a multitude of songs--from the Velvet Underground to Beyonce.
The week culminated in a funky Friday with Bob where we learned to communicate with wildlife. For it is possible and beneficial to establish a friendship across species for symbiosis. Symbiosis has permeated our work hours and class hours. The chard plants frequented by spiders produces the finest leaves. The sheep which "baa" through my dreams munch on weeds in the vineyards and reduces the need for tractors, and our lesson with the wheel seeder established cover crops between rows of potatoes. Each entity impacts the next and vice versa. We must appreciate the pre-existitng ebb and flow of nature and consciously return the favor. At Green String our practices are 50% for nature and 50% for humans (but more like 70% 30% Bob will tell you).
On Saturday our understanding of symbiosis was furthered during our lesson with Aurelio at Old World Ironworks. We watched and followed along as Aurelio explained the bare bones of his passion and livelihood. From lighting the forge to shaping a copper bowl we absorbed the wisdom Aurelio shared. The work we do must be honest. The energy we put out is the food of the universe and the universe cycles around to feed us--symbiosis on the metaphysical level. Suddenly, the week did not seem so slow. Rather it felt a part of the rotating energies. The fast feeds the slow and vice versa. And now we have the long term goal of a final piece of iron work--perhaps a knife or a ring-- to look forward to, and the motion of the hammer to build with.
Tao Teh Ching 26
Heaviness is the root of lightness.
Serenity is the master of restlessness.
Therefore, the Sage, traveling all day,
Does not part with the baggage-wagon;
Though there may be gorgeous sights to see,
He stays at ease in his own home.
Why should a lord of ten thousand chariots
Display his lightness to the world?
To be light is to be separated from one's root;
To be restless is to lose one's self-mastery.
Mollie W. - Intern, Summer 2016