Anastasia Discussion Groups
Blog
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Ashland Anastasia Discussion Group
May 30th, 2007
The first Anastasia Discussion Group meeting was held on this day! We are so excited to be able to meet with kindred spirits who understand the Anastasia books and her messages. One of the main reasons we wanted to start the Discussion Group is so we could find ways to implement her ideas together.
The meeting was held at the Chai Hut, which is in an old, converted Pizza Hut restaurant.
(From the company’s website www.heartsongchai.com) “The Chai Hut is the new location of the Heartsong Herbal Brewing Company. The name is a spin off Pizza Hut, as their abandoned building has become Heartsong’s brewery, distribution center, office and Food Artisans Gallery. The Food Artisans Gallery offers people a place to sip on Heartsong’s brews, purchase Heartsong products, view Heartsong’s office and brewery, The Chai Hut also features products for purchase from other Oregon food artisans such as Higher power Raw Sprouted Trail Mix, EcoTeas, Lillie bell Farm Chocolate, Smart Monkey Raw Bars, Cafe Mam Coffee, Queen Bee Apiaries and Wild Bee Honey Farm, just to name a few. The Chai Hut is a newfound treasure on the culinary tourism circuit.”
Most of the evening was spent talking in the group and sharing our mutual love for Anastasia. It was apparent after everyone got done telling their personal stories of how they came to the books, that we will manifest many things together in this community.
In total there were 12 people in attendance, which was a pleasant surprise. We feel we are off to a good start. The meeting lasted over two hours and we decided to meet from then on in someone’s garden if the weather permits. Martha volunteered her beautiful garden as a meeting place and we all agreed to meet next month.
-Posted by Christopher
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June 28th, 2007
Our second meeting was at Martha’s house in her beautiful backyard. Martha’s son Gabriel was also present and in fact he had already read the first book! He is only 11 but is an incredible and conscious child. During one point in the evening Gabriel spoke to the group about Anastasia and what he thinks about her.
In total there was 16 people at the meeting. Many new faces and some old ones as well. We again went around the room and after introducing ourselves and sharing our love for Anastasia we started talking about the possibility of planting a community-healing garden at the Wellsprings next spring. We also talked about the newly forming Anastasia Community Project that a man named Rolando had posted about on the Source of Life forums. We are all very excited to hear more about this emerging community and I told the group that we would keep them posted.
We decided to continue to have a free-form discussion as there were so many people wanting to share stories, information and news. The meeting lasted almost three hours and we decided that the next meeting was again going to be in someone’s garden. Scott ‘Hawkeye’ volunteered to have the next meeting in his garden, which he says is quite beautiful.
-Posted by Christopher
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July 31st, 2007
Our meeting was held in the front lawn next to the epic garden at Scott (Hawkeye) and Kaela’s house. There were 22 people present at the meeting with many new faces. Rolando from the Living Oneness Foundation joined us to talk about the newly forming eco-community group. A good friend Bastiaan from Holland also joined us.
We got right into the introductions and everyone told a little bit about how they had come to the books. Samantha and I then talked for a while about our intention to form the Anastasia Discussion Group as a way to implement the ideas described in the books. We talked about the two projects currently in discussion. The first one is a project to setup a community healing garden where people come together and grow their own individual healing garden plots in the same area. This is a project for people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to grow some healing plants for themselves. We also talked about finding a way for people who are maybe too sick to take care of the gardens to be able to join in with us and grow their own healing plants.
The second one, of course, is the eco-community project that is manifesting itself right before our eyes. Rolando joined us in the discussion and presented an incredible vision of an eco village in the foothills of Mt. Shasta. For many people this was the first time that they had really had a chance to hear about and see this project firsthand.
Rolando talked for a while to a captivated audience who all seemed to be very interested in living in community. I think it is clear that the Ashland – Mt. Shasta area is a perfect area for this to happen in. There are so many people here that are ready for this.
After Rolando finished talking and downloading to the group he took several thoughtful questions from people. It became even more clear that this group is ready to co-create a community like Anastasia describes and all we need to do is get some land. The rest will follow.
We then took a break and had a tour of the garden that Scott and Kaela had co-created with the help of their children. Scott is one of the most incredible gardeners/farmers I have ever met. The plants in the garden all looked so happy and healthy. Everything tasted so good. His garden is on about 1/2 acre of land but the amount that one family can grow on this much land is impressive when it is done like Scott and Kaela’s garden.
-Posted by Christopher
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September 12th, 2007
It has been almost six weeks since our last meeting. Samantha and I just returned from Burning Man and a busy summer. The meeting was again held at Hawkeye and Kaela’s house. There were 26 people present including several new faces. The group is growing and growing.
