There are moments in life when we long to feel held, not rescued or fixed.
Just simply held. Held by our own bodies, the land beneath our feet ad the quite rhythm of our hands making something slow and well.
This weekend is an invitation into that remembering.
Across two days, we will gather beneath the trees to weave a traditional womb belt, sometimes known as a life belt. Woven belts have been made in many cultures for generations, offering warmth, practical support and a sense of containment through everyday life and life's many thresholds.
Historically they have been worn during pregnancy, after birth, throughout menstruation, during physical work, long journeys and the colder months of the year. They offered warmth to the lower back and belly, practical support, and for many people a quiet sense of steadiness within the body.
Today they continue to accompany people through all kinds of transitions. Grief. Menopause. Illness. Recovery. Motherhood. Change. New beginnings. Endings. Or simply those seasons when life asks more of us than we imagined we had to give.
Weaving What Holds Us
We weave these belts in an old way. One end of the warp is tied around your own body.
The other is tied to a living tree and Between you, the weaving begins.
The tree holds the tension alongside you, becoming your partner in the making. Every thread passes through the living space between your body and the more-than-human world. As the cloth slowly grows, something else often begins to emerge.
Many people discover they are not simply making a belt. They are discovering what it feels like to be held.
Held by rhythm,by attention and by the quiet companionship of the tree.
Held by the knowledge that they are capable of making something both beautiful and enduring with their own hands.
By the end of the weekend you will leave carrying more than a woven belt.
You will leave carrying something that has learned the shape of your body, the memory of your hands and the presence of the tree that stood beside you as you worked.
Practical Details
All Equipment will be provided, however you may wish to bring anything personal that you would like to weave into your belt.
Tea, coffee and Snack will be provided, but please Bring a Sharing dish for lunch
We start at 10am each day and finish around 4pm. Please note this is not a residential course.
