The forecast was dire. Neither the rain nor hale came, the sun shone and the day full of unexpected twists and turns. Visiting us were Karen and Dean and Sue, the story teller.
Oh and some of the tribe from kinda, Anna and Isla, Femke and Rory. And Chris came back! Hooray.
We had a quick Circle of Animals to introduce ourselves, with us Doormouse, Admiral butterfly, Horse, Dolphin, ….. before we went into the woods with a stranger to find something to bring back. A red spot stick, a black spot stick, a Knights armour, a turkey tail a slab or slice of wood that could be turned into so many things.
Story of Arachne with Sue
I’m a bit nervous, Sue said, it had been a long time since she was telling a story to a group of people physically. Not since last year. Would she remember the story and how to tell it – Oh she did. Here is her web
Arachne, a weaver and spinner, extraordinaire, knew she was good and grew too much pride. No one had influenced her, she was self taught. Athena, god of war and peace was also known as a good spinner and weaver, and became mad that Arachne would say that, and she challenged Arachne to a weaving contest. The two of them set up their looms in the same room and they wove from early in the morning until late at night. While Arachne took silk and cotton and wool and all the most beautiful threads of the earth, Athena took the gold from the top of mountains and the white from the clouds to spin her her yarn. Athena won but took pity on Arachne and instead of banishing her from ever weaving again, turned her into a spider who would spin forever.
N said, you know Tai Chi is all about weaving, and she invited us to do some weaving Tai Chi with her. It made our day. Standing Tai Chi. She began with the Magpies bridge, the tongue on the top of the teeth. We did Princess in the sky looking down to the shepherd. And penultimately Lady moves the shuttle. The last thing we did was give a great expelling shout into the air, before tapping ourselves down.
Chris said afterwards he didn’t think he could do it, but he could. Ann said she’d forgotten how good it felt to to Tai Chi.
We did some weaving of course and Kally wove some of our finds, red spot and dandilion in to the weft of the weave (or was to woof)?
Around our closing circle, we drank nettle tea (by popular demand) and enjoyed our traditional strawberry scones. I think we were all carrying our bodies differently as we walked out of the wood – I certainly was. Oh that glorious Tai Chi, reminding me to look up at the trees.
Kinda Forest School 
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