CULTURAL DIMENSION
As we have already mentioned, from the beginning, Irene coordinated the group in tune with the vision and original information of the Amalurra project.
For this reason, one of the main objectives of the community was to work on: the reconnection with the Basque ancestral wisdom and with intrinsic values of our culture, the recovery of the ancestral bond with Mother Earth, the awakening of essential feminine values (beyond gender), as well as the celebration of cultural expressions linked to the Basque tradition.
Good practices
Healing transgenerational wounds
One of the pillars of the community have been the processes carried out for the healing and integration of our intergenerational and cultural wounds. Such processes, facilitated by Irene as well as other facilitators, focused on achieving an impact, not only at an individual level, but also at a systemic and transgenerational level.
Recovery of ancestral values
One of the goals that we set for ourselves in our community experience was to recover the intrinsic values of our culture. Coexistence encouraged the use of the Basque language. It also strengthened personal ties by cultivating social values such as fraternity, solidarity, hospitality and a sense of belonging. Through cooperative work or auzolan, an ancient Basque form of teamwork, we materialized the physical space and practiced participation, co-responsibility and collaboration in favor of the collective good.
On the other hand, we tried to restore our ancestral bond with Mother Earth by celebrating rituals which reestablished the link of unity and reciprocity of people with the Earth, such as Saint John’s Eve, full moon circles or the celebration of solstices and equinoxes when seasons changed.
In addition, these traditional celebrations played a relevant role in sustaining the community, by consolidating unity and group commitment through traditional songs and dances, birthdays, weddings, births and funerals. Likewise, they contributed to structuring the lives of its members, as well as to reaffirming their identity and remembering aspects of their vision about the world and their history.
Spaces and symbols
The circle
The circular spaces in the open air, such as the stone circle, the fire circles or the spaces in nature, were the scenario of ceremonies and rituals that favored working and rescuing the values of our tradition that we had relegated and, in some cases, forgotten.
Symbols
Throughout our journey, the symbols emerged as a reflection of the community moment we were going through, both at a collective and individual level. Each of them retains an intrinsic meaning that expresses itself. Among them are the bear, the snake, the turtle, the stone sphere and the Basque cross or lauburu (lau = four; buru = head), a very old mythological symbol that represents the sun.