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De Gaarde |
Learning center for live in relationship |
in het nederlands
Origins and Inspiration
In 1999 Elly Verrijt (1944) founded De Gaarde in a farmhouse with garden and yard in Udenhout. De Gaarde is the sum total of all her life history and many facetted experiences.
She was born and raised on a small farm in De Peel, an area of moors and heather, of peat and small creeks. It gave her a strong foundation for Earth connectedness. It gifted her with an inner knowing and wisdom that comes from the deep bondedness with the land and the seasons. During her studies of biology, agriculture and home-economics she discovered the writings of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. He wrote about the history of evolution from a deep cosmological context. His words have been the grounding of her major life choices:
"The most decisive moment in life is the insight that we are not lost and homeless in the universe, but the axis of evolution"
She joined the Medical Mission Sisters in 1966, became a public health nutritionist, and lived and worked together with the poor in Central Java on the improvement of health and nutrition. Struck by the immense pollution and destruction of the ecosystems - the price payed for economic growth and progress - her consciousness of the crisis of the Earth widened.
The political situation in the early eighties forced her to return to Europe. She became a spiritual guide and coach and worked for many years with people in intense healing-and integration processes. More and more she saw how the ecological crisis and the woundedness of Earth mirrors what happens to the human soul and vice versa.
In 1992, she experienced the Bijlmer disaster in Amsterdam when a plane crashed into an (her) apartment building and many people died. Years later she realized what it means to be a victim of an ecological disaster and this kindled her passion for the Earth in a new way.
In Genesis Farm, a place for Ecological Spirituality in the USA, she studied the works of Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme. She understood that our time needs a New Story. The old story about how everything came to be and why we are here on Earth can no longer give the answers that we need for the urgent questions of our today. She realized the importance of a good scientific and mythic story about the evolution of Cosmos and Earth.
There was the deep immersion in nature and wilderness, the work on the land, study, the old trails of the native Americans, the study of landscape and bio- region, the cooking and gardening; it all changed her life in an irreversible way.
She saw how our present time needs places, "Gardens" where one can experience and learn a sustainable lifestyle and go through the process to reconnect again with nature and Mother Earth.
THE HISTORY OF DE GAARDE
The inspiration of Genesis Farm led to the foundation of De Gaarde, a place of learning an Spiritual Ecological way of life. With the (financial) support of The Medical Mission Sisters (till 2009) and many people who contributed to the development of De Gaarde till today, De Gaarde has become what it is now. In processes of study and shared reflection, courses, meditations and rituals, seasonal celebrations and gardening and in many other ways De Gaarde emerged. For many a place of encounter and inspiration, of learning and resting and of growing consciousness about the Earth and homecoming.
A network developed of likeminded, committed and searching people of varied backgrounds and religious and spiritual beliefs. People who look into the questions of today find each other - from nearby and from far away. De Gaarde is since the beginning part of an international network of pioneering centers for Earth literacy and Earth consciousness. ( see the links)
The uniqueness of De Gaarde is the shared experience in a spirituality that is very wide and open to all who search for their spiritual roots. Since the beginning we have worked from the deep connection between ecology and spirituality. By spirituality we mean the experience of the absolute oneness of all things and the way of life that is an expression of this knowing.
TIME OF CHANGE; DE GAARDE MOVES TOWARDS THE FUTURE
A number of circumstances urged the termination of De Gaarde in Udenhout. This became a fact in January 2009.
- The need for searching new ways to continue De Gaarde outside the present location.
- The necessity for new ways of financial support and income generation.
- In January 2009 Elly Verrijt handed over leadership and management tasks.She continues to be part of the Gaarde Foundation through sharing the inspiration and further developing the vision and makes herself available for ( inter]- national assignments and coaching.
- An group of inspired and motivated people has taken on the further development of De Gaarde Foundation in a spirit of community and bringing together inspiration and initiatives.
- A new Governing Board of De Gaarde Foundation has taken over .
- A process of study and learning has started with a group who will continue the mission of De Gaarde and develop activities and programs.
Since February 2009 De Gaarde Foundation operates from a modest location in Berkel –Enschot and hopes to move to a more definite location in the near future.
Sources of Inspiration
Some books
- The Dream of the Earth: Thomas Berry 1988, ISBN 0-87156-622-2
- The Great Work : Thomas Berry 1999 ISBN 0-609-600525-9
- The Universe Story : Thomas Berry en B. Swimme, ISBN 0-06-250 -835-0
- Evening Thoughts : Thomas Berry 2006, ISBN 13-978-1-57805-130-4
- Coming back to Life : J. Macy / Molly Brown Young ISBN 98-0-86571-391-8
- Nature and the human Soul: B.Plotkin ISBN 978-1-57731-551-5
Websites:
http://www.earth-community.org/slideshow_2.htm
http://www.earth-community.org
