Ritual and Celebration

We’re delighted to announce that The Sacred Union Labyrinth will be fully set up, programmed and open to all festival patrons for walking any time or for attending the magical Ceremonies and any of the magnificent acts performing in our beautiful open air, garden venue.  The tickets to Woodford are capped this year so if you haven’t booked tickets yet, now’s the time. Here’s a link to the site  

Over 300 Woodfordia Citizens, staff, volunteers and Woodford Folk Festival organisers and friends got together recently for a weekend of reconnecting, future planning, ideas generation, music, fun and mural painting. The main highlight was the announcement that the Woodford Folk Festival is back this December, as usual pre Covid, from 27th December to 1st January. The Saturday program of the Citizen’s ‘Gathering the tribe’ weekend began with Robin leading a one hour Reconnection session with participants, followed by a stunning performance by Linsey Pollak. After lunch lots of subgroups formed to brainstorm and develop ideas for getting the word out about the festival, supporting volunteers, forming an onsite logistics working group as well as discussing ideas for The Planting Festival to have a new life and initiate the Conservatree project. Of course there was the now traditional ‘Mad Hatters Tea Party’, great music and entertainment and lots of exciting conversations …

Woodford Folk Festival didn’t happen over the Christmas/New Year period and so the annual Ceremonies at the Sacred Union Labyrinth led by Robin and friends didn’t happen either. To keep the energy of the site and the staff and patrons alive and flourishing the idea of holding ‘Bushtime’ at Woodfordia was born.  Robin was invited to offer a 3 hour ‘Ritual and Ceremony’ workshop at these laid back, lightly programmed bush camping experiences. Surrounded by other diverse and creative workshops, nature and science talks and walks, kids activities, the Lake for swimming, delicious food, fantastic music and relaxed and happy people, it was easy to have a good time. This was able to happen in a COVID safe environment and was designed to cater for up to 1000 people. Robin’s favourite workshop was a ‘Personal Shrine Painting’ two hour workshop with Gavin Ryan, the long standing Artist in Residence who …

Starhawk from USA Charlie McGee and Formidable Vegetable 3 Exciting Events Robin Clayfield, on behalf of Northey Street City Farm (and herself) has invited the much loved and respected author, activist, ritualist and Permaculture teacher Starhawk from the US to be our very special guest at the APC (Australasian Permaculture Convergence) and to also co-facilitate a 3 day and 3 night Social Permaculture in Action Immersion with Robin at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village. Dates for the APC – 20th to 23rd April 2020 Here’s the link to the website Dates for the Social Permaculture are 7th to 10th MayPoster and Link still to  come  🙂 Contact Robin by email Robin’s annual ‘Dynamic Groups, Dynamic  Learning’ Creative Teachers, Facilitators and Group Leadership Course at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village is fast approaching. Dates – 15th to 20th March 2020 Here’s a link to Robin’s website Immediately afterwards the absolutely fabulous, fantastic and …

International author, workshop facilitator and Permaculture teacher Starhawk from US will visit Australia to be the special guest for the Australiasian Permaculture Convergence in Brisbane in April 2020, hosted by Northey Street City Farm. Amongst her busy schedule she’ll join Robin Clayfeild at Crystal Waters Permaculture Village to offer a 3 1/2 day Social Permaculture in Action Workshop. Everyone will be welcome, even if they aren’t attending the Convergence. Dates are 7th to 10th May 2020. Starhawk has a special gift in offering practical and elder wisdom in a straightforward and impassioned way with her decades of experience in social action, cultural change and Permaculture always guiding the journey. The Amazing Facilitation Team at the Social Permaculture Course in UK a few years ago with Robin on the left and Starhawk on the right. Photo by Dana Wilson

The cover of the program booklet for The Planting If you’ve never been to ‘The Planting’ Festival before and you live close enough to have three days away over the first weekend in May, you’ll get to experience and participate in a delightful diversity of environmental, social and creative workshops, talks, wanderings and activities along with ceremony and of course great music. It’s held at the Woodford Folk Festival site and grew out of the tree planting weekends that have supported the site be a shady and beautiful wildlife and people haven. The Labyrinth at last year’s ‘The Planting’ with the split bamboo garden edge surrounds. For the second year running Robin and her troupe of labyrinth makers, ceremony weavers, workshop facilitators and musicians will create a luscious space for patrons to experience the serenity of labyrinth walking and guided ceremonies, accompanied by divine music at The Sacred Union Labyrinth. …