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From HaleJournal.com The Holistic Home With the advent of reaching critical mass, or a higher vibrational level for planet Earth, New ways of being and living were now ready to be implemented (as of July 2006). This meant that the lightworkers, or way-showers for these New ways, were now being put into position to bring their creations into form. These New creations involve a wide range of New roles, from the arts and entertainment, to New and higher ways of living in harmony with all of creation itself. Cob building is one of these New ways of living and being.
Building with the elements of the earth (cob: earth, clay, sand, straw, and water) places us in direct alignment with the higher realms. Because we reach the higher realms through the earth, harmonizing with her and living in structures made from her, allows us to fully embody the higher realms in an easy, fulfilling, and peaceful way. Cob building enables one to create a living environment that perfectly suits one’s needs and desires in every way. Cob structures can be built to suit us, as we are the creators, instead of trying to fit into an already built structure of someone else’s ideas, notions or needs. A cob home can be built in alignment with the sun, moon, and the planets. This is vitally important, as aligning is what it is all about in the higher realms. The ancients knew this, and consequently built in this way, with openings for sun daggers, for viewing and aligning with certain planets and their cycles, and for the movements of the moon. Alignments bring in portal openings for higher energies, and allow us to be in continuous spaces of harmony.
Cob homes are perfect for a sustainable lifestyle. They provide immense thermal mass with good insulation, and are ideal for passive solar construction. They remain cool in the summer and require little additional heating in the winter. As all our needs are met from the earth herself, a cob house can be built to totally sustain itself while it disconnects from the "Old World." Totally fireproof, wind resistant, and fairly earthquake resistant, a cob house will last for hundreds of years. Extremely economical, a cob home can be built for as little as $500, for a modest cob cottage. Many homes are built for under $5,000. With the help of a team, cob building is ideal for a "barn raising" experience. One person can build a two-story wall in about a month. Aesthetically pleasing, cob structures blend in beautifully with the environment. Many that live in cob homes have said that they feel they live in the earth and that their homes are growing out of the earth. Harmony! Building a cob structure is a spiritual experience. The process itself is a sacred one. Ideally suited for children and the elderly, as well as adults, submerging oneself in creativity with elements of the earth can really bring one to center with Source. And building with cob can be an on-going creative experience as long as it needs to be. Starting small and adding on as one’s resources become available, is a reality of cob as well. There are many other forms of natural building besides cob. Adobe, rammed earth, wattle and daub, poured earth, earth bag, straw bale, and bamboo, to name a few. And then there are hybrids, which are a combination of more than one, ideal for suiting one’s specific needs. I chose cob because of its naturally flowing forms that greatly resemble the natural forms of nature. With no square shapes or perfect 90 degree angles, cob interiors are more temperature efficient, and the curving, flowing walls and interior designs brought me great peace and tranquility. In addition, cob lends itself to a great amount of creativity in regard to clay sculpting unique interior and exterior forms that become a part of the structure itself. (And then there’s mosaic and stained glass!) Helpful LinksBelow are various links that may be of assistance to you regarding cob building. Although I have not been personally involved with most of these organizations or resources, you can at least get a better idea about cob and save yourself some Google time on the internet. Most of these links contain many more links within them: House Alive Cob Workshops Green Home Building The Last Straw Earthed World Cob Projects Natural Building Network Builders Without Borders This article has been brought to you courtesy of Karen Bishop see www.whatsuponplanetearth.com © Copyright 2007 by HaleJournal.com |
