I met Fatima-san (Suomi Sekiya) in Findhorn about 5 years ago.  She joined our 1001 Angels mosaic creations on our first day of the project, and her last day of a two-week stay in Findhorn.  By some good fortune our paths just crossed.  I was immediately curious about her, since she had so uniquely expressed two cultures I also felt a part of, namely a Sufi tradition in Japan.  I felt we have so much to explore together, but at that time we had very little time to invest in our explorations.  When the opportunity presented itself to visit her in Nagano prefecture, I approached her.  I was delighted to know that she could take a day off her work, which happened to be her birthday, to be with me and her partner Yaqin Nirdosh (Yuya Sato), and the Sacred Mountain of Hijiriyama, which she is a guardian of.  Both her name and her partner's name, Yaqin evoke deep feelings for me, as they are from my native tongue, Farsi.  Yaqin means certainty, Fatima, purity.  So together they speak of Pure Certainty to my soul.

Meeting Fatima and Yaqin at the Hijiriyama, which literally means Sacred Mountain, felt like a chord of destiny's been tugged.  I also found out they are both web-creators.  Since I've been looking for web-masters for Trees for Hope, I asked them if they could make our website, which they delightfully said yes!  My heart did a little dance at the top of the hill where we were standing to admire the view of the expansive North and South Japan Alps Mountains in Nagano.

Later on her birthday she took me to a remarkable restaurant called Momo, which means peach.  There she gave me her meishi, business card.  On it she lists a few things she offers the world as a way of her unique expression.  They include : Herbalist, Psychic Healer, Holistic Therapist.  As well she lists Meditation and Prayer, Deep Ecology, Permaculture, Co-Creation with Nature.  

Yaqin offers on his meishi (business card) : Meditation and Co-Creation Space.  His business name is Nirvana Lab.  I feel like I have just connected with two dear kindred spirits, on my last day in Japan!

http://nirvana-lab.com
http://devafatima.com
http://libernaturae.com
http://nuuralanuur.com

When I reached home, in time for my call with Aref, I was shocked to be hung up on the call.  'Something's come up, can't talk to you right now,' read the text on my phone display.  I felt a space that was warm and receptive, indeed as divinely creative as Chrystal is to me, closed down.  And then came the breathlessness of death.  My relationship with Aref died with this missed appointment, with the missed opportunity to communicate truly.  I felt I lost a friend and colleague I loved as dearly as my own beloved son.    

There are only two feelings.  Love and fear.
There are only two languages.  Love and fear.
There are only two activities.  Love and fear.
There are only two motives, two procedures, two frameworks, two results.  Love and fear.
Love and fear.

A Common Prayer, Leunig

The Soil Alchemy, a project to transform our food waste to compost in Northern Iran, is on my mind.
This quote by Leunig sums up my experience with our project.

I hear the land 
and understand people
here in Tatvan
I delight in a language
born as a twin to my mother tongue
then the two languages, Farsi and Kurdi
flowed down the river of time
changing in accents 
​sounding sweetly familiar in my ears
my heart is here
I belong to the earth
and one with her people
I am not a foreigner
there are no foreigners
we are one people
belonging to the earth

I have adopted a policy and practice and want to invite you to join me too. My policy is water should be free for all. So I don't buy water, especially bottled water in a plastic, or any other drinks in a plastic bottle either. This way I take responsibility for my consumption and contribution of plastic to the environment. I also refuse to buy water and make sure that my water bottle is filled wherever I go. I share this message with people in shops and restaurants and get a lot of smiles when I talk about water being free. People everywhere agree with me. I hope we can practice this together.  Why don't you get hold of your own bottle of water and make your water free too.

Notice the difference between the right and left side of the fence.  The area on the left is protected from deer and sheep grazing and young trees are regenerating naturally as the land heals itself.  Outside the fence, on the right, overgrazing by deer and sheep prevents the growth of any new trees and the land is held static in a state of  suppressed ecological succession and greatly reduced biological productivity.  

This area on Glen Strathfarrar inspired Alan to fence off large areas on Glen Affric to naturally regenerate and Trees for Life was born in 1989 with help from Findhorn Foundation and the Forestry Commission.