Game, art and homemade craft

In Damanhur we love to explore what sustainable living means. For us, sustainability is not only producing food organically and locally and using renewable energy, it’s also creating local culture as well. On Sunday afternoon, we had an event at Damjl that showcased the best of our creations, as well as pure Damanhurian culture: a community exchange marketplace and the kickoff of the “Horusiadi” Games.

The Horusiadi is a long-running Damanhur tradition of games and competitions held in the summertime, for both adults and children, in a spirit of playful competition to bring everyone together and bring out sometimes hidden talents. Sunday’s event featured the opening of the games, which will last for two weeks. Throughout the phases of the afternoon, you could hear conch shells being played, see fires being lit by hand, and witness Damanhurians dashing in the spiral race (running as fast as you can into a spiral – which is usually walked at a very slow pace! – and back out). Other Horusiadi competitions range from singing and theatre sketches to tug-of-war and Tricalcio (a three-way soccer match), so everyone can find at least one space of participation!

Strolling through the Open Temple, you could get a taste of many different Damanhurian products, crafts and services. If you were hungry, you could find sandwiches with organic eggplant, tomato and optional meat, straight from the Prima Stalla farm, and homemade fruit and vegetable preserves. If you needed a new outfit for the Photo of the Popolo Spirituale  on August 28, you could find hand-painted silk fashions, clothes from Damanhurian fabrics, and felt hats, purses and accessories. Handmade ceramic cups, plates and objects, colorfully decorated with Sacred Language symbols, were also available if you needed to add some new pieces to your dining set.

In the background, you could hear many actors reciting their lines during theatre practice in the Amphitheatre for the upcoming Ballad performance.

It was a full immersion in Damanhur creative energy, with so much being offered straight from the farm, the art studio and the heart.

Can you imagine living in a world where everything you eat and own comes from the hands of people you know? What can we do to help make this dream a reality? Looking forward to hearing your ideas!