Animus Terrae

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Animus Terrae

Located in Ash Fork, Arizona, United States

Mission Statement
As servants to the spirit of the land, we endeavor to live in cooperation rather than competition with the wildlife with whom we share this land.

Community Description
Animus Terrae means “the heart/soul of the earth.” Our community is founded upon stewardship of forty acres in Northern Arizona. We are working to restore the land, which is currently overgrazed and depleted, so that we can live here in cooperation instead of competition with the wildlife around us. When the land is resilient and healthy again we will begin to garden and build semi-permanent structures. We also hope to expand our stewardship to the land around us. For the time being, we are living here on wheels.

We believe that we are not above the natural laws that keep all life in balance and that we can not, without dire consequences, take more from the Earth than what we return. With humble gratitude for all that the land provides, our aim is to hoard nothing that comes to us, not to take more than we need, and treat nothing that flows from us as waste. Composting, repairing, recycling and repurposing items rather than throwing them away is our primary spiritual practice.

Our Earth-based spiritual paths encourage practices that contribute to our physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual health in order that we may become ever more compassionate, wise, humble and grateful servants to the land, to each other, and to the unity of all Life. Our focus is not on the after-life or on mystical states or abstract stages of consciousness, but on the joys and responsibilities of our day-to-day lives. We seek the “Kingdom of God” of which the great mystics (Jesus, Buddha and Krishna) spoke in the here and now.
Ultimately, our work here is the work of reconnection and restoration – within our broken selves, with the wounded land, with each other, and with all life.

THE LAND

This forty acre parcel is one of the off-grid Juniperwood Ranch properties near Ash Fork Arizona. Only three of the eight surrounding parcels are occupied. There is no year round flowing water or accessible groundwater. The land receives about 13 inches of rain per year. The soil is rocky clay. Dominant plant species include juniper and ring muhley grass (a symptom of overgrazing). Wildflowers include white poppies and orange globe mallow. On the land we’ve seen antelope, deer, javelina, rabbits, jackrabbits, redtail hawks, barred owls, doves, mountain blue birds, coyotes and prairie dogs.

OUR PROJECTS

The first step in rewilding the land is to fence out the cattle to give the land a rest from overgrazing. We will use a type of fence that allows wildlife including antelope to pass through, but will keep the cows out. Then we will plant a butterfly garden to attract pollinators and birds to help bring the native grasses and wildflowers back. We are raising funds for these projects through a blog on Patreon and through our campground. A beautiful rock wall for the butterfly garden is already under construction using stones that were unearthed when a nearby road was graded. The rock wall will help keep the garden warm on winter nights and cool on summer days.

OUR LIFE TOGETHER

The five of us live lightly on one of the forty acres. We have chickens, two dogs, two cats, and two finches. We share at least one meal per day and freely engage in an eclectic range of spiritual practices and readings. We are an income sharing commune. Members work on a small local farm, receive social security income, and run small at-home businesses. Rewilding efforts are funded by a patrion campaign and by campers who come to us via our hipcamp listing.

Housing
Status: We have undeveloped land
Area: 40 acres
Current Residence Types: Mobile homes, RV’s, converted buses
Current Number of Residences: 3
Planned number of residences: 4
Planned Residence Types: Room(s) in a house or building, Yurt, tee-pee, dome, treehouse, or tent, Mobile homes, RV’s, converted buses, Natural built structues
Housing Provided: Rental, Work-exchange, Included in Membership
Land owned by: A subgroup of community members
Additional Comments:
We live in non-permanent housing. Currently we are all in RVs. Tiny houses, teepees, yurts etc would also be fine.

Membership
Adult Members: 4
Child Members: 0
Non-member Residents: 1
Percent Women: 31-40%
Percent Men: 51-60%
Percent Transgender: 0%
Visitors accepted: Yes
Visitor Process:
Please give us a call or email us if you would like to visit.
Open to new Members: Yes

Economics
Dues, Fees, or Shared Expenses: No
Shared Income: All or close to all
Required Labor Contribution per Week: 30
Open to members with existing debt: Yes

Sustainability Practices
Energy Infrastructure: We are totally off grid.
Current renewable energy generation: 50-75%
Energy sources: Solar
Planned renewable energy generation: Almost All, around 90%
Current food produced: 0%, or close to 0%
Planned food produced: From 50-75%
Food produced locally: Up to 25%

Lifestyle
Common Facilities: Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Fire pit, Recreational vehicles, Internet
Internet Available: Yes, community provides it
Internet Fast?: Yes, it’s fine.
Cell Phone Service: Good for most people.
Shared meals: Approximately all dinners
Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (plants and animals), Paleo (no grains, dairy, processed foods, or legumes), Local (food sourced within 150 miles), Organic (no pesticides or synthetic fertilizers), GMO Free (only non-genetically modified organisms), Vegetarian Only (no animal meat; dairy and eggs okay) – Please check this only if you are 100% Vegetarian, Mostly Vegetarian, Vegan Only (plants only, no animal products) – Please check this only if you are 100% Vegan., Mostly Vegan, Opportunivore (dumpster diving, nature harvesting, etc.), Raw or Mostly Raw, Kosher, Halal, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Dietary Choice or Restrictions: No – people may eat however they wish.
Special Diets OK: Yes
Alcohol Use: Yes, used seldomly, or ceremoniously.
Tobacco Use: Yes, used seldomly, or ceremoniously.
Additional Diet Comments:
We sometimes have wine with dinner and may use tobacco ceremoniously.
Common Spiritual Practice(s): Ecumenical (accepts all religions or spiritual practices), Eclectic (integrates multiple religious or spiritual beliefs), Christian, Catholic, Native American, Paganism or Earth Religions, Mixed Eastern Philosophy or Practice
Spiritual Practice Expected?: No
Education Style(s): Up to each family or individual
Healthcare Options: Community Plan

Source: https://www.ic.org/directory/animus-terrae/
              http://animusterrae.com/