Life at Oran Mór is unique in many respects.

All work and no play makes for unhealthy Oran Mórons, so we try to balance our toil with fun activities. Our social norms are not for everyone, though, so be sure to read the following if you plan to visit, thus avoiding shocks that could lead to aneurisms or cardiac arrest.

Holidays

OM celebrates eight major holidays, or Great Days each year. On these days, and sometimes even the day before and the day after, we take time off from our projects and only do the essential chores. We may also take such a holiday for members' birthdays (at member's discretion). The eight holidays are:

This is the Wheel of the Year from neo-Celtic tradition. Although OM is not a sectarian community, and we welcome people of all faiths and creeds, we like to use these celebrations to express and honor our bond with the cycles of the seasons on our lovely planet. We generally prepare a feast of our home-grown food, play music and games, dance, sing, or even build a bonfire.

On holidays, we give ourselves the option of imbibing intoxicating substances as part of our celebration. Except for these eight annual occasions (and sometimes birthdays), we are essentially a sober community. We have many reasons for imposing this limitation on ourselves, the chief of which is that we wish to avoid creating a culture that enables addiction. We understand that there are many responsible users of recreational drugs in the world, but after much deliberation, this is where we have decided to draw the line. So if you happen to be a person who likes a nice cold beer or two after work every day, OM is probably not the place for you.

Moons

We also take the day off (except for essential chores) for the Full Moon and the New Moon. Rather than construct our work schedule on the artificial rhythm of the seven-day week, we have opted to take our days of rest in sync with the lunar cycle. We understand that some belief systems require the devotee to rest on Saturday or Sunday, and so we are certainly open to accomodating such beliefs. Right now the social norm happens to be that we don't work on projects on the Full or the New Moon, but we generally work on both Saturday and Sunday.

Music

We like to relax and celebrate life with music most every day at OM. Pearl and Bunny frequently play Irish tunes together, and like to jam with guests. We have a piano available, five or six guitars, recorders, penny whistles, quite a few drums and other percussion instruments. Whatever your level of ability, you are welcome to join in. Most Wednesdays, we get together with a small local group for free-form jam sessions. We also have an extensive and eclectic collection of music CDs in Celesteville, our community library.

Attire

Oran Mórons generally dress comfortably, in clothes we're not afraid to get dirty. We may wear something fancier on special occasions. Individuals mostly own their clothing at this point, but we plan to eventually have a “commie clothes” facility, for articles that the entire community can share.

We respect the right of every individual to wear as much or as little as makes co comfortable, including nothing at all. We understand that social nudity is not for everyone, but it is quite common here, especially in the summer when we're working hard and sweating a lot! Naked gardening sure saves a lot of laundry time.

If you are new to social nudity, please understand that it is not an invitation to overt sexuality, and try to treat nude people with the same respect and dignity you would if they were clothed.

Smoking

It's certainly not news to anyone who hasn't spent co's entire life hiding in a cave that tobacco use is extremely hazardous to human health. OM is currently a smoke-free community, and we wish to stay that way. We must insist that all members and visitors refrain from smoking on the property. We certainly understand that nicotine addiction is hard to break. Should a person so addicted wish to become a member of OM, we would have to do our best to help co quit, but we cannot support the habit of someone who wishes to continue smoking.

Petroleum

As mentioned in our bylaws, OM is committed to minimizing our consumption of petroleum. This is the main reason that we run our motor vehicles off of waste vegetable oil fuel and we have decided to prohibit the use of gasoline at OM. Visitors who drive petroleum-powered cars will be asked to kindly avoid driving them during their stay as much as possible.

Television

We don't watch TV at OM, and have no desire to start. We do somehow manage to find activities to fill our days.

Firearms

We prefer not to have firearms of any kind on our property. We do allow hunting, but you'll have to use a bow or an atlatl or something else that doesn't go “BOOM!” Please don't bring weapons of any kind if you come for a visit.

Labor

Much as we find it distasteful to use such dirty four-letter words as “work,” the fact remains that there are certain tasks that must get done in order for us to survive and thrive. We ask that all members and guests try to do their fair share, as determined by consensus and their own consciences. It is much more important to us that work be done joyfully and patiently than on time and to specifications.

Air Conditioning

We consider it an extravagance, a waste of natural resources, and a maladaptive strategy. There are no air-conditioned spaces at OM. It does get hot here in the summer. We prefer to pace ourselves and drink lots of water. We do have a few electric fans that we use sparingly, but when it's hot, it's hot: there's no escape!

More thoughts on Appropriate Technology.

If Oran Mór still sounds like a place you'd enjoy, then come visit us and find out!