week sixteen: The Well and the Flame
Britt Freda
The Well and the Flame
In preparation for the Homestead Imbolc celebration I told a variation of a story called The Well and the Flame in which a sister and brother are instructed in their dreams to tend a well that has been neglected and polluted. They also must ensure that a fire burns in every hearth of their village. The children in the story, Brigit and Alex, come to understand water as the life blood of the earth and therefore a source within all of us for love, joy and new ideas. Just as we must keep springs and wells in our environment clean , we must also tend the sacred well within each of us, and not become poisoned by greed and hatred. And, just as they are instructed to tend the fire of Old Man Maddog they are encouraged to tend the flame of inspiration that burns within them in order to grow strong, wise and brave.
Math this week, for some children, introduced the concept of tens and unit values as we begin to add double digits. Others continue to work on multiplication tables and values of hundreds, tens and units for addition and subtraction that involves carrying and borrowing.
Hands-on activities included tool sharpening, and building Old Man Winter to burn for the upcoming Imbolc celebration.
“Carrots” were added to “Apples and Onions” at Closing circle . A “carrot” is an appreciation for someone, usually related to something someone observed them doing. It is a way for us to acknowledge each others’ kind ways and good deeds of the day, within the group.