Idea for a place (sanctuary/school/retreat site)

Hey all, so I've had this idea for a while, it's changed a bit over time, but recently came up again pretty strong. I would like your opinions on it, and if you like it, I would welcome your help.

I want to create a safe place for people like us to gather, where we can be ourselves authentically without fear. Online communities are wonderful things, but I'm feeling a need for a physical location, where we can meet and gather in person. In this place we can work on awakening further, remember and work through our past, practice our abilities and skills, learn new things, support each other. People could live in this place if they want, or they could come for retreats, or take classes.

By "people like us" I mean otherkin, magical humans, light workers, people interested in spiritual development and helping the Earth and its creatures, people who feel like they aren't "normal" and never quite fit in with modern day "normal" society, people who feel like they are here for a purpose, people who want to raise the vibration and awareness of the Earth. Etc.

I envision the place itself to be like a castle (Hogwarts or the X-men mansion hehe), but have it be built or updated in such a way that it is environmentally friendly and uses sustainable and reusable energy. It will have lots of land with wilderness. The wilderness could also be a wildlife sanctuary perhaps. The grounds will have permaculture food-forest gardens so we can grow our own food, and be self sustained.

Classes could be things like: past lives, otherkin, animal communication, healing with crystals and/or energy, guided meditations, soul readings to help with past life traumas as well as identity, intuition, psionics/psychic skills (telepathy, teleportation, telekenesis) shapeshifting, spirit guides, history classes (like what we remember happening), yoga, self defense and hand-to-hand combat, proper use of weapons (like swords, etc), nature survival skills, edible and medicinal plants, defense against the dark arts (lol sorry to steal from Harry Potter, but I think that sort of thing would be very useful), finding your purpose, etc etc etc. (Gabri'el suggested some of these )

So this place would have space for indoor and outdoor classes. All ages would be welcome. As would all spiritual and religious denominations. People would be free to practice their own beliefs/magick (as long as they don't hurt anyone). So there would be space for classes and learning, there would also be spaces for meditation, sacred spaces that have that ashram/monastary/temple feel, and there would be space and resources available for scientific research into paranormal and spiritual subjects.

Basically, I want this to be a safe place where people can become and be who they truly are and have the support they need. I want it to be like a home base for people, who can then go out into the world and live their purpose.

I don't know what geographic location I'd put this in, I have mixed feelings about the US, may look into other countries. I have no idea how this would get funding. Maybe there would be enough interest for crowd-funding?

So, that's the general idea of it. I would like to know what you think, and if you have any ideas or if there are things you would like to see in a place like this, please let me know. I would really like to make this happen, but want to make sure there is interest and a need for it. And if you feel like you want to get involved, I could use all the help I can get. This isn't something I can do alone.

This sounds like a great idea! I agree that while online communities are great, nothing beats "one on one" instruction. I can't benefit anyone financially, but you have my support.   

Thanks Feirce

This is a wonderful dream, and it may seem that a dream is all it is, but some of the greatest achievements and successes have started with impossible dreams. Perhaps if we put enough energy into it, the dream can become a reality. At the moment, I can't see how, but stranger things have happened when the time is right.

I don't have much, and I can't help financially, but I'm on board if, at any time, the opportunity arises for me to contribute something I do have to give.

Oh, and if I ever make the big time with my books, for sure will I buy us a castle.

I actually think this is quite feasible - maybe because I've seen so many people create intentional communities and I *know* of so many many people who mostly want to build an intentional self-sustainable community. As I told Ari'el, the main things beyond the dream are knowing your location and your proposed timeline.

I will be happy to teach in such a place. That would actually make me really happy. I've wanted to live in a magical community for some time. I think that you're sensing the need because there are actually a LOT of people feeling the same way. The "Millenial" generation in particular, including you and I, have been trying and trying to find new molds - not participating in our abusive consumerist, capitalist, racist, sexist, classist system. I think we're all OVER that. But still participating with each other. Many of us do NOT want to live alone in a hut in the woods. We WANT to create meaningful community, art. That is what you see at events like Burning Man over here on the West Coast. So I think the Bay Area would be great for this project, somewhere in the Redwoods or thereabouts. California is a beautiful, beautiful place and magical people flock to the Bay area looking for what we are talking about - magical communities of peaceful, spiritual, loving people.