Kaela again brought out the mostly garden grown snacks for the group to enjoy. We sat around in a circle and began to introduce ourselves. It is always great to hear how people came to find Anastasia. This community is full of so many incredible people.
Rolando was again with us and made some announcement and gave an update on the status of the eco-community project. Things are going very well and we expect to be on the land by next spring. There is a lot of work to do until then but we are up for it and by the grace of Anastasia it will be effortless.
We made some more announcements about all the upcoming events, including a visit from Valeri, who is a Russian / Canadian filmmaker creating a movie about the Anastasia movement in North America. Valeri will travel here from Canada to film our group, the eco-community project that Rolando began and the Ashland – Anastasia scene. People seem happy that the movement is growing and we are all part of it.
We talked until the sun started to go down and then had a tour of the amazing garden again while eating fruits and vegetables from the land.
-Posted by Christopher
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September 27th, 2007 (afternoon)
We just took a couple field trips with people in the Anastasia Discussion Group to see some Anastasia gardens here in the Ashland area. The first garden we went out to was at Indigo's house in the Colestine Valley about 20 minutes from Ashland. What was so incredible about Indigo's garden is that long before she read the Anastasia books she was planting her gardens in much the same way as Anastasia describes. She had even named the plants, flowers and trees. You could just tell that everything on the land knew Indigo and loved her deeply. There was so much abundance growing on the land.
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We had the Russian filmmakers with us, who are making a film for Russian audiences about the Anastasia movement in North America, and they were quite happy to film in this incredible Space of Love. We were able to do interviews with everyone there on how they had been influenced by Anastasia. During the interviews Indigo shared with us some of the amazing berry wines that she had made at home. I must say that the rasberry wine might have been the best tasting wine I have ever had.
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The next garden we visited was at Scott "Hawkeye" and Kaela's house in Ashland. We have been holding our last two Anastasia Discussion Groups at their house because the gardens are so incredible.
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We did some more interviews, including one with Samantha and I where we shared our story about growing some gardens this year in the manner that Anastasia describes. Samantha and I grew some cucumbers and the seeds were from the exact same package, the ground we planted in was in the exact same place, the plants got the same water, etc and all of the conditions were exactly the same. As the plants were growing we could see the stark difference already. As the fruit started forming we noticed that my cucumbers were getting huge and there were many of them and Samantha's cucumbers were much smaller, shaped different and there were alot less of them.
Once we harvested the cucumbers and started eating them we noticed that they tasted, smelled and looked totally different. Samantha's were very fruity tasting and more flavorful. They even had a triangle shape where the seeds were. My cucumbers were more earthy tasting and more full flavor and smelled totally different. They had a square shape inside where the seeds were.
We couldn't believe how different the plants and the fruits were, but knew why that had happened. It seems maybe I have some more healing to do than Samantha because I got 3-4 times more cucumbers than her. Next year we hope to plant many more types of fruits and vegetables in the manner that Anastasia describes.
Both of these field trips were amazing and everyone was very happy to tell their story in front of the camera for the Russian people to see.
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-Posted by Christopher
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Thursday, September 27th, 2007 (evening)
Anastasia Discussion Group SPECIAL EVENT - "Creating a Space of Love" presentation and Q & A - September 27th, 2007
We just had an amazing gathering of almost 50 people here in Ashland. Rolando and I created a Power Point presentation entitled 'Creating a Space of Love' that we were able to show for the first time to almost 50 people last night in Ashland. Rolando gave a very thoughtful and inspiring presentation and we answered many questions afterwards. There was also a potluck where everyone brought yummy vegetarian foods to share. We were also joined by a Russian filmmaker named Valeri who is making a movie about the Anastasia phenomenon in North America.
And to end the evening beautifully we were graced by the Band of Light who played a couple sweet songs of joy where we all got to sing along. The Band of Light consists of Elijah and Crystal who are pictured with Rain playing their inspiring music.
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I am personally feeling very excited about this point we have reached. Samantha and I have been working hard in this conscious community to pulse this information out to the masses. For several months now we have been giving and loaning out many books, holding monthly discussion groups and special gatherings, talking to everyone we know about the books and many other things to spread the good word of Anastasia.
The wave has finally hit Ashland. The hundreth monkey has been realized here. After our meeting last night and the inspiration and information that was downloaded I am now confident that everyone in Ashland / Mt. Shasta will know about Anastasia. Our work has shifted to a new gear now and we can start to focus more energy onto implementing her ideas.
