Episode 114: The house that Trust Built

OpeningToday’s 6am lineup went like this: robin, gull, pigeon, me. The set list was lost; no matter, we improvised. A scant hour of song for the holiday weekend.For three months I’ve been away with trees and rock, gums and roses. Turns out the beauty is in the doing, the being, the singing, the making moves, turning our energies towards real life. The classes were full, we painted ourselves as much as the paper, we turned nettles to rope, strangers to friends. Eleanor Robins brought memory to the land and in glad shade we all remembered. We came to our senses. Rosie Whinray joined us out west, met the bats, brought her hat, took some photos, swum in the pond, and oh how we talked at last, in the real.Dartmoor had old news for me: take care of yourself, of others, of home and relationships. Foster trust, the granite said, attend to the heart, honour your ancestors, outreach to the horizons, be curious. The Variscan Orogeny1 was completely clear on this: Obey the Muse and know yourself, to thine own selves be true.This summer, bereft at the world and mourning beauty, I went dark, as in AWOL, also dark as in Goth, and as in The Dark Mountain Project 2. A potent mixture of French Black Gaze and trust3 somehow brought me back to my senses.Then yesterday I woke up, woke bang up, wide awake, right in the middle of my life.A small, well-proportioned house in my dawn dream, welcoming, stocked with books, jars of food and hand made things, with the sound of someone playing Northumbrian small pipes in the air.The tune is called ‘The House that Trust Built’.Thanks to paying subscribers I can keep Uncivil Savant going with no financial barrier to access. Thanks so much for your ongoing support. This podcast was first published with full transcript, photos, links, footnotes and more on here on Substack on August 31st 2026.I don’t use AI in any aspect of my research, writing or creative work. I am a member of Writers Against AI.Thanks for reading and listening to Uncivil Savant. Get full access to Uncivil Savant at carolineross.substack.com/subscribe