Seriously, I feel like every 1 in 10 person I talk to out here is like "I dream of building an intentional community" >_> ... There's something in the air. You're holding the guidepost. All of us here are, I think. We've done so much work remembering the past, learning about our magical selves and bridging the gap between this world and the magical world. Now is the time to put that forth into that world. I think that that, truly, is what all the Millenials and younger people (and a few older people) are looking for. They have this itch to have a new direction but they don't know to what. We do know the new direction. We know where to go, how it should look, what it should feel like. I really do think that that's why so many of us are on the planet at this time. We came to bring magic back, to remind people of what Home feels like and is, and to show the way to a cooperative, sustainable, nonabusive way of being that lights love in the hearts of humans, animals, and the planet itself.

When you spread the word about this in the larger community I know that you will have a lot of support and people will rally around you wanting to get this done. But again, you have to know where. People won't rally for something that they don't know if it will ever feasibly benefit them or not. To that degree I really think that you should aim for a community in the US to begin with. I don't know how social networking, crowdfunding, and all that works overseas. If you were to have a crowdfunding event for this in, say, the UK, it would go fine I'm sure, but you would definitely need the help of people who live in the UK. You know what I mean? I've seen crowdfunding work here. I don't know how it would work abroad. Not to say that if you really want to go abroad then you should feel dissuaded. If you have the dream, the All That Is will make it happen. One step at a time.

As for the US, I'd think Hawaii, or The Bay area, or around New Orleans. As long as it would be around or accessible to a body of water.

Ish, I'm glad you're excited about the idea, and I do hope your books take off (and not just so you can buy us a castle lol :-p). I don't think anyone I know is currently capable of helping out financially. The money will come... And that is certainly not the only way to support. Ideas and moral support are so needed and appreciated.

Thank you again, Ash, for the support, the ideas, and the advice

"We do know the new direction. We know where to go, how it should look, what it should feel like. I really do think that that's why so many of us are on the planet at this time. We came to bring magic back, to remind people of what Home feels like and is, and to show the way to a cooperative, sustainable, nonabusive way of being that lights love in the hearts of humans, animals, and the planet itself. "
That strikes me as so true. <3

I've created a public facebook group for this, and would like to move the conversation there so it's all in one place. Feel free to invite anyone you know who may be interested. I am tentatively calling it Sanctuary. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403987099843210/

I've also already found three people who feel an incredibly strong call to this and want to help me make it happen, enough so that they are the beginnings of the core team. And there are already so many ideas pouring in.
To be honest, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, and a little scared, because this might just actually happen. "It's our light that scares us most, not our darkness." Don't worry, I won't let that stop me.

This place is going to be great    I know that this is going to take time, money, patience and much hard work but this feels like what we are supposed to do...what we were meant for - a way of bringing ALL of us together in UNITY and for helping others who are still learning and "waking" up - guiding them and helping them to find their own true paths in life -

And for finally restoring the Balance to Mother Earth -

I'm so excited to be a part of this   

Gabri'el wrote:

This place is going to be great    I know that this is going to take time, money, patience and much hard work but this feels like what we are supposed to do...what we were meant for - a way of bringing ALL of us together in UNITY and for helping others who are still learning and "waking" up - guiding them and helping them to find their own true paths in life -

And for finally restoring the Balance to Mother Earth -

I'm so excited to be a part of this   

If one particular vision of the future that I've had is accurate to some degree it is that we all do eventually "team up", so to speak.   

Nice! I like the "teaming up" vision

We've started fleshing things out a little more, and have the beginnings of a mission statement/credo thing. I'm pretty excited about this.

Ari'el wrote:

Nice! I like the "teaming up" vision

We've started fleshing things out a little more, and have the beginnings of a mission statement/credo thing. I'm pretty excited about this.

I can't wait!