sankalpa is an intention ritual symbolised by holding water in the palm of your hand as you hold your intention within your attention
the water is poured into the soil, the seed is sown, and must be nurtured

This work was inspired by the ancient practices of agrarian cultures that perform rituals to honour the earth, seeds, and tools at the start of a new season of cultivation.

The grains we were sowing were collected by Kimberley Bell, who runs Small Food Bakery at Primary. Kim works with local growers and millers to develop sustainable food for the local community and is host to UK Grain Lab. 


​holding a ceremonial fire - havan, we asked ourselves what transformations does the world ask of us now?
 responses were written on paper and used as kindling

[] let us transform all the misery in the world into joy []
[] let us transform the concrete places into playgrounds for children [] 
[]  let us transform how we respect our bodies through the food we eat []
[] let us educate ourselves in sensory knowledges so we can know the natural world in a language that is ancient and intuitive [] 
[] let us transform from using imported food to using local food []
[] let us transform hyper-convenience habits to eating what is seasonal and local []
[] let us transform from the using algorithms and devices, to listening to our bodies to decide what and when we eat  []
[] let us transform from the age of information to the age of wisdom []
[] let us transform from individualistic society into community driven society []
​

fire transforms all

matter into all matter
all living beings on earth consume energy from the sun
all living things hold within them a digestive fire, transforming external matter into internal matter
all bodies are in a constant state of transformation, an eternal fire
knowledge that was held in all the life forms is surrendered in the fire
and realised in the release of sound, smell, light and heat
into all our bodies: the sky, the water, the earth and all that inhabit them 
their ashes smeared and scattered, serve as blessings


water gives life

life to all life
holding water in the hollow of your palm
holding your intention within your attention
the seed is sown, embedded in mind and body
held water is released into soil, giving life to intention
we take nourishment after sowing the seeds
so we have the strength to see through our intentions



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​Gratitude to Rebecca Beinart of Primary for inviting me to perform the ceremony, and to Ismail Khokon for recording the event in the beautiful photographs below.