At its simplest definition, an intentional community is one that is created with a particular plan. It just has to be built with a particular goal and intention. That definition is very vague, but it does speak to the heart of the organizations.
Many ICs lean towards environmental responsibility. They seek to create a living space where people can live sustainably without compromising their quality of life. Other ICs may lean towards supporting a particular population. For example, some elder care villages are considered ICs. Others may lean towards supporting a religious group. There seems to be a never ending variety.
Another tenant of ICs is creating human connection. For a long time, it was common for multiple generations to live together in one home. Or a collection of homes in the same area. And people often lived their whole lives in one place. This created an environment where you usually had people around all the time. You would have many points of human connection and support your whole life. That changed with the rise of the nuclear family, solo living, and a more transient lifestyle. Now people have fewer connections growing up and often move to new places where everyone is a stranger. It’s hard to build a sense of community in a new place. ICs can help by drawing people together into a shared space with the intention of forming those connections and community.
Resource sharing is also an important part of intentional communities. Resources can include labor as well as physical objects. Having someone around to help look after children or a sick family member can make a huge difference. So can sharing tools. Why should three people buy a chop saw for building projects when you could have one in a collective workshop? Also, having multiple people able to pitch in towards larger equipment can make land management that much easier. There are many ways to share resources to make each other’s lives easier, leaving more time for self and community.
Here at AllWays, we want to support the local pagan community and surrounding area in an ecologically friendly way. Most pagans seek to live in harmony with nature. We want to reduce our impact on the environment and model a more sustainable way of living with eco-friendly housing and community space. We hope that this will make it easier for others to do the same. We also intend to keep a large portion of our land natural. This will provide a place for everyone to come out and enjoy nature. We will also be creating spaces for pagans (and non) to come out and hold circles and rituals. These will be safe spaces that will provide the basics necessary for magic and communion.
We hope that you will join us in our journey.