Give thanks for this energy that has been building up in this amazing community. The community is already formed and resonating together. Now all we need is the land. Everything else is done. It is truly amazing!
-Posted by Christopher
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Friday, September 28th, 2007
Today we took a trip to see the Shasta motherland. After yesterday’s two field trips to the gardens and then that amazing evening the energy was very high. We knew that we would have a good group of people turn out for the visit to the motherland.
The morning started off rainy and cold. It was some of the first rain we had seen in some time. I checked the weather report online and it said it was going to be rainy. Rolando checked another weather report and it said it was going to be sunny. We went down to the Shasta land not knowing what the weather would be like but hoping for the best.
We all met in a parking lot close to the freeway. There were over 20 people ready to go see the motherland and feel her energy. We all carpooled together to save gas and to have more fun on the trip.
There was a convoy of six cars and we all rallied down the I-5. As we were driving over the mountain pass into northern California it was actually starting to snow a little bit. It was still cold and wet. After a short 45 minute drive from Ashland we exited the freeway and drove towards the land.
Once we got to the northernmost border of the 1,750 acres we all stopped and Rolando got out the map of the land to show everyone the boundries. The land is of course massive in size and scale. It was still cloudy and you could not see Mt. Shasta. We all took pictures and looked longingly at the land. It is just so beautiful from any angle.
Then we proceeded down the road to the middle of the land where the main entrance is. Before we drove we told everyone to take note of how long it takes to drive from one side to the middle. It took several minutes to driving to even get to the middle of the land. 1,750 acres is a huge piece of land.
Once we arrived at the main entrance it actually stopped raining. Everyone got out of there cars and took a look around. There was a lot of excitement in the air and you could just feel it! A spontaneous prayer/gratitude circle broke out. Valeri, the Russian filmmaker and Phil the cameraman got their equipment ready. Then we started to walk the land.
The walk itself was fun with people laughing and playing along the way. There was a lot of good conversation and many people taking pictures. People were even running around like playful children.
Once we got about 1/2 mile up the gently sloping hill we all stopped and gathered around. We got into a circle and started talking and saying our blessings and how we felt. I always love this kind of ceremony and hearing from everyone. It was exhilarating and open, inspirational and fun.
During the time of our circle we noticed that the sky had started to clear and we could see blue sky. There was a shout of joy and praises to the sun. Then the sky cleared even more. We still couldn’t see Mt Shasta, which is only about 10 miles away from the land, but we knew that soon the sky may clear and we may be able to get a glimpse of her magnificent beauty. We had hoped to see Mt. Shasta and have Valeri the filmmaker be able to capture its beauty on film.
We ended our circle and some of the group went up the land even further to explore. We broke off into smaller groups and individuals so we could take some personal time to feel the land. After about one hour we all met down in the parking lot.
Then we took some more pictures, Valeri shot some more footage and we gathered back up for a closing circle. The closing circle was as epic as all the other circles and ceremonies that had just happened. The weather was still clearing and you could feel the sunlight on your face now. There was a mutual feeling that the universe was shining on us at that moment.
Many of us had been down to the land before and had discovered that the property next to the 1,750 acres is an organic fruit and vegetable farm. This farm is so lush and so abundantly productive that it was easy to see how the 1,750 acres next door could be transformed in s short time to this kind of paradise.
The farmer had told us that the strawberries that grew there in abundance had only been planted last year and this year was his first crop. There were row after row of ripe, super tasty strawberries for us to pick.
Once we started picking the strawberries the weather finally cleared and we had a perfect view of Shasta peeking over the clouds. It was magical. Eating these incredible strawberries while gazing at the magnificent beauty of Mt. Shasta is a pleasure that I hope everyone gets to experience.
While we were there Samantha and I also picked some incredible apples, some melons and some broccoli. I must say after eating these strawberries several times now that I think they are the absolute best tasting strawberries that I have ever had. The apples, melons and broccoli that we picked were also incredible, perhaps also the best I have ever had. We know the soil is excellent in this area because it is mostly volcanic ash, but I had no idea that food grown in this particular type of soil tasted so good!
The whole time I kept visualizing my space of love complete with abundant fruit and veggie gardens like what I was in at that moment. It was easy to picture how abundant everyone’s spaces of love will be while we were eating the tastiest strawberries!
After we had picked berries and other fruits and veggies we all started to head back to Ashland. It was a wonderful experience and people are still talking about those strawberries! The next day we even had a ‘strawberry shortcake party’ at Raquel and Flower’s house.
-Posted by Christopher
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