(Photos Arthur Perrin)
Dear you,
Here’s some news, at last! It’s been more than a year since we last wrote a newsletter… but we are still here!
2021 and the beginning of 2022 has been a time of intense inner turmoil. Many of us here have gone through existential crises that have materialized in many ways. Eotopia has necessarily been impacted, but everything is experience, everything is change, and we are learning more than ever about resilience, whether it be ecological, energetic, alimentary or emotional!
Eotopia remains alive and the people who animate it on a daily basis are more motivated than ever to make this place, this dream, evolve.
When you arrive here, you might think that nothing has changed since last year, the building sites of the barn, the bathroom and the greenhouse are not finished yet… they have been put on pause for many months, just like the garden which has been almost abandoned. But internally, a lot has happened and confirms the direction we want to give to this place: a welcoming space propitious to personal transformation.
Ecology, veganism, the gift economy, free education, all these pillars remain important to us, but we realize that they are meaningless if they are not accompanied first and foremost by a full awareness of our emotions, our traumas or our conditioning.
Our priority becomes clear: slow down, observe ourselves, question ourselves, transform ourselves.
The (r)evolution starts within us, within me, within you, and Eotopia invites itself to the party by proposing a space of introspection and sharing, to support each other towards a better understanding of what is at stake within us and around us.
To this end, several objectives for this year 2022 which promises to be transformative:
- Beautification of the place
We want to live in beauty, to celebrate the gift we have been given with this place by magnifying it with our creative minds.
- Renovation of the buildings
Painting, cleaning, renovating the barn, the bathroom, rehabilitating the greenhouse, the projects are numerous and we are motivated to move forward on the material level.
- Welcoming
Visiting periods to share nice moments with you, but also workshops and thematic meetings to transform all together.
And a festival, of course, to celebrate all together!
- Art in our lives
It is a will to inscribe the project in a more artistic dimension, nothing concrete for the moment, but it is on the way!
- Introspection and deconstruction
To remain within ourselves, conscious of our limits, our desires, to question ourselves and to open ourselves always more, towards an enlarged consciousness of the visible and invisible world. We also open processes of deconstruction on various subjects such as patriarchy, masculinity, femininity, sexuality, etc.
- Development of the Jolivert
The project of the associative café continues! We are not losing enthusiasm to open a second space of transformation in the heart of Cronat. More info here: Facebook / Instagram. You can also write at aujolivert (at) gmail.com.
Eotopia welcomes you this year for several dates :
- From May 8 to 15 for the Inner Expression retreat.
- June 6 to 13 for a week of visits (with clay construction if the weather permits!)
- June 10-12, open house for all!
- In July: no visiting periods, but the place can welcome people willing to get involved on a long-term basis (one month minimum). Write us for more information.
- From August 11 to 16: The festival!
- From September 2nd to 9th : Visiting period!
- September 19 to 25: Retreat on the deconstruction of man (anti-patriarchy), reserved for those who were labeled male at birth
- October 30 to 3: Retreat “Dancing one’s being”.
On the resident level, we welcome with great sadness (and joy for the moments spent together) the departure of Charlene. The yurt having burned down (by mysterious causes), she did not feel like staying at Eotopia anymore. She left for other adventures in Spain.
So much for the news! On the whole, we are doing pretty well. The little cold snap of early April has burned our flowers… while bringing us closer together around the stove! Ready for a new year!
To move forward with our projects, we need support. Several ways to support us right now:
- pallets, tools (saw, nails, screws, ropes), paints, canvas, buckets…
- money to renovate, to organize a mass stove training and to offer more comfort to the visitors
- the sun
- one person to participate in the creation and development of the associative café
- the ingredients to make a vegan cake and a person to make it with Ada
- a yurt
- a law to re-establish family education without control
… and everything that comes from your heart!
Oh, and a little gift for the road too! Ben and Yazmin have written an ebook about building their cabin out of pallets, earth and straw. Here it is in exclusivity to inspire you to do the same. It’s in french for now… sorry ! The link : TerrePaillePalette
We wish you a wonderful spring, flowers, birds chirping and lots of hugs!
See you soon,
The Eotopians