Community Purpose is essential. To ride the storms, to go through the difficult times, to rise above adversity, one needs a higher purpose. Ours was and is to create a Homa farm, an oasis, where people can come and experience healing benefits of the Fires, where we can create harmony in Nature and send that energy out to the world. Not a small feat to accomplish! We are always in a state of change, of movement. We are always adjusting to stay on course. It is the Nature. We learn to flow with the tide and stand firm when heavy winds blow.
So, it is essential too, that prospective members of the community are screened by those already living together, to see if they are a fit. Not everyone is meant to live in your community. It is almost like finding the members of your tribe, your spiritual family. And even then, not everyone can live together, and it’s okay, too. When we grew, slowly but surely, it seemed like a real organic process. One day, one guy came to visit for a week and ended up never leaving! Rory had arrived from U.K., and the moment we met him, everyone knew he belonged here! Sometimes it is as clear as a bell. Other times, it is trial and error. Certainly, we have learned a lot from many errors!
When just beginning a community, it is recommended to write a kind of ‘mission statement’ or a ‘vision’ of what you see as a community. We did this at various points in our growth. It was interesting, as one time we all sat together and independently wrote our vision for the community for, say, five years from that time. When we shared our visions of the place, there was so much similarity that we were surprised. Even our details were so similar. It felt so harmonious.
Having roles defined also helps a lot. And roles do shift. When we first began, two of us were doing the cow care and garden work. Those two began a business and their physical involvement on the farm shifted. The next couple began doing what the previous couple had done. I’m sure, as we grow, those jobs will be again passed on to the next people. It is good to define roles, such as the beekeepers, the garden organizers, the cow maintenance crew, the PR people, etc. We developed committees, such as building committee, bees, garden, hospitality, Homa Therapy outreach, etc.
Becoming disciplined to meet regularly and discuss projects is always a challenge, as in a community where everyone also has his or her own independent life and family, there are always other responsibilities! We are a work in progress. There is definitely something to be said for having regular meetings, though it is quite often a real effort!
Women’s meetings began slowly, with sometimes only two of us in attendance. The meetings, now attended by all the women in the community, grew into pleasant times when we women gather to send Light to those in need, for healing, singing, chanting, sometimes dancing and drawing Mandalas! We tend to look forward to the time together to just enjoy each other’s company and take time to honour the feminine energy.