Fire + Earth

Collaboration. This is Ryan, my partner in creativity, life and love. He is a gifted yoga teacher with another background from another lifetime in carpentry, construction and machining. Like two sides of a triangle, our interests, strengths, and needs complement each other in ways it has been a joy to discover. The first time I walked the new property with Ryan I had my head down the entire time, looking at all the plants and making sure not to walk on anything vulnerable, while he took in the breathtaking vistas. After we each had our fill of our natural inclinations, he showed me which local areas were visible in each direction from our property, and I taught him how to identify certain plants in different stages in their growth. Macro and micro, Leo and Virgo, he tends to see the forest and I'm all about the individual trees. I actually did not visit the property until after we made the purchase. Instead I went by Ryan's experience. Boy was I right to trust his expertise and instincts. He called it "magical," and I can't think of a more perfect word to describe this little patch of fire, earth, sky and water. Finding out recently that its fertility owes to its being the historic site of isolated volcanic activity crystallized the synchronicity of our special spot. A volcano embodies the creative conjunction of fire and earth. With Via Volcano snaking around the corner from our De Luz home (Spanish for "Of Light"), in the land of Temeekunga (Luiseño for "the place where the Sky Father meets the Earth Mother"*), is there no better condensation of the union of a Leo and a Virgo than a volcano?

     In the photo you see the view from the future site of his yoga studio. Ryan's classes will overlook a stunning hillside that appears to be a nesting area for dinosaur eggs. These Jurassic and Cretaceous era volcanic boulders glow pink at sunset, and white on a clear night, making evening classes nothing short of spectacular. The yoga studio will be surrounded by fragrant gardens and living perfume architecture.

 

 

*From Wikipedia: 'In Pechanga history, life on Earth began in the Temecula Valley. They call it "'Éxva Temeéku", the place of the union of Sky-father, and Earth-mother ("Tuukumit'pi Tamaayowit"). The Temecula Indians ("Temeekuyam") lived at "Temeekunga", or "the place of the sun". Other popular interpretations of the name include "The sun that shines through the mist" or "Where the sun breaks through the mist".'