After growing up in mostly rural farming community just outside Los Angeles in Southern California, we saw the city radically change from what we knew as children. We moved to Las Vegas, NV in 2003 to restore historically significant Mid Century Modern homes. Then 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 all of the 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) we launched our WholeWAY Home concept. For almost ten years, 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 their health and sobriety. You could call it a compound or commune or community, but we just called it our “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 we are redefining The Way of our Sanctuary. We have visited and been inspired by Rabbi Dr. Gabriel Cousens at Tree of Life, Brother Day at the Essene Monastery in Oregon, the Enchanted Garden in San Diego, along with the writings of Edmond Bordeaux Székely, and many communal spaces to experience what works best. With many lessons learned, we have come out of the Desert and into the Promised Land of Texas.
We 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.
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. She and her husband write music, make silly movies, dance, travel, teach raw chocolate classes, plant gardens, and are dedicated historic preservationists.
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:
Community Manager – 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 20+ years informal experience in recovery-oriented programs. He helps his fellows overcome addiction through a “Recovery Diet.” 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/