Backstory
After growing up in mostly rural farming community just outside Los Angeles in Southern California, I saw my hometown radically change from what I knew as a child: from fields and a fruit stand on Van Nuys Blvd near Ventura to it being one of the busiest intersections in the Western United States. My husband and I moved part-time to Las Vegas, NV in 2003 to restore historically significant Mid Century Modern homes. Then full-time for over a decade we worked to build a prototype Suburban Homestead Organic (GMO free) Food Forest in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada (in the Mohave Desert) using Veganic Gardening and Permaculture Principles. We worked to grow plants traditionally found in the Holy Land and Garden of Eden (Pistachios, Figs, Dates, Pomegranates, Olives, Citrus, Jujubes, Carob, Mulberry and much more).
On Winter Solstice of 2012 (12-21-12) I launched the WholeWAY Home concept. We hosted kindred spirits from all over Planet Earth. These were people coming to Las Vegas who wished to stay in a place that supported health and sobriety. You could call it a compound or commune, but we just called it “home,” where we rented rooms out to future friends. In addition, we traveled and taught about Essene Biogenic Living, Raw Food Vegetarianism, benefits of Raw Cacao, Fermentation, How to Kiss Addiction Goodbye, and Spiritual Evolution.
Now I am redefining The Way of Sanctuary. I have visited and been inspired by Rabbi Dr. Gabriel Cousens at Tree of Life, Brother Day at the Essene Monastery in Oregon, along with a host of organic homesteads and many communal spaces to experience what works best. I have researched the writings Dead Sea Scrolls and the Modern works of Edmond Bordeaux Székely, and so much more… With many lessons learned and am continuing to learn I have come out of the Desert and into the Promised Land of Texas.
I acquired five acres of land one hour West of Austin. The area is known as the Texas Wine Trail, between the quaint and historically significant towns of Johnson City and Fredericksburg. It is a Healing Vortex. The land has potable well-water and traditional electricity, but there are ample opportunities for alternative energy: wind-solar-geothermal-hydro.
Here is my formal Bio:
Community Leader – anand
Mary-Margaret (anand sahaja) Stratton – Education and Health Ministry, Certified Raw Food Nutritionist and Essene Minister, Lay Architect, Designer
Mary-Margaret is a Renaissance woman, Award-Winning Creative Art Director, senior Communications and UX Architect. She has a degree in Marketing from LAVC and a Bachelors in Design from UCLA. Her expertise spans a number of subjects: musical composer, author of numerous diverse books, lay architect, instructional designer, painter, poet, sculptor, producer, and educator. After volunteering to save Mid Century Modern buildings from demolition for twenty years, including the iconic Palm Spring Tramway Gas Station and the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, she developed a keen interest in architectural design (as well as edible-medicinal landscape design). She published tours and created events for Mid-Mod enthusiasts. And she became actively involved in the historic restoration of ten homes.
Like Apostle Simon being given the name Peter by Yashua… Mary-Margaret was given the esoteric spiritual name ~anand in Venice California in 2007. anand sahaja loosely translated from Sanskrit means “Spontaneous Bliss!” While growing up in Catholic school for twelve years, she was often teased as “sister” mary-margaret. It’s ironic that she is now a minister who is referred to as ‘sister’ anand.
anand later became a Certified Raw Food Nutritionist under the tutelage of David ‘Avocado’ Wolf at the Body Mind Institute. Knowing ministerial credentials help when teach/learning on ‘controversial’ subjects, anand was ordained as an Essene Minister in 2011 by a Bishop of the Essene School founded by Dr. Edmond Bordeaux. She’s currently a minister of the Essene Nazarean Church of Mount Carmel. The Essenes are noted for their commitment to peace and a living biogenic food diet – that works! She is the author of an introductory book on Paganism ~ the Good Wiccan series, co-author of Raw Matt’s Dominant Health and developed recipes for the un-cookbook, Eat Like Eve. She is dedicated to sharing information on how nutrition can work miracles in addiction and OCD and expressed these ideas in her books, Kiss Addiction Goodbye and Stop Picking on Me.
anand has been married for over thirty years. Her favorite pastimes are music, silly movies, dance, travel, teaching writing, planning and planting gardens.
Professional Experience Page:
http://www.linkedin.com/im/marymargaret
Amazon Author Page:
amazon.com/Mary-Margaret-anand-sahaja-Stratton/e/B011K34Q3C
Professional Speaker/Coach website:
My husband continues to struggle with alcoholism. He is in an intense and long term rehabilitation program off-site. He is currently not involved in this project anymore. However, he may be in the future with sufficient long-term sobriety time without relapse. I am including his bio here, for insight into what he previously brought to the project.
Cary-Mason
Cary (aka Chef Mason Green) Stratton – Music, Plants and Praise Ministry – Jack of Many Trades, Man with Many Hats
Cary-Mason Stratton is a versatile, colorful, accomplished drummer and musical performer with over forty years experience. His styles include rock, pop, jazz, country western, bluegrass, fusion, bee-bop, Latin, reggae, metal, Bossa Nova and even Taiko! Cary-Mason was also a member of the Motion Pictures Editors Guild with over ten years experience in the post production sound industry for Todd A.O./Glen Glenn Sound and 20th Century Fox Studios. He worked as an ADR, Foley and Transfer Recordist and on movies like Titanic, Saving Private Ryan, and The Big Lebowski. Cary-Mason learned building skills and helped rehabilitate over ten historic Mid Century Modern Homes, including basic carpentry, plumbing, apprenticing as an electrician and mastering his green thumb in the garden.
His love for food brought Cary-Mason to graduate as a Certified Gourmet Raw Food Chef and Educator under Cherie Soria at Living Light Culinary Institute. Mason is trained in wild food in the Western Hemisphere and addiction recovery through nutrition. Chef Mason has 30+ years informal experience in recovery-oriented programs. He has been primarily plant-based since 1992 and associated with raw foods since 2004. Lastly, but most importantly, he has been successfully married to his wife, anand, for over three decades.
Professional Resume:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carystratton/